(Lights come up on MARY who is dressed

sparingly and is 8 months pregnant.

She stands in front of a house, where
LUKE appears after a moment)

Mary
Is it safe.

Luke
Is it ever.

(LUKE makes his way down to MARY with a
blanket)

Mary
How much time is left.

Luke
Ten minutes. Give or take.

Intercom
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of
command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of
the trumpet of God.

Luke
That needs to stop.

Mary
Maybe you just need to listen to it.

Luke
People have been listening to this for years, and look
where things have gone.

(There is a long pause. Mary grasps
her stomach)

Luke
Kicking.

Mary
Yes.

(LUKE drapes the blanket over MARYs
shoulders.)


Luke
Are you hungry.

(Beat)

Mary
Why won't you feel our child kick.

Intercom
Behold the day of the Lord cometh cruel both with wrath and
fierce anger to lay the Land desolate: and He shall destroy
the sinners thereof out of it.

Mary
I'm fine.

(MARY pulls off the blanket)

Luke
This isn't healthy.

(LUKE picks the blanket up off the
ground and wraps it around MARY once
more)

Mary
Everyone is staying in their homes, waiting. There is
nothing for miles except abandoned businesses and parking
lots. Soon it will be over, and the Kingdom of God will
arrive.

(MARY pulls off the blanket once again)

Luke
(Picking blanket up)
Is this the Kingdom you're waiting for. Mary, this world
is now dead. Not because The Bible has said it, but because
a person with power has said it.keep this on.

(LUKE tries to put the blanket back
around MARY, MARY resists)

Mary
I don't need it.

Intercom

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since
the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall
be. And unless those days should be shortened, there should
no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days
shall be shortened.

(Upon hearing the INTERCOM, LUKE and
MARY stop fighting. LUKE is still
holding the blanket.)

Luke
Please come inside.

Mary
Don't you want to stay out here and see it happen.

Luke
No, Mary.I've told you, nothing is going to happen.

Mary
Weren't you listening.

Luke
.Even if something were to happen, don't you think God
would want you to take care of yourself.

(LUKE makes one final attempt to put
the blanket around MARY. She stops him
by holding her hand up)

Mary
Jeremiah 31:19, After I strayed, I repented; after I came
to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and
humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth

(Upon hearing this, LUKE storms into
the house. He returns with a bowl of
food)

Luke
I've waited long enough for you to snap out of this! You
may be willing to sacrifice the health of our child, but I
am not. Eat something!

Mary
It doesn't matter, Luke! We've been told to repent!


(MARY collapses to the ground and
begins to weep. LUKE rushes over to
her with bowl in hand)

Luke
Mary, honey.even.even if the world does end with Jesus
coming down and.uh.the rapture happens, we aren't bad
people. We haven't murdered, or stolen things, or-

Intercom
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the
sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and
the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the
heavens shall be shaken.

Luke
Damnit!

Mary
We aren't married!

(MARY continues her weeping. LUKE is
stunned for a moment. He drops the
bowl of food.)

Mary
Hebrews 13:4, Let marriage be held in honor among all, and
let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the
sexually immoral and adulterous.

Luke
Jur child was conceived after I proposed!

Mary
God doesn't recognize engagement, Luke!

Luke
Then heaven is a lonely place if sexually immoral people go
to hell! (Before MARY can respond, LUKE grabs the bowl and
shoves it in front of her.) Suicide isn't saintly, either.

(MARY grabs the bowl of food in front
of her and throws it forcefully away.
She rises, slowly.)

Mary
(Calmly)

I do not wish to discuss this anymore. If you love me,
leave me alone to witness.

(LUKE stands there for a moment then
slowly makes his way toward her. He
lays the blanket down at her feet, then
makes his way to the door. He stops
just in front of it and turns.)

Luke
I don't want to get more attached to our child if you're
just going to let it slip away.

(LUKE EXITS through the door. MARY
stands alone, clenching her stomach,
helpless. There is a long silence.)

Intercom
And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and
power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

Mary
(Staring up into the sky)
Lord.you are coming, right. Everyone seems to believe so.
Why not Luke. The whole world is awaiting your
arrival.he's so stubborn! If only he would listen! (Beat)
I never used to be like this.I guess you know that, huh.
(Looks down at her stomach) This world is much too dark for
you, now, I'd say.

(LUKE ENTERS from the door with another
bowl of food. He makes his way to
MARY.)

Luke
First John, chapter one, verse nine: If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Mary
Where-how do-

Luke
I'm a confirmed and baptized Lutheran. I was an assistant
minister throughout high school. I am an extremely
spiritual person.


Mary
Why have you kept this from me.

Luke
Jesus told his disciples to become fishers of men. Many
interpret that as, say, going out and spreading the word
door to door. But what do fishermen really do. They sit
with their bait in the water and wait for the fish to come
to them!

Mary
So you're a disciple of God.

Luke
Mary, it's -

Mary
No, I should listen to you because you were very religious
as a kid. .that you were fishing for me.

Luke
Would you just/ listen to me!

Mary
/You're more holy than the pope.

Luke
Pope. What. No.Listen to me! Religion is a very powerful
tool. Why do you think the crusades started! People were
hiding behind and using the Bible for their own political
gains!

Mary
This isn't a war, Luke! This is an event that is
documented, no matter what religious sect you worship! The
end is coming-

Luke
I struggle to believe that God, who loved this world and
gave up his only son, would ruin the chances of us starting
a family!

Mary
Every moment this child is inside me he ingests nothing but
sin!

(Silence falls upon them)


Luke
Do you love me.

Mary
I -

Intercom
The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its
light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly
bodies will be shaken.

(Beat)

Mary
I'm.not scared.

Luke
I know.

(LUKE places the bowl of food in MARYs
hands and wraps the blanket around
her.)

Mary
This changes nothing.

(MARY starts to eat the food from the
bowl. LUKE trots up to the house,
EXITS and ENTERS holding a folding
chair. He opens it and places it
behind MARY)

Luke
Please, sit.

(MARY sits)

Mary
Th-Thank you.

Intercom
The end is near!

(LUKE stands behind MARY and starts to
rub her shoulders)

%
Luke
Am I wrong, Mary.

Mary
You're scared.

Luke
More than ever.

Mary
We all are, at some point.

Luke
I'm sorry for not being stronger.

Mary
Some of us handle it differently. People can either trust
in the word of our Lord, repent, and face their own
mortality. Jr others can be ignorant, like you were.

Luke
Ignorant. (He stops massaging her shoulders) I trust in the
word of our Lord! The ignorant people are the ones who
follow and listen blindly to what a person tells you
without ever knowing the real truth!

Intercom
The End is here!

Luke
The end of the world was supposed to happen hundreds of
times already! Ronald Reagan was seen as an anti-Christ.in
1530 people stood on rooftops-

Mary
The Mayans-

Luke
Didn't conceive the idea of the end of the world! Just the
end of a cycle!

Intercom
Repent!

Luke
Solar Storms! Earthquakes! Supervolcanoes! It's pretty
calm out here, Mary!
%

Mary
The time hasn't come yet!

(MARY stands, winces with pain and
staggers a bit.)

Luke
Mary!

Mary
(Confused)
Contraction.

Intercom
Repent!

(LUKE rushes to MARY and holds her
close)

Luke
This is too early!

Mary
I just-I just thought.

Luke
How bad was it.

Intercom
The End!

Mary
No!

(MARY winces in pain again. LUKE lays
her on the ground.)

Luke
Just breathe! Are you sure these are -

Intercom
Repent!

Mary
(Her speech is raspy)
Not now!


Intercom
REPENT

Luke
Mary!

(Once the countdown starts, LUKE and
MARY hold each other tight.)

Intercom
5, 4, 3-

Mary
I love you.

Intercom
2, 1!

(MARY and LUKE kiss. They both look to
the sky.)

Mary
Is it safe.

Luke
Is it ever.

(Lights bump to blackout.)

END