Announcement

**Yosso** · 29-03-08, 06:28 PM

Act One

[Open to: Ezra, Autumn, Rina and Tara walking through the Lesper Bay University Campus, down a hallway, day.]

Ezra: [to Tara] First day, you nervous?

Tara: Oh just nervous in the not-nervous sense. It's not like I'm five and my first day of school, I've been to college before.

Autumn: So you're not a newbie.

Tara: [nods] Not a newbie.

Rina: So Miss Non-Newbie, considering about getting a dorm?

Tara: [in jest] Are you trying to get rid of the hobo living in your house?

Rina: [smiles] Darn, you saw right through my master plan.

Tara: I've lived in a dorm before, but now I don't really see much point.

Autumn: Fair enough. The more money I can save mooching off our Ez here the better.

Ezra: You know you're not gonna get away with that.

[Autumn smirks.]

Tara: Unless you're not okay with my squatting.

Ezra: Oh no no, squat away.

Tara: But I'll still pay my share of the rent.

Ezra: But we tried to ki-

Tara: Yeah, I'm over it. I insist Ezra.

[Ezra smiles, giving in as Tara gives her an attempt at an insistent look.]

Ezra: So what's your first class?

[Tara rummages for a timetable from a bag hanging over her shoulder.]

Tara: History of Art.

Ezra: With Rainier, you're lucky.

Rina: She's really good.

Ezra: In more ways than one.

Rina: I'll pretend for the sake of my own sanity that I did not hear that.

Ezra: Don't worry, I'll always be yours.

[Ezra gives Rina a light peck on the cheek. They grin to one another. Tara looks down suddenly, with a slight emotional twinge.]

Voice: Autumn hey!

[A girl comes running up to Autumn.]

Autumn: [smiles] Hey Jess.

Jess: How're you doing?

Autumn: Good, whole tons of good.

Jess: So I assume you didn't do the assignment.

Autumn: That trash Clifford set us? Of course not it's a disgrace to every college assignment ever set. I'm taking a stand, I'm not gonna be some kinda good, nice girl, I'm gonna be a rebel. A rebel I tell ya!

Jess: [smiles, a little taken aback.] Go girl?

Autumn: There's a monster underneath this college girl surface.

Jess: Oh you don't need to tell me that.

Autumn: So we'll meet up in the afternoon, go through notes at around three?

Jess: You betchya. But this time I'm buying the coffee, I can't make you pay for it again.

Autumn: No no, it's really ok.

Jess: No Aut, I insist.

Autumn: No I insist.

Jess: No I-

Ezra: Ok people, I think we're getting a bit of an overload in the manners department.

[A guy with his head down, shoulders hunched roughly barges through Autumn. Almost a second later a girl also barges past Autumn, knocking all the books clutched in her hands onto the floor.]

Rina: Hey!

Autumn: [a little shaken] It's ok.

[Autumn bends down and picks up her books, Rina, Ezra, Jess and Tara wait for her.]

Ezra: Ok, I take back what I said before.

Autumn: I'm fine. The books will live.

[Jess picks up one of Autumn's books and hands it to her. Autumn smiles in appreciation and adds it to her collection clutched more firmly against her chest.]

Jess: Wasn't that one of the members of that new on campus cult?

Rina: Yeah the Order of Theranum. I've looked into it briefly, they're complete amateurs when it comes to the supernatural.

Ezra: And the other girl, Beatrice-

Autumn: Queen Bitch of Bitch Borough? She hates me, ever since high school. During junior year she threatened to kill me with a combination of marshmallows, cake and a ballpoint pen.

Jess: Think she's still plotting?

Autumn: Knowing her yeah, she has nothing better to do with her life.

Tara: I'm sensing some serious tension.

[Autumn nods. The bell rings.]

Jess: Gotta go, Harrison will freak if I'm a second late.

[Jess rushes off down the corridor.]

Tara: Well that wasn't an exclusive conversation at all.

Autumn: Sorry, that was Jess, a friend.

Ezra: We should get to class now, hope you survive your first one.

Tara: This is my second time here at college, there's nothing that can surprise me.

Ezra: [to Tara] So, I'm assuming you're just rich.

Tara: Except that? What? And how did you come to that random conclusion?

Rina: Well, um, you died.

Tara: Uh huh.

Ezra: And you still have money.

Tara: Uh huh.

Ezra: Um...how? Unless there's a really nifty spell you really ought to teach me.

Tara: Well it's all from my mum, she left me a lot after she died and I mean a lot, I had no idea she had so much. It's got me through Sunnydale and it can get me through here.

Rina: [playfully punching Tara on the arm.] Lucky little rich kid.

Tara: Be careful or I might set my butler on you.

Ezra: Oh get your private army, they're so much more efficient with the wet works.

[Another girl joins the group next to Autumn.]

Girl: What's this I hear about butlers?

Autumn: Hi Verella.

Verella: Autumn, hi. Hi Ezra, Rina.

Ezra: Hey.

[Rina nods to Verella in acknowledgement.]

Autumn: How was your break?

Verella: Very...breakful.

Autumn: I'd imagine. How was... the funeral? I'm sorry I couldn't be there it was just-

Verella: No, it's ok. [she looks down, mournful.] It's all ok.

Autumn: You sure?

Verella: What else can I say? The funeral was hard. Really hard, but I can't just dwell on it. I've had time to process it and... and I think I'm ready to move on. That's what Danny would have wanted.

Autumn: [smiles warmly] Good for you.

Verella: [to Tara] Hi... uh, sorry I'm drawing a blank, I don't know you do I?

Tara: I'm Tara.

Verella: So you've just moved here?

Autumn: [automatically] No, she died.

[Ezra and Rina stare at Autumn. Tara looks down, suddenly examining the floor. Autumn suddenly looks flustered.]

Autumn: -of boredom, cos her old home was boring, with lots of well...boredom as you might have expected and probably worked out already.

Verella: Uh huh?

[Cut to: Lesper Bay Bugle Office, day. Pete is at his desk, typing on a computer, a fat man waddles up to him.]

Man: Hey you.

[Pete continues to type.]

Man: [taps Pete on the shoulder] Hey, I was talking to you.

Pete: Oh were you Mr. Patley? Last time I checked my name was-

Patley: Carl right?

Pete: Pete.

Patley: I want you to go and do an interview with those Greenpeace activists.

Pete: You've been working here for two years. The same length of time as I have. Our offices are adjacent to one another's and you still don't know my-

Patley: Asswipe, I don't have time for games. Just go do it. It's your first assignment with your new partner, Persephone was it?

Pete: Lora.

Patley: Close enough. I'm your boss. Do what I say.

Pete: You know Mr. Patley have I told you how much I really don't want to work with that woman?

Patley: Yep.

Pete: And has it not occurred to you that I might like working solo?

Patley: Am I the one dishing out the pay cheques or you?

Pete: [rolls his eyes and grumbles in defeat.] If I didn't work for you, I'd be punning your ass off right now.

[Cut to: a commercial street, day. Pete is walking down it, carrying a plastic bag with a sandwich in it. He's looking down at it, examining the packaging of the open container, not looking where he's going. He suddenly collides with Autumn. His sandwich collapses to the floor because of the impact, it splatters on the ground.]

Pete: Oh great - splattered delight.

[Pete picks it up and chucks the ruined sandwich in the bin.]

Autumn: Oh, I'm sorry.

Pete: No, it's ok. It's ok. I think Mr. Tuna and Cucumber is actually quite grateful.

Autumn: Should look where we're going next time, I'll repay you when we get back home.

Pete: [smiles to her] It's not exactly the end of the world. Unless that was the last piece of food on earth.

Autumn: Yeah guess not. What're you doing out here? Shouldn't you be, I don't know, harassing some celebrity for an interview or something?

Pete: Nah, scheduled that for tomorrow. For now, it's lunch. Couldn't harass on an empty stomach anyway.

Autumn: Ah, it's all making sense.

Pete: So where are your fellow girlies? I'd have thought-

Autumn: They're in class still, I've got a few spare moments on my hands, thought I'd get some fresh air before too much work makes my head explode.

Pete: Talking of exploding heads... [sighs] I predict there's gonna be some messy brain-splattered wallpaper once I get home.

Autumn: Oh. Care to explain?

Pete: Work, I'm being made to pair up with this woman.

Autumn: I'm not seeing the bad.

Pete: It's just, she's bound to screw up my work, when it comes to reporting, I'm a solo act. When they say two's company, screw that and skip straight to the crowd bit.

Autumn: Have you told your boss?

Pete: I've lost count how many times, but he won't listen.

Autumn: Well, if you want Autumn's words of wisdom, I say keep trying.

Pete: Keep trying?

Autumn: You don't want to be stuck with her forever do you? If you just give up and don't bother then you're just going to dread work and be all miserable. And I hate to see you miserable. So just keep trying, it's all you can do.

[Pete looks down to Autumn slightly surprised. She grins back.]

Autumn: See I can be understanding too.

Pete: I see.

[Cut to: a college lecture theatre, day. A male professor walks into the classroom. He writes Professor Fessor on the board.]

Fessor: I'm new here. And that is my name on the board. Not a joke. It's my real last name. Anyone want to make fun of it? Then do it when I'm not around. [Beat.] Right, this is psychology. If you can't handle what I'm about to give you, you'd better not be in this class. I'm not going to start with the basics, those are boring. If you want to learn that [hurls a book onto the table in front of him.] Read this. For now I'm going to start with:

[He writes on the board - "Killer Instinct".]

Professor: Now who's a killer in here?

[Silence, nobody raises a hand. Fessor raises his hand, the students look at him - perplexed.]

Fessor: You're all lying. We're all killers, we all have the potential to kill, no matter how nice or gentle a person may seem, may appear, there's always the animal inside, clawing at the surface, fuelled by the id, the passion within. The super-ego and conscience usually suppresses this instinct in our modern day society, but it can't eliminate it, the desire to take a life when provoked appropriately is always there. If I provoked any of you enough, I guarantee I could unleash that instinct in all of you...

[Pan slowly to: Autumn, who shuffles in her chair, slightly worried.]

[Fade to: The end of the class, Autumn, Ezra, Tara and Rina, walking out into the corridor, day.]

Rina: Wow. Depressing.

Tara: Mary Poppins would be in tears after that class.

Ezra: Pretty deep stuff to just dive into in our first class.

Autumn: I heard he's transferred from Berkeley, he's meant to be really tough.

Ezra: I've more than considered that possibility.

[Autumn stops at the toilet.]

Autumn: I'll meet you a little later, just need to freshen up.

[We follow her inside, she takes out a brush from her hand bag as she approaches a mirror she looks down. A reflection grows into view in the mirror, slowly showing a masked figure, we don't see the face. It's carrying a knife, threatening - to kill.]

[Cut to: The Lesper Bay University Library, day. Tara is there, sitting at a computer, typing. A disorganised assortment of books and papers around the keyboard, she's looking up resurrection, dark magics, with various newspaper articles around her. She looks focused on the screen as a website comes up, a newspaper article, an obituary with a title - "The Truly Missed Trina Maclay." Tara bites her lips as she reads it. She looks down. She sighs.]

Tara VO: I'm going to find out - where I was, why I'm back, who brought me back. I need to know. And what happened to my mother.

[Fade to: Tara in the witches' house, sitting in a circle of herbs, day. Two candles are placed around the circle, one in front of her.]

Tara: The world is a question
The air is fogged, bleak
Reveal to me
The answers that I seek.
So mote it be.

[Tara picks up a small piece of paper, she reads it, it's in her own writing - "Reveal to me the answers I seek - why I'm back, who brought me back and how Willow is." She puts the piece of paper in the candle in front of her. It burns. Tara waits. A whisper of smoke emits from the candles. Tara continues to sit there, more smoke emits from the candle.]

[More and more smoke emerges, the candle smoke slowly turning from grey to blue. It fills the room completely. Tara coughs and splutters, not completely expecting this, she swats the smoke away with her hands. The smoke is too much for her, it slowly gets to her and she grows sleepy. Her eyes close and she slowly falls down to the ground.]

[Flash to: a blurry screen. Blood red. We hear heavy, slow breathing. We are in somebody's eyes. Along with the breathing we hear sobs, cries, wails. Pain. The person looks down to see - Tara. Her eyes closed, her body pale, limp and dead. Blood is slowly leaking from the bullet wound to the heart. We hear cries. Lightning. Clouds are forming around an ominous looking face - Osiris.]

Osiris: It is a human death, by human means. She is taken by natural order. It is done.

Willow: [crying] No. There has to be a way!

Osiris: It is done!

Willow: [screams] NOOOO!

[Abruptly flash to: Tara on the floor, she moans in pain. Her head suddenly turns to the left, then to the right in her torment as though she's having a nightmare.]

[Quickly flash to: Two silhouetted figures, for about a fraction of a second.]

[Flash to: another set of eyes, this time the vision is dark and purple. Quickly pan away to see: Dark Willow, walking menacingly through the Sunnydale Forest, Warren breathing heavily, scared as Willow continues on his tail - homicidal.]

[Flash to: a quick series of scenes of Dark Willow. Willow screaming. Dark Willow stopping the bus. Dark Willow walking through the forest. Dark Willow sending people flying, no concern. Dark Willow killing Rack. Dark Willow fighting Buffy. Dark Willow sending a bolt of electricity out at Jonathan and Andrew. The images get faster and faster, wilder and wilder.]

[Flash to: Dark Willow and Warren. Warren is tied up against a tree, completely at Willow's mercy. The screen has a dark tint of blue to it.]

Warren: [yells] Help! [normal voice] Let me go. [yells] Somebody! Help!!

Dark Willow: What's the matter? Thought you wanted to talk.

Warren: No.

Dark Willow: Okay.

[Dark Willow opens her hand, revealing a bullet.]

Dark Willow: I'll talk.

[Flash to: Tara on the floor in the herb circle again. She shifts and shakes, restlessly, uncomfortably.]

Tara: Willow...

[Quickly flash to: The two silhouetted figures again, for about a fraction of a second.]

[Flash to: Dark Willow and Warren again, a continuation of before. The bullet slowly starts to push its way into Warren's chest. It continues to penetrate, his face is strained with pain, complete physical anguish. Dark Willow suddenly lifts her hand and Warren's lips are sewn shut.]

Dark Willow VO: Wanna know what a bullet feels like, Warren? A real one? I think you need to. Feel it.

Warren: [strained] Please! No.

[Flash to: Tara on the floor in the herb circle. She continues to shift, turn and budge, uneasily and with pain.]

Tara: Willow...

[Quickly flash to: Two silhouetted figures for a third time. Again for about a fraction of a second.]

[Flash to: Dark Willow and Warren again.]

Warren: [gasping] Oh, and when you get caught, you'll lose them too. Your friends. You don't want that. I know you're in pain, but-

Dark Willow: Bored now.

[Dark Willow makes a casual gesture with one hand. Warren screams as a bolt of magic rips through him and tears the skin off his body in a single piece.]

[Flash to: Tara on the floor in the herb circle. She suddenly screams in unison. Gasping, panting, sweating madly.]

Dark Willow VO: You can't stop this.

Xander VO: I still want to hang. You're Willow.

Dark Willow VO: [angry] Don't call me that.

[Flash to: Xander and Dark Willow on Kingman's Bluff, Sunnydale, day.]

Xander: If you wanna kill the world? Well, then start with me. I've earned that.

Dark Willow: [upset] You think I won't?

Xander: It doesn't matter. I'll still love you.

Dark Willow [angry] Shut up!!

[Dark Willow slashes the air with her hand. Xander's head jerks to the side as if he's been hit. Three parallel cuts appear on his cheek, bloody as if scratched.]

[Flash to: Tara on the floor in the herb circle, three parallel cuts also slash into her cheek. She cries.]

Xander: I love you.

[Dark Willow slashes the air again. Xander doubles over and falls to his knees. He gets up again, his shirt is ripped open over the heart, more scratches visible on his chest. He pants and grimaces from the pain but faces Dark Willow again.]

[She falls to her knees and Xander kneels with her, puts his arms around her and holds her while she sobs.]

Xander: I love you.

[As Willow continues to cry in Xander's arms, the veins fade away from her face and her hair returns to its usual red.]

Tara VO: I love you...

[Flash to: Tara in her circle of herbs again, day. We focus in on her eyes, they flutter slowly open. Tara slowly sits up, the smoke is gone as if it were never there. Tara looks down. She sighs and puts her hand gently on her bloody, scratched cheek, looking slightly shocked. The shocked expression quickly passes and she gazes in remembrance.]

Tara: [softly] I love you...

[Cut to black.]

End of Act One.

**Yosso** · 29-03-08, 06:29 PM

Act Two.

[Open to: Autumn in the toilet, day. She suddenly looks up to the mirror. Her eyes widen in terror as the attacker lunges at her with the knife. She dodges the blow, turning around suddenly while the figure takes another lunge.]

[A spark emits from Autumn's hand as she attempts to fend him off, it strikes but does nothing, she hits the figure weakly in her panic. The figure holds Autumn down, one hand on her right arm, the other hand over her mouth. Autumn knees the figure in the stomach, the figure lets go in shock and pain - Autumn runs.]

[She runs out into the corridor, darting down it, not looking back, just running. Her breathing gets heavier, she slows down and looks back - nobody is there. She sighs, walking along, as she turns the corner she jumps in fright - Ezra.]

Autumn: Jeez...

[Rina is with her.]

Ezra: Why so jumpy?

[Autumn just continues to breathe heavily, recovering from the terror.]

Rina: [in jest] It's not like you've just been attacked by some masked figure, right?

[Autumn looks up at Rina, serious. Rina laughs. Her expression soon turns into horror at Autumn's expression.]

Rina: My god you're not serious are you?

Autumn: [nods] I was in the bathroom, when this figure came out with a knife, I only just managed to get away.

Ezra: It's like our lives can't get away from attempted murders.

Rina: You think this guy was after you specifically?

Autumn: I have no idea. All I know is that there's something out there attacking people with-

[There is a scream.]

[Cut to: A crime scene, in a hallway of the Lesper Bay University Campus, day. The police have arrived and are taking away a dead body on a stretcher. There is a lot of blood where the body was, there are students milling around along with Autumn, Tara, Rina and Ezra, but all are behind a police crime scene tape.]

Tara: Oh god...

Ezra: Looks like she wasn't as lucky as you, Autumn.

Autumn: We don't know it's the same guy who did it, this could have been caused by something else.

Rina: Not likely, I doubt many people think this college's exactly teeming with murderers.

Ezra: Unless you're Professor Fessor.

Rina: [with a grin] Way to ruin my expositional flow.

Tara: We don't know, but I feel the urge to do some snooping around.

Autumn: I second that urge.

Ezra: Speaking of, how did you get that scratch on your face, Tara?

Tara: [quickly, without thinking] Dinosaur.

[Ezra raises her eyebrows.]

Tara: Dinosaur toy, while I was out in a store. You know what they say, dolls are just as lethal as the real thing.

[Ezra nods, not exactly convinced.]

Rina: But how do we know this isn't your everyday run of the mill murder?

Tara: We don't, but I think we should find out.

Verella: [appears out of nowhere] My god, what happened here?

Tara: There was a murder.

Verella: Oh. I can kind of see that. Who died?

Ezra: Doria Gregory, I think that was her name.

Verella: [slightly saddened] Doria? Oh...

Tara: I'm sorry.

[Cut to: Pete and Lora in a taxi, day. Both of them are sitting in complete silence, at opposite ends of the back seat, looking out of the window.]

Lora: Ok, I'm going to have to break this silence, cos this is killing me now.

Pete: I knew I could get you to say it first.

Lora: Oh go grow a sense of maturity.

Pete: The word up after grow would have done the job just as well.

Lora: Don't get all smartass on me.

Pete: I'm a reporter. It's my job.

Lora: I didn't transfer here to argue.

Pete: Then why did you transfer to this dive of a town? To get in my way? I would have expected someone like you to try and go for the top newspapers.

Lora: And why would you think that?

Pete: You don't exactly look like the reporter type.

Lora: Excuse me?

Pete: From what I've seen of you, you're only in this for the fame.

Lora: For the fame? How dare you judge me! You have no idea, no clue what I've been through to get this far.

Pete: A reporter needs to be able to analyse people, read them from first impressions. I doubt you know half of what my life is, or ever will.

Lora: I don't have to prove myself to you and it's not like you're a perfect judge of character yourself. We haven't known each other very long, you don't know me at all.

Pete: Female, wannabe-reporter, bitchy. I think I just summed you up in three.

Lora: Well...back at you!

Pete: Oooh, good come back, you've shot past all the bounds of wit.

Lora: Are we just going to keep hurling insults at each other or are we actually going to do some work?

Pete: [teasing] Sore loser.

Lora: You'd be crying to your mother the things I could say to you.

Pete: Oh try me, you just try me...

[Cut to: a room, it looks like a training room, day. Other knives and a punching bag are hanging in a corner of the room, there are swords attached to the wall and a big mat is in the centre.]

[Pan across to: Jade and Ameya each armed with a sword. Jade and Ameya already in a duel, Jade swings her sword at Ameya who parries it, kicking Jade in the stomach, Jade staggers back but quickly regains focus. Ameya swings the sword at Jade who blocks it, pushing it away with her sword, she goes in for a lunge with her own sword. Ameya dodges it, though Jade's sword scrapes her shirt ripping it. Ameya swipes her sword at Jade who blocks it, swing after swing.]

[Jade tries a counter but Ameya blocks it and with one stroke sends Jade's sword to the other side of the dojo. Ameya points her sword at Jade's neck, Jade glares back at Ameya. Ameya turns to Fynn who is watching in the sidelines, she smiles to him, he smiles back. Ameya turns back to Jade and lowers her sword.]

Ameya: Nice duel.

Jade: [bitterly] For you.

Fynn: Your parrying's really got a lot better, ?meya.

Ameya: [smiles] Thanks.

Jade: What about mine?

Fynn: Yeah, yours was...nice.

[Jade frowns - not convinced. Ameya looks down at her shirt.]

Ameya: Oh great my shirt, my shirts keep getting destroyed, it's starting to become an annoying pattern.

Jade: [mumbling darkly under her breath] Take three guesses why, bitch.

Ameya: [to Fynn] Ok, you wanna go?

[Fynn nods. The two of them start to walk to the door.]

Jade: Where're you going?

[They continue walking to the door, apparently taking no notice of Jade.]

Jade: [annoyed] I said where're you guys going?

[They continue walking to the door.]

Ameya: If anyone asks, we'll be back soon.

[They close the door behind them. Jade's eyes narrow. Suspicious.]

[Cut to: the witches' house in their living room, day.]

Kaspar: There was a murder?

Pete: See I told you, college - bad.

Kaspar: Are you sure there was a murder?

Ezra: This isn't the kind of thing people usually imagine.

Autumn: Or the kind of thing four people imagine at the same time.

Tara: The dead body was proof enough.

Kaspar: Point proven.

Tara: So, I say morgue, look on the body see if there are any signs.

Ezra: What about suspects, we should have suspects list right?

Tara: Right, anyone likely to have done this?

Rina: There's a pretty dark group on campus, they delve into dark stuff, they could take it to the next level. You never know.

Ezra: Aren't witches usually the stereotyped ones?

Rina: [shrugs] It's just I've walked past a few of their meetings a few times and let's just say they're not talking about flowers and pixies, the point is I think they could be up to something.

Tara: It's worth a shot I guess.

Ezra: Doria and another girl, Susan, were always at each others throats, sometimes literally, she had a bad break up too, the guy didn't take it too well.

Tara: You two do the interrogation thing, see if you get anything off this.

Autumn: Interrogation? Count me in.

Tara: [grins] If you insist.

Autumn: Oh, there's Beatrice Queen Bitch of Bitch Borough, to consider. It has to be her.

Kaspar: I'm guessing morgue for us?

Tara: You got it.

Pete: Dead people - it's a party.

[Cut to: The Lesper Bay Morgue, night. Tara, Pete and Kaspar open the door to the dark room, the moonlight outside barely lighting it.]

Tara: Lux...

[Tara throws a handful of herbs into the air which transform into magically floating lights, a fairly dim, but sufficient orange light now in the room.]

Pete: Hey, who needs the bulb when we have-

Kaspar: Our very own mini tinkerbells.

Pete: Pretty.

Tara: So let the snooping begin.

[The three walk to a list on the wall - a list of names of the dead people.]

Tara: Doria Gregory... number sixty-three.

[Tara, Pete and Kaspar walk over to a collection of drawer, Tara leans down and finds cabinet number sixty-three. She holds the handle.]

Tara: You ready?

Kaspar: Ready? How much harm can one dead body do to-

[Tara pulls the drawer out. Kaspar suddenly recoils in horror at the smell. Tara and Pete put their hands over their mouths and noses.]

Kaspar: I think you've just killed my nose.

Pete: [mocking] Poor Kaspar's nose!

Kaspar: Don't mock. I'm twice the man you are.

[Tara pulls out the drawer further, she picks up and examines a small sharp scalpel on the drawer.]

Kaspar: So will we - have to cut the body open?

Pete: [laughs] You were saying?

Kaspar: Shut up.

Pete: Kas, I had no idea you were such a girl.

Tara: Nope, no need for the mini-autopsy.

Pete: [grins to Kaspar] Shame.

[Tara takes a clipboard from the drawer.]

Tara: Looks like all the notes are here.

Kaspar: So that's good. Everything's answered, no more-

[Abruptly cut to: a girl, sitting in a college dorm, day.]

Girl: Questions?

Autumn: Yes, Beatrice is it?

Beatrice: Shut up bi-atch, you know what my name is.

[Autumn looks down.]

Ezra: You knew Doria Gregory?

Beatrice: [unconcerned] The dead girl? Yeah, I knew her. How's life for her now?

[Cut to: a guy, sitting in a college common room, day.]

Guy: Doria? Yeah, she was cool, until she dumped me for some other guy.

Rina: Why exactly, Boris?

Boris: She said cheating was wrong, who made up that crappy rule?

[Cut to: a shady looking guy, black hair, black lips, everything about him black. Except his pale skin.]

Rina: Hi Greg.

Greg: So you want to ask questions?

Autumn: You're in a cult aren't you?

Greg: The Brothers of Kashumnahut, why?

Rina: Kashu nut?

Ezra: No reason, it's just...

Autumn: The thing is...

Ezra: Uh...

Rina: [quickly] Dyouscrifcepeple?

Greg: [perplexed] Um, excuse me?

Rina: I was asking whether you?scrifcepeple.

Ezra: [whispering to Autumn] What is she trying to say?

[Autumn whispers something back into Ezra's ear while Rina keeps Greg perplexed, but occupied.]

Ezra: Oh, whether he sacrifices people?!

[Autumn and Rina look at Ezra in disapproval, Greg raises his eyebrows. Beat.]

Ezra: Oh. Did I say that out loud?

[Cut back to: Beatrice.]

Ezra: We gather you weren't on good terms with her.

Beatrice: No, the thieving bitch stole my boyfriend.

Autumn: So you were angry about this?

Rina: Very angry?

Ezra: One could suggest furious?

Rina: Vexated.

Autumn: Enraged.

Rina: Mad.

[They look to Autumn.]

Autumn: [shrugs] Don't look at me.

[Cut back to: Boris.]

Ezra: So she was angry with you...

Boris: Totally pissed off. She was like "Oh you can't marry two people at once" and I was like "Yeah you can." Then she started accusing me of bigamy, whatever the hell that is. Boy does that girl make up crap.

[Cut back: to Beatrice.]

Beatrice: I see what you're doing.

Rina: You do?

Beatrice: I know what you're trying to find out.

Autumn: You do?

Beatrice: I do.

Ezra: You do?

Rina: You do?

Beatrice: I've figured it all out. Everything. I know exactly what you're doing, exactly how you're doing it. You want to find out something. You're trying to find out whether- [checks her watch] Oh crap, got a class, need to go.

[Beat. Ezra, Autumn and Rina look at one another.]

[Cut back to: Greg.]

Greg: [shocked] Sacrifice people?

Autumn: I heard it's what all the cool kids are doing now.

Rina: Goats are getting so pass?.

Greg: You're crazy.

Ezra: No, if that's what you do, you're the crazy one.

[Greg stands up, storming off.]

Autumn: Greg, Greg wait!

[Cut to: Autumn sitting in the Lesper Bay University Library, day. She's studying with piles of books around her. She looks up as Verella approaches to join her.]

Verella: Hey. Mind if I join you?

Autumn: [hesitantly] Uh...

Verella: If you're working.

Autumn: No, it's completely ok, I can move these books if you want.

[Autumn struggles to move a large pile of books.]

Autumn: When I develop god-like powers that is.

Verella: Here, let me help. I'll teach you something - division.

Autumn: [gasps in jest] Tell me more.

Verella: [smiling] I'm glad you're impressed.

Autumn: It's an amazing concept.

Verella: So what're you studying?

Autumn: Psyche.

Verella: The assignment for Professor With-a-name-like-that-I-want-to-kill-myself?

Autumn: Otherwise known as Fessor and yeah it's from him. You didn't hear about it in class?

Verella: Kinda didn't listen. That's bad on my part because college costs money so listening now becomes a requirement for me.

Autumn: You could copy my notes.

Verella: You sure? But wouldn't that?you know, go against the whole competition aspect we got in college these days?

Autumn: [shrugs] I'll just put a little arsenic in your drink if you beat me in the next test, no worries.

Verella: [chuckles] Thanks.

[Autumn hands Verella the notes.]

Verella: About Beatrice, do you want me to talk to her, tell her to back off?

Autumn: No, it's ok.

Verella: But she was such a bitch to you at lunch, it's only right that something should be done.

Autumn: It's ok, really.

Verella: You sure?

[Autumn nods, but smiles in appreciation.]

Verella: If you need to, don't hesitate to ask, it's what friends are for.

Autumn: Well, last time I checked.

[Autumn and Verella smile to each other.]

[Cut to: the witches' kitchen, day. Autumn is there, she turns off the cooker, with a steaming pot over it and takes a breath.]

Autumn: Spirits, guardians, keepers.
Return to me what is mine
Release the energy
The power divine

[She sprinkles herbs over the boiling pot as she does this. She waits.]

Autumn: Return.

[Nothing.]

Autumn: Return.

[Still nothing.]

Kaspar OS: Autumn...

[Kaspar walks into the kitchen, now looking slightly worried.]

Kaspar: Again?

Autumn: [turns away] Kaspar don't.

Kaspar: Autumn, why're you doing this?

Autumn: You know why.

[Autumn starts to walk out.]

Kaspar: Aut, wait.

Autumn: [turns] I need to do this.

Kaspar: [firmly] No, you don't.

Autumn: Please Kaspar, just go away.

Kaspar: I'm your brother. Not possible.

Autumn: Please Kaspar...

Kaspar: Autumn. Stop.

Autumn: Stop what Kas? [Beat] I have to try.

Kaspar: No, you don't. You don't need to do this.

Autumn: I may not need to, but I want to, I want to help, but right now I can't.

Kaspar: Because you're not perfect with the abracadabra?

[Autumn looks down.]

Kaspar: Autumn, we're the Sharpe family, not the Sabrina family.

Autumn: Spellman actually.

Kaspar: [chuckles] Whatever.

Autumn: [softly] Magic is who we are, what we are - mum, you. You're all so powerful. So confident, in control. I've always wanted to be like that. But I just...can't. I'm a witch, I am but I feel like I'm only half a witch. I've been struggling and struggling. I just...don't feel complete.

Kaspar: So? That doesn't make you any less part of the family. You don't need a spell to make you more powerful to prove you are a part of the family.

Autumn: Then what does?

Kaspar: This.

[Kaspar points to his heart.]

Kaspar: This makes us. It's this. All this inside you. It does. It's not magic. You just don't see that.

[Autumn looks up, straight in Kaspar's eyes who looks back, hoping he's talked her round.]

Autumn: [smiling] You're so cheesy you know that?

Kaspar: [grinning] I try.

[He smiles to her and walks out. Autumn looks down, her smile fades. She's not convinced.]

[Cut to: Tara, Ezra, Autumn and Rina in a college dorm room, night. The police are there, people milling around again - another crime scene. There is a second dead body, this time just bleeding there on the bed.]

Rina: [grave] It's happened again.

Tara: Whoever this is, whatever this is, it's killing more people, giving no trace of evidence to the police.

Ezra: [sarcastically] The cops in this town are stumped - what a surprise.

Autumn: What kind of sick person could be doing this?

Rina: The drained blood kinda looks supernatural.

Autumn: We're coming up with nothing so far.

Tara: How about a revealing spell?

Rina: Revealers, aren't they a little unreliable as far as spells go?

Tara: Well it's better than nothing. I think it's worth a shot.

Ezra: I don't see why not.

Tara: Ok, so we'll go back to your place and-

Ezra: Our place.

Tara: What?

Ezra: It's our place now. All of us.

[Tara smiles.]

Autumn: I need to stay here. I have a ton of work to finish off and I think my weedy arms might fall off if I try and carry all those books home.

Rina: Are you sure that's the best option now with psycho-killer on the loose?

Autumn: Well what else can I do, plus all my stuff's here and I have work due in tomorrow morning. Trust me, death's an easy way out compared to what I'll have to go through if I don't get it in on time.

Tara: Autumn-

Autumn: I could also do some snooping, see if I can find anymore clues on the body, in case your spell doesn't work, it won't hurt to have back up will it?

[Rina, Tara and Ezra sigh reluctantly.]

[Cut to: Autumn, opening the door into the Lesper Bay University Hallway, night. The campus is empty and dark. Eerie dark. She walks through the hall, a torch in her hand, guiding the way with the light. There is a slow sinister creak. Autumn stops, freezing. It's gone. Only silence remains.]

Autumn: [murmuring to herself] O-k. Creep factor just went up.

[Cut to: Jess walking quickly down another hallway on the Lesper Bay University Campus, clearly with definite intentions, night.]

[Cut back to: Autumn walking down the hallway, night. She continues on down the corridor. The creak returns. Autumn stops.]

Autumn: Ok whatever you are human or big-ass demon thing, just stop ok or I'll kick your ass. [She sighs.] Or I'll try to anyway...

[Autumn continues on, she reaches the first crime scene, where Doria Gregory's body was found. She bends down and goes under the crime scene tape, she approaches the white body outline. There are blood spatters at the scene.]

[Autumn picks up a strand of hair. She stands up, scanning the crime scene, there's nothing else to find. She turns - finished. A figure is behind her. Autumn's eyes widen. The figure takes out a knife and stabs it into Autumn's stomach. Verella.]

[Blackout.]

End of Act Two.

**Yosso** · 29-03-08, 06:30 PM

Act Three

[Open to: Tara in the witches' kitchen, night. Ezra walks in, but stays by the door.]

Ezra: Afternoon snack I see.

[Tara turns, her mouth stuffed with chocolate, she muffles something completely unintelligible.]

Ezra: And a mmphmaha to you too.

Tara: [wipes chocolate away from her mouth] I'm sorry. I'm being a pig and raiding your cupboard aren't I?

Ezra: No no, binge away. It's not like the world chocolate supply's gonna get less.

Tara: Oh you underestimate the power of the binge.

Ezra: Anyway, I think I owe you more than you owe me right now.

Tara: [beat.] Oh Ez, is this about what happened with the-

Ezra: Attempted murder. Yeah, strangely I can't help but feel a lot of guilt for that.

Tara: We've been over this before Ezra. So you tried to kill me - pfft. I'm over it.

[Ezra gives Tara a slightly worried look.]

Tara: I'm not crazy, by the way.

Ezra: Coulda fooled me.

Tara: It's ok, really. I don't need any more apologies, or gifts. You letting me stay here, helping me get back on my feet is reward enough.

Ezra: No more gifts? Well I think it's a little late for that.

[Ezra brandishes a great big teddy bear from behind the wall. Tara is stunned.]

Tara: Wow.

Ezra: Just thought you may need something to take away the "Oh my god, I nearly got killed" angst.

Tara: [still stunned] Again I say, wow.

Ezra: He's called Flubsy.

Tara: [grinning] Really?

[Cut to: Kaspar in the witches' kitchen, present day. He's standing at the toaster making toast, night. Pete walks in.]

Pete: Oh hey, what you doing?

Kaspar: [turns] Oh just standing around looking cool.

Pete: [nods] I was into that for a while.

Kaspar: So what d'you think is up with this murder mystery thing?

Pete: So far I kinda like it, I'm all Grissomed out.

[Kaspar gives Pete a disapproving look.]

Pete: Well not for the dead people...

Kaspar: [grinning] You are disturbing sometimes.

Pete: I'm a man of many surprises. Speaking of, in these murder cases, it's always so difficult because it's always the person-

Kaspar: You least expect?

[Cut to: a living room in an unknown apartment, day. The door opens from outside. A woman is standing outside on a balcony. She's Verella. The scene is black and white indicating a flashback from Verella's past. There is a caption underneath that says "Lesper Bay, 6 months ago."]

Verella: Honey, I'm home.

[A man suddenly emerges from nowhere, he picks her up and smothers her in wet kisses. Verella giggles. The man lets her go and puts her down.]

Man: That means it's great to see you in Danny-nese.

Verella: I'm liking this new language Danny, care to teach me some more vocabulary later?

Danny: [grinning cheekily] You know I will.

Verella: I was always a willing student.

Danny: Speaking of, how was your day, hon?

Verella: Good. Tough, but good.

Danny: Tough? Is that the good kind of tough or the "Oh my god please kill me" kind?

Verella: A little bit of both.

Danny: It's good to know you're contemplating suicide.

Verella: Only a little.

Danny: Just as long as you're not getting sleepless nights in that dorm of yours. A half empty bed just isn't right. I miss you.

Verella: [smiles] Aaaw. Could you be any more of a perfect boyfriend?

Danny: Oh, perfection is me. But what you're doing, working hard, I'm proud of you. But don't overwork, you need a little party now and then too.

Verella: To be honest, before I didn't know if I could keep on going.

Danny: But now?

Verella: Now I'm more ready than ever. Thanks to you.

Danny: That's my girl. You've got your whole life ahead of you.

Verella: No we've got our whole lives ahead of us.

[Danny and Verella grin to one another and lean in for another gentle kiss.]

[Fade to: Autumn and Verella on the Lesper Bay Campus, night. Verella roughly pulls out the knife. Autumn screams in pain, staggering back.]

Verella: What no "ow"? No, "Why the hell did you stab me?"

Autumn: [shocked, weakly] Verella...

Verella: Do I look like anyone else?

[Verella backhands Autumn to the ground. Autumn winces, her nose now bloody.]

Verella: Bet you're shocked, I bet you're thinking "Oh my god, I can't believe it was you!"

Autumn: [weakly] No, I'm thinking more along the lines of - you're going down for this. Bitch.

Verella: Hello? I'm the one with the threatening knife here! Want me to cut you a new one?

Autumn: If I can kill you first.

Verella: You really don't get it do you. I'm the one with the power over you. The control. I rule you. I own you.

Autumn: [looks down] I know...

Verella: And you have no right, no way of controlling me. I'm the one with the big, pointy knife and you're just a scared little girl.

Autumn: [gasping] Verella, why?

Verella: Your blood. Your type of blood will feed him, sooth his thirst. Undo what's been done to me.

Autumn: A vampire?

Verella: A vampire? Oh come on, Anne Rice, much?

Autumn: So it was you, you killed those people.

Verella: [sarcastically] Well figured out Miss Marple.

Autumn: So you're draining people's blood to feed this demon? Why're you doing this? Killing for a demon?

Verella: You think I get nothing out of it? By giving him a few lives I get him back. My life starts to mean something again.

Autumn: It did before.

Verella: No it didn't. You have no idea. You have no idea what losing somebody you love is like. No idea. My whole world fell away - I was nothing.

Autumn: And you'll continue to be if you don't stop.

Verella: You're not going to persuade me Autumn, nothing will. I know you're my friend, and I'm sorry for this, but I have to do this. He needs his nourishment - now. And you're the only one around. I don't have time to waste or he won't return him to me. I need him.

Autumn: What you're doing isn't right.

Verella: You know why I chose you as a target? I knew you had the right blood type for him, a rare blood type as well mind you, he'll only take a particular type of blood. I also know you. You're powerless, completely weak, helpless. Nobody can save you now, not even yourself.

Autumn: This isn't you Verella, I know you. I know this isn't you. You're just saying all this to me make me hate you.

Verella: Well duh!

[Verella lunges at Autumn with the knife. Autumn dodges very narrowly, she clutches her stomach in pain, she's slower than usual, trying to stop the blood from pouring out. Verella lunges again, Autumn dodges narrowly, avoiding the knife again. She kicks Verella hard in the shins, Verella howls in pain as Autumn runs off frantically. Creepy music plays.]

[Cut to: Autumn frantically running, injured down a corridor, scared, terrified, clutching her bleeding wound. Verella is running after with her knife in her hand. Autumn reaches an exit door. She tries to open it, it won't budge, she shakes it desperately.]

Autumn: Why is my life one big horror movie?

[She continues on running but Verella has caught up with her considerably.]

Verella: Why bother running? You're not going to get out, you stupid bitch.

[Autumn continues running desperately, her breathing heavy, sweat trickling down, gasping, scared, terrified. Verella continues on, now walking confidently, grinning murderously, knife shining in the eerie moonlight. Autumn looks behind her as she runs, Verella is nowhere in sight, Autumn seems to have outrun her for now. Autumn reaches a phone, she desperately picks up the receiver and dials.]

[Split screen to: a fast food restaurant, a Drive Thru Guy picks up the phone.]

Drive Thru Guy: [bored] Welcome to the Bay Burger - "Buy our burger-licious burgers now for only 1.99. Now with less emu."

[Autumn hears Drive Thru Guy at the other end but the connection is bad and his voice comes out with a lot of static and interference.]

Autumn: Pete?

[Autumn's voice is a lot clearer at the Drive Thru Guy's end.]

Drive Thru Guy: No meat? Sorry, we don't do vegetarian. What else would you like?

Autumn: [breathing heavily, desperate and frantic] Pete, I'm being chased, I'm at the University Campus. You have to help me.

Drive Thru Guy: Um... [looks at his script, then over at a menu, he suddenly looks flustered.] Uh... we don't sell that.

Autumn: Verella, it's her, she's the killer, she's been draining victim's blood to feed to some demon.

Drive Thru Guy: [looks at his script] I-I don't know how to respond to that ma'am.

Autumn: You need to hurry now! Please... I'm so scared.

[Beat.]

Drive Thru Guy: You want fries with that?

[A knife stabs into the phone at Autumn's end.]

Verella: Sorry, line's dead.

[Verella pulls out the knife, Autumn continues running. She reaches a lecture theatre, tired and worn out, she quickly pushes the door open and gets in. Autumn takes a chair next to her and puts it against the door. She picks up a long pole, used as a pointer, she puts it in between the two door handles. There is a bang. She rolls a trolley in front of the door, she places a few more chairs against the door. There is another bang.]

Verella OS: You can't stay in there forever!

[Bang.]

[Autumn runs up to the top of the lecture theatre to the windows at the top, she looks down, it's a long way to the bottom. An axe slices through the door. Bang. Autumn sits down in a chair, staring at the door, pure terror on her face.]

[Fade to: Tara, Kaspar, Ezra, Rina and Pete in the witches' living room, night.]

Tara: Ok, let's do this.

Ezra: Athena, we have no knowledge,
We are in the dark.

Kaspar: Give us the answers we seek.

Tara: Reveal.

[They wait.]

Pete: Don't mean to be rude but, Athena sucks.

Ezra: Ok, I'm sensing a definite lack of revelation here.

Kaspar: Not good.

[Cut to: "Pi's Private Investigator Service", night. Drake walks into the building, there is a female receptionist at the desk.]

Receptionist: Good evening sir, how can I help you?

Drake: [darkly] I think it's obvious why I'm here.

Receptionist: Of course, one of our investigators will be right with you. May I have a few details of what you're trying to investigate?

Drake: Tara. Tara Maclay.

[Cut to: Autumn in the lecture theatre, night. The door is now very wounded with axe stabs. Another comes through. Autumn trembles. Another axe mark hits the door. Autumn quivers. The axing stops briefly. Autumn then hears banging, Verella is clearly striking something else.]

[Bang. The wooden pole weakens under the strain. The chairs and trolley shift backwards slightly. Bang. Autumn hurries up to the top of the lecture theatre, her tiny gasps innocent, fearful. Bang. The pole snaps and the door flies open sending the trolley rolling roughly off, knocking the chairs over. Verella is there - with an axe.]

Verella: Hey Autumn. Chop chop.

[Blackout.]

End of Act Three.

**Yosso** · 29-03-08, 06:31 PM

Act Four.

[Open to: Verella's apartment, day. It's black and white again - a flashback, in her past. There is a caption that says "Lesper Bay, 3 months ago." The front door is unlocked and Verella walks in, smiling.]

Verella: Hello?

[Silence.]

Verella: Hello?

[Still silence. Verella grins.]

Verella: [murmuring to herself] Another one of his games...

[She walks down a small corridor in the apartment.]

Verella: Ok Danny boy, I've seen through your little game. Now can we just make with the-

[There is a sudden creak. Verella suddenly turns to her left, continuing down the corridor until she reaches a bedroom. She stops.]

Verella: Danny?

[She takes a small breath, quiet.]

Verella: Danny? What are you doing?

[Verella takes a few more tentative steps forward, shaking.]

[Fade to: later on in the flashback, still at Verella's apartment, day. There are ambulance lights and sirens in the background and paramedics roaming about. A paramedic is talking with a shocked Verella.]

Paramedic: I'm sorry, but your friend here is dead. It says here on his record that he's been having treatment, hospital treatment for his heart. It looks like he died from a heart attack.

Verella: [shaken] N-no, i-it can't be. He would have told me. He would have told me about this.

Paramedic: He probably didn't want to scare you or get you worried.

Verella: No, he would have told me anything, anything. We had our whole lives ahead of us, he did. With me.

[Fade to white.]

[Cut to: the college lecture room, night. Autumn and Verella are in there, present day.]

Verella: Wow. That burned off a few calories.

[Autumn retreats further into the corner. Verella strides confidently towards her.]

Verella: There's nowhere you can run, nowhere you can hide.

Autumn: [terrified] Why? Why are you doing this? This will haunt you forever, can't you see that?

Verella: His life for yours, what's there to think about?

Autumn: You'll never be able to live with yourself if you do this.

Verella: No, I'll never be able to live with myself if I don't do this. You don't know what it's like, to have your whole life, dreams, just taken away from you like that. To feel so worthless, useless, helpless. He was all I had, all I was. I'm nobody now. I'm weak, nothing. You don't understand. You can never understand the loneliness.

[Autumn looks down, her fear temporarily subsiding - she gets it.]

Verella: Now it's all going to stop and you're going to help me.

Autumn: [hurt] Verella, I thought you were my friend.

Verella: Well, we all think things that aren't true.

Autumn: I thought I knew you...

[Verella approaches Autumn, raising her knife in one hand, her axe still intact in the other.]

Voice: Hey!

[Quickly pan to: an old moustached janitor, mopping the floor outside in the corridor.]

Janitor: What are you doing?

Verella: [awkwardly] Uh...a play. The uh... Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Janitor: Is that a real knife?

Verella: We're pretty authentic.

Janitor: Wait-

[Verella hurls the knife into the Janitor's head - dead.]

Verella: What's with the questions? You know what they say, curiosity killed the cat. Or the janitor.

Autumn: [shocked] Oh god...

[Verella now holds the axe firmly with both her hands.]

Verella: I'm not afraid to use this, on you, on anybody.

Voice OS: Oh get over it.

[Pan quickly to: Kaspar. Ezra, Rina, Pete and Tara are with him.]

Verella: Get out of here, now!

[The witches walk towards Verella.]

Autumn: [relieved] Oh my god!

Verella: [turning her head and barking] Shut up!

Tara: You don't need to do this.

Verella: You don't know what I need, newbie. Nothing is going to stop this, I'm not going down for this. I need my life back again.

[Verella's expression turns from vicious, slowly and gradually to sad, she's starting to cry.]

Verella: I need him here, I need him around me again, with me, supporting me. I'm so hollow, so empty without him. Life now, it's just pain. It hurts. I need to make the hurt stop. I lost somebody I loved, now I'm going to do anything to get him back.

Tara: [empathetic] I know...

Pete: What you need is to get away from her.

Kaspar: Before the roles get reversed.

Verella: You're in no position to be threatening me. Now walk away. All of you, before I give your friend here a demonstration on how to divide by two.

[Verella violently brings the axe up.]

Tara: [warily] You don't need to do this.

Verella: I know, heard it a thousand-

[She yells in shock as Autumn roughly pushes her down the stairs.]

Verella: What are you ?...

[Tara and Kaspar send a telekinetic blast at Verella knocking her into the wall - out cold.]

Autumn: Is she-

Rina: Looks like it.

Pete: This can't be it, I bet there's a demon-

[There is a growl behind them. The witches turn, a snarling brown, scaly demon is behind.]

Demon: [cheesy snarl] Blood! Pure blood!

Kaspar: Speak of the devil.

Ezra: Pleased to meet you too.

[The demon rushes straight for Autumn, but it's stopped in it's tracks by a telekinetic blast from Tara which disorients it. Kaspar and Pete dodges a swipe with it's sharp, long claws as it approaches. Kaspar punches it in the stomach. It staggers back. Pete kicks it down.]

Demon: [gasping with an insane hunger] Blood...

[It climbs up the stairs towards Autumn, snarling.]

Demon: Hungry...Blood...

[Tara sends a burst of blue light at it attempting to knock it down, but the demon deflects it, climbing on.]

Rina: Freeze.

[Nothing.]

Ezra: Stop!

[Nothing.]

[Pete and Kaspar run up the stairs but it's already at Autumn, hungry, ready to kill. Or be killed. A sword swipes down vertically through it's head, we don't see where it's from, but as the demon collapses, we see Autumn killed it, holding the sword, battered, bruised, breathing heavily, a survivor.]

[Fade to: Autumn in her room sitting down on her bed, day. The door opens - Kaspar.]

Autumn: [smiling] I see you've lost your knocking ability.

[Kaspar walks back towards the door and knocks on it.]

Kaspar: How's that?

Autumn: [grins] Much better.

Kaspar: How are you?

Autumn: I'll survive. Lucky you all saved me. By the way did you know I was being attacked or was it just luck?

Kaspar: Oh, it was more than luck.

[Cut to: the witches' living room. Pete, Kaspar, Ezra, Rina and Tara are in there. It's black and white indicating a flashback. They're casting the revealing spell.]

Pete: Maybe the spell didn't-

[A folder conveniently falls from the table.]

Tara: Work.

Pete: Why is magic so creepy?

[The five of them get up, Tara picks up the folder.]

Tara: It's Verella's.

Ezra: What's it doing here?

Kaspar: I'm thinking that's what the spell was trying to show us.

Ezra: Verella? You think she's the murderer?

Kaspar: Is Athena ever wrong?

Tara: Verella said she'd be staying on campus tonight to study, she told me.

Pete: Studying the art of murder.

Kaspar: [darkly] So Autumn...

[The five of them run out of the house immediately.]

[Cut back to: Kaspar and Autumn.]

Autumn: Oh, clever. Mystery solved and you managed to beat the homicidal lunatic chick. She sucked.

Kaspar: Yeah, I hear they're bad news. The stitches ok?

Autumn: Just as long as I don't do too much moving, luckily she was a sucky aimer and only got me in my side, missing any vital organs.

Kaspar: [in jest] Phew!

Autumn: [chuckles] After almost becoming corpse me instead of me me, we're awfully chipper about it.

Kaspar: Better laughing than crying though?

Autumn: I wish I was doing that on campus.

Kaspar: No, that would just be damn right creepy.

Autumn: No, not chipper. Just -

Kaspar: Fearless?

Autumn: [softly] Yeah... I was a trembling wreck in there. I knew Verella was crazy after she went at me with the knife, but she was right about one thing.

Kaspar: What's that?

Autumn: I couldn't fight back. I was just so scared. I've never been that frightened in my life.

Kaspar: It's ok to be scared.

Autumn: I was scared because I knew there was nothing I could do.

Kaspar: [raising his eyebrows] What?

Autumn: That's why I'm not a hero, like you - like all of them.

Kaspar: A hero? That's a new one. Autumn, you need to stop this. You need to stop thinking like this. You don't need to be some super-girl to be special. There are different kinds of hero. There's one in all of us. Some people are just too dumb to see it.

[Kaspar playfully jabs Autumn on the shoulder.]

Autumn: That was kinda touching.

Kaspar: I know, I'm Oscar nomination material aren't I?

[The two smile to one another.]

[Cut to: Kaspar and Autumn walking down to the living room, day.]

Rina: Hey.

Autumn: [with a smile] Hi.

Pete: You look surprisingly pleased, post-killer rampage.

Tara: So you're ok?

Autumn: Yeah, I'm fine. More than fine actually.

Ezra: That's good.

Autumn: The first of probably many thank yous. I'm just saying thanks for saving my life, as I'll probably forget later.

Pete: [smiles] No we're cool with it. Besides you wailed on that demon all sword happy, very Kill Bill-esque.

[Autumn smiles.]

Ezra: I say a post-attempted murder movie is in order don't you?

Rina: How about The Shining?

Kaspar: [sarcastically] Very appropriate.

Rina: Oh, my bad.

Autumn: [grins] I'm more in Disney mode right now actually...

[Slowly fade out.]

[Cut to: Tara in the witches' living room, day. She's at a computer, typing, with more papers around her doing research. Autumn walks in.]

Autumn: You're really turning into a research-a-holic now, aren't you Tara?

Tara: [turns in her chair] Yeah, there's nothing more addictive.

Autumn: [smiles] You've been doing it quite a lot recently.

Tara: I know, I know. I'm not exactly getting much so far. It's hard.

Autumn: Yeah I know, research can be a major-brain zapper.

Tara: No, it's not that, it's the uncertainty. What if I never manage to get it? What if I never find out what's happening with my friends, how they're doing, what happened in my past, I just can't face the disappointment if I never get to find out.

Autumn: Well there's no use thinking like that, there's no harm in trying is there?

Tara: No, I guess not.

[Autumn nods. Tara resumes her research and Autumn starts to walk out of the room, but suddenly stops herself.]

Autumn: Hey Tara, just one thing.

Tara: What?

Autumn: Whatever you're doing, if you really want it, don't give up. You have the power to do something, to change things. Don't give up, ok?

[Tara nods, a grateful smile on her face. Autumn leaves. Tara looks longingly into the desk beneath her. She sighs.]

[Cut to: the witch hunters' war room, night. All are present.]

Jade: So why're we here?

Drake: I think you know why.

Fynn: Don't mean to dampen our little misery squad further but the last plan...

Drake: The last plan was unfortunate, lacking, a mistake.

Jade: The witches-

Drake: We underestimated them.

Ameya: It would have worked if wasn't for... They would have torn each other apart.

Drake: But the point is they didn't. What happened before, we need to move past it, look to the future.

Ameya: The future?

Drake: I've been doing some research, putting my reading glasses on and I've discovered something about one of them - crucial.

Fynn: Crucial?

Drake: The new arrival Tara. I can only think of four words to describe her - Pain in my arse.

Ameya: She's deceptive.

Fynn: You found out something about her?

Drake: From a source. Let's just say she's not from around here.

Jade: What do you mean?

Drake: I got these from a PI, some records, photos.

[Drake takes out a file and throws it on the table, a few pictures tumble out, crime scene and autopsy photos. Ameya picks one up, the picture is of a dead body, at a crime scene - Tara.]

Fynn: [taken aback] Is she...

Drake: That's what it looks like.

Ameya: Oh my god...

Fynn: How is this-

Drake: Possible? I don't know. Turns out black magics can do a lot more things than we expected or it's all been faked I don't know.

Ameya: [stunned] This is... can all witches do this?

Drake: No. I assure you, this has to be the power of something far greater, far stronger than the average witch. The evidence is right here. She was dead.

Fynn: So we're dealing with something more.

Drake: I don't know, but I can tell you what I do know. Tara, she's the problem. The core of the infection. She was dead, gone before, not on this earth until now. This is against natural order.

Jade: So...

[Beat.]

Drake: We're going to send her back.

[Blackout.]

The End.

Flashback scenes in Act One from the BtVS Episodes "Villians" Written by Marti Noxon and "Grave" Written by David Fury. Transcribed by Joan the English Chick.

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Witch - Episode 1.04 - "A Knife in the Back"

Witch - Episode 1.04 - "A Knife in the Back"

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