Installment Three

Screenplay Act 1 Scene 3
THE CULT – ACT ONE 7.
FADE IN:
INT. KITCHEN – DAY

Elena and ISABEL, another Mexican, are talking about the retreat
and snacking on a variety of food left on the table. We thought they
were dignified, women of God, and suddenly, they have let down
their guard.

ISABEL
So what did Lia want?

ELENA
I think the Holy Spirit is working. We
may have another recruit for the summer
program.

ISABEL
I figured as much, the way she was crying
during your meditation. She’s seemed like
a good recruit for a while. Well, I guess
you have a new “face.”

ELENA
I was thinking maybe I would write her some
letters so she doesn’t get distracted by
school and boys or stuff.

ISABEL
You must be joking, boys? Lia’s surely
never been kissed. Homeschooled girls
rarely have boyfriends, and Lia least
of all.

ELENA
She is very sheltered. But that makes it
easier for her to feel God’s call and
leave behind the world she really doesn’t
know. I, on the other hand, got to know it
well enough.

ISABEL
You did have a boyfriend, didn’t you?

CONTINUED.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 8.

CONTINUED:

ELENA
I did have a boyfriend. He was very much
in love with me, and I loved him, but he
never filled me. Of course, I have a past
I am sorry for.

ISABEL
Let’s not talk about those things. I don’t
want to remember past temptations. It
could distract me from my vocation.

ELENA
How many girls on the retreat talked to you
about a vocation?

ISABEL
Of the forty girls, I had twenty for spiritual
direction and you had twenty. Four of mine
told me they were thinking about a vocation.

ELENA
And five of mine.

ISABEL
I guess that is a pretty good outcome. Jenny
told me she would like to come to the summer
program, but the rest of mine are afraid.

ELENA
I have Lia, Erin, and Emily for the summer
Program.

ISABEL
That’s really not enough. Valeria wanted us
to have at least fifteen from Michigan.

ELENA
We should probably get into another school by
January so we might get another girl or two from
there. We’re going to have to work some of
these girls harder in spiritual direction.

CONTINUED.
THE CULT – ACT ONE 9.

CONTINUED:

ISABEL
We need the girls to start bringing
more girls to the retreats. These girls
aren’t really leaders if they only have
one friend or two. We need the popular
girls, who have groups and friends, who
will all follow our leader into the
summer program.

ELENA
Girls like Lia may be deep and spiritual,
nd easy to recruit, but they just
aren’t real human leaders. People
don’t follow them.

ISABEL
And then later on they turn out as
washout consecrated…

ELENA
Like Elise.

ISABEL
But who knows, Lia might have a real
vocation. Give her a year or two in
the boarding school and you might see
her change.

ELENA
Besides, she is pretty. We want to have
attractive girls at the high school.

ISABEL
And you know what? Her parents have money.
They’re not rich, but they could donate a
lot of money to us.

ELENA
And having a daughter in the group is always
A good way to get money.

FADE OUT.