American Horror Stories (2021–…): Season 2, Episode 4 - Milkmaids - full transcript
Her breathing
has become intermittent.
We're
approaching the end.
Isn't there something you
can give her for the pain?
I ran out of opium weeks ago.
I'm just not equipped to
deal with this much death.
Daddy, will she
be buried in a ditch
like the others?
No, Edward.
Those graves are for the poor.
She'll be buried
in the cemetery.
Next to your sisters.
Why have our friends
not come to visit this time?
Because all of our
friends are dead.
You may enter.
Welcome to the House of Lazarus.
Under God's eye,
may you enter this space.
Would you like a cup of tea?
No.
As you will.
My name is Celeste.
May I know your name?
I don't have time for theatrics.
Well, then.
Let's get to it.
What the hell is that?
It's what you came here for.
Are you ready for the feast?
Father who art in heaven.
There is no want to worry.
You are a menace to society.
I'm not contagious.
My wounds have
the power to heal.
That's why you're
here, isn't it?
Men seek out my services
so that this plague will
pass over their homes.
They say I have been anointed
by Saint Lazarus.
One lick...
on my pustules
will ward off
smallpox, indefinitely.
It's warm...
and sweet.
Every man who has tasted me
has gone on to live
a healthy life.
I promise you.
Come forth.
Close your eyes.
Open your mouth.
Now imagine heaven
on your tongue.
You are an occultist.
So, you only wanted sex, then?
Shame on you,
Pastor Walter.
That is not my name.
I am not he.
I know you are the new
minister. That church
- is a house of lies.
- Blasphemous witch!
If you speak a word
of this to anyone,
I will see to it
that you are hanged.
Hypocrite.
An obedient wife.
Devoted mother.
A follower
of Christ.
Because of Eve's original sin,
sickness and suffering
is a part of life.
People of Christ.
Sin does not come without
consequences.
You're going to talk about sin?
Wretched woman.
This man is a false prophet.
Leave this church
and save yourselves.
Begone from this
holy space, idolatress.
He beat me for trying
to heal him.
I visited her,
but only to pray for her soul.
She is a disease-spreading
prostitute.
Wicked woman.
Don't pretend like
you don't know who I am.
I am the Daughter
of Lazarus.
Today, God
has called upon me
to warn you that
this... this man,
this preacher,
will ring in a new era of death
and destruction, if we let him.
She is no daughter of Lazarus.
She is a daughter
of Satan himself.
She is to blame for our ruin.
She is the source
- of God's wrath.
- We must purge
this sorceress
from our community,
for our survival.
String her up
and send her to the gallows!
- Whore!
- Hang her now!
Defend us in battle, Prince
of the Heavenly Host.
Be our protection
against the wickedness...
and snares of the devil.
Enough!
Sit down.
I will not have my wife's
funeral marred with a hanging.
We haven't known each
other for terribly long, but I
consider you a friend, Thomas.
Thank you, Pastor.
As I do you.
So, I may speak freely then,
and you won't take any offense?
I would hope so,
and that you would grant me
- the same grace.
- Good.
Don't ever challenge my
authority like that again.
This congregation
needs a strong leader,
and I won't have
you weakening me.
I'm sorry, Pastor. I...
Why would you
defend a prostitute?
I had to think of my son.
It was his mother's funeral.
He's already lost two sisters.
Yes, of course.
I'm sorry, Thomas.
The grief of this community
weighs so heavily on me.
At times, the losses
becomes a blur.
Do you really believe
that we may be cursed?
Only time will tell.
In the meantime, we must pray
God will grant us
peace in our suffering.
What if prayer isn't enough?
Is there something
you're withholding?
You believe that, sometimes,
God requires us to
take a leap of faith,
- yes?
- Yes, of course.
I've learned of a new ritual,
one that possibly
wards off the plague.
A ritual?
In a town
not far from here, a
a man of faith received
a message from God
compelling him to believe
that smallpox was caused
by the dead rising at night
to feast on the
bodies of the living.
So, the townspeople
dug up the graves
of those who had passed
from the disease,
and they found that their
bodies had barely decomposed,
even months after their burials.
They removed the hearts,
to prevent the possessed bodies
from continuing their nightly
haunts, and for good measure,
they burned them.
Th-This sounds like a fable,
dreamt up by the
desperate and lonely.
But the disease
stopped spreading.
Soon, the town recovered and
life went back to normal.
Are you suggesting that
we practice this savagery?
I'm asking your permission
to exhume my wife's heart
to save my son.
I can't suffer any more loss.
We could do it tonight...
before she's buried
in the morning.
We will be
driven out of town as heretics.
Just this one
corpse, as an experiment.
No one has to know.
Uh...
Should we say a prayer?
Father, we know that Rachel
is in heaven with you,
and that her body is
but an empty shell.
We ask that you
protect us from
the evil forces that
would use this shell
for the devil's
work, so that we may
serve you with healthy
bodies and sound minds.
- Amen.
- Amen.
I can't do it.
This ritual...
does it cure those who
are already infected?
Burning it won't.
But, apparently,
eating it might.
Walter.
We're not eating
my wife's heart.
- Absolutely not.
- Think of your son.
This isn't the way
Mama used to make it.
It's Daddy's
new recipe. Eat up.
It looks disgusting.
It'll keep us healthy.
You don't want to get sick like
your mother and sisters, do you?
We have to stay strong
and keep living, for them.
Heavenly Father...
Delilah.
Sorry to bother you at
this hour, Mr. Browne.
Kammi's udders were stopped
up till half past four.
I barely finished milking
her before the sun went down.
Oh... Your wife's funeral.
I'm so sorry.
- I completely forgot.
- It's all right.
You're a busy woman.
Perhaps my absence
was a good thing.
We all know how Pastor
Walter feels about me.
Is it true that you dance with
the devil under the full moon?
Edward, stop it.
People will always gossip
about an unmarried woman.
If only you would
come to church sometime.
Perhaps you could
meet someone special.
Thomas, I love
my life just the
way it is: happy,
free, and unmarried. Besides,
who needs a man when you have
the devil as your dance partner?
I'll let you get
back to your evening.
My condolences again.
Good night, Edward.
Good night, Delilah.
Pastor Walter says
never to trust a milkmaid.
Nothing is so unclean
as a woman who
lives with beasts.
Edward, be kind to
those less fortunate
than us.
Now, have some more stew.
Hi, Kammi.
I'm so sorry.
I didn't mean to intrude.
I was just leaving.
Oh, you're hurt.
It's no... it's nothing.
It's not nothing.
You need a doctor.
Let me take you to town.
No, no, no. It's not
safe for me there.
- Who did this to you?
- I should...
I should go while
it's still dark.
No, don't be foolish.
Please.
My name is Delilah.
You're safe here with me.
Thank you, Delilah.
I'm Celeste.
My apologies for
the lumpy mattress.
I lost everything when
my house collapsed.
The founders of this
town should have never
settled on shallow groundwater.
Kammi's a nice
housemate, though.
Kammi?
My cow.
It's short for Kamadhenu,
the Hindu bovine goddess.
Speak again?
Some cultures believe that
animals should be revered
and that to kill them
is an act of murder.
How do you know these things?
Milkmaid has plenty
of time to read.
I was a milkmaid once, but, uh,
- I only ever read the Bible.
- No, well,
the Bible's fine,
if you like fiction.
You should try this.
This one's better.
Don't feign outrage
on my account.
There are no men
to judge us here.
That'll fix her right up.
You could've warned me.
Whoever did this to you
should be held accountable.
I can think of any number
of men who might've done it.
Shall I go door to door,
searching for the culprit?
Please, I don't
want any trouble.
He's a pow-powerful man.
A man of the cloth?
Pastor Walter.
He threat-threatened to hang me.
If I don't... leave
tonight, he'll find me
- and kill me.
- Nonsense.
You will stay here with me
until you are completely healed,
till there isn't a scratch
left on your beautiful face.
That old fool won't come looking
around here.
Old milkmaids terrify
clergymen, didn't you know that?
Because milkmaids are
strong and don't need men.
If you're not a milkmaid
anymore, what is it you do?
- Are you married?
- Uh...
N-No. I...
You really are quite beautiful.
I'm...
I'm quite tired.
May I sleep?
Of course.
It's all right
if you can't cry.
You know, when Faith died,
I couldn't stop crying.
It felt like the
pain would never end.
Then, when Annabelle died,
tears didn't come as easily,
not because I
loved her any less,
because I was used
to living with loss.
And then when your
mother passed...
the grief transformed into
something else entirely.
A heaviness that
doesn't allow for tears.
But...
if we don't cry, then
how will they know
that we loved them?
They know you love them.
They don't need your
tears to prove anything.
What beautiful flowers, Edward.
Did you pick them yourself?
The Lord restoreth all wounds
to those who believe.
Even wounds
of the heart.
How's your health, Thomas?
Blessed. And yours?
I've never felt so alive.
It's a pleasure to
see you, Walter.
We've got to be on our way.
You haven't been to
church in some time.
Not since the night
of Rachel's funeral.
Did he not feast on
our special communion?
Edward, go home.
Yes, I fed my son
his mother's heart,
and I haven't been able
to sleep at night since.
It was a horrible
mistake that we made,
brought on by the
hysteria of grief.
I am sorry I convinced
you to commit such
- a horrendous act.
- Oh, I am not sorry at all.
Ever since that
night, I have been
spared from the
slightest sniffle.
Not a blemish has
appeared on my body.
The sick and the
suffering, they...
claw at me, desperate
for my prayers,
and yet, I remain well.
The ritual worked.
There is nothing godly
about cannibalism.
I've gotten quite good
at the explantation.
Poor Edgar Brukner
died all alone,
with no one to watch
over his corpse.
The Lord has rewarded
us for taking
a leap of faith,
just as you said he would.
But people are going
to start questioning
why we are immune
to this plague.
We have got to tell
the people the truth.
That God has revealed
to us the cure.
Oh, Celeste.
You have smallpox.
No, I don't.
Your corset's going
to make it worse.
I need to wear it to
keep my wounds alive.
God's anger is agitating them
because they've gone too long
- without being milked.
- We have to isolate you.
I'm not sick, I promise you.
In fact,
I'm a healer.
I've been anointed
by Saint Lazarus.
You must be burning up. Please,
let me get your fever down.
Please, let me
explain. You have been
so kind to me, watching over me
all this time. I owe it to you
to tell you the truth
about who I really am.
These boils appeared on my body
during my time as a milkmaid,
but... I never once got sick.
I hid them by
wearing this corset.
No one ever knew about them
until I fell in love
with a wonderful man.
I soon became pregnant
and grew too round
to keep my secret from him.
When he finally saw the boils,
he couldn't look at me again...
let alone touch me.
I gave birth.
He left me
and took our child with him.
I was cast out from society.
With no other way to survive...
I sold my sex.
I tried to
keep my wounds hidden
from my patrons,
but then I was
surprised to learn
how easily men turn their
fears into a fetish.
They lined up,
one after the other
to tempt their fate.
But then, something
miraculous happened.
I began to notice
that the men who feasted upon me
never got sick,
even though everyone around them
seemed to fade away and die.
God had chosen me
to heal the sick and suffering.
Just as Jesus raised
Lazarus from the dead
to remind the world
that love can save
us from anything,
I knew
that God had put me
on this earth to heal
people with love.
But love doesn't heal, Celeste.
Only science can do that.
But science
is a gift from God,
and God is love.
These things don't matter now.
If these men were truly
protected from smallpox
because of your boils,
we have to find out
what's inside them
that's preventing people
from getting sick,
so we can isolate
it and reproduce it.
Celeste, we can
save so many people.
Divinity cannot be reproduced.
It can only be appreciated.
I admire your
ability to believe,
but I have to get to
the bottom of this.
Recently, I learned
of a nearby village.
Now, I hesitate to tell
you the desperate ordeal
this community went through.
It is not for the
faint of heart.
Delirious with grief,
the townspeople began to believe
that smallpox was caused
by the dead
rising at night to
feast on the living.
So, they exhumed
the bodies and found
that the corpses
had not even begun
to decompose.
To prevent the possessed bodies
from their evil plight,
the townspeople
removed their hearts
and ate them.
I know.
I know it is shocking,
but the town began to recover.
Now, I was horrified when
I learned of this-this...
this barbarism.
It seems so...
un-Christian.
- And, yet...
- It worked.
- Indeed.
- Give me a shovel,
and I'll be the first to dig.
Anything to put an
end to our suffering.
No, no, no.
We must not let our
grief hasten our actions.
What have we got to lose?
Why are you so set on proving
that I'm not a healer?
Why can't...
why...
can't I be special to you?
You are special to me.
Just because there's a
logical answer to your healing
doesn't mean you
haven't helped people.
But why is it so hard for
you to believe in God?
God is simply the unknown.
In time, scientists will
uncover the truth of everything.
Where will God be then?
Have you ever
considered your faith
is just a distraction
from your wounded heart?
How dare you.
You're the one who's constantly
escaping into your books.
What are you running from?
My love for you, perhaps?
You can't deny a bond
has grown between us.
Uh, I...
I l... I love you, too, Delilah,
but as I love all
children of God.
If you are truly a healer,
then I want to be healed.
Let me taste the
divinity for myself.
Have you ever been infected?
I had a mild outbreak of
boils when I was young,
but I recovered swiftly.
Your life was spared.
Why do you think that is?
I eat well.
I live in nature.
I isolate from the gravely ill.
You deliver Kammi's milk
to sick people every day.
Of course, but...
Maybe...
you've been blessed,
just like me.
Hmm? How do you explain
that some people get sick
while others don't?
Surely God has a hand
in deciding our fate.
If that's true,
then God is cruel.
Damn it. Are Kammi's
udders bleeding again?
Yes, but nothing too bad.
This batch is no good.
A little blood
won't spoil the milk.
This milk could spread cowpox.
That's ridiculous.
Scientists now believe
there are small creatures,
invisible to the naked eye,
that can spread illness
through bodily fluids.
Mm...
That didn't seem to worry
you a few moments ago.
Delilah, I told you,
no one has ever gotten
sick from sleeping with me.
Scientists are
wrong all the time.
But what if they're
right about this?
Kammi's boils look exactly
like the ones on your body,
and the same as mine
did, all those years ago.
So?
See?
They're perfectly round.
Human smallpox doesn't
look like this.
They have a more
chaotic pattern,
like fungus growth.
What if you and I got
cowpox from being milkmaids?
We're not cows.
If cowpox spread through
their infected udders,
that means anyone that came
in contact with our boils
was also infected with cowpox.
You're not listening to me.
Every man who came to
me didn't get sick.
- I healed them.
- That's exactly it.
Cowpox doesn't make humans sick
in the same way
that smallpox does.
If these men were protected in
the way that you say they were,
it's quite possible that cowpox
provides an immunity
to smallpox.
This contaminated milk
could be the key.
You stay here and
keep milking Kammi
for as long as her
udders are bleeding.
I'm going to deliver
these bottles,
and then I'll come
back for more.
Celeste...
we're going to save the
world from smallpox.
Mm.
What say you of this, Lazarus?
Was I never a healer?
Were you ever healed,
or were you faking it, too?
We unite here to overcome
the forces of evil
that have plagued our
community for far too long.
Some may be hesitant
to uncover the bodies
of their loved ones,
but I assure you,
we will bury them properly
after every last vestige of evil
has been removed.
They will know peace.
In the name of Christ,
let the healing begin!
Thomas? Edward? Open the door.
I have a very urgent delivery.
Father's not home.
It seems like no one is
home. Where is everyone?
At the cemetery.
Pastor Walter found
the cure for smallpox.
- What?
- Something about digging up the dead
- to stop them from killing us.
- You're playing a joke on me.
Father left here an hour ago
with a shovel in his hand.
That's the most absurd
thing I have ever heard.
Are you sure you heard right?
Edward,
I need you to listen to me.
This is no ordinary milk.
This milk will save
you from getting sick.
I don't care if I
get sick. I'm strong.
But you will spread
the disease to others
who might not be strong.
If they are weak,
then they should die.
Pastor Walter says
it's the natural order.
He's gonna save us
all from this plague.
We don't need your milk.
Drink the goddamn milk.
Everyone, stop, please.
Stop this madness.
You're going to make
yourselves sick.
I have the real cure,
- and it's in this milk.
- Delilah.
Delilah, you shouldn't be here.
What is happening?
This is insanity.
Something evil is going on.
The bodies aren't decomposing.
It's not evil. This town was
built on shallow groundwater.
The salt in the soil,
it slows the
decomposition process.
What is
this hysterical
woman going on about?
Walter, she may have a point.
How many times have I told
you? Never trust a milkmaid.
The Bible teaches
us that the devil
employs unclean spirits
to do his bidding.
You must stop this barbarity.
The real antidote to
smallpox is in this milk.
I have enough for
several families,
and Celeste is preparing
more as we speak.
Soon, we'll be able to
inoculate the whole town.
Celeste?
- Is she okay?
- She's wonderful.
Oh, there
is nothing wonderful
about that filthy whore.
I know what you did to her.
She's the reason you're healthy.
The cure in her boils
is the same cure
that's in this milk.
Every healthy man that's
alive in this town
is alive because of Celeste.
We are alive because God
spares the righteous.
Walter, you must listen to me.
You must stop this madness.
Fine.
I will.
If only Adam had struck Eve...
we'd still be in
the Garden of Eden.
Come, Thomas.
Let's take care of...
the other one.
Celeste is harmless, Walter.
Please, leave her alone.
Why are you defending
these godless women?
If we allow them
to trample over us,
the world will unravel
and society itself
will collapse.
Because Celeste is
Edward's real mother.
I made the worst mistake
in my life when I left her.
It's because of me that she
turned to a life of sin.
Do I even know the man
that stands before me?
Your weakness is repulsive.
Now, move.
Move.
Love, are you finished
with the deliveries already?
The new batch is ready.
Love?
Where is Delilah?
What did you do?
Blessed are they that
follow my commandments,
but cursed are the sorcerers,
the whores, and the idolaters.
- They shall be put to death.
- Please.
I've only ever wanted
to help this community,
as you claim to do.
You think I believe my own lies?
There is no such
thing as selflessness.
Humility is but a mask we wear
to hide our hunger for power.
We perceive the world
as we create it.
I didn't realize
whores could be so...
highbrow.
Don't come any closer.
I've thought a lot about that
afternoon we spent together.
I have to admit,
it wasn't so bad...
once I got over the
smell of your rotting
flesh.
Maybe we can have
one more go around...
before I do you in
once and for all.
No! No!
Let me go!
Are you all right?
Yes. Thank God you're here.
Celeste?
Thomas?
Thomas, you're
bleeding terribly.
Don't... touch me,
you wicked woman.
Thomas, please, let me help you.
I trusted you
as a friend.
Everyone warned me
of your unnatural ways.
What are you saying?
Did you do this to her?
Did she corrupt you to lust
as unnaturally as she does?
She didn't do anything
but help me when
I needed it most.
For all these years,
I blamed myself.
I thought I condemned
you to a life
of degradation and sin.
But now I see the
seed of wickedness
was within you all along.
You ruin everything you touch.
You've destroyed my life,
and now you're tearing
this town apart.
Thomas, your wounds
make you speak in
haste. You don't know
what you're saying.
Oh, dear God.
Poor Edward.
Edward?
There is something
terribly wrong with that boy.
I've tried.
I've tried everything I can
to get him on the right path.
I even married a woman who
mothered him as her own son,
but deep down,
he never loved her.
He's never loved a single soul.
Because he inherited
this wickedness
from you.
No.
If I know one thing about
Celeste, it's that she's capable
of nothing but love.
Your love is a curse
that must be stopped.
No.
No, no...
You monster!
No...
No.
Celeste...
You must take
the discovery of our inoculation
and deliver it...
No, don't talk like this.
I can't live without
you, Delilah. Please...
You must tell everyone
about our cure.
No, no, no, no...
Edward.
Who are you?
I'm your real mother.
My name is Celeste.
You're going to have
to come with me.
Where is my father?
Edward...
I'm very sorry.
Your father is dead.
Everybody dies.
No.
Do you see that cow
outside?
Her name is Kammi,
and she's the key to a
healthy future for us all.
I'm going to make sure
that you don't get sick.
Please, Edward.
I need you to trust me.
Everything's going
to be all right, son.
Soon, we'll spread the good news
of a brighter future.
We'll save so many
lives together.
There's no more
need to be afraid.
Are you a milkmaid?
I suppose I am once
again, aren't I?
Nothing is so unclean as a
woman who lives with beasts.
has become intermittent.
We're
approaching the end.
Isn't there something you
can give her for the pain?
I ran out of opium weeks ago.
I'm just not equipped to
deal with this much death.
Daddy, will she
be buried in a ditch
like the others?
No, Edward.
Those graves are for the poor.
She'll be buried
in the cemetery.
Next to your sisters.
Why have our friends
not come to visit this time?
Because all of our
friends are dead.
You may enter.
Welcome to the House of Lazarus.
Under God's eye,
may you enter this space.
Would you like a cup of tea?
No.
As you will.
My name is Celeste.
May I know your name?
I don't have time for theatrics.
Well, then.
Let's get to it.
What the hell is that?
It's what you came here for.
Are you ready for the feast?
Father who art in heaven.
There is no want to worry.
You are a menace to society.
I'm not contagious.
My wounds have
the power to heal.
That's why you're
here, isn't it?
Men seek out my services
so that this plague will
pass over their homes.
They say I have been anointed
by Saint Lazarus.
One lick...
on my pustules
will ward off
smallpox, indefinitely.
It's warm...
and sweet.
Every man who has tasted me
has gone on to live
a healthy life.
I promise you.
Come forth.
Close your eyes.
Open your mouth.
Now imagine heaven
on your tongue.
You are an occultist.
So, you only wanted sex, then?
Shame on you,
Pastor Walter.
That is not my name.
I am not he.
I know you are the new
minister. That church
- is a house of lies.
- Blasphemous witch!
If you speak a word
of this to anyone,
I will see to it
that you are hanged.
Hypocrite.
An obedient wife.
Devoted mother.
A follower
of Christ.
Because of Eve's original sin,
sickness and suffering
is a part of life.
People of Christ.
Sin does not come without
consequences.
You're going to talk about sin?
Wretched woman.
This man is a false prophet.
Leave this church
and save yourselves.
Begone from this
holy space, idolatress.
He beat me for trying
to heal him.
I visited her,
but only to pray for her soul.
She is a disease-spreading
prostitute.
Wicked woman.
Don't pretend like
you don't know who I am.
I am the Daughter
of Lazarus.
Today, God
has called upon me
to warn you that
this... this man,
this preacher,
will ring in a new era of death
and destruction, if we let him.
She is no daughter of Lazarus.
She is a daughter
of Satan himself.
She is to blame for our ruin.
She is the source
- of God's wrath.
- We must purge
this sorceress
from our community,
for our survival.
String her up
and send her to the gallows!
- Whore!
- Hang her now!
Defend us in battle, Prince
of the Heavenly Host.
Be our protection
against the wickedness...
and snares of the devil.
Enough!
Sit down.
I will not have my wife's
funeral marred with a hanging.
We haven't known each
other for terribly long, but I
consider you a friend, Thomas.
Thank you, Pastor.
As I do you.
So, I may speak freely then,
and you won't take any offense?
I would hope so,
and that you would grant me
- the same grace.
- Good.
Don't ever challenge my
authority like that again.
This congregation
needs a strong leader,
and I won't have
you weakening me.
I'm sorry, Pastor. I...
Why would you
defend a prostitute?
I had to think of my son.
It was his mother's funeral.
He's already lost two sisters.
Yes, of course.
I'm sorry, Thomas.
The grief of this community
weighs so heavily on me.
At times, the losses
becomes a blur.
Do you really believe
that we may be cursed?
Only time will tell.
In the meantime, we must pray
God will grant us
peace in our suffering.
What if prayer isn't enough?
Is there something
you're withholding?
You believe that, sometimes,
God requires us to
take a leap of faith,
- yes?
- Yes, of course.
I've learned of a new ritual,
one that possibly
wards off the plague.
A ritual?
In a town
not far from here, a
a man of faith received
a message from God
compelling him to believe
that smallpox was caused
by the dead rising at night
to feast on the
bodies of the living.
So, the townspeople
dug up the graves
of those who had passed
from the disease,
and they found that their
bodies had barely decomposed,
even months after their burials.
They removed the hearts,
to prevent the possessed bodies
from continuing their nightly
haunts, and for good measure,
they burned them.
Th-This sounds like a fable,
dreamt up by the
desperate and lonely.
But the disease
stopped spreading.
Soon, the town recovered and
life went back to normal.
Are you suggesting that
we practice this savagery?
I'm asking your permission
to exhume my wife's heart
to save my son.
I can't suffer any more loss.
We could do it tonight...
before she's buried
in the morning.
We will be
driven out of town as heretics.
Just this one
corpse, as an experiment.
No one has to know.
Uh...
Should we say a prayer?
Father, we know that Rachel
is in heaven with you,
and that her body is
but an empty shell.
We ask that you
protect us from
the evil forces that
would use this shell
for the devil's
work, so that we may
serve you with healthy
bodies and sound minds.
- Amen.
- Amen.
I can't do it.
This ritual...
does it cure those who
are already infected?
Burning it won't.
But, apparently,
eating it might.
Walter.
We're not eating
my wife's heart.
- Absolutely not.
- Think of your son.
This isn't the way
Mama used to make it.
It's Daddy's
new recipe. Eat up.
It looks disgusting.
It'll keep us healthy.
You don't want to get sick like
your mother and sisters, do you?
We have to stay strong
and keep living, for them.
Heavenly Father...
Delilah.
Sorry to bother you at
this hour, Mr. Browne.
Kammi's udders were stopped
up till half past four.
I barely finished milking
her before the sun went down.
Oh... Your wife's funeral.
I'm so sorry.
- I completely forgot.
- It's all right.
You're a busy woman.
Perhaps my absence
was a good thing.
We all know how Pastor
Walter feels about me.
Is it true that you dance with
the devil under the full moon?
Edward, stop it.
People will always gossip
about an unmarried woman.
If only you would
come to church sometime.
Perhaps you could
meet someone special.
Thomas, I love
my life just the
way it is: happy,
free, and unmarried. Besides,
who needs a man when you have
the devil as your dance partner?
I'll let you get
back to your evening.
My condolences again.
Good night, Edward.
Good night, Delilah.
Pastor Walter says
never to trust a milkmaid.
Nothing is so unclean
as a woman who
lives with beasts.
Edward, be kind to
those less fortunate
than us.
Now, have some more stew.
Hi, Kammi.
I'm so sorry.
I didn't mean to intrude.
I was just leaving.
Oh, you're hurt.
It's no... it's nothing.
It's not nothing.
You need a doctor.
Let me take you to town.
No, no, no. It's not
safe for me there.
- Who did this to you?
- I should...
I should go while
it's still dark.
No, don't be foolish.
Please.
My name is Delilah.
You're safe here with me.
Thank you, Delilah.
I'm Celeste.
My apologies for
the lumpy mattress.
I lost everything when
my house collapsed.
The founders of this
town should have never
settled on shallow groundwater.
Kammi's a nice
housemate, though.
Kammi?
My cow.
It's short for Kamadhenu,
the Hindu bovine goddess.
Speak again?
Some cultures believe that
animals should be revered
and that to kill them
is an act of murder.
How do you know these things?
Milkmaid has plenty
of time to read.
I was a milkmaid once, but, uh,
- I only ever read the Bible.
- No, well,
the Bible's fine,
if you like fiction.
You should try this.
This one's better.
Don't feign outrage
on my account.
There are no men
to judge us here.
That'll fix her right up.
You could've warned me.
Whoever did this to you
should be held accountable.
I can think of any number
of men who might've done it.
Shall I go door to door,
searching for the culprit?
Please, I don't
want any trouble.
He's a pow-powerful man.
A man of the cloth?
Pastor Walter.
He threat-threatened to hang me.
If I don't... leave
tonight, he'll find me
- and kill me.
- Nonsense.
You will stay here with me
until you are completely healed,
till there isn't a scratch
left on your beautiful face.
That old fool won't come looking
around here.
Old milkmaids terrify
clergymen, didn't you know that?
Because milkmaids are
strong and don't need men.
If you're not a milkmaid
anymore, what is it you do?
- Are you married?
- Uh...
N-No. I...
You really are quite beautiful.
I'm...
I'm quite tired.
May I sleep?
Of course.
It's all right
if you can't cry.
You know, when Faith died,
I couldn't stop crying.
It felt like the
pain would never end.
Then, when Annabelle died,
tears didn't come as easily,
not because I
loved her any less,
because I was used
to living with loss.
And then when your
mother passed...
the grief transformed into
something else entirely.
A heaviness that
doesn't allow for tears.
But...
if we don't cry, then
how will they know
that we loved them?
They know you love them.
They don't need your
tears to prove anything.
What beautiful flowers, Edward.
Did you pick them yourself?
The Lord restoreth all wounds
to those who believe.
Even wounds
of the heart.
How's your health, Thomas?
Blessed. And yours?
I've never felt so alive.
It's a pleasure to
see you, Walter.
We've got to be on our way.
You haven't been to
church in some time.
Not since the night
of Rachel's funeral.
Did he not feast on
our special communion?
Edward, go home.
Yes, I fed my son
his mother's heart,
and I haven't been able
to sleep at night since.
It was a horrible
mistake that we made,
brought on by the
hysteria of grief.
I am sorry I convinced
you to commit such
- a horrendous act.
- Oh, I am not sorry at all.
Ever since that
night, I have been
spared from the
slightest sniffle.
Not a blemish has
appeared on my body.
The sick and the
suffering, they...
claw at me, desperate
for my prayers,
and yet, I remain well.
The ritual worked.
There is nothing godly
about cannibalism.
I've gotten quite good
at the explantation.
Poor Edgar Brukner
died all alone,
with no one to watch
over his corpse.
The Lord has rewarded
us for taking
a leap of faith,
just as you said he would.
But people are going
to start questioning
why we are immune
to this plague.
We have got to tell
the people the truth.
That God has revealed
to us the cure.
Oh, Celeste.
You have smallpox.
No, I don't.
Your corset's going
to make it worse.
I need to wear it to
keep my wounds alive.
God's anger is agitating them
because they've gone too long
- without being milked.
- We have to isolate you.
I'm not sick, I promise you.
In fact,
I'm a healer.
I've been anointed
by Saint Lazarus.
You must be burning up. Please,
let me get your fever down.
Please, let me
explain. You have been
so kind to me, watching over me
all this time. I owe it to you
to tell you the truth
about who I really am.
These boils appeared on my body
during my time as a milkmaid,
but... I never once got sick.
I hid them by
wearing this corset.
No one ever knew about them
until I fell in love
with a wonderful man.
I soon became pregnant
and grew too round
to keep my secret from him.
When he finally saw the boils,
he couldn't look at me again...
let alone touch me.
I gave birth.
He left me
and took our child with him.
I was cast out from society.
With no other way to survive...
I sold my sex.
I tried to
keep my wounds hidden
from my patrons,
but then I was
surprised to learn
how easily men turn their
fears into a fetish.
They lined up,
one after the other
to tempt their fate.
But then, something
miraculous happened.
I began to notice
that the men who feasted upon me
never got sick,
even though everyone around them
seemed to fade away and die.
God had chosen me
to heal the sick and suffering.
Just as Jesus raised
Lazarus from the dead
to remind the world
that love can save
us from anything,
I knew
that God had put me
on this earth to heal
people with love.
But love doesn't heal, Celeste.
Only science can do that.
But science
is a gift from God,
and God is love.
These things don't matter now.
If these men were truly
protected from smallpox
because of your boils,
we have to find out
what's inside them
that's preventing people
from getting sick,
so we can isolate
it and reproduce it.
Celeste, we can
save so many people.
Divinity cannot be reproduced.
It can only be appreciated.
I admire your
ability to believe,
but I have to get to
the bottom of this.
Recently, I learned
of a nearby village.
Now, I hesitate to tell
you the desperate ordeal
this community went through.
It is not for the
faint of heart.
Delirious with grief,
the townspeople began to believe
that smallpox was caused
by the dead
rising at night to
feast on the living.
So, they exhumed
the bodies and found
that the corpses
had not even begun
to decompose.
To prevent the possessed bodies
from their evil plight,
the townspeople
removed their hearts
and ate them.
I know.
I know it is shocking,
but the town began to recover.
Now, I was horrified when
I learned of this-this...
this barbarism.
It seems so...
un-Christian.
- And, yet...
- It worked.
- Indeed.
- Give me a shovel,
and I'll be the first to dig.
Anything to put an
end to our suffering.
No, no, no.
We must not let our
grief hasten our actions.
What have we got to lose?
Why are you so set on proving
that I'm not a healer?
Why can't...
why...
can't I be special to you?
You are special to me.
Just because there's a
logical answer to your healing
doesn't mean you
haven't helped people.
But why is it so hard for
you to believe in God?
God is simply the unknown.
In time, scientists will
uncover the truth of everything.
Where will God be then?
Have you ever
considered your faith
is just a distraction
from your wounded heart?
How dare you.
You're the one who's constantly
escaping into your books.
What are you running from?
My love for you, perhaps?
You can't deny a bond
has grown between us.
Uh, I...
I l... I love you, too, Delilah,
but as I love all
children of God.
If you are truly a healer,
then I want to be healed.
Let me taste the
divinity for myself.
Have you ever been infected?
I had a mild outbreak of
boils when I was young,
but I recovered swiftly.
Your life was spared.
Why do you think that is?
I eat well.
I live in nature.
I isolate from the gravely ill.
You deliver Kammi's milk
to sick people every day.
Of course, but...
Maybe...
you've been blessed,
just like me.
Hmm? How do you explain
that some people get sick
while others don't?
Surely God has a hand
in deciding our fate.
If that's true,
then God is cruel.
Damn it. Are Kammi's
udders bleeding again?
Yes, but nothing too bad.
This batch is no good.
A little blood
won't spoil the milk.
This milk could spread cowpox.
That's ridiculous.
Scientists now believe
there are small creatures,
invisible to the naked eye,
that can spread illness
through bodily fluids.
Mm...
That didn't seem to worry
you a few moments ago.
Delilah, I told you,
no one has ever gotten
sick from sleeping with me.
Scientists are
wrong all the time.
But what if they're
right about this?
Kammi's boils look exactly
like the ones on your body,
and the same as mine
did, all those years ago.
So?
See?
They're perfectly round.
Human smallpox doesn't
look like this.
They have a more
chaotic pattern,
like fungus growth.
What if you and I got
cowpox from being milkmaids?
We're not cows.
If cowpox spread through
their infected udders,
that means anyone that came
in contact with our boils
was also infected with cowpox.
You're not listening to me.
Every man who came to
me didn't get sick.
- I healed them.
- That's exactly it.
Cowpox doesn't make humans sick
in the same way
that smallpox does.
If these men were protected in
the way that you say they were,
it's quite possible that cowpox
provides an immunity
to smallpox.
This contaminated milk
could be the key.
You stay here and
keep milking Kammi
for as long as her
udders are bleeding.
I'm going to deliver
these bottles,
and then I'll come
back for more.
Celeste...
we're going to save the
world from smallpox.
Mm.
What say you of this, Lazarus?
Was I never a healer?
Were you ever healed,
or were you faking it, too?
We unite here to overcome
the forces of evil
that have plagued our
community for far too long.
Some may be hesitant
to uncover the bodies
of their loved ones,
but I assure you,
we will bury them properly
after every last vestige of evil
has been removed.
They will know peace.
In the name of Christ,
let the healing begin!
Thomas? Edward? Open the door.
I have a very urgent delivery.
Father's not home.
It seems like no one is
home. Where is everyone?
At the cemetery.
Pastor Walter found
the cure for smallpox.
- What?
- Something about digging up the dead
- to stop them from killing us.
- You're playing a joke on me.
Father left here an hour ago
with a shovel in his hand.
That's the most absurd
thing I have ever heard.
Are you sure you heard right?
Edward,
I need you to listen to me.
This is no ordinary milk.
This milk will save
you from getting sick.
I don't care if I
get sick. I'm strong.
But you will spread
the disease to others
who might not be strong.
If they are weak,
then they should die.
Pastor Walter says
it's the natural order.
He's gonna save us
all from this plague.
We don't need your milk.
Drink the goddamn milk.
Everyone, stop, please.
Stop this madness.
You're going to make
yourselves sick.
I have the real cure,
- and it's in this milk.
- Delilah.
Delilah, you shouldn't be here.
What is happening?
This is insanity.
Something evil is going on.
The bodies aren't decomposing.
It's not evil. This town was
built on shallow groundwater.
The salt in the soil,
it slows the
decomposition process.
What is
this hysterical
woman going on about?
Walter, she may have a point.
How many times have I told
you? Never trust a milkmaid.
The Bible teaches
us that the devil
employs unclean spirits
to do his bidding.
You must stop this barbarity.
The real antidote to
smallpox is in this milk.
I have enough for
several families,
and Celeste is preparing
more as we speak.
Soon, we'll be able to
inoculate the whole town.
Celeste?
- Is she okay?
- She's wonderful.
Oh, there
is nothing wonderful
about that filthy whore.
I know what you did to her.
She's the reason you're healthy.
The cure in her boils
is the same cure
that's in this milk.
Every healthy man that's
alive in this town
is alive because of Celeste.
We are alive because God
spares the righteous.
Walter, you must listen to me.
You must stop this madness.
Fine.
I will.
If only Adam had struck Eve...
we'd still be in
the Garden of Eden.
Come, Thomas.
Let's take care of...
the other one.
Celeste is harmless, Walter.
Please, leave her alone.
Why are you defending
these godless women?
If we allow them
to trample over us,
the world will unravel
and society itself
will collapse.
Because Celeste is
Edward's real mother.
I made the worst mistake
in my life when I left her.
It's because of me that she
turned to a life of sin.
Do I even know the man
that stands before me?
Your weakness is repulsive.
Now, move.
Move.
Love, are you finished
with the deliveries already?
The new batch is ready.
Love?
Where is Delilah?
What did you do?
Blessed are they that
follow my commandments,
but cursed are the sorcerers,
the whores, and the idolaters.
- They shall be put to death.
- Please.
I've only ever wanted
to help this community,
as you claim to do.
You think I believe my own lies?
There is no such
thing as selflessness.
Humility is but a mask we wear
to hide our hunger for power.
We perceive the world
as we create it.
I didn't realize
whores could be so...
highbrow.
Don't come any closer.
I've thought a lot about that
afternoon we spent together.
I have to admit,
it wasn't so bad...
once I got over the
smell of your rotting
flesh.
Maybe we can have
one more go around...
before I do you in
once and for all.
No! No!
Let me go!
Are you all right?
Yes. Thank God you're here.
Celeste?
Thomas?
Thomas, you're
bleeding terribly.
Don't... touch me,
you wicked woman.
Thomas, please, let me help you.
I trusted you
as a friend.
Everyone warned me
of your unnatural ways.
What are you saying?
Did you do this to her?
Did she corrupt you to lust
as unnaturally as she does?
She didn't do anything
but help me when
I needed it most.
For all these years,
I blamed myself.
I thought I condemned
you to a life
of degradation and sin.
But now I see the
seed of wickedness
was within you all along.
You ruin everything you touch.
You've destroyed my life,
and now you're tearing
this town apart.
Thomas, your wounds
make you speak in
haste. You don't know
what you're saying.
Oh, dear God.
Poor Edward.
Edward?
There is something
terribly wrong with that boy.
I've tried.
I've tried everything I can
to get him on the right path.
I even married a woman who
mothered him as her own son,
but deep down,
he never loved her.
He's never loved a single soul.
Because he inherited
this wickedness
from you.
No.
If I know one thing about
Celeste, it's that she's capable
of nothing but love.
Your love is a curse
that must be stopped.
No.
No, no...
You monster!
No...
No.
Celeste...
You must take
the discovery of our inoculation
and deliver it...
No, don't talk like this.
I can't live without
you, Delilah. Please...
You must tell everyone
about our cure.
No, no, no, no...
Edward.
Who are you?
I'm your real mother.
My name is Celeste.
You're going to have
to come with me.
Where is my father?
Edward...
I'm very sorry.
Your father is dead.
Everybody dies.
No.
Do you see that cow
outside?
Her name is Kammi,
and she's the key to a
healthy future for us all.
I'm going to make sure
that you don't get sick.
Please, Edward.
I need you to trust me.
Everything's going
to be all right, son.
Soon, we'll spread the good news
of a brighter future.
We'll save so many
lives together.
There's no more
need to be afraid.
Are you a milkmaid?
I suppose I am once
again, aren't I?
Nothing is so unclean as a
woman who lives with beasts.