Clarisse sits down into a confessional booth. A Priest
leans toward the slatted window.
CLARISSE
Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.
PRIEST
How long has it been since your last
confession?
CLARISSE
It's been a few months.
PRIEST
And what sins have you committed?
CLARISSE
Marcy came over Saturday night. For
three years, Marcy's been coming over
every Saturday night...
PRIEST
Yes?
CLARISSE
...and every Saturday night we watch a
video.
PRIEST
What kind of video?
CLARISSE
This Saturday, she says, I don't want
to watch a video...I want to do
something spontaneous...I want to run
naked through the neighborhood, she
says. Of course, I think this is
ridiculous. I told her it was
ridiculous...
PRIEST
Yes, child.
CLARISSE
Marcy's very...persuasive. It's the
Summer, you know...one of those hot
nights, the air was still. It was...it
was ridiculous, but it was late...it
was dark...no moon. Just stars. Do
you know what it's like to look at the
stars, with your feet in the grass and
every part of your body exposed to the
warm fresh air?
PRIEST
Child, I...
CLARISSE
I felt free. I felt free and alive. I
didn't even care who saw me. I was so
excited by the whole thing that I
forgot where Marcy ran off to. There I
was, dancing around on the front
lawn...when I saw the
headlights...turning into the driveway,
the headlights of my parents' car. I
happened to be close to the cypress
bush, so I ducked behind it.
PRIEST
Excuse me...
CLARISSE
My parents, you know, they've been
married for 25 years and like clockwork
they go to dinner and a movie, dinner
and a movie, dinner and a movie, but
no, not on the night I'm dancing in the
nude on the front lawn, ah, ah, they
have to come home without seeing a
movie. Do you know anything about
cypress bushes?
PRIEST
No.
CLARISSE
They tickle. They have these delicate
leaves and...
PRIEST
Can I please hear the end of your
confession, child.
CLARISSE
My clothes are hanging on the
bannister, and my parents don't even
notice. So they close the front door
and turn out the lights, and there you
have it. It was just me and that
cypress bush.
PRIEST
Yes?
CLARISSE
Yes, what?
PRIEST
What did you do?
CLARISSE
Oh...I went to my boyfriend's house.
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