VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, [3], 4 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 11:41:39 05/28/03 Wed
Author: First aired Wednesday 28th May 2003
Subject: Episode 8.16 - "CONNECTED" by Wyvern and BunnyPhobia (Part I)

EPISODE 8.16 – “CONNECTED” by Wyvern and BunnyPhobia


GILES: Previously on Buffy The Vampire Slayer…..

(Dialogue from Episode 8.11, “The Powers That Do”, runs as a voiceover through the following clips)

FAITH: …you know Amy, so you can give me the heads up on her.

XANDER: Not much to tell. I used to know her in high school. Her mom had misused magic too.

(A shot of Catherine Madison caught up in a swirl of energy in Episode 1.03, “The Witch”)

XANDER: Amy was a bit free and easy with the magic but it seemed she was into some darker stuff we never knew about.

(A shot of Amy and Willow, high on magic at Rack’s Place in Episode 6.10, “Wrecked”)

XANDER: I mean Willow hung out with her mostly, but lately… she’s changed.

(A shot of Amy talking to Kennedy in Episode 7. 13, “The Killer In Me”)

XANDER: She’s trouble.

(A shot of Amy pouring blood into the bathtub in Episode 8.10. “Thicker Than Water”)

(From Episode 8.11, “The Powers That Do” – inside Amy’s house, Xander has Amy pinned against the wall, a gun in her face)

XANDER: (hissing under his breath) Scream and I’ll kill you!

(Later in 8.11, Xander and Faith in the car)

FAITH: Were you going to kill her?

XANDER: No, I swear. I mean, I was so angry at her, but I’d never…

(Cut to further through the scene….)

FAITH: I think you made the biggest mistake you ever made in your life.

(Cut to Episode 6.22, “Grave” – Anya, Dawn and Buffy in the Pit.)

BUFFY: Proserpexa… Who’s she?

(Anya’s dialogue continues over a shot from Episode 8.15, “Crisis” – Proserpexa emerging from the shadows, and transforming from her Medusa-like appearance into human form.)

ANYA: Way up there in the hierarchy of she-demons. Her followers intended to use her effigy to destroy the world. They all died when the temple got swallowed up in the earthquake of '32.

(Cut to a shot of Willow on Kingman’s Bluff in 6.22, “Grave”, speaking Latin to the effigy.)

WILLOW: (translated to English) From the pit of forgotten shadows… Awaken, Sister of the Dark. Awaken and –

(Cut to later in 6.22, Xander leaping into the path of Willow’s magic.)

XANDER: Hey black-eyed girl…

(Cut to Episode 8.14, “Minime Percursum Iter”, with Proserpexa, Giles, Faith, Kennedy and Spike in the Hellmouth)

PROSERPEXA: This isn’t meant to happen… this is all wrong…

(Giles, Faith, Kennedy and Spike fleeing from the glowing red energy field expanding from the High School)

GILES: The ritual, that the Horsemen performed to open up The Hellmouth – by using themselves as power sources...they must have somehow, overpowered it...

KENNEDY: You mean they opened it too much?

GILES: Essentially, yes. It opened up wider than ever - and consequently destroyed itself. It swallowed itself.

SPIKE: How?

GILES: Hellmouth's only exist in a certain amount of space in our dimension. By expanding beyond the space given, it...doubles back on itself, effectively.

FAITH: So The Hellmouth ate itself.

GILES: And now it's no more. No more Hellmouth.

(Fade to black)





TEASER:

INT. The High School. Night.

Open on a flashlight, revealed to be held by Kennedy. She’s stood within the grounds of the collapsed High School. Buffy, Willow, Xander and Dawn are by her side.

KENNEDY: Well I’d say it looks pretty dead.

The group start to move their way through the rubble, the expanse and ruin vast, blackened and charred. Towards the centre of the school, walls half stand, some ceiling is even still erect.

DAWN: I would complain that I have to do this on a school night, but, y’know – no school.

Buffy sighs, as they step over fallen beams, clambering over the rubble. Suddenly Xander slips, but Buffy’s quick enough to grab his arm, to stop him from injuring himself.

BUFFY (with a grin): Careful Xand - you’ll poke your eye out if you’re not careful.

Xander just rolls his eyes, and keeps moving. The group near the centre of the school, and Xander pushes ahead, separating himself from the girls somewhat.

DAWN: What are we looking for?

BUFFY: The hellmouth.

KENNEDY: I’m sure it’s around here somewhere.

WILLOW: Actually, that’s the point. It might not be. It isn’t…we don’t think.

BUFFY: Ok, guys, split up a little. We’ll search quicker that way.

KENNEDY: Quicker for what?

BUFFY: Dead demon? (beat) Look, do I look like Giles? He just said to make sure everything was ‘secure’, so that’s what we’ll do.

Kennedy mutters something, but the girls spread out. We follow Xander as he moves across to the other side of the rubble…

XANDER: Rebuilding this should be fun

Suddenly, he stops, nearly falling, and we see there’s an enormous hole in the ground, round, large, and apparently bottomless.
He stares, and is just about to call for Buffy when he sees something, a figure moving towards him through the rubble.
Suddenly there comes a shriek from the other side of the rubble. It’s Kennedy, as something apparently pulls her to the ground. Shot of Buffy, and of Willow, looking alarmed. From Xander’s perspective and distance, we see Buffy as she leaps into action, as Kennedy rolls around on the floor, apparently trying to shake something off her.
Xander doesn’t go to help, instead he moves around the edge of the hole, towards the figure. He lifts up his flashlight, and illuminates their face.

XANDER: Amy…

AMY: Xander. Hey – never thought I’d see you in school again.

XANDER: What are you doing here?

AMY: I’m here for you.

Cut to Buffy and co.

KENNEDY: I can’t believe it. This is stupid. I’m so stupid!

Willow helps her to her feet, as Buffy pushes a large green tentacle off her.

BUFFY: It does kinda look…alive.

DAWN: Yeah, in a dead way.

WILLOW: People fall over dismembered tentacles all the time, sweetie.

Kennedy just scowls.

KENNEDY: I’m just embarrassed.

All stood, they turn. Dawn freezes as she spies Xander and Amy.

DAWN: Who’s that?

They all look, as we see Xander and Amy apparently arguing. They’re shouting at each other.

XANDER: You do not hurt Willow!

AMY: Hurt her? I haven’t even started.

XANDER: What do you want? I’m not going to let you hurt her!

Xander looks directly at Willow, his face anguished. Buffy moves forward half a step

BUFFY (quietly): Xander…?

XANDER: You won’t! I won’t! I’m not going to do it! Stop it!! Don’t hurt my Willow!!!

Suddenly Xander rushes at Amy. There’s a glint of silver, of a blade. Amy lets out a strangled cry as Xander collides with her, knife driving into her belly. There a small dislocated moment, a look of confusion on Xander’s face as he looks beyond Amy’s shoulder…
And then suddenly Amy is falling backwards, over the edge of the hole, her scream resonating and echoing and endless.

Finally she stops, or just can’t be heard any longer.

Shot of Willow’s face, of Dawn’s, Kennedy, Buffy. Xander looks down at the knife in his hand, the blade stained in blood, and then up at the others, a look of horror and confusion on his face.

BUFFY (whispered, awed horror) : What did you do?


ACT ONE

(Xander stands with the knife in his hand, a stunned silence sweeping round the group. He looks at the bloodied knife again, then up at the group, who are on the other side of the hole to him. He looks terrified and completely confused)

BUFFY: (tentative) Xander?

(She takes a step forward. Xander steps back, eyes wide, and looks once more at the knife.)

BUFFY: (firmer) Xander, wait, don’t -

(Buffy is cut off as suddenly Xander throws the knife to the side and runs. The weapon skitters across the concrete. Buffy makes as if to move, and then stops, glances at Faith, at Willow, at Dawn. They all look completely stunned.
Long shot as we see Xander’s receding form, a silhouette against the darkness, as he runs from the high school. Buffy looks again at Faith, who just shrugs slightly)

BUFFY: (quietly) Get Giles…

(Without waiting for acknowledgment, Buffy leaps into action, and sprints off in the way Xander just went, her footsteps echoing in the silence. There is a moment of nothing, then - )

DAWN: Oh god. What…What just happened?

(Focus on Faith as she crosses the building, before reaching the knife on the floor. She crouches down, and looks at it. Behind her, Willow and Dawn seem unsure what to do, whilst Kennedy walks over to the hellhole)

FAITH: (softly, in disbelief): He gutted her

DAWN (not hearing): What just happened?! Will?

(Willow seems completely stunned, and can only offer Dawn a small ‘I don’t know’ smile in reply)

KENNEDY (Arms folded, pacing round the rim of the hole): Xander butchered Amy…(small laugh) Xander just killed Amy. Just like that.

WILLOW (upset): Shut up.

(Kennedy is peering down the hole)

KENNEDY: You think there’s a bottom to this thing? Or will she just be falling for eternity, with a stab wound in her gut?

(Close on Faith as she shuts her eyes in response to Kennedy’s word. Then she opens them again)

WILLOW (in the background): He didn’t…it wasn’t like that.

(Still close on Faith as she reaches out to pick up the knife, the blade slick with blood. It’s an ordinary kitchen knife, stolen from the Summers’ kitchen. Faith grips the handle, picks it up).

Suddenly there are rapid, quick flashbacks, a shot of the Mayor, a shot of Buffy, and the now infamous shot of Faith killing the deputy from season three.

(Close on Faith as she opens her eyes wide, abruptly, with a look of sadness, fear and regret. Shot of the knife, as she puts her hand out to touch the blood on the blade…then she snaps it away.)

FAITH: Oh Xander…

(Then she seems to shake herself out of it and gets to her feet)

FAITH: Guys?

(The three look at her expectantly)

FAITH: Go. Go get Giles and wait ‘til we get Xander, we’ll bring him home…

(She stops, glances at the knife. The others see the look, and Dawn looks physically sick)

FAITH: We’ll get him back, don’t worry.

(Willow steps forward, as if to say something, but no words are found. Instead Faith hands her the knife)

FAITH: Gotta hide the evidence

(Willow just looks bewildered, but takes it anyway. Then suddenly Faith turns and runs out the way Xander and Buffy did earlier)

DAWN (calling after her): Don’t hurt him!

(Faith lifts an arm in acknowledgement. The remaining three stand motionless for a moment, before Kennedy shrugs)

KENNEDY: Are we actually going to go home?

WILLOW (slowly, sadly, lost): I don’t know

(There’s a pause. Then the three start to make their way through the collapsed high school, and out into the night)

CUT TO:

Flash of Amy’s face, from someone else’s perspective. She’s smiling, and whilst her lips aren’t moving, her voice is over-laid, fragmented
She wants you//She needs you//You can’t run when you have to help//
Extreme close up of Willow, her face distorted in a silent scream

Ext. Sunnydale, Night.

Buffy and Faith are running down the street (observant viewers may note it’s the same street that was used in ‘The Pack’ in season one), and Xander is ahead of them. Buffy is slightly ahead of Faith. They cross the street, running under street lamps, long shadows cast across the tarmac.

FAITH (slightly breathless): B, wait!

(Buffy doesn’t react, keeps running. Ahead, Xander turns a corner, and in the distance a train whistle sounds)

FAITH: B, just stop a minute!

BUFFY (looking back): I can’t! We’re gonna lose him. We can’t lose him!

(Now Buffy turns the corner, as we follow just behind Faith. Faith turns the corner also, and up ahead we see the outline of a barrier-less railway crossing. A train whistle sounds again, and the train is suddenly visible, hurtling down the tracks. It is a multi-carriaged passenger train. Xander approaches the tracks, but he doesn’t stop. The train’s bearing down, whistle screaming, and Buffy jerks to a stop, Faith stopping beside her, realising they aren’t going to get there in time. They watch as Xander seems oblivious to the train rapidly approaching)

BUFFY (screaming): Xander! Xander, stop!

FAITH: Wait!

(Xander doesn’t wait, and instead dashes across the tracks. The train misses him by inches. Buffy and Faith look at each other, eyes wide, before trying to look across to the other side of the road. Their vision in obscured by the train which seems endless (it isn’t). The noise it makes is deafening.
Buffy and Faith move forward so they’re just before the crossing, still unable to see anything.

BUFFY (to Faith, shouting above the din): We’re never going to find him!

FAITH: We will. Just as soon as this train -

(Suddenly the train end is reached, and the road ahead is visible again)

FAITH: …ends.

The two Slayers look down the street, which is more of a back road than anything. It’s completely empty.

BUFFY (shouting): Xander?!

FAITH : Xand?

(beat)

FAITH: Crap.

BUFFY: I don’t believe this. We have to find him.

FAITH: We will, B. Just, uh, have you thought about what are we gonna do after that?

Buffy pauses, and suddenly she looks very tired. She hasn’t.

BUFFY: I don’t know

(We look down the road, lit sporadically by streetlamps)

FAITH: Well I don’t mean to bug you, but we probably need to think about that.

BUFFY: I know. But you’d think I’d know what to do.

Faith gives her a questioning look. Buffy smiles wryly, and stares into the distance

BUFFY: All my friends are murderers now.

INT. Summers’ Residence.

Giles is sat on the sofa in the living room, a pile of big dusty books by his side, and one in hands, which he is reading. He looks up as Willow lets herself in the front door, followed by Dawn and Kennedy. They gather in the entrance, looking lost and unsure. The silence and the look of dread and fear immediately alarms him, and Giles slowly gets to his feet, putting the book on the pile.

GILES: What happened?

Dawn is the first to walk slowly into the living room, her eyes filled with tears.

GILES: Dawn?

DAWN (choked): He…

Dawn looks at Giles.

DAWN: He…

Dawn suddenly runs to Giles, puts her arms around him, and bursts into tears. Giles freezes for a moment, before wrapping his arms around her. He looks to Willow in alarm.

GILES: Where’s Buffy?

Willow, who’s standing in the doorway, looks at him uncomprehendingly. Kennedy slips past, and Dawn continues to sob.

GILES (fear in his voice): Xander? Faith? Where are they?

Giles looks down at Dawn, then back up.

GILES: The hellmouth, it…it didn’t…

WILLOW (with a slight shake of her head): No

Willow moves, as if in a dream, and sits on the sofa.

GILES: Well then? Where are they?

KENNEDY(bitterly): Should I tell him?

GILES: I wish somebody would.

Dawn pulls herself away from Giles

DAWN: It’s Xander,…he…

Giles’ face fills with alarm as he (logically) misinterprets what Dawn is going to say. Dawn struggles with the words, takes a breath…

KENNEDY (cutting in): Xander murdered Amy.

Willow’s head snaps up to glare at Kennedy. Giles steps back, and looks as if he needs to sit down.

GILES: I don’t understand

KENNEDY: He took a knife and he stabbed her. Then pushed her down what ever is left of the hellmouth. Pretty simply, really.

DAWN (quietly, with venom): Shut. Up.

Giles suddenly looks at the knife in Willow’s hand. He seems reluctant to believe it.

GILES: Willow?

She doesn’t look at him Giles looks at Dawn instead, and she can’t meet his eyes. He looks once more at the knife, sees the blood.

GILES: Oh lord.

Now he does sit down. He takes off his glasses, holds them at a loss for a moment, then rubs tiredly at the bridge of his nose, head in his hands.

KENNEDY: That’s all you’re gonna do?

No one responds. She paces across the room.

KENNEDY: You’re just gonna…sit there? Xander just killed a girl!

WILLOW (tiredly, softly): Kennedy…

KENNEDY: We can’t wait till Buffy and Faith stop him. He might do it again!
And, and what are they gonna do anyway? Lock him in his room for a month?
We have to find him, phone the police, have him arrested…

Giles and Willow look at each other warily. Dawn glowers at Kennedy.

DAWN: What did you just say?

KENNEDY: The police!

DAWN: There will be no police.

KENNEDY: What? You’re just going to let him get away with it?

DAWN: No.

KENNEDY: You are!

Kennedy moves towards the phone. Dawn is nearer, and stands in front of it.

DAWN: Don’t you dare.

KENNEDY: What? You gonna stop me?

DAWN (a growl): If I have to.

KENNEDY: Hey, you could kill me too, then you could all live together.

WILLOW (half-heartedly): Kennedy, don’t.

DAWN: We could try it. Least it’d be more peaceful. Wouldn’t have to listen to your hypocritical mouth…

KENNEDY (shocked anger): Hypocritical…

DAWN: Yeah, what with your girlfriend and…

GILES (shouted): SHUT UP!

The two freeze

GILES: Shut up, the both of you.

He looks angrily at them, putting his glasses back on.

GILES: This isn’t the time or place. (getting to his feet) Now, I want you both to calm down.

Kennedy and Dawn look at the floor, body language still showing their anger towards each other.

GILES (determined) : We need to find Xander. Someone get Spike, he’d be useful right about now.

Kennedy opens her mouth, as if to disagree, but Giles cuts her off.

GILES: We can argue as to the righteousness of it all later. But for now, Dawn is right.
We do not give up on Xander that easily.

Giles glances at Willow, who’s frowning in confusion. Suddenly she gets to her feet, the knife slipping from her grip, thudding on to the carpet.

WILLOW (quietly): I think I’ll just…

She makes her way across the living room, towards the Kitchen. Kennedy grabs her arm gently.

KENNEDY: Will?

Willow looks at her for a moment. She’s hurting.

WILLOW: Just…back off, ok?

Willow walks through to the Kitchen, leaving Kennedy behind, as Dawn moves to the phone.

INT. Xander’s Apartment.

Andrew is seated on the couch in front of the TV. He’s watching Star Wars (actually, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope if we’re being pedantic). It’s the scene where Luke and Obi Wan return to the moisture farm and find that the Stormtroopers have killed Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. We see that he’s mouthing the words as we hear them from the TV.

ANDREW: (bare whisper over the sound of the TV) Uncle Owen… Aunt Beru! Uncle Owen! (Andrew’s eyes well a little - this is the point at which Luke finds Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru’s smouldering corpses… but he sits forward in his seat as the scene changes)

There are a couple of loud bangs from the door. Andrew reaches down the side of the couch and grabs a toy Darth Maul lightsaber. There is a third bang and the door flies open, splintering the lock. Andrew leaps to his feet and flicks his wrist, opening out both ends of the toy. He twirls it between his hands, knocking a lamp from a side table. He looks sheepish, spins awkwardly on the balls of his feet and pulls the lightsaber into an en garde stance.

ANDREW: (attempting to sound menacing and not really succeeding because he’s clearly scared by the as yet unseen intruder) Don’t make me destroy you…

Buffy pushes clear the broken door, a grim expression on her face and stops abruptly at the sight of Andrew. She looks him up and down, not sure how to react beyond not taking him remotely seriously

BUFFY: Andrew… nice, er, toy. (Harder) Is Xander here?

ANDREW: You couldn’t have knocked? Xander’s gonna have to fix that now. (The top part of the lightsaber collapses) Is something wrong?

BUFFY: (starting to move towards one of the internal doors) Where’s Xander?

ANDREW: Oh, I don’t know, he’s out I guess. Be honest, if you were a burglar, would you have felt threatened just then? Cos I was pretty cool, I thought.

BUFFY: Xander’s not here?

ANDREW: No, why’s it so important? Weren’t you just a little bit intimidated?

Buffy rolls her eyes

ANDREW: Something’s wrong here, isn’t it? My Spider-sense is… Oh, here he is…

Andrew nods as Xander appears in the (broken) doorway. He freezes as he sees Buffy. They stare at each other for an instant, Buffy pleading with her eyes, Xander wary.
Andrew, who is sat back on the sofa, looks up between them.

ANDREW: Hey Xander. Buffy just said she was looking for you.

Suddenly, Xander dashes for the sideboard, grabbing his keys.

BUFFY: Xander, wait!

Buffy runs for him, as Xander turns tail and runs. We follow him as he runs down the corridor, Buffy chasing after him. Xander pushes open the door to the stairwell, and suddenly we see Faith is there, in the way.

FAITH: B?

Suddenly, Xander collides with her, and Faith grabs at his arms as his momentum pushes them both backwards down the flight of stairs. They roll and tumble, Faith whacking her head on the edge of a stair. Finally, they come to rest at the bottom, Faith on top of Xander. She’s unconscious, a wound above her eye gushing blood.
Xander is stunned for a second, then he wrestles free, pushing Faith off him, as Buffy bursts into action, running down the stairs. Xander struggles to his feet, the unconscious Faith lying face down on the floor, a puddle of blood forming on the concrete. Buffy pauses on the bottom step. Xander stares at her, eyes wide and pleading. His shirt is covered in Faith’s blood, his hands in Amy’s.

XANDER (half-whispered): Help her.

Buffy frowns in alarm.

BUFFY: Xander, don’t run a –

Then Xander is gone, running down the rest of the stairs.

BUFFY: -way.

Buffy goes to Faith, kneels down by her side. She dabs at the blood, before gently rolling Faith onto her back, and resting her head on Buffy’s knees. Faith starts to stir, as Buffy stares down the stairwell after Xander in astonishment

EXT. Summers’ Back Garden.

Giles and Willow are stood side by side, talking softly to each other. Willow isn’t crying, though she’s close. Her voice is desperate.

WILLOW: I don’t understand it Giles. This isn’t…Xander can’t have done this. He’s not like that.

GILES: But you saw it.

WILLOW: I don’t know what I saw. Oh, but I felt something.

GILES: A presence?

WILLOW: Maybe.

We zoom in, past them (they continue to talk softly, though it becomes inaudible), to see Kennedy stood at the Kitchen window. She doesn’t look happy.

INT. Summer’s Kitchen.

Kennedy scowls and moves away from the window, and instead goes directly to the phone. She moves to pick it up, hesitates…and then picks it up.

Close up on the phone pad as she dials 9-1-1. The phone buzzes, then clicks as the Operator picks it up. The Operator is tinny, through the phone.

OPERATOR: Which service would you like?

KENNEDY (whispered): Police.

OPERATOR: The reason for your call?

Kennedy looks up, through the Kitchen door to the living room, which is empty. She taps her fingers of her spare hand on the work-top, and swallows guiltily.

KENNEDY: I’d like to report a murder.

Suddenly Dawn appears in the doorway.

DAWN: What are you doing?

Kennedy’s eye widen, as Dawn grabs the phone from her
hands, slamming it back onto the base, cancelling the call. She pushes the potential slayer into the wall, staring at her, enraged. Her voice comes out a low, vicious growl.

DAWN: Who were you calling?

Kennedy swallows, and looks away. Dawn gets a little more desperate.

DAWN: Who?

Finally, Kennedy meets her eyes. Close on Dawn, as she realises what Kennedy was doing. Dawn looks absolutely devastated.

DAWN: Oh


COMMERCIALS

ACT TWO:

All action takes place at night

Right profile close-up of Xander driving, shot from inside the car. There is an expression of grim determination on his face; wherever he’s going is very important to him. As he drives he constantly checks his mirror. He is obviously very edgy.

FAST DISSOLVE TO: a series of very fast cuts, a jumble of images and sounds. Brief glimpses of Amy’s death and events around it from Xander’s POV. Sound us laid over visuals without matching to the action. Images include Amy taunting Xander, the knife in his hand, Proserpexa laughing, snakes, fire, Xander stabbing Amy, Proserpexa reaching out to him, Xander’s hand holding the bloodied knife, etc. All this intercut with more close-ups of Xander driving, looking increasingly panicked and confused

AMY (v/o – a series of whispers and half heard words)
You can’t do it // Go on then // I dare you // You couldn’t cut me // You’re pathetic // (laughter)

PROSERPEXA (v/o – a series of whispers and half heard words)
Kill her // You know I love you // Do it for me // Don’t let me down // The witch failed me // Kill the girl // (laughter)

XANDER (v/o – his voice lost among the taunts of the others)
No… // What happened? // Yes // What did…?

XANDER
STOP!!!

CUT TO: External shot of the car from the right side. Xander swerves across the road, coming to a halt facing into the verge on the wrong side of the road.

CUT TO: internal, car, Xander right profile close-up. He is hyperventilating and looks very confused. He calms down a little, takes stock and notices that he isn’t being followed, puts the car in reverse and pulls away.

CUT TO: External shot of the car from the right side. It reverses away from the verge and back onto the road. Xander continues driving.



CUT TO: Covering shot of the Summers living room, high up from diagonally opposite to the front door. Giles walks in and out of shot as he paces between the front door and the bottom of the stairs. Dawn sits on the floor, her back against the couch, her knees to her chest and hugging a cushion. Willow stands anxiously near the front door, head bowed, arms wrapped around herself. Kennedy sits on the opposite end of the couch to Dawn looking agitated. Her body language is closed and very tense.

CUT TO: One-shot of Willow, Willow to the right of the frame with the door in shot to her side.

CUT TO: Close up on Willow as she lifts her head as she hears the door start opening.

CUT TO: The entrance vestibule in a wider shot than before. The door opens. Buffy and Faith enter. They both look upset. Faith has a cut and bruising over her left eye.
WILLOW
Buffy?

GILES (over Willow)
Faith? What happened?

WILLOW
Buffy… where’s Xander?

CUT TO: Faith close-up. We see clearly that she has taken a substantial blow to the face.
FAITH:
Nothing… just ran into an old friend. (Giles looks concerned). Really. No big. (Faith raises her left hand to touch her eye and winces). Gonna get some ice on this… (Faith walks past Giles. The camera pans to follow her as she does so, Faith crossing the shot so we see her back as she walks away)

CUT TO: Buffy and Willow two-shot, medium close-up. Sufficient height in the shot to admit a third person behind them.

WILLOW
Xander? Buffy…

BUFFY
We lost him, Will… he’s not here?

WILLOW
No. We thought… we hoped he was with you.

BUFFY
So… what have you guys been doing?

WILLOW
Sitting numbly, mostly. And then with the pacing and the standing in silence. But mostly the sitting. I don’t know, Buffy… I just don’t.

BUFFY
I know, Will. But I need you to think… if you were Xander, and you were afraid, where would you run?

WILLOW
(holding back tears) To me. We always ran to each other… he should be here, Buffy. But he’s not and I don’t know where he’s going.

(Giles walks into the shot behind Buffy and Willow)

GILES
It’s possible that Xander himself doesn’t know where he’s going.

BUFFY
This is why we have to find him… we have to catch him before he does something stupid… more stupid… if that’s possible.

CUT TO: Covering shot of living room, as before. Dawn is still sitting but now staring into space; we see her face is tearstained. Kennedy listens closely as Buffy, Willow and Giles talk.

GILES
I find it hard to believe that he would kill Amy in cold blood. Xander is not usually given to such displays of rashness. He may be many things, but he isn’t a murderer.

KENNEDY
He is now…

DAWN
(Through gritted teeth) Shut up…

CUT TO: Kennedy close-up

KENNEDY
Accept it, Xander killed that girl. You were there. I was there. It happened.

CUT TO: Three shot, Willow, Giles and Buffy as before

WILLOW
I know… but I can’t believe it was his fault. There must be something we’re not getting. Xander wouldn’t just do that!

BUFFY
Maybe… but that doesn’t help us right now… and it doesn’t help Xander. We have to go. Willow, do you think you could find him?

WILLOW
I’m not sure… I think… I think I should be able to track him.

CUT TO: Reverse covering shot, roughly from the entrance to the dining room. We are behind Giles, Buffy and Willow, though they move into profile as Giles starts to usher the girls towards the door. We also clearly see Kennedy and Dawn

GILES
We should start searching. Kennedy, Dawn, stay here and find out if Anya’s managed to find out what Ethan…

The door flies open and Anya comes rushing in. She is slightly flustered and has a triumphant smile on her face. She talks quickly and excitedly.

ANYA
I found it! I’ve been right through the inventory, a task in which believe me I took no pleasure, do you realise just how many of my rare and expensive mystical items have been stolen lately? I thought my troubles in that department would be over once Dawn reformed (Dawn glares at Anya) but no… I think I’m going to have everything cursed. You steal from me, your fingers wither and fall off…

CUT TO: Giles close-up

GILES
Anya…

CUT TO: Anya medium close-up

ANYA
Anyway, there was only one book missing – well, actually there were two missing, but I somehow don’t think that Ethan would have taken “The Teen Witch’s Book of Glamors, Love Spells and Blemish Cures” – and it’s very old. Very valuable. The title is pretty much untranslatable, but it deals with the return of a deity. It’s a book designed to bring about a second coming of some sort… so, mystery solved… can I get a, “yay me?”

CUT TO: Tight close – up on each of the characters in turn as they react to this new piece of news, each looking grim and/or upset, finally settling back on Anya.

ANYA
What? No “yay”? What happened?

CUT TO: Exterior, Xander’s car driving quickly along a dusty road

CUT TO: Interior, Giles’s car. It is stationary. Shot is facing into the car (the windshield will have been removed to permit cameral access). Giles is in the driver’s seat, Willow on the passenger side. She has her eyes shut and an expression of intense concentration on her face. Her hands are open in front of her, almost as if she is holding an invisible book.

BUFFY
Is it working? Do you know where he is yet?

GILES
Don’t rush her… (pause) Willow, do you know where he is yet? We haven’t much time…

FX SHOT: Willow continues to concentrate. Above her hands a pink mist begins to swirl and coalesce. It gradually contracts into a small, intense ball of bright pink light. Willow opens her eyes and smiles as it illuminates her face.

WILLOW
I think I found him…

BUFFY
How do you do that? I mean, it’s not like your typical locator spell…

WILLOW
(smiles) It’s a thing… I used to do this spell with Tara sometimes. It’s just… if you love someone… (the smile slips a little and grows wistful, Willow sounds a little choked) you always find them…

The ball of light begins to bob in her hands and suddenly leaps forward through the windshield (which in the FX shot is, of course, there). The camera turns to follow it. It hovers in mid air a few feet in front of the car as if beckoning Giles to follow. Giles starts the engine and the car moves forward. The light starts to lead them.

CUT TO: External shot of Giles’s car following the light out of town.

CUT TO: External shot of Xander’s car travelling the dirt road.

CUT TO: Interior, Xander’s car. Close-up as before. Xander suddenly looks distracted, as if listening.

PROSERPEXA (v/o)
(Whisper) They’re coming… come to me…

CUT TO: External shot, Xander’s car accelerating away.

CUT TO: Interior covering shot of Giles’s car

CUT TO: Willow close up, still concentrating but with her eyes open

WILLOW
(shocked) He knows we’re coming!

Widen shot to include Giles

GILES
How is that possible?

WILLOW
The spell depends on our closeness to each other – I didn’t think he’d feel it! But… I can feel him too…

BUFFY
Can you tell where he’s headed?

WILLOW
I’m not sure… I think he’s going to…(she breaks off abruptly)

FX SHOT: Willow points out forward, the camera pans to follow as the pink light suddenly moves MUCH faster, darting forward and hovering almost out of sight.

WILLOW (v/o)
(anxious)Giles, he’s moving faster, we have to hurry!

CUT TO: External shot of Giles’s car now heading onto a dirt road and accelerating after the pink light.

CUT TO: External shot of Xander’s car. He slows down and starts to pull off of the road and over the scrub beside it.

CUT TO: A short series of dissolves of Giles’s car travelling the roads we’ve already seen Xander travelling, the pink light leading. This shouldn’t be too long as they need to catch up with him. Finally, the light starts to lead them off the road. Giles stops the car; we see everyone get out and gather at the rear of the car. The light hovers in front of them.

CUT TO: Three shot of Buffy, Willow and Giles, the light hovering in front of them at about Willow’s eye level.

GILES
Are we close?

WILLOW
Xander’s not far away, I can feel him. But… (she looks puzzled) it’s almost like he’s not alone. I can feel something… someone else.

BUFFY
Any ideas who?

WILLOW
I’m not sure… it’s familiar but I can’t quite, you know, put a name to it.

FX SHOT: The pink light begins to bob as if it’s impatient to get moving.

GILES
We shouldn’t wait here… if, as you say, he can feel your presence, we can’t afford to stand around and give him the opportunity to get further away.

They start to walk off into the darkness, following the light.

CROSS FADE TO: The dark interior of a cave. Xander stands in a niche in the rocks. Proserpexa, in a non-corporeal / semi-transparent form, stands behind him. Proserpexa looks toward the entrance of the cave.

PROSERPEXA
(whispers)They’re near… don’t let them near me… don’t let them stop me…

CROSS FADE TO: Mid-shot Giles, Willow and Buffy following the light. They arrive at the entrance to the cave complex. Xander’s car stands there with the lights on and the door open but Xander isn’t there. They stop.

BUFFY
Well, this can’t be good.

CUT TO: Willow medium close-up
WILLOW
Wait! I know this place, kind of. (Concerned) I think I know where he is.

CUT TO: Buffy medium close-up

BUFFY
This is the way to the Bluff, isn’t it?

CUT TO: Willow medium close-up

WILLOW
Well, I’m not totally sure, what with the teleporting last time I was there, but yeah, I think so.

CUT TO: Three shot, Buffy, Willow and Giles

GILES
This “other presence” you’ve been feeling… could it have anything to do with what happened before?

Willow looks terrified.

WILLOW
I… I don’t know.

BUFFY
Xander!

CUT TO: Reverse angle, the mouth of the caves. Xander stands in the mouth of the cave, staring at Buffy, Willow and Giles. The pink light is hovering in front of him. He reaches out to touch it and looks at Willow but there is no emotion on his face.

CUT TO: Willow close-up

WILLOW
Xander?
CUT TO: Reverse as before

FX SHOT: Semi-transparent Proserpexa materialises around Xander. She covers his outstretched hand with her own and closes his fist in hers around the pink light. She whispers something inaudible in his ear and fades away. Xander opens his hand. The light has gone.

CUT TO: Close-up Willow. She looks confused, upset and more than a little angry. She hasn’t seen Proserpexa… she’s only visible to Xander and the audience.

WILLOW
Xander… what’s happening to you?

CUT TO: Wide shot of the cave complex, Xander apart from the others.

GILES
Come with us. We’ll help you and…

XANDER
And what? (Bitterly)I’m a killer, Giles… think I can just go home and forget that?

WILLOW
It’s this place, you have to get away from here… I remember…

CUT TO: Xander in medium close-up

XANDER
No… no… (confused) You just want to stop her! You won’t stop it coming, Willow. And you can’t fight her, Buffy… You WON’T stop this…

Xander turns and runs into the cave complex.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-8
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.