Saints and Sinners

SAINTS AND SINNERS

By
Victoria Pethrus

St. Peters Church

Chicago, Illinois
USA
07825250251
victoria_pethrus@msn.com
Saints and Sinners

Cast

Father Abraham (Priest): Jan Pethrus

Carl Johnston (Ex-Con): Jimmy Pethrus
Police Officer: Shane Hampden
Saints and Sinners

SCENE 1. EXT. OUTSIDE CHURCH.

You hear the church doors open and as they open, chatter from
inside fade in, from the end of a prayer ceremony. You hear a
clear sound of footsteps walking. The man goes towards the
priest standing at the front of the church.
Hes shook and nervous. He has a low, rough voice.
American accents.
Carl Johnston
Hi Id like to make a confession
The priest looks at the man, dazed.
Father Abraham
Yes, of course.
Right this way.
They walk towards the confessional. The chatter fades out as
people are leaving the church.
Sound fades out. End of Scene

SCENE 2. INT. INSIDE CONFESSIONAL

Father Abraham and Carl Johnston are sat in the confessional.
Father Abraham start the confessional.
Solitary confinement.
Carl Johnston
In the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Father Abraham
Amen. Bless you my son.
Carl Johnston
Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It has been 3 years
since my last confession.
Father Abraham
That is a very long time since your last confession, my Son.
Why is that?
Saints and Sinners

Carl Johnston
I uh I need to explain.
Father Abraham
Tell me you sins.
Carl Johnston
I have done something terrible, that Im not quite sure how to
get out of
Father Abraham
What is it my son?
Carl Johnston
I dont know where to begin
Carl is calm but nervous
Father Abraham
Why dont you start from the beginning?
Carl Johnston
I guess it started when I was younger. It wasnt so bad at
first. I was around 10. I would take stuff from my dad his
cigars, alcohol. I had a- a quite rough childhood my dad,
hed drink himself to sleep I would be upstairs and sit by
the stair fence and hear my mum and dad fighting hed hit
her. Sometimes Id see it and other times I could just hear it
all happening.
*Silence/ Pause*
Father Abraham
Im sorry to hear that. That mustve been very hard for you.
Carl Johnston
It was
Tense, suspense tone of music fades in as the story gets more
tense
*Pause*
I was only 6, my mum died 3 years later. Thats when it got
harder. I didnt have anyone, I wasnt safe, there wasnt
anyone I could go to. I stopped going to school and started
going to corner stores, and stealing stuff. At first, it was
nothing maybe a keychain, or a chocolate bar. Then I started
Saints and Sinners

going to shopping centres, go into the shops, and maybe take a

cap or a watch. It started getting more serious. A woman
caught me once. I think she was the manager.
Chatter from crowd starts as they come in for a prayer.
Prayer starts.
I was 10 at this time so I was still pretty young, she let me
off with a mild warning. But it didnt stop me. That was the
only time I got caught. I was walking home once, and this
group of boys from my old school started walking towards me,
they told me they had dropped out of school and they had seen
me round the shopping centre a lot lately and they wanted me
to join them I guess. I was 12 and I got in with the wrong
crowd. These boys had the same idea as me, except they did
things much worse to what I was used to.
Father Abraham
I see
Carl Johnston
Hanging around these boys made me more aggressive and I
started doing things We did 5 breaking an entry. In one of
those 3 people got killed. A family. The husband and wife and
their child. They had seen our faces, we couldnt take the
risk.
Prayer finishes
*Pause*
When I was a bit older, maybe 17, I remember I was walking and
then across the street I saw this young girl, maybe 15, and an
older man, I guessed it was her father, and he held her arm so
tight, she was trying to get away, he wouldnt let go. With
the childhood I had growing up, I didnt like seeing this. I
went over to the man and started punching him, hitting him
till he fell to the ground. Father, I- I beat him to death.
Father Abraham
That was a very long time ago, why are you confessing your
sins now?
Carl Johnston
That was my first murder I ever committed. I remember the
feeling afterwards. I looked down at my hands and they were
shaking. My knuckles were bleeding, but it wasnt my blood.
The girl looked at me stunned, with tears in her eyes. I saw
Saints and Sinners

how upset she was when she realised her father was dead. I
just cant get that image out of my head.
*Silence*
Father, I have done some very bad things things that make me
scared of myself.
Father Abraham stays quite.
The second murder I committed was my old school teachers
husband. I was 18 at this time, I met her at the shopping
centre when I was out on one of my runs. She was alone,
looking at earrings they mustve been diamond or something,
it was an expensive store. Her husband went up to her and I
could tell they started arguing he wanted to leave or
something. I followed them to the parking lot the husband
started arguing more with her, and then he grabbed her by her
wrist violently. I remember reacting to that I felt like I
knew what was coming. He took a strike at her. Thats when I
started walking heavily towards them. I grabbed him by the
collar and punched him. He fell to the ground and I did the
same thing that I did to the father I beat him to death. But
this time I panicked. She started running away and so I ran
after and grabbed her by her wrist, just like her husband. I
then did something terrible I cant talk about it.
Father Abraham
Do you feel any remorse?
*Silence*
Carl Johnston
No thats the thing. I feel nothing.
Father Abraham stays quiet for a while.
Father Abraham
My son, through the ministry of the Church, I am required to
give you some form of advice. Now due to your state of
affairs I would advice you to turn yourself in-
Carl gets angrier his temper is slowly rising.
Carl Johnston
No! I cant This isnt just a confession where Ive just-
just come from my house I just got out of prison in Marion. I
managed to make my way here.
*Silence*
Saints and Sinners

He starts calming down a bit more

I couldnt stay there I got into fights.
*Pause*
Father, I think theres something wrong with me, Ive always
had this short temper where I- where I just lash out.

Father Abraham
I understand.
Father Abraham stays quiet for a while [thinking].
If youll excuse me, Ill be right back.
Carl Johnston stays quiet.
Father Abraham opens the confessional door and steps outside.

SCENE 3. INT. INSIDE CHURCH

Father Abraham walks across the Church and into an office. He
picks up the telephone and dials 9-1-1.
Sound of dialling on a smartphone
Officer
911, whats your emergency?
Father Abraham is nervous and sounds hurried
Father Abraham
Hi, this is Father Abraham from St. Peters Church in Chicago.
I am currently in a confessional but I had to pause to come
and make this call. I believe the man in my confessional is a
great threat to not only the community, but the country. He
has done things that go beyond my limits.
Officer
Thank you Father. Does this man go by the name of Carl
Johnston?
Father Abraham
Yes.
Saints and Sinners

Officer
He escaped from the Penitentiary Marion prison in Illinois 4
hours ago. A SWAT team has been sent to your location, they
will be there shortly.
Father Abraham
Thank you officer And another thing. I wouldnt want to alarm
this man. Could you inform your SWAT team to enter the church
quietly?
Officer
Of course, Father.
Sound of hanging up on smartphone
Father Abraham puts down the telephone. He walks back to the
confessional, opens the door, and sits back down.
Father Abraham, tries to stay calm
Father Abraham
You may finish the confession.
Carl Johnston
For these and all the sins in my life, I am sorry.
Father Abraham
Through the ministry of the Church
may God give you pardon and peace,
and I absolve you from your sins
in the name of the Father, of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Carl Johnston
Amen.
Music fades out slowly and sirens in the background fade in.
The sound of a police radio go in to give the impression the
police are on their way in to the Church.
New music soundtrack fades in tense, eerie music, church
bells sound in the background.
Carl walks out of the Confessional and the SWAT team is
standing there, aiming their guns at him. He stands there in
the middle of the church, not even surprised, puts his hands
behind his head, and kneels down. Two SWAT soldiers go towards
Carl, put the cuffs on him, and take him away.
Saints and Sinners

Running Time: Approximately 9 minutes