Jungle of Deception
NOTE: this is an unresolved drama, to ask the question: is there any hope for someone that falls into the very worst kind of mind-control cult? The answer? With men, this is impossible, but with God, thank God, everything is possible, nothing is impossible.

 (Woman sits at stage, trembling, distraught, she is confused and her mind is clouded by chaos — she mumbles to herself, then is seized by a fit of laughter, and after a moment of insane laughter, she begins to weep uncontrollably — she TREMBLES, shakes and twitches throughout)

 INSANE WOMAN:

(ceases weeping, looks up at ceiling, launches into a rage)  I know You’re up there!  I know You’re listening!  You’re testing me, aren’t You?  Yeah!  You’re TEMPTING me!

 CONCERNED MAN:

(enters reluctantly, approaches on eggshells)  Honey?  Did you call me?

 INSANE WOMAN:

(whirls on man, in rage)  YOU!  Get out of here!  You can’t trick me anymore!  You can’t steal from me anymore!  Do you hear me?  (buries face in hands and begins to weep) Don’t THINK, dear father! FEEL, that’s the answer! (she snarls and weeps) Don’t think, FEEL!

 CONCERNED MAN:

(shocked, hurt)  Sweetheart!  I’m not going to hurt you, Honey.  I’m not going to steal from you.  You know I love you.  I’m your father, Baby…

 INSANE WOMAN:

(removes hands from face, and laughs uncontrollably, speaks through laughter)  What a liar!  I know you’ve been talking to your church again, that place of false doctrines!  Come to me, Dad, and I’ll give you rest!  Come to me, Dad, and join my Great Ministry, because God has called me to deliver His TRUE BELIEVERS, and all His prophecies are coming true.

 CONCERNED MAN:

(visibly upset)  Not again with the “prophecy” nonsense!  Can’t you see what kind of group you’re involved with?  Can’t you see that they don’t follow the Bible?  They’re driving you nuts!

 INSANE WOMAN:

Oh ye of little faith!  Oh ye of little faith!  Get thee behind me, Satan!  Don’t speak death to me!  Don’t speak death to me!  Don’t speak death to me!  (she begins to wander in room)

 CONCERNED MAN:

(picks up phone and calls someone)  Pastor?  Yeah, it’s Ted.  (listens)  Oh yeah, it’s worse than ever.  SHE’s worse than ever.  (gestures toward wandering woman)  You should see her, she’s wandering all over the room.  She keeps screaming, and shaking.  And I’m looking through her papers here, what she calls her AWESOME PROPHECIES, and you wouldn’t believe what kind of poison she’s DEVOURING here — I mean, just listen to this:  (reads from prophecy paper)

 YOU ARE HIS CHOSEN ONE, YOU SHALL BATTLE THE ANTI-CHRIST.  YOU ARE HIS MOST POWERFUL ARCHANGEL.  YOU ARE THE AMBASSADOR OF JESUS ON THIS PLANET AND SHALL SAVE THE ENTIRE PLANET, SOON!

 Can you believe this nonsense?  (listens)  I know THAT!  But the thing of it is, SHE BELIEVES ALL THIS!  She fully believes all this is true, that she’s serving God.  She believes that she’s found THE TRUTH, and that anyone who tries to talk any kind of sense to her is a liar — A DECEIVER. You tell her ANYthing, and she says she gets a “check in her spirit!” I think that check is in the mail, let me tell you.

 (woman is pacing and mumbling, trembling and laughing, weeping and mumbling)

 What more can I do?  I’ve had the entire church praying for her the last several weeks.  But it doesn’t seem to be helping.  I mean, she’s GONE.  I don’t think there’s a way to get through to her.  This group she’s with has taught her that THIS is the way to God, and that every other way is a trick.  (holding up paper)  They hardly study the Bible at all — they just keep dishing out these — (searching for right word, finally bursts) RIDICULOUS so-called prophecies!  (listens, nodding, eyes closed, nodding, nodding)

 Okay Pastor.  Yeah, I appreciate it.  Thanks, I’ll keep praying too.  Okay.  Good-bye.

 INSANE WOMAN:

(returns and sits down, knocks the phone off the table)  I KNOW WHO YOU WERE TALKING TO!  Liar!  You were talking to God, weren’t you!  You were talking about me!  You were telling Him to take away my ministry!  BUT HE’S NOT!  I’m serving Jesus, I’m His CHOSEN ONE!  And you’re not!  You’re not and I am!  Neener-neener-NEENER!  I said NEENER-NEENER-NEENER!  NEENER NEENER NEENER!  (puts fingers in her ears and refuses to listen to man)

 CONCERNED MAN:

(trying to break through her childish barrage)  Honey!  Honey!  Sweetheart, listen to me!  Please, just listen to me!  (woman fades to silence, but keeps mouthing her “neeners”)  I want you to come back to God.  Please, just come back to church with me!  Your church family loves you very much!  They’re praying for you.  You need God’s help, desperately.  You don’t have to live in this nightmare any more.  You can be free.  You can have peace!

 INSANE WOMAN:

(whirls on man)  PEACE!  You don’t know anything about PEACE!  You don’t know NOTHING!  YOU DON’T KNOW NOTHING.  YOU DON’T KNOW NOTHING.

 CONCERNED MAN:

(attempting to break through her litanies of NOTHINGs)  Do you think this is what Jesus is all about?  Honey, you’re lost in the jungle!  You’re trusting in yourself, not in God, you’re trusting in your group, not in God.  And the only way you’re going to get out of the jungle is if Jesus leads you out.  You can’t do it on your own.  You can’t save yourself.  Only Jesus can save you…

 INSANE WOMAN:

(finally breaks off chanting NOTHING)  I’m in the jungle?  Let me sing a hymn about the jungle to you:

 DOWN IN THE JUNGLE, THE HAIRY HAIRY JUNGLE

HEAR THE SOUNDS OF A LIBERATED APE!

 CONCERNED MAN:

(looks at her horrified, shaking head, nearly speachless)  Sweetheart . . . I . . . wow, I just . . . really don’t . . . KNOW . . . you any more.  (slowly exits)

 INSANE WOMAN:

(smiles insanely and keeps chanting)  Down in the jungle, the hairy hairy jungle, hear the sounds of a liberated ape!  Down in the jungle the hairy hairy jungle hear the sounds of a liberated ape down in the jungle the hairy hairy jungle hear the sounds of a liberated ape…

 (slowly begins to exit, her hands over her ears, head bowed in defeat, completely lost in the jungle, chanting her ape litany over and over)

 …down in the jungle, the hairy hairy jungle, hear the sounds of a liberated ape…