Agnes of God Page #11

79 INT - MOTHER MIRIAM'S OFFICE - DAY

Mother Miriam is working away at her desk when a nun

interrupts. Singing from the party can faintly be heard.

NUN (off)

Excuse me Mother, Doctor Livingston

is here.

Mother Miriam nods tiredly and goes to meet Martha at he door.

Martha hands her a court order. Mother Miriam reads it briefly

and hands it back.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

This is permission to take her apart.

MARTHA:

Where is she?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Hasn't she had enough?

MARTHA:

I have a few more questions to ask her.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

My God, but you're determined.

They move back into the room.

MARTHA:

Who knew she was pregnant?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Why do you insist upon pressing...

MARTHA:

Was it you?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Is it because she's a nun?

MARTHA:

Did you know she was pregnant?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Yes.

MARTHA:

And you didn't send her to a doctor.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

I didn't guess until it was too late.

MARTHA:

For what? An abortion?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Oh, don't be ridiculous.

MARTHA:

Too late for what?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

I don't know... too late to stop it.

MARTHA:

The baby?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

The scandal...

MARTHA:

You went to the room to help with

the birth.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

She didn't want any help.

MARTHA:

You wanted that child out of the way.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

That's a lie.

MARTHA:

You hid the wastepaper basket in her

room.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

I didn't hide it. I put it there for the

blood and the dirty sheets.

MARTHA:

And the baby.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

No!

MARTHA:

You tied the cord around its neck.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

I wanted her to have it when no-one else

was around, they would have taken the

baby to a hospital and left it with them,

but it was such a difficult birth, there

was so much blood and I panicked.

MARTHA:

Before or after you killed the child?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

I left it with her and I went for help.

MARTHA:

I doubt that's what she'd say.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Then she's a liar.

80 INT - ATTIC ROOM - DAY

It is the same as before, except that this time Martha and

Mother Miriam arestanding.

MARTHA:

Agnes, can you hear me?

AGNES:

Yes.

MARTHA:

I want you to remember if you can a

night last January. The night Sister

Paul died. Do you remember.

There is a flash cut to Sister Paul being annointed. Agnes

stirs slightly.

MARTHA (Cont.)

What's the matter?

There is another flash cut, this time of Sister Paul saying

that mysterious word that we could not previously understand.

AGNES:

She said Michael.

MARTHA:

What did she mean?

There is a third flash cut of the shrine of Saint Michael in

the crypt.

AGNES:

The statue. She had shown it to me

the day before.

MARTHA:

And the passage to the barn?

AGNES:

Yes.

MARTHA:

Why?

AGNES:

So I could go to him.

MARTHA:

Who?

AGNES:

Him.

MARTHA:

How did she know about him?

AGNES:

She'd seen him too.

MARTHA:

Where?

AGNES:

From the belltower the day she before

she died.

MARTHA:

So she sent you?

AGNES:

Yes.

81 INT - TUNNEL - NIGHT

In flashback:
Agnes is walking alone through the tunnel

carrying an oil

lamp.

MARTHA (V.O.)

What happened?

Agnes keeps walking and finally goes up the steps into...

82 INT - BARN - NIGHT

Still in flashback, Agnes emerges into the barn. The doves flap

about as

Agnes moves nervously through the barn.

AGNES (V.O.)

He's here.

83 INT - ATTIC ROOM - DAY

Back to the present:

MARTHA:

Are you frightened?

AGNES:

Yes.

84 INT - BARN - NIGHT

In flashback:
the doves continue to make flapping and bumping

sounds as

they fly around the barn.

AGNES:

Hallo...

85 INT - ATTIC ROOM - DAY

In the present:

AGNES:

... where are you?

86 INT - BARN - NIGHT

In flashback:

AGNES:

Is it you?

Then she seems to be talking to someone although we can see

nothing except the doves.

AGNES (Cont.)

I... I'm afraid... yes, yes I do...

why me?... wait, I want to see you.

MARTHA (V.O.)

What do you see?

87 INT - ATTIC ROOM - DAY

In the present:

AGNES:

Halos...

88 INT - BARN - NIGHT

In flashback:
Agnes is still in the barn but now she is lying

on her back.

Still all we can see are doves flashing in the light.

AGNES (V.O.)

... dividing and dividing feathers and

starts, falling, falling into the iris of

God's eye. Oh... oh!... it's... it's so

lovely... it's so... blue... yellow...

blood wings, brown, blood...

And she lifts up her hands.

89 INT - ATTIC ROOM - DAY

In the present:
as she lifts up her hands, Agnes is horrified

to see two

holes in her palms weeping blood.

AGNES:

His blood... my God...

Martha and Mother Miriam are equally shocked.

MARTHA:

Oh Agnes...

Agnes runs terrified over to the walls blood pouring over her

white habit. Mother Miriam rushes after her.

AGNES:

It's bleeding... I'm bleeding...

my God it won't stop, I can't get it

to stop.

(to Mother Miriam)

Let go of me, I wish you were dead.

MARTHA:

(trying to hold her)

Agnes... Agnes...

Agnes breaks free and runs over to another wall smearing it too

with blood.Martha follows her.

AGNES:

Stay away from me...

MARTHA:

Agnes it had nothing to do with the

hand of God. He did a terrible thing

to you, do you understand?

AGNES:

No...

MARTHA:

He frightened you and he hurt you. It's

not your fault. It's his fault. Tell us

who he is so we can find him. Stop

him from doing this to other women.

AGNES:

Not your fault...

MARTHA:

Agnes who did you see?

AGNES:

I hate him...

MARTHA:

Of course you do. Who was it?

AGNES:

I hate him for what he did to me.

MARTHA:

Yes.

AGNES:

For what he made me go through.

MARTHA:

Who?

AGNES:

I hate him.

MARTHA:

Agnes, who did this to you?

Agnes flings her arms back against the wall.

AGNES:

God! It was God.

(sinks to her knees)

And now I'll burn in hell because I

hate him.

MARTHA:

Agnes you won't burn in hell. It's

alright to hate him.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

That's enough.

MARTHA:

Agnes, what happened to the baby?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

(shouting)

She can't remember.

MARTHA:

What happened to the baby?

AGNES:

It was dead.

MARTHA:

It was alive wasn't it?

AGNES:

I don't remember.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

(screaming)

Oh, don't do this!

MARTHA:

Wasn't it!

AGNES:

YES!

Somehow this declaration seems to calm them down somewhat.

Mother Miriam is looking utterly resigned.

MARTHA:

Mother Miriam was with you wasn't

she?

AGNES:

Yes.

MARTHA:

She took the baby in her arms?

AGNES:

Yes.

MARTHA:

You saw it all didn't you?

AGNES:

Yes.

MARTHA:

And then... what did she do?

(no answer)

Agnes what did she do?

AGNES:

She... left me alone with that little

thing, and I looked at it, and I thought

this is a mistake. But it's my mistake,

not Mommy's. God's mistake.

AGNES (cont.)

I thought I... I can save her.

(she raises her hands)

I can give her back to God.

MARTHA:

What did you do?

AGNES:

I put her to sleep.

MARTHA:

H... how?

AGNES:

I tied the cord around her neck...

wrapped her in the bloody sheets...

and stuffed her in the trash can.

Mother Miriam gives a shuddering sigh, makes the sign of the

cross and

prays. Martha claps her hands lightly together once.

90 EXT - CITY - DAY

A shaft of sunlight shines through the winter clouds onto the

city. Angle on the courthouse.

91 INT - COURT ROOM - DAY

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