buffy9x19
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ACT TWO
FADE IN:
7 EXT. DESERT STRIP. NIGHT. 7
Buffy is sitting at a camp fire, out in the open on a cool
desert night, sand and the odd palm tree stretching away from
her in all directions.
She doesn't seem too fazed by her settings, looking
peacefully into the fire, her hair blowing gently out in the
breeze.
A SHADOW passes before her suddenly, but Buffy doesn't
flinch. Instead, she looks calmly up and across at...
THE PRIMITIVE. The First Slayer, dark-skinned, her face
marked with flecks of white tribal paint, crouches low to the
ground, her eyes staring back at Buffy from the other side of
the fire.
BUFFY
I like it here. It's nice.
PRIMITIVE
(scowls)
I do not bring you here to find it
'nice.'
BUFFY
I know, but... It is. Back home,
everybody's so sad, no-one knows
what to say, and Xander, he-
PRIMITIVE
He does not concern me.
Buffy blinks, a little surprised by that remark.
PRIMITIVE (cont'd)
There are things I must show you,
things you do not yet realise, and
without this knowledge, when the
battle comes, you will fall.
BUFFY
What battle? We stopped the bad
guy. The Caretaker's gone, he-
PRIMITIVE
It is coming. Forces are gathering.
The mouth will awaken once again,
and it will consume everything
around it unless you can stop it.
BUFFY
What do I need to know?
The Primitive stands, looking to either side, then nods to
Buffy, motioning for her to stand.
PRIMITIVE
Follow me.
The Primitive starts to walk away, and as Buffy stands up, we
cut back to:
8 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - BUFFY'S ROOM. AFTERNOON. 8
Buffy is fast asleep in bed. She's dreaming, twitching
occasionally, shifting around on her bed. She's still fully
dressed, but is too deeply asleep to hear the KNOCK at the
front door.
9 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM. AFTERNOON. 9
Sofia opens the door to Jackson, the two blinking in surprise
- this is the first time they've met.
JACKSON
Uh, hi.
SOFIA
Hello.
JACKSON
British accent... You must be
Sofia, right?
SOFIA
(smiles; nods)
So, you must be Jackson Shaw.
Buffy's told me all about you!
JACKSON
Likewise. Is she in?
SOFIA
Yes, she's just upstairs taking a
nap. She's been staying up all
night for the past few days with
Xander and the baby, but she
doesn't need to be in work today so
she's catching up on her sleep.
JACKSON
Okay. Mind if I head on up?
SOFIA
Not at all.
Sofia steps aside, and Jackson heads for the stairs, nodding
a greeting to Giles before carrying on up the stairs. Sofia
rejoins Giles on the sofa.
SOFIA (cont'd)
So... that's Buffy's boyfriend, is
it?
GILES
I don't think it's quite as clear
cut as that any more, but...
Actually, I have no idea. They're
still friends, at least.
SOFIA
(thoughtful)
Hmm.
(beat)
So, anyway, you were saying?
GILES
Oh, yes. These are the plans for
the recreational area, they should
cater for upwards of a hundred
girls at once...
We move away from Giles, his dialogue fading as we follow
Jackson up the stairs.
10 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - BUFFY'S ROOM. AFTERNOON. 10
Jackson raps his knuckles lightly on the door as he leans his
head in.
JACKSON
Hello?
He spots Buffy, dozing on the bed, and grins, heading over to
her. He crouches down by the bed and gently shakes her.
JACKSON (cont'd)
Come on, Buffy, I came all the way
over here to see you, don't sleep
through it now!
No response. Jackson frowns and shakes her a little harder,
then stands, starting to look concerned.
Andrew walks past the open door, and Jackson grabs him and
pulls him into the room.
ANDREW
(startled)
Uh, what?
JACKSON
(worried)
Andrew, Buffy's asleep.
Andrew looks down at Buffy, then back at Jackson, puzzled.
ANDREW
Uh, yeah, she is...
JACKSON
No, I mean I can't wake her up. I
heard what happened to Anya, and I
just...
He trails off, but Andrew gets the point. He nods and quickly
dashes out of the room, reappearing moments later with a
small yellow pendant.
JACKSON (cont'd)
What's that?
ANDREW
Um, a dica amethyst, it'll tell us
what's causing her to stay asleep.
I used to use it to check if my mom
was drunk or not when she fell
asleep back at my house in
Sunnydale. Helped me know if I
should start getting the dinner
ready without her or not. Actually,
there was this one time-
JACKSON
(impatient)
Andrew!
Andrew coughs once, nods and heads over to Buffy. He holds
the pendant a few inches above her head, and watches as the
yellow amethyst at the end of its chain slowly turns a dark
green colour. Andrew studies it closely for a moment.
JACKSON (cont'd)
Well? Should we call an ambulance,
or is it-
ANDREW
She's dreaming.
JACKSON
(beat)
Oh.
ANDREW
Yeah, but it's not like a normal
dream, uh, like this one I had once
about 'Enterprise' getting a new
season, it looks like it's one of
those 'vision quest' kinds of
dreams. At least, that's what this
amethyst is saying.
JACKSON
'Vision quest'? Okay, I'm fuzzy on
that concept. Is this another
Slayer thing?
ANDREW
Uh, yeah, it's happened a few
times. Buffy communicates with
people in her sleep, they tell her
things, she wakes up, we all panic
and start running around... there's
a definite attern forming.
JACKSON
Should I be worried?
ANDREW
Honestly? I don't know. I don't
think so, but you won't be able to
wake her up till it's all over.
JACKSON
Well, how long will that take?
Andrew shrugs, and with that look of concern still etched
into his face, Jackson takes a seat at the end of the bed.
JACKSON (cont'd)
Looks like I'm in for a long night
then, huh?
Andrew manages a nod, and then backs out of the room, leaving
Jackson to it.
As Jackson stares down at the sleeping Buffy, we can hear the
sounds of trees swishing back and forth as if in a storm,
before we cut to:
11 EXT. RAINFOREST. NIGHT. 11
True to its title, the thick forest is in the midst of a
heavy storm, it's trees battered by sheets of rain and strong
winds, swaying back and forth overhead.
Buffy is still following the Primitive, but Buffy looks
thoroughly soaked by now, her arms wrapped tightly round her
against the cold.
BUFFY
(shouting over noise)
Where are we going?
PRIMITIVE
We have to find your first lesson.
BUFFY
'First lesson'? Are there going to
be lots? 'Cause, you know, I'm
really not feeling the love with
this whole tropical storm thing
we've got going on, and-
Buffy stops as the Primitive halts suddenly and points.
Following her finger, Buffy sees a cave looking out of a
hillside ahead, its entrance half-covered by thick vines.
PRIMITIVE
Go through there. I will meet you
on the other side for your second
lesson.
BUFFY
(beat; sighs)
Okay.
Buffy heads forward, pulling the vines out of the way and
disappearing into the blackness of the cave.
The Primitive watches for a beat, then heads off screen.
12 INT. CAVE - TUNNEL. NIGHT. 12
Highlighted in the gloom as she heads towards us, Buffy rests
one hand on the tunnel wall as she carefully makes her way
forward.
She sees a light up ahead and pauses, checking front and back
before carrying on.
13 INT. CAVE - OPENING. NIGHT. 13
Buffy walks out into a wide, circular room, a log fire
burning in its centre. She steps up to it, grateful of the
heat to try and dry herself off, looking all round her.
She sees there are two exits to the room, carved into the
rock itself. One has a torch burning brightly above it, the
other also has a torch but it is unlit.
Buffy steps forward, looking from doorway to doorway, before
speaking out loud, as though someone is listening in on her.
BUFFY
Is this it? My first test is 'pick
a door'? Is this some kind of
Slayer game show?
No-one answers, and with a shrug, Buffy heads for the door
with the lit torch above it, disappearing into the blackness
beyond once again.
She's been gone a moment when the Primitive steps into frame,
shaking her head.
PRIMITIVE
Wrong way.
From the First Slayer's stony expression, we cut to:
14 INT. CIRCLE - GRAND LIBRARY. DAY. 14
Willow sits cross-legged on one of the shelves, many levels
up into the air, reading intently from the small diaries she
found. She doesn't hear TALEDRAW come wandering into the
library, and as he calls out to her, she jumps.
TALEDRAW
Teach!
WILLOW
(startled)
Uh, yeah?
TALEDRAW
Are you finished yet? I need to do
a new drawing and I can't 'till you
finish this bit!
Willow leans over the edge of the shelf, looking down at
Taledraw several feet below.
WILLOW
We're almost done, Taledraw. A few
more hours, maybe a little longer.
There was a lot to put back
together!
Taledraw nods, although he doesn't look too happy, and he
turns and heads off again.
Willow settles back into her books, turning the pages as she
scans through them. From the troubled look on her face, it's
clear she isn't enjoying what she's reading.
She looks up, her face a mess of mixing emotions as she tries
to process what she's reading, before she hears Tattles
skipping through the library below, humming happily to
herself.
Willow quickly hides the books away, shoving them into one of
the shelves and tucking the diary in her hands underneath her
t-shirt.
She glances over the lip of the shelf, watching Tattles as
she heads out of view again, before retrieving the diary from
her shirt.
She stares at it like it was the diary of a serial killer,
almost as if she's afraid to open it again - but then,
cautiously, she does, leafing back through to the place she
left off.
We leave Willow reading as we cut back to:
15 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - UPSTAIRS LANDING. NIGHT. 15
It's a few hours later on, and a yawning Sofia is heading up
the stairs, taking a left turn towards the bathroom. The
door's shut, so she taps lightly on it.
SOFIA
Hello? Anyone in there? There's a
tired Slayer out here who needs to
get ready for bed!
Somebody inside the bathroom VOMITS loudly, and Sofia
grimaces, stepping back from the door.
SOFIA (cont'd)
Goodness me...
The door is thrown open and Jackson steps out, looking
unsteady on his feet and very pale, clutching the door frame
for support.
SOFIA (cont'd)
Are you alright, Jackson? You look
quite ill!
JACKSON
I, uh... I don't feel too good,
sorry.
SOFIA
I can see that! Is Buffy still
asleep? Andrew told me she was in
some kind of dream state, or
something - he's a little hard to
understand.
JACKSON
Yeah, yeah she is.
Sofia looks over the ailing Jackson, then steps forward,
holding her arm out for support.
SOFIA
Well, why don't you go home and
rest, and I'll get Buffy to call
you again when she wakes up.
Jackson nods, and reaches out for Sofia. Despite the size
difference, her Slayer strength evens things out as she helps
him towards the stairs.
Sofia doesn't notice that Jackson has left what looks like a
scorch mark on the door frame, just where he was holding on
to it, before we cut back to:
16 INT. CAVE - CHAMBER. NIGHT. 16
Buffy emerges from the tunnel she chose into another room,
this one much stranger-looking as she looks across it.
Opposite her is another doorway, but she's separated from it
by a wide pit, too far to jump across.
Hovering in the air above the pit are several small, winged
creatures, looking like giant, mutated insects. Their wings
beat rapidly, creating a disconcerting buzzing sound.
Buffy looks puzzled, glancing over her shoulder at the
doorway, then back at the pit. She takes a cautious step
towards the edge of the pit, but as she does, one of the
insect creatures starts to slowly turn towards her.
Buffy spots it and steps back, and the creature looks away
again. Working out what will happen next, Buffy limbers up,
cracking her knuckles and loosening up.
BUFFY
Okay, right. Fight the bugs, jump
the hole. Lesson learned. No
problem.
She steps forward again, and this time the nearest insect
detaches itself from its fellows, swooping down towards her.
Buffy faces it, watching its approach carefully.
At the last moment, she sidesteps, narrowly avoiding the
creature, which rakes the ground where she'd been standing
with sharp claws.
Buffy turns to watch it as it circles round for another
swoop, looking around her for a weapon she can use. Spotting
a few old torches on the ground, covered with cobwebs, she
scoops one up, and swings it like a baseball bat as the
insect approaches.
The torch CLANGS off the creature's thick hide, knocking the
bat out of Buffy's hands, and the insect swoops back again,
returning to join the other insects, hovering patiently over
the pit.
Buffy frowns, trying to think up a new plan of attack. She
scoops up another of the torches and THROWS it at one of the
creatures, but again, it just bounces off the insect's scaly
armour, dropping down the pit and out of sight.
Buffy steps back, looking for some other way to cross the
pit, when the Primitive steps through the doorway behind her,
shaking her head still.
PRIMITIVE (O.S.)
That is not the way.
BUFFY
(turns round)
Yeah, I see that! How's about less
of the cryptic, and more of the
straight answers?
PRIMITIVE
You try to solve all of your
problems with force, hoping that
you will be strong enough, fast
enough to get where you need to.
(beat)
That is not the way.
Buffy ponders this, trying to decipher the Primitive's
meaning, before a thought hits her.
BUFFY
I have a question.
PRIMITIVE
Speak.
BUFFY
If I get hurt in this, will my body
die? Andrew spent a long time
explaining 'The Matrix' to me once,
and I was just wondering if it was
the same deal.
PRIMITIVE
Your physical body will not be
harmed, but if you 'die' here, I
will send you back, whether you
have learned the lesson or not.
BUFFY
(nods)
Good. Just checking.
With that, Buffy turns and SPRINTS towards the pit.
The flying creatures start to shift, turning to face the
rapidly approaching Slayer, but before any of them can swoop
down towards her, Buffy JUMPS...
... and sails straight past them, straight down into the pit
below!
As she disappears from view, we quickly:
BLACK OUT:
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
FADE IN:
17 INT. CAVE - CHAMBER. NIGHT. 17
Back in the room with the pit as Buffy falls from view, and
the flying insect creatures dart down after her as one, the
sound of their buzzing wings fading as they chase after her.
We stay on scene for a moment - then the buzzing noise
becomes audible again, increasing in volume until two of the
creatures fly back up out of the pit.
A third hovers up into view, with Buffy clutched carefully
between its claws, swinging from beneath it.
It flies across the rest of the gap and deposits Buffy
carefully on the opposite side, before turning and floating
back to join the other creatures above the pit.
Buffy turns and smiles at the Primitive.
BUFFY
See? Not just a pretty face. Was
that lesson something like 'direct
action isn't always the answer,' or
something like that?
(proud)
I figured it all out.
The Primitive just nods - then starts to run towards the edge
of the pit.
Buffy backs up a few steps as the Primitive builds up speed -
then she JUMPS, and with an impossibly long leap, she covers
the distance and lands with a THUMP next to Buffy.
Buffy gawks at the Primitive as she stands again, the First
Slayer throwing Buffy a cold look before she heads towards
the other door in the chamber.
BUFFY (cont'd)
Show off.
PRIMITIVE
You always choose the hardest way
forward.
BUFFY
(shrugs)
It's a gift.
As Buffy follows the Primitive, we cut to:
18 INT. JACKSON RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM. NIGHT. 18
Shanna is sat on the sofa, flicking idly through TV channels
and munching on some popcorn as Jackson THROWS the door open.
Shanna jumps to her feet, seeing Jackson struggling to stand
in the doorway, and rushes over to help him.
SHANNA
Jackson! Damn, man, are you okay?
Are you hurt?
JACKSON
(weak)
Shanna... I can't...
Jackson faints away, and Shanna struggles to hold him up.
With a sudden, surprising burst of strength, she heaves and
drags him over to the sofa, rolling him onto it.
Jackson's out cold, and Shanna dashes into the kitchen to get
some water. She presses a hand to his head and draws it
sharply away - he's literally red hot!
Shanna stands back, her mind racing as she tries to think of
what to do next. She reaches into Jackson's jacket pocket for
his phone.
SNAP! Jackson's hand suddenly streaks out and grabs her
wrist, and as a shocked Shanna looks down at him, Jackson's
eyes slowly open. A vicious look is on his face, and Shanna
tries to pull away from him.
JACKSON (cont'd)
(menacing)
What are you doing?
SHANNA
Calling a fricken ambulance,
Jackson, damn! What is with you?
Let me go!
Jackson stares at Shanna for a long beat - then releases her.
She rubs her wrist tenderly, warily watching Jackson as he
settles back down.
SHANNA (cont'd)
What happened?
JACKSON
(slowly)
I was driving... I was heading back
from Buffy's, I guess I parked up
outside before I blacked out the
first time, then... what time is
it?
SHANNA
(glances at clock)
Past ten, why?
(suspicious)
Jackson, what's going on? What was
with the hardcore nasty look you
gave me just then?
JACKSON
(blinks)
What look?
SHANNA
Alright, that's it. I'm calling
somebody.
Shanna snatches Jackson's phone away before he can protest.
JACKSON
Hey! Who are you calling?
SHANNA
A friend.
Shanna walks into the kitchen, leaving the woozy Jackson to
slump weakly back down on the sofa.
19 INT. JACKSON RESIDENCE - KITCHEN. NIGHT. 19
Following Shanna into the kitchen, she bites her nails as she
waits for whoever she's calling to pick up. There's a CLICK
before a gruff male voice answers.
VOICE
(filtered; through phone)
Yeah?
SHANNA
It's me. I need help.
VOICE
Actual help, or 'I'm high and I
don't know what to do' help?
SHANNA
(sighs)
Actual help. Jackson's ill, it
might be something you know about.
VOICE
(beat)
Alright, kiddo, I'm on my way.
Shanna hangs up and glances back into the front room, at
Jackson, before we cut to:
20 INT. CIRCLE - TRINKETS' WORKSHOP. DAY. 20
TRINKETS is fussing over his multi-tiered game board as
Tattles chases Taledraw round the large, cluttered workshop,
both laughing and giggling. Trinkets sighs every time the duo
bump into something.
Willow steps into the workshop, glancing round nervously, the
diary she was reading in one hand behind her back.
Tattles is the first to notice her, skidding to a halt and
beaming happily.
TATTLES
Teach! Hey!
WILLOW
(half smile)
Hi.
TRINKETS
Hey, come on over here, I've got
something really cool to show you.
Willow starts to walk forward, then after a few steps pauses,
closes her eyes as if mentally preparing herself for
something - and then she places the diary onto one of the
tables next to her.
The three Circle members fall silent, their eyes locked on
the book. Tattles is the first to speak.
TATTLES
(nervous)
W-wh-where d-did you g-get that?
WILLOW
That doesn't matter. I want you to
explain to me what it is.
(stern)
Now.
The three children glance at one another, trying to silently
communicate a plan to each other. Willow folds her arms, not
looking happy.
WILLOW (cont'd)
No answers, huh?
TALEDRAW
We can't tell-
TATTLES
It's not what it looks like, we
just-
WILLOW
What? What doesn't it look like,
and what can't you tell me?
More furtive exchanged glances. Willow, losing her temper by
now, marches forward.
WILLOW (cont'd)
I found them in the Library when I
was putting it back together. There
was a bundle of them, looks like
they go back years and years. I
only read this first one, but...
(beat)
What's going on?
Trinkets SIGHS and steps away from his game board, heading
towards Willow. She looks towards him, hoping she's about to
get some answers.
TRINKETS
I'm sorry you had to find out this
way, Teach.
WILLOW
Find out what?
Trinkets SNAPS his fingers - and a GAG appears round Willow's
mouth! Panicked, she tries to remove it, but it's stuck fast.
Tattles and Taledraw back away from Willow as Trinkets walks
right up to her.
TRINKETS
Our last Teach started asking too
many questions as well, and you
don't want to end up like she did,
do you?
Trinkets picks up the diary and opens it at the last page.
TRINKETS (cont'd)
This is what happened to her.
Willow looks from the book to Trinkets, then reads - and her
eyes bulge at what she sees. She looks back to Trinkets, now
halfway between panic and terror.
TRINKETS (cont'd)
Why couldn't you have just helped
us to have fun? We knew you were
always suspicious about us, but
when the Caretaker almost killed
us, we thought that'd be all you
needed to make you join us for
good. And now...
(sighs; throws book away)
Now you've gone and spoiled it all.
We got you away from the Slayer and
the others at last, but now we're
going to have to do a bit more than
that.
He turns to Tattles, who tries to shrink away from him.
TRINKETS (cont'd)
Take her to the Cage.
TATTLES
(shaking head)
No, no, I don't want to go down
there, no, bad, bad, bad!
TRINKETS
(stern)
Tattles! You know what we have to
do now!
Willow starts to back away slowly, hoping nobody will notice -
but Trinkets' head whips round, and with a gesture Willow's
legs FREEZE. She struggles to move them, fixed to the spot,
as a bashful looking Tattles walks slowly over.
Willow looks down at her, desperation all over her face.
TATTLES
I'm sorry, Teach. I knew you'd find
out one day, but... I just thought
we'd have more time to play first.
With a reluctant sigh, Tattles takes Willow's hands - and
suddenly, Willow can move again, but all she can do is follow
Tattles. It looks as though she's trying to fight against
whatever's controlling her, but with no luck.
As Tattles leads Willow back out of the workshop, we cut away
to:
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