Innocent Evil

A young woman while convalescing in a convent after a traumatic breakdown, attempts to stabilise her mental state by offering herself as a novice to assist with the nursing of the elderly and the care of orphaned children.

The Mother Superior deems that an unhealthy relationship has developed between the young woman and her affection for an orphaned baby boy. The Mother recommends that she leave the sanctuary of the convent and return to her rich stepfather's home.

She absconds from the convent and applies for an au pair position to care for two young girls. The father of the girls is a young entrepreneur, who is estranged from his self-centred wife. He has custody of the children but is emotionally beset by the desertion of the girls' mother.

The young woman is naïve in the ways of the world and emotionally stunted. She is overwhelmed by her prospective employer's virility and outgoing charm.

Assuming that she is a nun, he hires her without hesitation.

The transition from inherent trauma to sensual awareness is tempered by her employer's determination to keep the live-in position platonic, as the welfare of his daughters is paramount.

The eldest of the children is a bolshy teenager conflicted by her mother's maternal disinterest and the mistaken belief of a romantic yearning by the au pair for her beloved father. The child is suspicious of the nanny's caring intentions, but her father is only in awe of the au pair's mothering and house-keeping skills. Although he is baffled by a suspicion that the au pair has a subliminal gift to relieve physical pain.

The au pair's misinterpretations of a caring nature and misunderstood child comfort manoeuvres by the father, is a bumbling mixture of comedic episodes intermixed with raw emotive catastrophes.

Then an unexpected incident disrupts the blissfulness of the household.

The father is alarmed when the au pair re-lives a nightmare from her past and the disturbing episode frightens his daughters. He threatens to dismiss her, as he fears for the girls' safety. Fearing banishment from the family she loves, the young woman tearfully reveals some aspects of her nefarious past and only then does he understand and realize his true feelings for her. But he is ill-equipped to deal with the emotional turmoil of the revelation and cowardly walks away instead of consoling the distraught nanny. Later, after much inner loathing and self-analysis, he despairs that she will leave his employ. Troubled by her disconsolate detachment, he clumsily begs forgiveness.

The au pair taking comfort from his sympathetic understanding of her trauma confesses to her diabolical experience in an outpouring of an unbelievable story. In disbelief and determined to discover the truth he takes her, against her will, to the convent where he confronts the Mother Superior.

The demonic event, which led to her incarceration is revealed. The enigma of a gypsy sorceress's dark art collaboration with her evil stepfather is explained by the mysterious Dr Dastari.

But unexpected events beyond their control threaten the future wellbeing of the family as the au pair's past returns to haunt her.

Only when the one that she loves is in danger, does the numinous power of her gift reveal itself.

But, in jousting with her satanic nemesis, she cannot use the gift to save herself.