SCENE 1
MARGARET sits at the dining room table,
anxiously waiting and tapping a finger on
the table.
REVEREND MICHAEL knocks on the
door and Margaret gets up to let him in.
MARGARET
Opens the door.
Reverend Michael! It has been thirty minutes, where have you been?
REVEREND MICHAEL
(entering)
Trouble at the court house; another accusation against Mrs. Turner caused more of an uproar on
our situation.
MARGARET
(closing the door)
Abbigail is in her room, she hasn’t woken up since we found her.
REVEREND MICHAEL
Found her?
MARGARET
Yes, Lewis found her out west in the forest. She was sleeping under one of the pine trees he marked to bring to the wood mill.
REVEREND MICHAEL
Thinks for a moment before looking back at Margaret.
Let me see her, I don’t want to waste another minute if my theory is correct.
MARGARET
Nods and leads Michael to the children’s
bedroom
ENTER QUINN.
QUINN
Reluctantly start approaching the room
Margaret and Reverend Michael went in.
Stay by the door and eavesdrop on the
conversation.
REVEREND MICHAEL
Kneeling down to Abbigail and holding her
wrist, examining her appearance.
Cold skin, pale color, slow breathing… By God’s mercy it’s a miracle she is only asleep.
MARGARET
What do you mean by that?
REVEREND MICHAEL
(standing up)
It’s that Negro woman in the forest; the witch lady that showed up here. Ever since then all these accusations and events has started up and causing the whole town to panic! First Mrs. Turner and now your daughter. I told the mayor “Kill her where she stands before worse comes to surface”, but the man never listens…
MARGARET
How do you know it’s her?
REVEREND MICHAEL
Whips towards Margaret, vexed at the
response.
Are you siding with that animal!?
MARGARET
(startled)
No! Not at all!
REVEREND MICHAEL
Then don’t question my words, Mrs. Vixon. You asked me here to help figure this out, so you better listen to what I have to say. It’s bad enough I now have claims and complaints piling at my door.
MARGARET
Apologies…
Looks at Abbigail.
You said this woman did something to Mrs. Turner?
