Scenes with Neckbone
3 scenes
Mud
I like you two. You remind me of me. And seeing how you boys are from Arkansas and we know some people and sounds like we all from the same place I'd say we can make a deal here about somethin'.
Ellis
A deal for what?
Mud
Food. Food for a boat.
Neckbone
This guy's a bum Ellis. Come on.
Ellis
[Mud's smile vanishes. Neckbone begins to walk off but begrudgingly stops when Ellis starts back in.]
Why don't you go get your own food?
Mud
I would if I could, but I told somebody I’d meet ‘em here. So I’m stuck for now and what I got’s runnin’ low.
Neckbone
[Neckbone walks back and pulls Ellis by the arm.]
He's a bum Ellis, let’s go.
Mud
I'm no bum. I got money. You can call me a hobo ‘cause a hobo’ll work for his living and you can call me homeless ‘cause that’s true for now, but if you call me a bum again I'll have to teach you somethin' about respect that your daddy never did.
Neckbone
I hate snakes.
Mud
That’s because God made them for us to fear. It’s a thing we knew to be afraid of before we even got into this world. Cherokee would wrap snake skin around their pregnant women’s bellies. Induce labor, scare the child out. Here. [He fetches a length of rope out of the duffel bag and tosses it to Neckbone.] Set that ‘round your bed at night. Snake won’t cross braided rope.
Neckbone
Thanks. [nods to Mud’s snake tattoo] So what’s that for then?
Mud
A reminder. Don’t get bit. I was 10, swimmin’ ‘bout a mile up from here. Me and Juniper. Sonofabitch swam right up under me, bit me just below the armpit. June got me out, got me to a clinic. Doctor said I shoulda been dead in twenty minutes. Took us an hour just to get back to town.
Neckbone
What’d they do?
Mud
Gave me antivenom. For a cotton mouth. See here. [Mud shows the tattoo on top of his right hand. He points out the two cotton blossoms bulging from the snake’s mouth.] Problem with antivenom is they can only give it to you once. It’s made from horse blood. Your body would reject it a second time. The cure ends up being more dangerous than the poison.
Ellis
What happens if you get bit again?
Mud
I die, or just sweat it out.
Neckbone
I knew it. I told you that dirty son of a bitch was trouble. Did they say what he did?
Ellis
No.
Neckbone
Did you tell them where he is?
Ellis
No, that's why I called you. He needs to know people are looking for him.
Neckbone
You think he doesn't know that already? Jesus, Ellis! Why do you even think he's on that island? Ellis, I'm serious! We don't know who this guy is.
Ellis
He loves her, Neck. He told me.
Neckbone
I don't give a shit who he loves!
Ellis
He's not dangerous.
Neckbone
[sighs]
Sounds like a shitload of state troopers thinks differently.
Other characters in Mud (2012)
