Apostolic Hours

Apostolic Hours

(Drama)

Characters: LUCY (a church ministry server) and SAMMY (LUCY’s best friend, an atheist, professional critic)

Time: The present. Approximately 9:30 P.M.

Setting: An empty, big, and very dark church that Lucy attends. Lucy and Sammy are the only ones here.

(Voice-over)

Although Sammy is atheist, she agrees to stop by Lucy’s church for a few minutes while Lucy has silent prayer time because she feels guilty that she took Lucy to see a live performance of The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, by Christopher Marlowe, and didn’t warn her of what the play was about. Lucy was so upset at the ending of the play, and how heavily the story was influenced by the theme of the devil and black magic, that Sammy agreed to go to church with her for a few minutes to calm her down. In the twenty years of their friendship, Lucy has always tried to make Sammy a believer, so Sammy knew this would cheer Lucy up. After they read a sign in front of the church that stated the church was not open to the public for the weekend, Lucy opened the church with her own pair of keys she has, as someone who serves in that church. Sammy insists they shouldn’t be inside.

SAMMY: I told you we shouldn’t be here. Besides the fact I’m not freakin’ religious, this church is obviously meant to be closed! It’s empty, and not even a candle is lit, Lucy! I can hardly see. I should have brought my cellphone, so I could use the cellphone light.

LUCY (Kneels at the first pew): Shhhhhhhh. There’s enough light coming from the moon through the ceiling windows. Now kneel and pray to the Blessed Father.

SAMMY (Sits at the first bench next to LUCY): “Pray to the Blesse…”? I’m an atheist! This is blasphemy! Why am I here anyway? Why am I your friend? (SAMMY slouches in the pew with her arms crossed).

LUCY:  Blessed Father, please forgive my friend Sammy. She is a good person. She’s just mad at the world right now.

SAMMY: I’m not mad at the world, I’m mad at you. And I’m leaving now. (Stands up and marches over to the front doors of the church).

LUCY: Ask the Blessed Father for forgiveness first. (Dangles church keys in SAMMY’s direction).

SAMMY: Don’t need to. (Shoves church doors with right shoulder and they won’t budge)

LUCY: Tell Him you’re sorry. (Smiles and continues dangling keys at SAMMY).

SAMMY: You locked us in here? Don’t make me wrestle you for that key, Lucy!

LUCY: I’m not letting you out until you apologize to my Blessed Father, Sammy. (Puts keys in pocket)

SAMMY: Then I have no choice. (Shrieks and begins charging at LUCY).

LUCY: You’re not getting these keys until you apologize to my Blessed Father! (Runs to the opposite end of church)

SAMMY: (Pause. Slouches over. Breathes heavily.) Lucy, give me the keys. Don’t make me kick your ass for them the way I did senior year in college.

LUCY: (Gasp) Now you’re never getting them. You just cursed inside of my Blessed Father’s home. Say sorry! (Pulls out keys and dangles them at SAMMY).

SAMMY: I said. I’m going to kick your ass! (Darts through pews)

LUCY: (Runs and recites) “Our father, who art in heaven, ho…

SAMMY: (SAMMY tackles LUCY) Stop praying! Stop! Sto…

LUCY: (Louder) …Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done…

SAMMY: (SAMMY jumps on top of LUCY and slams LUCY’s wrists against floor) Shut up! Shut up!

LUCY: Say sorry! Say sorry!

SAMMY: Give me the key first!

LUCY: I can’t…

SAMMY: Why…? (Sits up and releases LUCY’s wrists)

LUCY: Because remember when I was across from you and was dangling them? (Nervously laughs)

SAMMY: Yes…?

LUCY: Well…I thought you were going to kill me. So I ran for my life. And I didn’t have time to stick the keys back in my pocket and I tried to while I was running… (Squints eyes) Don’t hate me.

SAMMY: And…?

LUCY: …And I dropped them. (Covers face using arms)

SAMMY: (Stands up) Well, that’s okay. Let’s turn on these lights and look for them.

LUCY: (Slowly stands up) See, that’s the thing. In order to turn on the lights, we have to get in that room back there.

SAMMY: Great. Let’s go. (Starts walking over to room)

LUCY: (Pause) Um. The key to that same room is on that key chain I dropped somewhere in this dark church. (Covers face using hands)

SAMMY: (Long pause)…

LUCY: Please don’t hate me, Sammy! I promise in front of our Blessed Father that it was an acci-

SAMMY: He’s your Blessed Father! Not mine! When are you going to get that through your thick skull, Lucy?

LUCY: (Through tears) I just want you to be saved…you’re my best friend, Sammy. I’m worried about your soul. (Sits on the floor; against the wall)

SAMMY: (Long pause) (Sits on floor next to LUCY) If you truly believe in all of this…and I know you also believe in prayer, then instead of locking me in a church, how about praying for me and believing in it? (Smiles at LUCY)

LUCY: (Wipes tears with sleeves) I can do that.

SAMMY: Isn’t the God you believe in, well, nice?

LUCY: (Opens eyes big at SAMMY) Nice? Are you kidding? That doesn’t begin to describe him!

SAMMY: (Puts her arm around LUCY) Well, then maybe your prayers for me, and me being a good person, are enough to “save my soul,” if He’s so nice. Maybe? Don’t you think? (Smiles at LUCY)

LUCY: (Smiles back at SAMMY) Yea…Maybe you’re right.

SAMMY: And, you know. If you went through all this trouble, only to get us stuck in a church, I’m sure it’s because God must exist. (Looks over at LUCY)

LUCY: You really mean that?

SAMMY: I know your tears were genuine and although your actions were extreme, I know where they came from. Just promise me you won’t do this again, Lucy. (Raises eyebrows at LUCY)

LUCY: (Raises right hand) I promise before Ou…I promise before My Blessed Father that I will never do this to you again, Sammy. (Smile)

SAMMY: I’m going to need you to shake on that. (Extends right hand out to LUCY)

LUCY: (Smile) Okay, okay, okay. (Extends right hand out to SAMMY and shakes hands)

END

(I own complete rights to this play. You do not have the right to copy it or plagiarize it. And blah blah blah blah blah. You can share the link to this, but that's about it. Ha-ha-ha.) - With love, Lils.