Agnes of God Page #4

MARTHA:

(lighting up)

Marie's dead Mama.

MAMA:

I remember when you was a little girl

Marie. You come back from the movies

and you'd say - Mama that ending was so

sad... and I'd tell you they had all the

happy endings locked away in a vault in

Hollywood.

(chuckles)

And you believed me.

MARTHA:

Mama, that wasn't Marie, that was me!

MAMA:

(a long pause)

Who are you?

MARTHA:

I... I'm Martha, Mama.

31 EXT - CONVENT, CHICKENYARD - DAY

It is raining... distant thunder in the background. Martha is

standing under

an umbrella talking to Sister Anne who is feeding the chickens.

SISTER ANNE:

The convent was built for over fifty.

Not many of us left... just us and

the chickens.

MARTHA:

How do you survive?

SISTER ANNE:

Oh, we own the land around here.

But we rent it out. We keep a few

acres for ourselves,

(indicating)

some wheat, corn, some vegetables.

MARTHA:

Well that's a lot of land. You must have

help. Do you have field hands that help

you?

SISTER ANNE:

No. We work the land alone. No-one but

Sister Marguerite and I are permitted

contact with the public.

MARTHA:

Sister Anne, which was Agnes' room?

Sister Anne points up to a window on the corner of the convent.

SISTER ANNE:

Oh that one there, in the corner.

MARTHA:

The one up on the third floor?

SISTER ANNE:

Yes.

MARTHA:

Uh huh.

32 INT - AGNES' OLD ROOM - DAY

Mother Miriam unlocks a padlock on the door, opens it for

Martha. They bothenter the room which is totally plain, stripped

of everything.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

This convent is locked solid. The only

one that has a key is Sister Marguerite

and she wouldn't let Christ in after dark.

MARTHA:

Well, it's been known to happen in the

day too. Maybe Agnes went to him.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Oh come on, you've talked to her. She

doesn't even know how babies are born,

let alone made.

MARTHA:

When did you first learn about her...

innocence, the way she thinks?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Shortly after she came to us.

MARTHA:

And you weren't shocked?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

I was appalled, just as you are now.

MARTHA:

And what happened?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

She stopped eating completely...

33 INT - CHAPEL - DAY

In flashback:
Agnes, all in white is lying face down in the

sign of the

cross in front of the altar. Mother Miriam enters.

MARTHA (V.O.)

This was before her pregnancy?

MOTHER MIRIAM (V.O.)

About two years before.

Mother Miriam stops in front of Agnes.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Agnes, it has come to my attention

that you have stopped eating. Why

is this?

AGNES:

(not looking up)

I've been commanded by God.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

(sighs)

He talked to you Himself?

AGNES:

No.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Through someone else?

AGNES:

Yes.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Who?

AGNES:

I can't say.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Why?

AGNES:

She'd punish me.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

One of the other Sisters?

AGNES:

No.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Who?

Mother Miriam glances up at an older NUN who has been in the

chapel watching all along. She takes the hint and hobbles out.

MOTHER MIRIAM (Cont.)

Why would she tell you to do this?

... Agnes look at me.

AGNES:

(looking up)

Because I'm getting fat.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Oh, for Heaven's sake.

AGNES:

I am, there's too much flesh on me.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Agnes...

AGNES:

I'm a blimp.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Why does it matter whether you're fat

or not...

AGNES:

Because...

MOTHER MIRIAM:

... You needn't worry about being

attractive here.

AGNES:

I do, I have to be attractive to God.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

He loves you the way you are.

AGNES:

No he doesn't. He hates fat people.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Who told you this?

AGNES:

It's a sin to be fat.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Why?

AGNES:

Look at the statues, they're thin.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Agnes...

AGNES:

That's because they're suffering...

suffering is beautiful, I want to be

beautiful.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Who tells you these things?

AGNES:

Christ said it in the Bible, he said -

suffer the little children, I want to

suffer like a little child.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

(genuinely distressed)

That's not what he meant.

AGNES:

I... I am a little child but my body

keeps getting bigger and soon I... I

won't be able to fit in, I... I won't be

able to squeeze into Heaven.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Agnes dear, Heaven is not a place where...

Agnes gets to her knees and pushes up her breasts.

AGNES:

No... I mean... I mean look at these.

I've got to lose weight, I'm a blimp.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Oh my dear child.

AGNES:

(standing)

God blew up the Hindenburg. He'll

blow me up, that's what she said...

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Who?

AGNES:

Mommy I'll get bigger and bigger every

day and then I'll pop but... but if I stay

little it won't happen.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Your mother tells you this?... Agnes

your mother is dead.

AGNES:

But she watches... she listens.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Nonsense, I'm your mother now and I

want you to eat.

AGNES:

I'm not hungry.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

You've got to eat something Agnes.

AGNES:

No I don't... the host is enough.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

My dear, I don't think a communion wafer

has the recommended daily allowance of

anything.

AGNES:

Of God.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

(smiles)

Yes, of God.

Then Mother Miriam looks down and is shocked to see Agnes'

white habit is spotted with blood, and more blood is dripping onto

the floor. She pulls out Agnes' hand from her habit and gasps with

shock; there is a bleeding hole in

the middle of her palm.

AGNES:

I'm being punished.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Why?

AGNES:

I don't know.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

Dear Jesus...

She quickly leads Agnes out of the chapel.

AGNES:

It started this morning and I can't

get it to stop.

34 INT - AGNES' OLD ROOM - DAY

Back in the present, as before...

MARTHA:

Why didn't you take her to a doctor?

MOTHER MIRIAM:

It was healed by the following morning

and she started eating again...

MARTHA:

She had a... a hole in the palm of her

hand! She could have bled to death.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

But she didn't... did she. If anyone had

seen what I'd seen she'd be public

property... newspapermen, psychiatrists,

ridicule. She doesn't deserve that.

MARTHA:

She has it now.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

I know what you're thinking, she's a

hysteric pure and simple.

MARTHA:

Not simple, no.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

I saw it. Clean through the palm of

her hand. Do you think hysteria could

do that?

MARTHA:

It's being doing it for centuries. She's

not unique, she's just another victim.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

God's victim. That's her innocence.

She belongs to God.

MARTHA:

And I intend to take her away from Him.

That's what you're afraid of isn't it?

Martha walks out. Mother Miriam yanks the padlock out of the

door.

MOTHER MIRIAM:

You bet I am.

35 INT - CHAPEL - DAY

All the Sisters are present. Mother Miriam leads the chant in

Latin and the rest of the nuns respond at intervals. Agnes is very

happy. Their singing continues over, until the end of scene 41.

DISSOLVE TO:

36 EXT - POLICE PRECINCT - DAY

Martha and Larry are at the top of steps. He hands her an

envelope.

LARRY:

Here you are. Don't let anyone know

where you got them.

MARTHA:

(kissing him)

Thanks...

DISSOLVE TO:

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