GONE ASTRAY

A white middle class woman, Kevin O'Mally, has hired a Native American girl, Abbie Firewing, to use her proposed skills to find Kevin’s daughter who was abducted years ago. When Abbie suggests the girl, Raven, might be dead, Kevin is furious.

ABBIE

Forgive me, Mrs. O'Mally.

KEVIN

(Swinging around) Wha...?

ABBIE

Sorry if I snapped at you... it's not the way of my people, we don't hold onto things like—I mean, I know it's hard, I do it too and I'm trying to change.... see...I've been tracking something, Mrs. O'Mally. Something fierce and hungry and it led me here and I'm trying to keep it away until I figure out what it is but you're making it real tough being so wired up and all and questioning me like—

KEVIN

I got a right to my doubts, Missy, I been lied to plenty, I been lied to by the best of them and here I brung you photos of her, letters I sent her at camp, all kindsa shit up to her room where I let you sleep in her bed that nobody's touched for nine years and Liberace's ghost aside, tomorrow's her birthday and we ain't no closer to finding Raven today than we was yesterday.

ABBIE

They say things have a way of returning. When you release—

KEVIN

Woah— I know all about that "release" crap - that's what we tell the families, how they reach a point after the "we should haves" and "if onlys" where they know they gotta stop wanting and waiting—well, it's different with me - if I thought I'd never feel Raven's breath or smell her hair again, I'd...

ABBIE

You can't keep something alive when it's meant to be dead any more than you can kill something that wants to live—

KEVIN

I happen to have hope—

ABBIE

(Lifting the statue.) Your hope?

KEVIN

Put that down—

ABBIE

—is destroying your family.

KEVIN

Give me that— (Snatching the statue, clutching it protectively.) You promised us— you promised, you little liar.

ABBIE

Yeah, and you promised us the Black Hills. I promised “Motion.”

KEVIN

Liar. She's alive, damnit. Give me back my money and get the hell out—

ABBIE

Winston wasn't in any car accident - he was born that way.

KEVIN stiffens, this hits home.

I’m not the liar here. I’m not like you people—

KEVIN

You hate us—you hate whites—

ABBIE

—or your God and his pretty white mother - I don't break promises—

KEVIN

Don't you dare speak against God in this house—

ABBIE

Hey— you curse enough for both of us. Pissed you off big time, your God, handing you something then grabbing it away - regular Indian-giver, right? So here's the deal, even if I am a fake, there's nothing you can do about it cause you're at the end of your rope. If I don't put your life on track, no one can. So you do what I say and like it. Now, excuse me, I’m making Winston some oatmeal.

Abbie starts out but Kevin blocks her.

KEVIN

You leave my son’s food to me. Suppose I give the Sheriff a call so's he can look up on his brand new computer and see if your name comes up anywheres, how's that sound, Chief Bull Shit?

ABBIE

Don't push me, or— (stops)

KEVIN

Or what, you half-breed phoney? Give me back my money and get the hell outta my house—now!

ABBIE

—or you'll never see your kid again.