THE MIRACLE BOY
A TREATMENT FOR A SCREENPLAY by P.S. Macachor
© Oct. 2004
I hope none of you mind my inconsistency in my formula of this scriptment. Sometimes you see slugs, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes the lines are dictated along the narrative, sometimes they are fleshed out.
- Paul S. Macachor
FADE IN:
FRANKA FERNANDEZ is speaking with TWO MEN. She has short, gray hair. She’s a woman of about 55. She’s inside a SOUND HOUSEHOLD. In a very large room.
FRANKA
I don’t know. But it was pandemonium.
Oh, so she’s telling them a story.
FRANKA
And I don’t know if it was Mario Tanaia the miracle child who can take the blame for all this...
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. SOMEONE ELSE’S HOME
A LITTLE BOY, of about 8 YEARS OLD, MARIO TANAIA faces a STRICKEN WOMAN, grasping her chest, in despair. The woman is about 55...
WOMAN
Help me, Mario.
MARIO
Don’t be afraid. I am a child of the star of the sea. Her powers are with me.
WOMAN
My breasts are rotten!
Mario then touches the woman’s breast, her left side breast is flat, uneven, she is deformed... AND THEN, HER LEFT SIDE BREAST SUDDENLY TAKES BACK IT SHAPE! And with childlike awe and hope, the woman smiles. She’s well from her breast cancer!
MARIO
Be always well.
WOMAN
Thank you, Mario!
BEHIND MARIO, THE LITTLE BOY STANDS HIS FATHER, JERRY, “JING” TANAIA. Jerry smiles as he sees his son manifest yet another miraculous healing.
The woman is happy now, relieved.
WOMAN
Thank you, Mr. Tanaia.
JING
Thank God actually. I am truly blessed with my boy who has special powers. Now that my wife is not with me anymore, I guess life isn’t really incomplete.
TOM ALDRIN
(V.O.)
We all know that anyone who endorses the antichrist, as miraculous as they are... are not of God.
CUT TO:
INT. HOME
It’s the same home where Franka Fernandez was seated in the opening scene. Actually it’s a congregation. TOM ALDRIN, a Christian elder speaks in front of a seated group. Seated in front of a long table are LIZ ALDRIN, LUKE ALDRIN, and there’s Franka Fernandez. Oh, one other guy is seated listening to Tom as well --- INOCENCIO BRYNNER, a big, balding young man of 22. Liz Aldrin and Luke have the same eyes. Luke is a handsome lad of 15. Liz is 19. Liz has a nice coiffure at the back of her hair being held with a chopstick.
TOM
There is only one mediatrix of grace. One advocate. And one salvation found through no one else. Acts Four Twelve.
INOCENCIO
First Timothy Two-Five.
TOM
And we all know that all prayers coursed through, you know who don’t go to her, but in fact are channeled towards the counterfeit triumvirate. The Dragon, the Beast and the False Prophet. We can give people these warnings. Second Thessalonians Two – Two to Nine.
Beat.
TOM
And we can give people stark comparisons of Pius the Twelve’s proud endorsements of the counterfeit messiah or the Locutions from the Hidden Flower of the Immaculate Heart to Jeremiah Seven-Sixteen to Twenty. Jeremiah Fourty-four nineteen. The cakes of bread offered to the goddess of abomination. Now one may argue that in none of her messages does the antichrist disguised as the Blessed Mother claim to be God. But by claiming attributes that belong exclusively to God --- she has already blasphemed the citadel sanctuary of God. But most of us are too dull to ever recognize that. With ruses such as the Fatima prayer, Satan has successfully undermined our faith and thought error in this one time, two times and half a time... and now, as we can see one of the instruments being used by the false prophet or the unholy spirit is the little boy of Jing Tanaia.
INOCENCIO
He endorses---
TOM
The Mass and the false Mary.
Beat.
TOM
But none of us can bear fruit if we attack Mr. Tanaia and his boy, at least as early as now. But we can, however welcome in our households, those who are truly seeking Him. One can never show Christ by arguing.
INOCENCIO
But, we can inform Mr. Tanaia and the boy!
TOM
No. Maybe not now... but I have spoken to Ms. Ryden, the visionary. She is too blinded to even test the spirits.
INOCENCIO
Many of the ailing have flocked to the Tanaia home and because of the falsehood being taught by the false prophet through Mario Tanaia... and have been marked by the beast, now praying to two Entities, abhorrent before the Lord.
TOM
So let us not barge in Mr. Tanaia’s doorstep and argue, but see if we can erase the mark of the beast and mark them with the Holy Spirit of God.
LIZ
Ephesians Four Thirty, and one fourteen, Second Corinthians One Twenty-One.
TOM
Thank you, Liz.
MRS. SERA ALDRIN
(O.S.)
TOM, LIZ, LUKE, HELP ME OUT WITH SERVINGS!!!
Tom looks back. Sera’s voice was coming from the kitchen.
TOM
Excuse us Inocencio, Franka.
(gestures towards Liz and Luke)
Kids? Come on...
Liz Aldrin is one-on-one with MRS. ESTEVEZ, a possible first time visitor of their congregation. There is a black Bible on the table that’s already open. For the record it’s the NAB version.
Liz browses through the Bible, and points to somewhere in the book of Daniel.
LIZ
Here, Mrs. Estevez. Daniel Seven Twenty-Three. The fourth successor of Babylon after Persia, Media and Athens. Rome... it devoured the whole earth and crushed it. Hence the empirical origin of Romanism... and the division of power...
MRS. ESTEVEZ
My goodness!
LIZ
Yes, that’s right. No denomination can possibly claim exclusivity or magesterium... or say they are the one true way. Not even this church...
MRS. ESTEVEZ
So the beast is not Nero or Galba’s successor but---
LIZ
That’s right, the queen of heaven and earth, the eigth of the seven who took place... OF SEVEN kings who were all worshipped as gods. And you know, hyperdulia right, I mean you have Sister Julita your friend, right?
Beat.
LIZ
By the way, Mrs. Estevez prayer is the highest form of worship, so if you course any petitions to quote and quote Mary or any of the dead saints, quote and quote, it is still worship. The Roman church supports that. And the highest form of worship is the sacrilege --- that is the Mass.
Liz browses through the Bible again.
LIZ
Okay, check out Second Thessalonians Two-four.
Mrs. Estevez reads through that verse:
MRS. ESTEVEZ
It sets itself up above every so-called god or object of worship and he will even exalt himself above them all, sitting in God’s temple claiming to be God.
LIZ
And that’s the hyperdulia prophecy for you, Mrs. Estevez... we are the spiritual temple. First Corinthians Three Sixteen and Six Nineteen. If people only cared to read the New Testament, they’ll find out that a lot of the ... rituals have been rendered obsolete, and the only true religion that Christ wants is love. John Thirteen Thirty-Five. And First Peter Four eight, if I’m not mistaken.
MRS. ESTEVEZ
So if all the apparitions ostensibly those of Mary or Jesus, and all the miracles that endorse what you call the extra Biblical doctrines are---
LIZ
The work of Satan... Including Jing Tanaia’s son... you see, Mrs. Estevez, I’ve often wondered why God would allow a grand deception such as this, even the Pope could not see through it... but I guess he wants us, His children who are adopted through Christ – Ephesians One-Five – to be... intuitive. People who can discern things easily...
SERA, Liz’s mom approaches the table where Liz and Mrs. Estevez are discussing, Sera leans on the table.
SERA
How you all doing?
LIZ
We’re doing fine,mom.
Beat.
Liz turns to Mrs. Estevez, her priority as a Christian.
LIZ
Again, we do not claim to be infallible and to be exclusively the right way, but all we have is the Bible. God’s inspired message to mankind. According to Second Timothy Three-Sixteen, it is profitable for doctrinal instruction, training in righteousness and rebuking error.
Mrs. Estevez gathers herself together and makes hints that “I’ve gotta hit the road”.
MRS. ESTEVEZ
Listen, Elizabeth... and Sera, right?
Sera’s mom nods.
MRS. ESTEVEZ
It was nice talking to you. And... maybe I’ll come back to discover some... of these truths that are nod fed to me by my priest or my nun...
LIZ
Come anytime.
SERA
You’ll always be welcome.
Mrs. Estevez gets up. She hasta leave.
SERA
So, did Liz make you change your mind?
MRS. ESTEVEZ
I’m on my way there...
LIZ
Remember, I know you read the Seven Habits. Stephen Covey says paradigm shift is dynamic and continous... but it only comes with an open mind.
Then Liz smiles.
DISSOLVE:
It is the home of Jing Tanaia and the miracle boy – Mario. Mario has a crowd of spectators. Mario’s father is serving the guests with beverages, he’s holding a tray...
Mario is seated reclined on a sofa.
Now there is this girl, JEAN HAAS. About 21 years old.
MARIO STARTS TO OPEN HIS MOUTH. Everyone watches Mario, immediately starting to get rapt at the miracle boy. And right then and there the HOST, the communion bread of Catholics materializes in Mario’s mouth! Suddenly, everyone is floored. How did he do that? They have just witnessed a miracle. But to you, the audience of this movie you know better than to trust the spirit performing miracles for Mario Tanaia. And right in his mouth, the host starts to bleed!!! Everyone is wide-eyed and amazed. And then the host even speaks while it is resting in Tanaia’s tongue:
“Those who eat my body and drink my blood shall never perish. Those who take viaticum will have reduced temporal punishment in purgatory.”
Jean Haas is amazed, and kind of timourous at the same time.
INT. THE ALDRIN’S HOME
Sera Aldrin is speaking to Tom:
SERA
Claire of Asisi, Anna Maria Taiga in the mid 12th century, Paul of the Cross and Margaret Mary of Alcoque of the 17th century... and now Mario Tanaia of the 21st century.
TOM
The host, the abominable sacrilege of the breaking of the bread... just like in Matthew Four, the antichrist quotes the Bible to profane. Now many citizens of this town will worship the graven bread.
Tom says that they must do something about Mario Tanaia. He mentions that a lot of local people are already turning to him for cures and “grace”.
SERA
Josephine even reported that they had a whole bunch of hosts in Tanaia’s place, and those who ate it were cured of their ailments.
TOM
But we must not fight back... it is graven to repay evil for evil. According to First Thessalonians Five Fifteen and Romans Twelve Eighteen. And it is wormwood to profess to be a Christian... yet not live up to it.
In a later scene, Inocencio shows up, Tom, Sera, and Liz are together, and in his hand is a brand new Christian Community Bible, the Catholic Pastoral Edition.
LIZ
So you got bored of your N.I.V.?
INOCENCIO
No one’s gonna challenge me. It’s a catholic Bible...
Out of her pocket, Liz pulls out a switchblade and cuts through the cellophane packaging of the CPE Bible.
LIZ
You know, this knife saved my life...
TOM
But it almost took away another’s...
Liz hands Inocencio his new Bible back.
TOM
Liz, can I ask you a question, do you anticipate somebody attacking you while you are conscious about having your switchblade in your pocket...
LIZ
Sometimes it can keep my blood up if I do... but I try not to think about killing people. Philippians Four Eight.
TOM
Always. Whatever is pure, whatever is just, and whatever is right and holy. Think about these things.
It’s that scene again, inside the Aldrin household, in the living room, actually in the fellowship room where she is conversing with two men.
FRANKA
Well, in our fellowships we kept on reminding each other about not repaying bad for bad and and eye for an eye... now I am not putting Tom down bu---
FADE OUT.
FADE IN ON:
A B&W sequence. Liz walking on a sidewalk. Then a SOMEONE SQUATTING, a male, skinny, about 28 calls her attention. The man gets up and tells Liz she’s a hottie... He maniacally solicits “Can I touch you?” And then as he closes in on Liz. Liz whips out the switchblade out of nowhere and STABS THE GUY. Once in the chest! Once in the stomach... The guy clutches his wounded parts and falls on his back.
And then Liz is interrogated by police officers. Liz is teary eyed. The officers ask her if he was trying to attack her and about to harm her... she nods “Yes.” What these officers don’t know was that Liz hit first and the guy never even touched her.
M.C.U. of Liz’s face in the scene of thea ccident and we cut to another M.C.U. of Liz, sitting in repose in front of the fellowship table.
Inside, Tom is speaking for the group of Christians, gathered in this time of service and fellowship. See Hebrews Ten, Twenty Five if you will...
TOM
You see, if we try to practice proactivity... if we try NOT... NOT to hit back, then I’m more than convinced that our world will progress... This may be hard to believe, but with Christ, we have nothing to lose if we forgive others. And turn the other cheek... but instead we have to potential to change things. Am I right, Inocencio?
Inocencio is seated beside Liz. Tom remarks that Inocencio seems so silent.
TOM
Inocencio, is everything all right?
INOCENCIO
We have to stop Mario Tanaia.
Tom chuckles.
TOM
This hasn’t anything to do with our discussion.
INOCENCIO
Excuse me... I’ve gotta go to the bathroom...
So INT. BATHROOM – Inocencio actually bursts out in rage... something is wrong! Inocencio tries to be silent, but right now is like a roaring lion. He even punches the tiled wall of the bathroom. Then Inocencio starts breathing hard... Something is seriously wrong...
The next scene is INT. TANAIA RESIDENCE, where Tom speaks to Jing Tanaia...
JING
So you have no confidence in my son?
TOM
I am rather... iffy about supernatural miracles. All I’m saying is that if any of my children or anyone in our church is ailing, I’d rather pray and bring him to a doctor... than surrender that sick person to the free ... services of Mario.
Mario is seated on a sofa. The boy is studying the his dad talking to Tom.
TOM
Has Jesus or Mary ever appeared to your son?
JING
Through the Eucharist, Jesus has manifested himself.
By the look on Tom’s face, you can tell he doesn’t believe that Jesus was the one performing the miracles of the host.
TOM
Well, I firmly believe that the breaking of the bread was a symbolic fraternal meal... and is not required for salvation. And the unworthiness being spoken of in First Corinthians Eleven Twenty Four onward is the inability to love... unworthiness to fellowship in God’s table. Not necessarily being defiled because one hasn’t gone into confession only to consecrate himself to... a piece of bread. Why don’t you ask Mario here, to see if he can summon the spirits... and ask the one you believe to be Jesus of the wafer if he acknowledges if Christ Jesus of Nazareth came as a human being?
JING
What is that a dirty spell?
TOM
It’s a simple test... First John Four verse three.
Later, in the Aldrin house, Tom is speaking with Liz. The long table has no one except Liz using her switchblade cutting a piece of one-fourth illustration board.
TOM
I spoke with Jing Tanaia. We finally made a little move... per Inocencio’s concern... By the way, have you noticed Inocencio acting a little unusual lately?
LIZ
You know what I thought, advanced layout would have us make plates the size of bill boards but now we’re back with ten by tens... Yeah, I noticed something... about Inocencio’s behavior, he’s probably extra concerned about Satan working through Mario Tanaia.
TOM
The only thing we should be concerned about is being Christ-like. And possessing unconditional love for our neighbors. Even to Mario and Mr. Jing, who as of now, are still marked by the beast...
EXT. STREET – NIGHT
Inocencio stands outside a TWO-STORY HOME. Inocencio is dressed in a black jacket and he’s carrying a BACKPACK and a BASEBALL BAT. The house isn’t barricaded by a gate of sorts, Inocencio walks onto the doorstep, and he picks something out of his pocket. It’s a lockpick! He inserts it into the keyhole of the door that keeps whoever’s living here safe.
He manages to open the door. From here, the scene moves INT. of the house. It’s all dark and dripping black. But Inocencio can make things out. Inocencio has the bat gripped with his right hand and he’s poised to club anybody... He walks upstairs, its less dark because there’s some illumination from the street light outside.