"The
Watering Hole"
FADE IN:
EXT. POND – DAY
A weather-beaten pickup pulls up to the water’s edge. The engine
shuts off, and BUD climbs out of the cab. He reaches into the bed
and withdraws a tackle box and a fishing pole.
As he is walking toward the beach, a bigger, and newer, pickup parks
next to his, its HORN blasting. Bud’s face falls.
BUD
Aw, sugar.
Bud turns his head to see EARL stepping down from his cab.
EARL
Hey there,
boy.
What do you think of
my new
truck?
Ain’t she a beauty?
BUD
Yeah, I guess.
Bud turns back for the beach. He notices a new baseball cap
laying on the shoreline, but walks past it.
Earl smirks and walks along the side of his vehicle. He notices a
smudge on the paint job, so he takes a handkerchief from his pocket and
rubs
it out.
Once he’s reached the water, Bud sets down his tackle box and
pole. As he’s selecting a lure, Earl drops his gear next to
Bud’s.
EARL
Just picked
her
up yesterday.
Pure power,
but
rides like a dream.
Bud notices the ball cap he’d passed by is now on Earl’s head. He
grimaces and casts his line.
BUD
Uh-huh.
New hat, too?
EARL
It was just
laying out here.
Earl opens a Styrofoam cooler and grabs a can of beer. He takes a swig
as he unlocks his tackle box.
EARL
Only
twenty-six
thousand, too. Talked
the guy down
from
thirty-one.
(beat)
Want a beer?
Bud nods as he reels in his lure. He takes a beer from the cooler
and casts once again.
Earl tries to bait his hook with one hand while holding his beer can in
the other, but only manages to spill beer all over himself and his
lure. He grumbles and drops the can on the ground, then finishes
with the lure.
EARL
Nothing yet?
BUD
Nope.
EARL
Watch a pro,
son.
Earl casts his line, and a moment later, there’s a tug.
Bud frowns as Earl draws his line back in.
EARL
See
there?
First cast, too.
BUD
Uh-huh.
EARL
I was using
that
one lure, with the –
They both notice the sun reflecting off the catch.
As it draws closer:
BUD
It looks like
a
beer can.
And it is. The hook is caught on the pull tab.
Once Earl has it reeled in:
EARL
Holy cats,
it’s a full one.
He pops the top and takes a drink.
Bud narrows his eyes, then draws his line in.
EARL
What are you
up
to?
Bud takes a bigger lure from his box and after he sets it on the line,
he pours a little beer over it and casts.
EARL
I don’t think
you’re
likely to –
A sharp tug on Bud’s line. He reels the line in, and finds a
forty-ounce bottle on the other end.
BUD
How about that?
Bud unscrews the bottle cap and drinks deeply.
BUD
God, that’s
good!
Really cold.
EARL
I’ve heard
about
Rocky Mountain
refreshment,
but
not from farm ponds.
Bud’s eyes twinkle and he attaches an even larger, more spectacular
lure to the line, then pours the entire bottle on to it.
EARL
What the –
BUD
I just wanna
see
what’ll happen.
He casts the line.
Nothing happens.
EARL
We probably
lucked
out. Must be
from a cooler
or
something somebody
lost.
BUD
Yeah, I ‘spose.
Then Bud’s line jerks forward, and he has to plant his feet firmly on
the ground to avoid falling over.
BUD
What the hell?
He begins to pull it in. He fights with his pole to gain control
as he works the reel. Finally he brings a thirty-can case to the
surface.
EARL
Man!
Bud drags the case to the shore and falls to his knees, gasping for
breath.
BUD
I think I’ve
caught
my legal limit.
EARL
So you’re
wussing
out now?
BUD
I guess.
EARL
Well, make
room
for the master.
Earl grabs a steel case, opens a combination lock, and retrieves a
velvet bag. He carefully unties the drawstring, and produces a
lure from the bag unlike any that has been seen before.
He pops open a can of beer from his cooler, marinates the lure in the
beer can for a moment, then attaches it to his line.
BUD
Do you think
there’s
anything left
to catch?
EARL
What do you
care?
Bud shrugs and starts carrying his catch to his truck.
Earl casts his line, and as soon as the lure hits the water, the pole
is nearly ripped from his hands.
Bud doesn’t see this; he’s too busy lifting the case into his truck bed.
BUD
Are you okay?
EARL
I’m fine,
quitter.
Earl tries to set his feet against the force pulling against him, but
the soft earth prevents it and soon he is ankle-deep in the water.
Bud turns and notices that the other man is moving deeper and deeper
into the pond. He starts back toward the shore.
BUD
Hold on!
EARL
Thanks for the
advice!
Bud reaches Earl, and tries to pull him out of the water, but can’t.
BUD
Let it go!
EARL
No way,
man!
It’s mine!
They are both nearly waist-deep in the water now, and Earl is still
holding on to the pole.
BUD
C’mon,
man!
Let go!
EARL
Just a little
longer!
Then a nasty, sudden jerk pulls the duo under! A moment later,
Bud surfaces, swimming for the shore. Soon he reaches the shallow
water near the beach, and begins to crane his neck, looking in vain for
the other man.
There is silence for a moment, then Earl surfaces in the middle of the
pond. He bobs for a moment, then begins to wave his arms.
BUD
I’m coming!
Bud prepares to rush into the water when he sees bubbles just behind
Earl.
BUD
Behind you!
Earl turns and sees a keg blast to the surface in front of him.
It floats there on the water, and Earl yelps with joy.
EARL
GOTCHA!
Then the keg, under its own power, dives into the water, striking Earl
and pulling him under as well.
Bud pales and high-tails it to his pickup.
INT. PICKUP – DAY
Bud revs the engine.
BUD
I did not see
that.
I did not see
that.
He looks over at the case of beer.
EXT. PICKUP – DAY
Bud’s door opens and the case flies out. The pickup tears away.
EXT. POND – DAY
The found cap floats to the surface, but Earl does not.
And just beneath the surface, the keg patiently lays in wait...
FADE OUT.
THE END.
All content (except where noted) copyrighted
2000-2003,
by The Beaumont Group.