A short drama script about a terrifying cult, written by Bernard Ansa and Alex Wahoski, featured on the Six-Page Scripts podcast.

1. GOD'S WILL
Written by
Bernard Ansa and Alex Wahoski
Atlanta, GA
(678) 326-3502, (770) 355-3599

2. EXT. FOREST - DAY
Metal CREAKS. NOAH, 15, rigs a bear trap amongst the leaves.
Focused, he kneels in between a vast forest and the house
that towers behind him.
VICTORIA (O.S.)
Boo!
VICTORIA, 13, jumps on him.
NOAH
VICTORIA! Go back and help mom!
VICTORIA
I choose to spend my time with you,
and this is how you treat me?
NOAH
Didn’t Gracie teach you not to
bother people when they’re doing
chores?
VICTORIA
No. We always goofed off when we
did our chores. You’re a stick in
the mud.
NOAH
Well, dad told me to do this and so
I’m doing it, okay? Just go back
inside. If she was here, she’d tell
you to listen to dad.
VICTORIA
Gracie and I always--
NOAH
Shut up about Gracie!
VICTORIA
Why are you always so mean? She’s
in a better place now. She ran off
and works somewhere cool--
NOAH
Where do you think Gracie is?
VICTORIA
The city.
NOAH
You are so stupid!

3. 2.
VICTORIA
I’m not stupid. You’re stupid.
There’s a RUSTLE from the forest.
Noah pulls out an old hunting KNIFE.
NOAH
Get behind me.
They approach the forest, Victoria behind Noah. They step
slowly and carefully.
WIFE (O.S.)
(yelling)
Noah, Victoria, come back inside,
dinner!
The rustling stops.
INT. HOUSE - DAY
The walls are overcrowded with family photos.
GLENN, early 50’s, sits at the head of a long wooden table
next to his 3 wives. They hold hands with the children, all
saying a prayer in Latin.
Noah stutters, falling out of sync with the family.
GLENN
Noah!
NOAH
I’m sorry, I’m sorry--
GLENN
We need to say it together. As a
family.
(beat)
It protects us.
NOAH
I thought the bear traps protect
us.
GLENN
You insolent--
VICTORIA
Ooh, Noah can’t remember his
prayers. You’re such a baby.
2.

4. 3.
Glenn shoots up. He trudges to a counter, picks up a BLACK
BOOK and sets it in front of Noah.
GLENN
Start us off.
He trudges back to his seat. Noah opens the book to the
specific prayer.
BANG.
They all turn towards the door.
YOUNGEST CHILD
What was that?
BANG.
The family jumps up.
GLENN
Stay here.
He goes over to the window by the door.
Noah is able to see a figure on the other side of the window,
but Glenn is looking past it.
NOAH
Dad!
GLENN
Hush!
Noah looks away from the window. When he looks back, the
figure darts to the side.
NOAH
The back door.
Noah rushes off.
VICTORIA
Noah?
Noah heads towards the back of the house but stops on a dime.
He catches a glimpse of a figure headed upstairs towards his
father’s study.
Noah creeps through the hallway, up the stairs. He brandishes
his knife.
In the window of the study, he sees the silhouette of a
woman’s back.
3.

5. 4.
NOAH
Hello?
A hand grasps Noah’s shoulder. He turns to see his dad’s
stern face.
GLENN
What are you doing?
NOAH
I was just trying to catch the
person, so I was--
GLENN
Enough. Go to your room.
NOAH
I--
GLENN
Now!
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
Noah sits on the corner of his bed. There’s a KNOCK at the
door. The door cracks open.
MARTHA, late 40’s and wearing a dilapidated dress, enters the
room and sits beside him.
MARTHA
How are we feeling?
NOAH
I don’t know.
MARTHA
‘I don’t know’? You’re not upset?
Noah shrugs.
MARTHA (CONT'D)
Why do you think you were sent to
your room?
NOAH
For running into dad’s office.
MARTHA
Well, sort of. You can’t just run
off like that. We didn’t know what
that was, and you just ran after
it.
4.

6. 5.
NOAH
But I saw it go to the back.
MARTHA
We can’t protect you if you leave
the house, Noah.
NOAH
Yeah, what about Soter’s
protection?
MARTHA
If you keep messing up your
prayers, do you think Soter will be
there for you?
NOAH
I guess not.
MARTHA
Your father sacrifices so much so
that Soter will protect us. So
start practicing your scripture and
stop playing pretend. You’re not a
kid.
She gives Noah a kiss on the cheek. She gets up and exits the
room.
Noah lays down and puts the covers over himself. Outside of
his window there is an orange glow deep in the forest.
EXT. FOREST - NIGHT
A bonfire billows into the sky. Gibberish can be heard from a
group dressed in light cloaks that surround the forest.
Their voices attempt to cover the screams of a man being
dragged towards the fire. His screams grow as he is thrown
into the fire.
SERIES OF SHOTS
A) Early morning. Noah sits on his bed reading his
scriptures.
B) Noah sweeping the room. He’s reading the book that sits on
the dining table. Siblings run by, startling him.
5.

7. (MORE)
6.
INT. HALLWAY - DAY
Noah sits outside his mother’s door reading his scriptures.
His mother has a CONVERSATION with another mother of the
house.
JENNIFER (O.S.)
(sobbing)
It wasn’t right. It wasn’t time. He
shouldn’t have made her leave.
MARTHA (O.S.)
It’s okay, it’s okay. These things
had to happen and it’s behind us
now. We have the kids who are still
with us and rely on us to be there
for them.
JENNIFER (O.S.)
I mean...Glenn Has his faults but I
couldn’t imagine--
MARTHA (O.S.)
Gracie was a heritic. She would’ve
destroyed this family.
Noah puts the book down. The words sink in.
JENNIFER (O.S.)
You don’t mean that. Gracie didn’t
deserve it. We didn’t deserve to
lose her! Oh, Gracie.
A figure glints by Noah taking away his focus. Glenn stands
before him. Glenn nods towards the door and motions for Noah
to follow him out.
EXT. BACKYARD - DAY
WHACK. Glenn slams an axe into a log, splitting it in two.
Noah takes the firewood and brings Glenn another log.
GLENN
Well?
NOAH
Yes?
GLENN
You don’t seem like yourself.
You’ve forgotten prayers, you’re
slacking on chores, you’ve
disrespected me and your mothers.
(MORE)
6.

8. GLENN (CONT'D)
7.
(beat)
Is there something you need to talk
about?
Glenn turns to face Noah, axe in hand.
NOAH
Um. No. I mean I don’t know.
GLENN
These are things little boys do.
You’re not a little boy anymore.
The way you are today, this family
can’t count on you.
NOAH
Count on me? Miss Jennifer was
crying today, and... mom had to
console her. I didn’t see you.
GLENN
Women-folk deal with their own
problems. They don’t involve us.
You need to focus on what you’re
gonna do when your leading this
family.
NOAH
I can protect this family better
than you ever will.
Glenn grips the axe tighter.
GLENN
You think you can do better, huh?
He takes a step towards Noah.
JENNIFER (O.S.)
Noah, can you come here please?
Noah backs away slowly, eventually turning away and running
towards the house.
Glenn stands alone, gripping the axe.
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
It’s pitch black outside of Noah’s room. The house is silent.
Noah gets up and goes to his door. He opens it enough to see
a sliver of the hallway. His dad leaves the study and goes
downstairs. When he’s gone, Noah walks out.
GLENN (CONT'D)
7.

9. 8.
INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT
Noah knocks gently on his siblings’ door before entering.
Noah gathers them up.
NOAH
Come on, come on.
VICTORIA
What’s going, Noah. Do you know
what time it is?
KID 1
I’m tired.
NOAH
Listen, alright. It’s not safe for
us here anymore.
VICTORIA
What?!
KID 2
What’s going on?
NOAH
We have to leave. Dad is insane. I
overheard mom and Jennifer talking
about Gracie.
VICTORIA
What about Gracie?
NOAH
(beat)
I don’t think she’s in the city. I
think dad did something to her. We
have to go. All of us.
ROSIE starts crying with her face resting in palms. Noah runs
up to her.
NOAH (CONT'D)
Shh. Shhh. No.
ROSIE
We have to leave mommy and daddy?
NOAH
Rosie hush.
STOMPING can be heard from the room adjacent.
8.

10. 9.
NOAH (CONT'D)
We have to go.
(to Victoria)
Bring her.
Noah runs to the door. he peaks his head checking for adults.
NOAH (CONT'D)
We’re clear.
He looks back to find the siblings all standing there,
uncomfortably.
NOAH (CONT'D)
What are you guy’s doing?
They look around sheepishly. Victoria steps forward.
VICTORIA
I believe you.
KID 2
I’m going back to bed. Come on,
Rosie.
NOAH
Ya’ll just--
VICTORIA
Leave them. Miss Jennifer will take
care of her own. Mom won’t do the
same.
EXT. FOREST - CONTINUOUS
Noah and Victoria sprint through the forest. They fight
through branches. RUSTLING and YELLS can be heard from behind
them.
SNAP. Noah SCREAMS out in pain as he looks down and sees he’s
caught in a bear trap.
VICTORIA
Noah!!
She kneels by his side, inspecting the trap.
NOAH
AHHH!! I CAN’T GET IT OUT!
VICTORIA
Let me try, let me--
9.

11. 10.
As soon as she touches it, Noah SCREAMS.
NOAH
We can’t, Victoria. There’s no way.
I can’t go on anymore, you have to
go.
VICTORIA
No! I can’t leave you here!
GLENN (O.S.)
Who is that?!
NOAH
You have to. He’s getting closer
and you need to be far away when he
gets here okay. Just run to the end
of the forest and don’t look back
okay?
The RUSTLING and YELLS get louder.
NOAH (CONT'D)
GO VICTORIA PLEASE!
She gets up and sprints away.
Noah cries in agony as he attempts to pry apart the trap.
GLENN (O.S.)
(distorted)
Noah, stop! I need to help you
NOAH
No, no, no, no...
PUNCH. Noah is knocked out.
CUT TO:
EXT. FOREST - NIGHT
A bonfire blazes up into the sky. LOUD, CHAOTIC MUSIC blares.
A group of cloaked people surround the fire.
As they perform their ritual and chant together, the person
in the center pulls back his cloak, revealing himself to be
Glenn.
FADE TO BLACK
10.