Witch 1.01 "The Hunt"
Well Witch has finally reached my LJ (yeah I know, took me a while!) Before releasing any new episodes I've decided to have a period of rewriting the older ones and re-airing them regularly, polishing them all up again and using this time to write some the newer ones.
If you're a first time reader, enjoy :).
Episode 1.01 “The Hunt”
Part One of Three
Teaser
[Open to: a pair of legs, running desperately down a street, rain pouring down, a howling thunderstorm raging on, night. The girl is wearing jeans, we slowly move up and up her body, she’s panting - hard.]
[Her murmurs of fear grow louder and louder, faster and faster. We move up further to see she is wearing a deep blue jumper, we move up to shoulder length to see dirty blonde hair fluttering, we move further up to see a bloody stain on her jumper.]
[The girl looks around, her face hidden by her hair. There is a shadow on the wall, brandishing a knife, we follow the shadow on the wall running menacingly after the girl. The girl continues on down the alleyway, suddenly bumping into another shadowed figure, she gasps. The figure steps out of the shadow - a man, who grips the woman by the shoulders.]
Man: [surprised] Woah woah, what’s the hurry little miss?
[The woman breathes heavily.]
Woman: [gasping] We have to…run. Run away. It’s not safe.
Man: [Texan accent] I think a little chill pill prescription is in order here, just calm down.
Woman: I can’t. It’s coming for me. She’s coming for me. We have to run away before-
Man: [intent] Before what?
Woman: Before-
[She turns around, there’s nothing.]
Man: Let me say that again, before what?
Woman: She was…she was there just a minute-
Man: Yeah maybe. Hope you don’t mind me sayin’ but, drugs really aint good for ya, I can tell you some stories, puffin’ that magic dragon’s only gonna get you burnt-
Woman: I swear! I swear she was there, she was after me.
Man: D’you live around here?
Woman: Yeah, a few blocks on. It’s not far.
Man: Hey, you don’t look so good. I could take ya home if you’re scared.
Woman: Really?
Man: [smiles] I don’t think even the worst comedians would make a joke as bad as that.
Woman: Well I’d take laughter over terror of The Exorcist variety any day.
[The Man chuckles.]
Woman: Thanks.
Man: [with a smile] Nah, s’okay.
[The two start to walk down the alleyway.]
Man: Oh, before I forget and become “creep alleyway guy” I would be Drake.
Woman: Gabriella.
Drake: It’s a pleasure.
Gabriella: I’d have to say the pleasure’s all mine in this case. I mean it.
Drake: [chuckles] I suppose. So where are you from?
Gabriella: Before any conclusions get jumped, not France.
Drake: [nods] Oui.
Gabriella: Oh ha ha, there’s a comedian amongst the ranks. D’accord.
Drake: Huh? I’m clueless, my French goes as far as “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?”
Gabriella: Am I meant to be impressed or grossed out?
Drake: Take your pick.
Gabriella: I think I’ll go with the former, cos you seem like a nice guy.
Drake: Nice guy huh?
[She smiles warmly up to him, he smiles back. She shivers slightly.]
Drake: God I’m so stupid, you must be going Arctic in there.
Gabriella: I’ll survive. [She shivers] If the cold doesn’t kill me first.
Drake: Here.
[Drake wraps his coat around Gabriella.]
Gabriella: So gentleman is in this town’s vocabulary. Thanks.
Drake: Happy to help.
[They continue to walk on]
Drake: So why were you running?
Gabriella: I was being chased. One second I was coming out of wicca group with a cup of cocoa in my hands against the cold and feeling all clichéd, the next it was something out of Crouching Tiger, knives and swords… I’ve never been more scared in my life.
Drake: So who was chasing you?
Gabriella: This woman.
Drake: Any description?
Gabriella: The word psycho springs to mind.
Drake: So you have no idea why they’d be chasing you?
Gabriella: I’m not ruling out Satanism as a possibility.
Drake: Or maybe you deserved it.
[Beat. Tense Beat. They stop.]
Gabriella: [can’t believe her ears] What?
Drake: [suddenly malicious, his accent turns English] I think you heard me.
Gabriella: [starting to panic] Maybe I should call the police.
Drake: [slick] No, I don’t think that would be necessary.
Gabriella: I really need to return home now-
Drake: You really are gravely mistaken.
Gabriella: Excuse me?
Drake: How do you know your pursuer isn’t right and you’re wrong? Maybe you need to be killed.
Gabriella: I think I should-
[Gabriella turns away but Drake viciously grabs her back.]
Drake: Go? I don’t think so little missy.
Gabriella: [trembling yet trying to stay casual] I- I have p-people waiting at home, they’ll be worried.
Drake: I don’t think worried is the word you’re looking for. I’d say more like happy, joyful, celebrating. I’m sure they don’t care about you, they want you gone.
[Gabriella struggles further.]
Drake: Your dead corpse would bring them more joy than any of their time wasted on you.
Gabriella: [desperate] Please…
Drake: You know what you are? You’re disgusting, foul, a plague on humanity, you and all your kind.
[Drake harshly backhands Gabriella across the face, leaving a gleaming, pulsating bruise on her panicked expression.]
Gabriella: [terror struck] How? Why?
Drake: Because of what you are…
[A figure slowly walks out of the shadows. Gabriella struggles further against Drake. She pulls, she pulls, but his grip is too strong. Far too strong, she can’t win. She’ll never win. Drake shoves Gabriella against the wall - she slams into it. The figure is the same one that was running after her before, we see her face is female. She walks closer to Gabriella holding a dangerous looking dagger with a symbol on it.]
[The figure holds Gabriella still. She starts to scream. The figure puts her hand over Gabriella’s mouth, she struggles underneath. The figure raises her dagger. And plunges. Gabriella screams in agony - once. Silence.]
Drake: Witch.
[Blackout.]
Thunder cracks…
Opening Credits
Theme song: “Wherever I Go” by The Album Leaf.
Wherever I go, I take you with me,
‘Cause I don’t want to see you leave.
Whenever I go, you stay with me,
They won’t see you leave.
Are you here with me?
I want you here with me.
Whenever I turn, you are gone from me,
And I won’t see you leave.
Wherever I go, your shadow follows me,
I don’t want to see you leave.
Are you here with me?
I want you here with me.
You are here with me,
And I am here with you.
You are here with me,
And I am here with you…
Starring -
Amber Benson - Tara Maclay
Anna Belknap - Ezra Storm
Carmine Giovinazzo - Kaspar Sharpe
Percy Daggs III - Pete Holloway
Samaire Armstrong - Rina Faraday
and Autumn Reeser as Autumn Sharpe
Guest Starring:
David Anders - Drake
Jennifer Garner - Ameya
Amanda Seyfried - Jade
Jonathan Bennett - Fynn
Tania Saulnier - Gabriella
Michael Bailey Smith - The Messenger
Will Kempe - Red Robed Figure
Created by: Yosso
Written by: Yosso
Produced by: Yosso
Promo by: Artemis
Song(s) featured: “Wherever I Go” by The Album Leaf.
Original Airdate: (on BW) Sunday 5th November 2006
Re-release Airdate: (on BF and LJ) 22nd September 2007
Disclaimer: “Witch” is a virtual fan made series, set in Joss Whedon’s Buffyverse, property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar Television, Kuzui Entertainment, The WB, UPN and 20th Century Fox Television. No profit is made from this, the character of Tara was created by Joss Whedon. All other original characters were created by me (Yosso), so keep your hands off ‘em (except with permission).
Set during Season 7 of BtVS and Season 4 of AtS.
~+~
Act One
[Open to: darkness, a black screen.]
[Fade to: a flicker of an image, Tara in BtVS Season 4, looking down nervously. Cut to: a quick series of clips following, Tara running from a werewolf, Tara blowing the candles out, Tara with her father, Tara dancing with Willow, Tara looking up at the stars, Tara screams as her brain gets sucked, Tara's mind returns, Tara fighting with Willow, Tara with Buffy crying in her lap, Tara and Willow having coffee, Tara and Willow kissing. One final time.]
[Gunshot.]
[It stops, it all stops.]
[Abruptly cut to: a pair of eyes, the eyelids are closed. They stir for a moment, shift around and move. They suddenly shoot open, as they shoot open we hear the violent sound of another gunshot and blood spattering. We move back to see Tara on the ground, she lifts her head up slowly, she slowly sits up - bewildered. She is in a blank space of complete white, a void. A black robed figure is standing over her, she moves back suddenly startled.]
Tara: Willow...
[Tara suddenly looks up, shaken up, completely confused.]
Tara: [dazed] Where am I?
Black Figure: It isn’t important.
Tara: What’s happening?
Black Figure: You don’t need to know.
Tara: [she stands up] Who are you?
[Beat.]
Black Figure: I am The Messenger.
Tara: The Messenger? Of what, who?
The Messenger: You don’t need to know.
Tara: [confused] What happened to me? Where am I? Where is she? Where is-
The Messenger: You have been moved.
Tara: Moved from what?
The Messenger: From time, from space, from existence. This is the void.
Tara: The void for what?
The Messenger: We have ended your past existence. Killed you. To bring you new life, transfer you to the next level.
Tara: Killed me? The next level of what?
The Messenger: That doesn’t concern you.
Tara: [fiercer] Well I want it to.
The Messenger: You will soon be moved.
Tara: Why am I here? Where did everything go?
The Messenger: That is no longer under your control.
Tara: [out of pure desperation] Wherever I am, send me back. I want her back.
The Messenger: You think you belong? To that life. To that world. You never have.
Tara: Who are you to tell me who I belong to?
The Messenger: And you think you’re so certain?
Tara: I am.
The Messenger: You will discover in time.
Tara: What is this?
The Messenger: The time is coming, drawing near.
Tara: Tell me what’s going on.
The Messenger: I can’t.
Tara: Why? Why are you doing this?
The Messenger: You need to find your own future.
[Fade to white.]
[Cut to: a pair of eyes. They explode open - they’re Tara’s again. She sits up after finding herself lying on an alley floor, night. She is dazed, confused, disoriented. She sighs.]
[Cut to: an average kitchen, day. The same woman in the teaser is in there taking out various items of cutlery from a drawer. A man walks in.]
Woman: [brightly] Hey Fynn, good morning.
Fynn: Ameya, take out the good and put in crappy and that’s the kind of morning this is.
Ameya: That bad huh?
Fynn: Picture the effects of head meets truck, that’s how my I feel.
Ameya: So bad.
Fynn: Uh huh. Egg me.
[Ameya places two fried eggs on a plate for Fynn. Another woman enters.]
Ameya: [cheerful] Jade hi.
Fynn: Hey.
Jade: [with a beam] Hi Fynn.
Ameya: Egg?
Jade: [to Fynn, grinning] Were you the master chef?
Fynn: You could say that, but you’d be lying. It’s all ‘meya here.
Jade: I’ll pass then.
Ameya: Suit yourself.
Fynn: You sure? ‘Cos if I was this egg, cannibalism would so be an option right now.
Jade: [suddenly more bitter] Don’t get too excited there…
[Silence. Jade walks over to the counter and starts to pour herself some coffee.]
Ameya: You think you’ll get a better nights sleep tonight?
Fynn: Doubt it, insomnia doesn’t usually take nights off, just days which is crappy.
[Jade glares at the two of them talking, she notices a frilly blue blouse on the counter. Jade looks up to Ameya, she grins maliciously slowly placing her mug on the blouse.]
Ameya: [smiling] I could help if you want, make your night slightly more bearable. If you’re willing.
Fynn: [grins] Yeah…
Ameya: [airy] Great…
[They grin to one another. Jade glaring across at the pair casually tips the cup of coffee over the blouse with a small push of her finger.]
Jade: [falsely] Oops.
[Jade feigns a melodramatic gasp.]
Ameya: Oh my god what happened?
Jade: It must’ve been knocked down.
Ameya: [flustered] Knocked down? How?
Jade: Maybe this is a sign from the fates or karma being returned.
[Ameya grips the blouse and inspects the stain, she sighs, annoyed.]
Ameya: This is going to take an age to clean and I only got it yesterday.
Jade: I am so sorry. But maybe it’s a warning - a warning telling you to stay away from something. Or someone. A male someone.
[Ameya sighs and walks off with her shirt, irritated. Jade grins. We follow Ameya to her bedroom as she walks in she places the stained shirt on her bed. There is a knock at the door - she turns. Drake.]
Drake: Good morning.
Ameya: Hi.
Drake: That was good work from you last night. Expert stabbing.
Ameya: [shrugs] I didn’t think there were many ways except “shove-into-flesh.”
Drake: Oh it can be an art form. I just needed to congratulate you on that, your first kill.
Ameya: It was…messy.
Drake: It has to be. It always is.
Ameya: It’s just the blood…
Drake: [with passion] The blood is the reward. It is their life. When you kill one of those dirty things, they’re giving their life to you - it’s in your hands. Let the blood wash over you. Feel the blood. That is the power you have over these creatures. It is your right.
[Ameya is slightly stunned, but the expression quickly turns to a smile.]
Drake: They took so much away from you. It is your right to take it back.
Ameya: [looks down slightly painfully] Yeah…
Drake: I have news. We’re making progress in our campaign.
Ameya: How?
Drake: The next target…
[Fade to: a bedroom, morning, slowly pan over the messy room, clothes here and there, bowls and plates scattered around, finally move to see a woman is sleeping in a bed. An alarm suddenly goes off ringing shrilly. Her eyes slowly flutter open.]
Voice: Morning.
[Another woman appears over Woman 1’s shoulder. Woman 1 turns, an instant grin appears on her face. An instant sparkle glows in her eyes at the sight of Woman 2.]
Woman 1: My day doesn’t suck so far…
[Woman 2 grins. They kiss.]
Woman 1: Good dreams?
Woman 2: The best. But nothing compared to this.
Woman 1: Go me!
Woman 2: Wanna get up?
Woman 1: [false shock] Rina, how could you even think such a thing!
Rina: I guess. It’s way too comfortable in here.
[They snuggle up together in the bed.]
Rina: I’ll ask again Ezra, wanna get up?
Ezra: Never.
[Rina smiles to Ezra, gazing at her.]
Ezra: What? Has the Amazon suddenly sprouted on my head?
Rina: [chuckling] More like a bush.
Ezra: Oh god, I know I’m a witch, but not that kind of witch. I still have a sense of style.
Rina: It’s ok really. You’re gorgeous.
[They grin together.]
Ezra: I’m your girlfriend though, your opinion doesn’t count.
Rina: Suppose we should get out of bed then.
Ezra: Big day at college.
Rina: Lots of learning to be done.
Ezra: Let’s go.
Rina: Let’s go.
[They don’t move muscle.]
Ezra: Now maybe?
Rina: Maybe.
[The door suddenly bursts open. The couple bounce out of bed in an instant. A man walks in.]
Man: We’re all Titaniced.
Ezra: Pete, what’s up?
Pete: Think Noah’s Ark meets the household bathroom. Come with me.
[The three go to a bathroom and open the door - water instantly leaks out, completely flooded. We see a pipe leading out from the bath spurting out water madly and another man trying in vain to stop the flailing pipe.]
Man: Do you want to pay for the carpet too? Close the friggin’ door!
Rina: [to the Man at the pipe] Kaspar, how did this happen?
Pete: Pipe go snap.
Rina: This isn’t good.
Kaspar: You think?
Ezra: Well we’ll leave this predicament in your strong capable male hands.
Pete: What? You need to soak in the misery too!
Rina: [grinning] We’ll leave this job to the professionals.
Kaspar: Great…
Pete: Just us against the Lesper Bay water supply.
Kaspar: You’re up against some tough opposition Mr. Pipey.
[The pipe continues to spurt water in defiance.]
Pete: Fine, you want it that way do you?
Kaspar: Pete you can hold the pipe, try and stop it from shaking, I’ll see if I can repair it.
Pete: Harry Potter style I’m guessing.
Kaspar: Oh pur-lease.
[Kaspar focuses on the pipe.]
Kaspar: Fix.
[Metal melts its way over the pipe, stopping the leak.]
Pete: And after forty days and forty nights…
Kaspar: Crisis averted.
Pete: I’ve had ten shower’s worth of water on me, yet I smell like I’ve been to Sewage Central and back.
Kaspar: Nah, it’s there all the time.
Pete: I’m out of witty comebacks so I’ll just have to settle with - shut up!
Kaspar: Best friend here, I can get away with these things.
Pete: After a good long poker up the-
Kaspar: Oh the threats keep coming.
[Pete playfully punches Kaspar on the arm. They reach a kitchen - a woman is there.]
Kaspar: Hey Autumn.
Autumn: My God, what have you two been doing to each other?
Pete: Fight to the death, didn’t work out, but we’re cool.
Autumn: Just another typical morning then.
Kaspar: Who ever said we were barbarians?
Autumn: Well I do for one. [to Kaspar] Kas, we really need to change that shirt, come on.
[Kaspar and Autumn walk out.]
Pete: And what do I do, just stand here and freeze?
[We follow Kaspar and Autumn out of the door.]
Kaspar: You know I don’t intend to go to work like this, ‘cos thoughts involving wet t-shirt parties will probably spring to mind when I see my patients.
Autumn: But you know how you are with irons, a white shirt might as well be ash by the time you’re done with it.
Kaspar: How do you know that look isn’t in this year?
Autumn: Because the last time I let you near one was last year. Plus you’re my brother, since when have you and fashion ever mixed?
Kaspar: People change.
Autumn: Not you.
Kaspar: So is it college or work for you first?
Autumn: I’m all college bound right now.
Kaspar: Remember your bag this time.
Autumn: Yes “Mom.”
Kaspar: Yes, your very masculine mum. I just want to look out for ya.
Autumn: I know. It’s what you do.
[Autumn smiles up to Kaspar. The two walk back into the kitchen where Rina places a stack of pancakes on a plate.]
Kaspar: Yum fatty goodness.
Pete: Our very own Delia Smith.
Rina: Oh don’t underestimate, she is so beneath me.
Ezra: Damn straight.
[Kaspar switches on a radio on the counter.]
Announcer: [cheerfully] Welcome to the eight ‘o clock news, with the Lesper Bay Radio Crew. Now for our main headlines, a woman was found dead in an alleyway down in the South District of the city, there are major stab wounds to the gut with what seemed to be some sort of ceremonial dagger. There is little evidence to be found on her, but the police do know that she has a tattoo on her hand that represents the wiccan coven - Lenora. The police urge any members of this group and of the public to come forward with any information. The police appear perplexed by this case, desperately trying to find the perpetrator to this brutal crime. Here’s Alan for more…
[Rina turns the radio off.]
Rina: That’s enough murder, misery and mayhem for one morning.
Pete: Have you noticed how there’s never any good news? Only murders, rapes, it’s really depressing.
Autumn: Well we have something to be thankful for, a great start to a great day.
Ezra: Don’t go jinxing us now.
Autumn: Not jinxing more like…optimistic.
Rina: That optimism could turn into pain, horror and death.
Pete: Nah, what could go wrong with today?
[Cut to: Ezra walking down a dark, dank alleyway - night.]
Ezra: This isn’t creepy…not creepy at all.
[A bin suddenly rustles. Ezra gasps slightly, but it’s only a fox rushing away, false alarm.]
Ezra: Stupid slasher movie atmosphere…
[Cut to: Tara walking down a similar alleyway - night. Lost, confused, disoriented. Where is she now? Tara’s eyes are glazed with emptiness, she gazes around this unfamiliar environment, foreign and alone. She gazes slowly up to the black sky, watching. Her mind, her body, her soul astray and adrift. Where is she now?]
Tara: Where’s a map when you need one?
[Tara continues to walk on - innocent again. She reaches a crossroad to a few alleyways, suddenly she turns as a running figure breathing heavily flashes across.]
Tara: Hello?
[Cut to: Ezra still walking on down the alleyway.]
Ezra: [sighs] I can handle the supernatural, yet I’m like a woman with pepper spray when it comes to dark alleys. There should be a ban on these things.
[Ezra reaches a crossing between four dark alleys, as she walks along there is a heavy breathing and running. She suddenly turns to the left - nothing.]
Ezra: Great…
[She walks on dismissing what she saw but suddenly turns as the same heavy breathing figure rushes across the alley in front of her. Ezra instinctively runs towards her, her suspicions now aroused.]
Ezra: Hey wait!
[Ezra runs down the alley trying to get to the girl. She rushes forward - she’s gone. Nowhere to be seen.]
Ezra: What the friggin’-
[Cut to: Tara walking down the alley, she reaches the alley crossroads and also sees the same heavy breathing figure running across the parallel alley to her right. Putting aside her disorientation, she decides to run after it. On pure instinct.]
Tara: Wait!
[Cut to: Ezra in the alley, she sees the figure again and determinedly runs after it this time.]
Ezra: Wait!
[Spilt screen: to the two of them rushing after the girl at the same time in different alleys. They get closer and closer, getting nearer and nearer an alley crossroad.]
Tara: Etia Confuti!
[A strand of blue light shoots from Tara’s hands, though they don’t reach the girl. A figure comes out of the darkness snatching her away. She screams. There is a sound of a brutal stabbing. Nothing. A body drops out of the darkness. Ezra and Tara run to the body - their faces cold. Frigid. Tara notices the symbol on her hand.]
Tara: [icy] The Lenora coven…
[Tara and Ezra both look up to each other. A first look that will change everything.]
Tara: Hi.
[Cut to black.]
End of Act One
Act Two
[Open to: the witches’ house, the living room - night.]
Ezra: So this is everyone.
Pete: Howdy.
Tara: Hi, it’s nice to meet you.
Kaspar: So are you a witch?
Tara: Right down to the broomstick.
Rina: [concerned] Ez, what happened to your shirt?
[Tara takes a sharp quiet breath.]
Rina: It’s ripped.
Ezra: There was a girl, she was running from something.
Tara: S-Someone. And then we f-found her dead. We c-called the police and they took her away.
Pete: [in jest] Ezra, is there something you feel you need to admit?
Ezra: [serious] She was stabbed.
Tara: With a wiccan symbol on her arm.
Autumn: Wasn’t the other victim on the news-
Rina: A witch.
Kaspar: So we’re thinking witch hunt?
Ezra: Most likely.
Pete: We can’t exactly be sure these are witch killings there have only been two - the witch thing could be a coincidence.
Rina: Maybe.
Tara: Or maybe not. I-I don’t mean to intrude, but I don’t think this is the time to start making assumptions, my instincts seem to be pointing screaming that this does have something to do with witches, and I just can’t ignore that.
Ezra: We shouldn’t take the chance now.
Autumn: So what are we gonna do?
Tara: [softly] I would suggest say bait…if that’s okay. W-whatever’s hunting these witches m-must know who they are or can detect them somehow…possibly.
Pete: So attempted suicide, putting our lives on the line, great plan. [Beat] That wasn’t sarcasm by the way I’m all for it.
Ezra: So who’s up for that?
Rina: How about some stay here, research, we may be able to find out something while the bait is out.
Kaspar: Yeah, we should split up - cover more territory.
Pete: I’d agree with that.
Rina: So how are we gonna do this?
[Cut to: a similar dark alleyway - night. Ezra, Rina and Tara are walking down it.]
Ezra: So how long have you been a witch?
Tara: A little while.
Ezra: I’d say more than a little from that spell you pulled off.
Tara: [blushes a little] I-I know a few things.
Rina: Tara, modesty doesn’t look good on you.
[Tara smiles, looking down as she blushes a little further.]
Ezra: I started about a year ago, so I guess I’m kind of in the newbie section magic wise.
Tara: [smiling, blissfully reminiscent] I’ve always been a witch. I can’t remember not being one. I… I used to practice with my mum, she would teach me spells and all about magic. She was powerful.
Rina: Join the club, magic is all I’ve ever known since I was little.
Tara: It all seemed so simple then.
Ezra: [smiles] And what do I do? Just stand on the sidelines?
Rina: Aaw baby you can join.
[Ezra and Rina smile to one another. Tara is still smiling, she looks down into the floor her smile slowly fades, transforming into a look of brief longing, yearning.]
Rina: It may be simple then, but that feeling never goes away.
Ezra: That jolt you get every time you do a spell.
Rina: And it’s not because of the magics.
Ezra: It’s because of you, being able to be feel so much, by just one action.
Rina: Being able to feel accomplishment.
Ezra: Being able to feel-
Tara: Powerful.
Ezra: Yeah, that’s it.
Rina: Then why do witches get hunted? What drives people to think like this?
Tara: Fear, they’re scared of what we might do, what we can do.
Ezra: It’s a misunderstanding thing too, people fear the unknown.
Tara: After my mother died, I had to hide my magics, at least that’s what I felt.
Ezra: Why?
Tara: My father, he wouldn’t allow it - ever. He tried to get me to stop, so I did, or at least I pretended to. But now it’s ok. I don’t have that anymore. I’m not going to let the same thing happen to these witches.
Ezra: So where are you from?
Tara: Sunnydale, not originally though.
Ezra: Isn’t that America’s death hole?
Tara: [smiles] So I’ve heard.
Rina: So what’s life like back on the ranch?
Tara: Well, my very ranchless home is….was….perfect.
Ezra: Perfect? Who takes care of your house ‘cos I want that number.
Tara: Not in that way.
[Tara smiles nostalgically.]
Ezra: So why’re you here in this crap hole? And that was a compliment by the way.
Tara: I died.
[Silence.]
Rina: [not convinced] Nah, really.
Tara: [nods with a blank face] Really.
[Beat.]
Ezra: Well, that’s a new one.
Tara: I was.…killed. Then the next thing I knew I was here.
Rina: [struck by astonishment] Wow.
Ezra: I guess you don’t need a Sixth Sense to see dead people.
Tara: [kind of hollowly] I guess.
Rina: Again I say...wow.
Tara: [smiles] We should start to get to work.
[The three of them continue to walk down the alley.]
Ezra: This is disgraceful, why has nobody tried to kill us yet? [Beat.] That’s something I never expected to hear myself say.
Rina: You’re not the only one who’s a little disappointed.
Ezra: So I’m the one who’s wiggling on the line?
Tara: Yeah, are you sure about this?
Ezra: S’okay. I’ll survive - I hope.
Rina: [with a joking face, but hard, empty voice] Just - don’t get killed.
[Ezra gives Rina a soft, reassuring smile. It’s all going to be okay….]
Tara: I second that.
Ezra: That’s not on my to-do list today. Mojo me.
Tara: Permissum hostilis reperio suus, addo periculosus preconorus...
[Tara blows a handful of magical dust into her face. Fade to white.]
[Cut to: the witches’ house - the living room - night. The large round table is covered with books and scattered in papers and files. Autumn and Kaspar are at the table.]
Autumn: Anything?
Pete: [walks into the room] I think I might have a lead.
Kaspar: [clearly a little pissed off] It’s been two hours and we haven’t found anything, stop with the lead in and get on with it.
Pete: [sighs, with an intense look] Okay, but this is serious stuff.
Autumn: We’re ready. Give us the lead.
Pete: [serious] Okay, they have Margherita, ham and pineapple or salami and pickle.
Autumn: No anchovy with mushroom?
Pete: Nope.
Autumn: You sure?
Pete: If I ask the nice lady over the phone again for the twelfth time I think we’ll go hungry by the end of the night.
Kaspar: Ok screw it, we’ll have to go pizza-less.
Autumn: Sigh.
Kaspar: We should get to work. Last time I checked saving lives had little bit more priority than pizza.
Pete: What world do you live in?
[Kaspar looks disapprovingly down to Pete.]
Pete: [rolls his eyes] Ok, I’ll get Googling.
[Pete walks over to the table to a computer, he starts typing.]
Kaspar: How many million matches are there this time?
Pete: Ooh, got one that looks good.
Kaspar: Fill me in.
Pete: There’ve been killings all over the country, all these cases are witch related. They kind of come in clusters.
Kaspar: [nodding in understanding] Uh huh.
Pete: In ’99 there were several in Chicago, then in 2000 there were some in other smaller towns.
Autumn: [peering over Pete’s shoulder at the screen] So they’re moving and now they’re here. Doesn’t look like there’s been much killing in our area.
Kaspar: So you sure it’s just the witches being killed?
Pete: That’s a definite. It’s the only thing that connects all these victims.
Autumn: What about the girl stabbed yesterday, can you find out anything about her?
Pete: Just watch these fingers fly.
[Pete starts to type again into Google. Another page comes up.]
Pete: Yep, another Sabrina.
Kaspar: I suppose the next step would be finding who’s moved here recently, these hunters must be newbies around here.
Pete: Take the helm Major.
[Pete gets off the chair, Kaspar gets on it typing in something else to Google.]
Kaspar: Got ‘em.
[Kaspar presses the print button. A sheet of names and addresses comes out.]
Pete: So you’re going to go to all these addresses?
Kaspar: Guess I’ll have to.
Pete: And say “Hey you don’t happen to be part of the Salem-re-enactment society do you?”
Kaspar: Maybe a little edit work is in order.
Pete: So I’ve found the trail of these hunters, you got the addresses and Autumn got-
Autumn: A chocolate bar.
[Pete walks over to Autumn and snatches the bar from her hand.]
Autumn: Hey! Give that back.
Pete: [grinning] Make me little miss.
Autumn: Stick ‘em up.
[Autumn raises her small fists, in a mock fight.]
Pete: [with teasing sarcasm] Oh, threatening.
[Autumn quickly snatches the bar away from Pete and rushes off.]
Pete: Oh no you don’t.
[Pete runs away after her.]
Kaspar: Ok, ok. Break it up you two.
[Kaspar snatches the bar, rips it open and quaffs it in one bite. Autumn huffs.]
Pete: Woah, you could fit China in there.
Kaspar: [shrugs] I try.
Autumn: So we done with research?
Pete: Done as done can be.
Kaspar: Without the done bit though.
Autumn: Huh?
Kaspar: We need to find these killers, I got a group of addresses we could use. But we should wait first. See what the others find.
Pete: With Tara.
Autumn: Yeah….Tara.
[Beat.]
Kaspar: What’s up with her?
Pete: I’m voting Nazi or KGB spy.
Autumn: Well we can’t exactly judge. We barely know her.
Kaspar: We only did get a glance at her. She kind of appeared out of nowhere.
Pete: Well, I say the more help we get the better.
Autumn: What d’you think they’re doing now?
[Cut to: Ezra walking down the alley, alone as she whistles lightly to herself, night.]
Ezra: [under her breath] Oh come on, kill me already. Cos - I’m so helpless...
[Ezra continues to walk on casually whistling for a little while. A robed, faceless figure lunges. A whip of darkness strikes her. Without a chance to react she is pinned against the wall. Breath now hard, eyes sharp and determined, she struggles against the figure’s grip. In the struggle she manages to knee the figure in the gut. Grunt. It releases her.]
Ezra: [gasping] Repelli a mihi.
[The figure is sent back by a small wave of energy. Tara and Rina appear at her side, three other figures join the first one. Figure 2 swings a sword at Tara, she narrowly avoids it, however with little style.]
Tara: Permovi ut hosta hostiu.
[A small bin slams into Figure 2, disorienting him. Figure 3 and 4 are on Ezra, they grip her arms tightly, before Figure 3 takes complete control of Ezra’s arms. Figure 4 releases her and runs in front of Ezra, Figure 3 still holding her arms tightly behind, suppressing her escape. Figure 4 moves forward, raising a knife. It glints threateningly in the moonlight. Ezra takes a shocked glance at it, the very sight of it slashing fear into her. She struggles all further.]
[Rina repels the now advancing Figure 1 with a shockwave, as he slowly recovers from the last injury. Now seeing Ezra struggling, Rina instantly abandons Figure 1 who continues to pursue her. Tara also sees Ezra is struggling and rushes to her aid as Figure 2 pushes the bin away, also pursuing Tara. Both on their way to Ezra.]
Tara/Rina: Release!
[Strands of light appear, striking Figure 3’s hands who suddenly recoils from Ezra. Figure 4 decides to lunge at Tara with the gleaming blade who moves out of the way, again a narrow escape.]
Tara: Relinquish.
Rina: Repel.
[Tara sends a telekinetic wave at Figure 3 and 4, who stumble back, Rina sends one into Figure 1 and 2 as they try and advance again. They are sent staggering back into the alley wall. Pause. All noise has dissipated. Tense silence grips them all. Pause. Wordlessly the four figures decide to retreat slowly back up the alley. Rina pulls Ezra into a hug.]
Ezra: I’m ok. I’m ok…
Rina: Don’t die or I’ll kill you.
Tara: [with a small smile] And that just screams logic.
[Ezra and Rina separate.]
Ezra: So we know roughly what we’re up against, a bunch of Salem-esque monks. That’s a plus. [Beat.] Or not.
Rina: The mystery act isn’t exactly something to celebrating about. So in the end we’re back to square one with nothing. We weren’t able to get their faces while fighting for our lives.
Tara: I think that’s understandable.
Ezra: Hey look on the bright side, maybe they’ll try and kill us again.
[Cut to: the hunters’ house - living room, night. Jade, Fynn, Ameya and Drake are there, sitting on a sofa and chairs around the room, all focusing in on a table in the middle of the room - all present.]
Drake: [darkly] The attack hasn’t exactly gone to plan.
Fynn: It sucked.
Jade: She had help.
Ameya: Hidden help which we didn’t detect.
Drake: And we should have.
Jade: It looked like a trap.
Drake: I recognised two of them, both were trying to interfere with my last kill.
Ameya: You think they’re onto us?
Drake: Most definitely.
Fynn: So we can’t let that happen again.
Drake: Vigilance is crucial - awareness of surroundings.
Ameya: We can’t let them do that to us again.
Drake: They won’t destroy this fold. This mission. I won’t let them.
Ameya: [looking determinedly into Drake’s eyes] We won’t let them.
[Jade rolls her eyes. Drake nods, smiling with approval.]
Jade: How are we going to stop them?
Fynn: We need to fight fire with fire.
Drake: I’d say more like a burning inferno. This threat needs to be eliminated, completely and utterly.
Ameya: So we attack?
Drake: Tonight. Take the usual positions around and we’ll strike. We won’t let them destroy our goal. We will eliminate the target.
[Fade to: the witches’ house, night. Tara, Ezra and Rina walk into the entrance room through the door.]
Autumn: [with a smile] Well look here, you’re not dead.
Rina: Well noticed.
[Pete and Kaspar walk in.]
Pete: So what happened?
Ezra: Big attack from creepy robed guys.
Autumn: So you obviously won.
Rina: More like obviously drew.
Tara: We couldn’t see them, they were completely hidden.
Kaspar: So mystery not solved?
Tara: Looks like. We don’t exactly know who these killers are.
Autumn: From what we found these hunters target specific witches to take out.
Rina: So they kill one at a time.
Pete: Mass killings would be too obvious.
Tara: So we need to find out who this next target is, protect her. I will not let these people take another life.
Pete: How do we do that?
Kaspar: I’m thinking a ‘Reperi me alius’ incantation would do the job best.
Tara: I’m with you on that one.
Pete: So where do we start?
[Cut to: the living room, later on, the spell is all set up on the floor, a bowl of herbs in the middle. The witches are all sitting around in a circle. Tara drops a burning match into it, the contents suddenly burst into flame.]
Pete: So I’m a little clueless, a fill me in session would be nice.
Rina: Once the spell is cast, the name of target will appear in the flames.
Pete: Wow. That’ll show Houdini.
Tara: Ostendo ut mihi, ostendi sum...
[The flame suddenly bursts, turning a sharp blue, a few letters start to form onto the flame, the words dancing eerily in the fire. Slowly, slowly. Tara gazes at the flame - her expression darkens. The words formed show…
Ezra Storm.
[Cut to black.]
End of Act Two
Act Three
[Open to: the witches’ house - night. A continuation of the last scene. Ezra’s eyes are wide, hollowed and mortified with cold shock.]
Ezra: Oh my god…
Rina: [horrified] What?
[Silence.]
Rina: No, it can’t…
Kaspar: Are you sure? Are you sure this is…
Tara: Unless I’m suddenly illiterate.
[The witches gaze at the flame, disbelief sliced into each of their expressions. Nothing but hush fills the room.]
Ezra: [empty whisper] I’m the target…
[Tara turns to Ezra, giving her an encouraging smile, but she doesn’t see it, still stunned in fright.]
Tara: [softly] We’ll have to protect you.
[Kaspar pulls Ezra into a hug.]
Kaspar: [a strong whisper] You’re gonna be ok.
Ezra: You don’t know that.
Kaspar: I do. I won’t let it happen. You’ll never leave us.
Ezra: Never?
Kaspar: [smiling] Never. I’ve known you longer than anything and I’m gonna keep on knowing you.
Ezra: [with a glimmer of a smile] That’s good to know.
[They separate.]
Kaspar: We should protect the house.
Tara: Yeah, we obviously can’t let these people in to get what they want.
Kaspar: So we should probably get spellbound.
Pete: Bodyguards of the magical variety.
Rina: So let’s get moving.
[Cut to: Ezra walking into Ezra and Rina’s bedroom - night. She slowly climbs onto the double bed, curling up delicately on the covers. There is a knock. Ezra looks up, turning her head to look to the door - it’s Rina.]
Rina: Anything I can do?
Ezra: [with an attempt at a smile] Take this mind numbing terror from me please. That would be great.
Rina: Oh I would if I could, really.
Ezra: Shame.
Rina: Is there anything else you’ll settle for?
Ezra: [weak and sunken] Rina, I don’t know how to deal with this.
Rina: Who would? Nobody’s expecting you to.
Ezra: Death. Questioning my own mortality. I’ve never been so close to it and it’s turning me cold.
Rina: [strong] You don’t need to, you’re never going to leave me, never.
[Ezra looks directly into Rina’s eyes. Grateful, truly thankful eyes, fighting against the fear looking into her.]
Ezra: [soft] How do you always have the right thing to say at the right time?
Rina: [smiling] What can I say?
Ezra: I know what I can say.
[Ezra walks towards Rina and kisses her, they pair gradually separate.]
Rina: [smiles] I wouldn’t exactly call that speech but I’m not complaining.
Ezra: There was mouth movement.
Rina: [more seriously] Ez, I just want you to tell me you understand.
Ezra: I do.
Rina: I should go, d’you want anything before I-
Ezra: No.
[Ezra’s hand slowly slides down Rina’s arm, until her hand reaches Rina’s. She entwines her hand with her lover’s. Fingers together as one. She gazes into Rina’s eyes.]
Ezra: Stay with me.
[Beat. Rina smiles and crawls onto the bed with Ezra. They hold one another softly. So softly. Delicate.]
Rina: Forever.
[Fade to: the witches’ house - later on that night. The house is now completely dark, with moonlight the only thing dimly lighting it. Autumn, Kaspar and Pete are asleep at the research table. Everything is dark. Silent.]
[The windows smash. The glass crashes. A figure dives into the living room. Autumn, Kaspar and Pete suddenly wake up. More moonlight floods in through the new gaping gap. The figure is armed with a sword, the moonlight shows it’s - Fynn.]
[Autumn, Kaspar and Pete leap up from their slumber, shocked. Fynn swipes viciously at Kaspar who dodges it narrowly kicking Fynn in the stomach. Pete punches Fynn across the face who rises up and kicks him in the stomach in retaliation. Pete collapses to the ground. Jade jumps in after Fynn striking at Autumn who suddenly moves back hurling a book at her, it hits Jade in the face.]
[Kaspar dodges a stab with Fynn’s sword elbowing him in the face. Jade recovers from the book injury, she marches towards Autumn, angry. Autumn looks back at her brother in his fight with Fynn. Jade continues on confidently to a terror struck Autumn.]
Jade: So there’s a mouse amongst the scum is there?
[Autumn continues to tremble. Jade grins.]
Jade: Aren’t you going to strike me back with some abracadabra?
[Autumn tries hard to fight against Jade, but mere sparks emit from her hands. Jade is close to her, towering over.]
Jade: Go on. Put a spell on me.
[Autumn continues to tremble. Jade backhands Autumn across the face.]
Jade: Oh this is going to be so easy…
[Jade is suddenly struck down - she collapses. Pete is revealed behind her, holding a statue.]
Pete: Who says these are just for decoration?
Autumn: [relieved] Well I did till just then.
Pete: You ok?
[Autumn hugs Pete.]
[Kaspar dodges another swipe from Fynn charging him down. The two struggle on the floor, Kaspar tries to get up as does Fynn. There is a crash in another part of the house.]
Kaspar: Ezra.
[Cut to: the other end of the house, Drake and Ameya have come through, they’re walking upstairs slowly.]
[Cut to: the living room. Kaspar punches Fynn, he runs off. Fynn rushes after him as do Autumn and Pete.]
[Cut to: Ezra and Rina in their room, still lying, now asleep - at peace, gentle. The door suddenly bursts open. The couple wake up instantly, jumping out of bed. Drake and Ameya walk through, armed with their swords. Ameya slashes at Ezra who narrowly staggers back in shock.]
Rina: Repel.
[Drake and Ameya are thrown back out of the room by a shockwave. Tara and Kaspar rush up to them where they meet Drake and Ameya in the corridor. Kaspar punches Drake across the face. Tara rushes into Ezra and Rina’s room, she quickly leads Ezra out down the stairs as Kaspar keeps Drake and Ameya occupied with fighting.]
Ezra: What are we gonna do? We should fight while we can, try and drive them out of the house.
Tara: [breathing heavily] We’ll have to get them out of here somehow, it’s the only thing. We have to keep you safe, we can’t let them kill you or anybody.
[Fynn punches Tara in the back of the head. There are sounds of more struggles and fighting upstairs. Fynn smiles to Ezra.]
Ezra: Burn.
[Fynn’s robe sleeve suddenly lights up in flames, he rushes away, shocked in panic. Drake and Ameya rush downstairs, they’ve got past Kaspar and Rina. Ezra sees Rina upstairs - unconscious.]
Ezra: [deadly] What did you do to her?
Drake: Well you could say I gave her a little taster of violence. Just like I’m going to do with you Little Miss Witch.
[Tara slowly gets up, recovering from the punch.]
Tara: Y-You’re not going to touch her.
Drake: Wow, you’re tough.
Tara: That’s something I’ve never been called before. Obscura.
[A smoke screen suddenly appears in front of Drake, Ezra and Tara take this opportunity run off.]
Ezra: So much for my “let’s-fight” strategy.
Tara: We need to do a spell, a barrier, it’ll e-expel all those unwanted here in an instant.
Ezra: The magical alternative to getting rid of household pests.
Tara: Th-This isn’t the time for wisecracks, we need to gather together.
Ezra: Sure, that’s easy if we don’t get gutted in the process.
[Tara and Ezra rush up the stairs to Rina, they drag her into Ezra and Rina’s room. Ezra lightly slaps Rina on the cheek.]
Ezra: Baby wake up.
[Rina’s eyelids shake as she lightly stirs. She opens her eyes and smiles.]
Rina: An angel.
[They smile together. Rina sits up. Tara quickly shoves various items at the door as a barrier, a few chairs and furniture.]
Rina: What’s happening?
Tara: The “Domus Vindici” ritual.
Rina: To expel an enemy…You think we can do it?
Tara: I think so.
[Fade to: Ezra, Tara and Rina sitting in a triangle in the bedroom, holding hands - night.]
Tara: The house is broken,
The peace unspoken.
Rina: The darkness roams,
This place is not home.
Ezra: Release this from us, make it right,
Protect this house, this day, this night.
[The air bubbles around them, heats up. Blue energy starts to emit from the centre of the triangle. They squeeze tighter to one another as the spell starts to take effect, breathing slowly getting heavier, faster, faster, faster. The door thumps - once, twice. It flies open, the furniture scatters. Drake and Ameya walk in, they lunge at Ezra who breaks the chain in an attempt to dodge. Tara quickly grabs Rina’s hand to reform the chain.]
Tara: [to Ezra] Go!
Ezra: Dust.
[Ezra raises her arms and little dust particles appear, blurring the hunters’ vision. Ezra sprints down the stairs, Drake and Ameya on her tail. Ezra runs into the living room, Ameya with greater athletic ability manages to catch up with Ezra, punching her in the face, she staggers back in pain.]
Ezra: Bruise.
[An invisible strike hits Ameya in the stomach.]
Ameya: You’re going to die, witch.
[Ameya punches Ezra, hard across the jaw again, she hurls straight through the window.]
[Cut to: Pete struggling with Jade in the corridor upstairs. Kaspar is fighting Fynn and Autumn is armed with a lamp, circling the fighters, getting random hits here and there.]
[Cut to: Tara and Rina in Ezra and Rina’s room. They breathe more heavily. The blue energy grows.]
Tara: Domus Vindici
[The energy grows larger, hotter, brighter.]
Tara/Rina: Domus Vindici!
[The blue energy suddenly bursts out like an explosion throughout the whole house. Ameya, Drake, Fynn and Jade are all blown out through the windows, out of the house, Drake and Ameya onto the front lawn. Jade and Fynn go through the window in the bathroom, flying down into the lawn outside.]
[Ezra is also outside, glass surrounding her, she starts to stir and sits up. She sees there is a blue shield surrounding the house. Ezra tries to touch it experimentally, her hand is repelled back. She tries again - she is repelled back again.]
[She slams on the shield. Again. Again. Again. Harder. Stronger. Angrier. It doesn’t move, it doesn’t budge, nothing. Drake and Ameya slowly get up, recovering from the shock on the other side of the front lawn. Jade and Fynn walk round to join them, bruised but still armed.]
[Cut to: Tara and Rina, they sigh in exhaustion, completely short of breath. The spell complete.]
Rina: Woah.
[Tara slowly gathers the energy to get up, pulling Rina with her.]
Rina: Ez, where is she?
[Cut to: the witches gathering in their kitchen. Everybody but Ezra.]
Pete: Everyone ok?
Kaspar: Peaches and cream.
Rina: [agitated] Ezra, she’s not here.
[Cut to: the lawn. The witch hunters there. Ezra there. Eyes meet. They freeze.]
[Cut to: the kitchen, Autumn looks outside, they see Ezra.]
Autumn: Oh my god…
[Ezra starts to run.]
[Song: “Wherever I Go” by The Album Leaf.]
Wherever I go, I take you with me,
‘Cause I don’t want to see you leave.
Whenever I go, you stay with me,
They won’t see you leave.
[The hunters chase after her. The witches run to the door. The hunters continue after Ezra. She runs.]
Are you here with me?
I want you here with me.
Whenever I turn, you are gone from me,
And I won’t see you leave.
Wherever I go, your shadow follows me,
I don’t want to see you leave.
[Ezra runs through deserted streets, through the alleyways, breathing heavily, terrified, running for dear life. In through the alleyways. Out through the darkness of the night. She continues on.]
Are you here with me?
I want you here with me.
You are here with me,
And I am here with you.
[She stops as a darkened figure steps out, blocking her. The moonlight shows the eerie smirk of Drake.]
You are here with me,
And I am here with you…
Drake: Looks like we’re at the finish line.
[Blackout.]
End of Act Three
Act Four
[Open to: the alleyway - night. A continuation of the last scene.]
Ezra: Obscura.
[Smoke suddenly appears between Ezra and Drake, Ezra takes this chance to double back and run in the other direction. Drake cuts through the smoke easily with a slash of his sword. He grabs Ezra as she runs turning her viciously, he backhands her across the face.]
Drake: Magic proof sword, handy huh?
[Drake holds Ezra by the neck, pushing her up against the alley wall. He raises his sword, ready to strike.]
Voice OS: Shatter!
[Tara comes running up. Drake’s sword vibrates violently, falling out of his hand. Ezra takes the opportunity to kick Drake in the shins, girly style as he is distracted by the sword, she runs out of his vicinity. The other witches run up behind Tara. Rina lunges at Ezra, pulling her into a hug. The other witches hug her.]
Ezra: Looks like I had no idea about “let’s-all-hug-Ezra” day.
[The other hunters appear at Drake’s side.]
Tara: Who are you?
Drake: The truth.
Rina: Why are you doing this?
Drake: [determined] Your kind need to be dealt with. You witches need to be killed - wiped out.
Tara: So you’re the people who killed that innocent girl.
Ameya: You can never describe that as innocent. There’s nothing human about you.
Kaspar: You killed her, and you don’t even care.
Fynn: We care.
Jade: What he said.
Drake: We care enough to do what’s right. To take action, to do what needs to be done.
Pete: What needs to be done? Nothing about what you’re doing needs to be done.
Rina: Killing witches won’t solve anything.
Drake: It’s the only way, to deal with you.
Pete: Did anyone tell you you’re crazy?
Drake: You’re a virus, an infection. You’ll keep spreading and spreading, destroying, crushing everything with your very touch. Taking and taking. You’re the ones hollowing this earth, killing this world.
Autumn: Uh…since when?
Drake: Since always. You were created in the flames of destruction, the fires of chaos. Throughout history you’ve been a plague.
Tara: We’re still people, human. You must feel something.
Ameya: You’re not people.
Fynn: Not human.
Drake: Nothing so impure could ever be counted as human.
Ezra: You have no idea what being human means.
Drake: And you do?
Rina: You’re killers and you do it remorselessly.
Drake: We’re not killers - we’re warriors.
Pete: Warriors? Is that what you call yourselves?
Ameya: It’s what we are.
Drake: We have a mission, a purpose and we’re not going to give up because of you. You’re not going to destroy our plans.
Ezra: [defiant] Really? Then come and get me.
[Tense silence.]
[Ameya quickly raises her sword, ready to strike at Ezra.]
Rina: Confundi.
[Rina sends a small blast of white light into Ameya, she stumbles back - disoriented. Fynn punches Ezra in the face instantly after, she stumbles back stunned.]
Ezra: Movi.
[A piece of wood from the side hits Fynn on the leg, knocking him down, he winces in pain. Drake attacks Ezra now, though he is struck down by something - Tara, holding a baseball bat from behind.]
Tara: You s-stay away from her.
[Drake slowly gets up, scowling. Fynn also gets himself up. Ameya is still disoriented.]
Drake: This isn’t over.
Pete: Oh what a cliché.
Tara: Go.
Drake: Never. We’ll never leave you. We’ll never stop. You will be destroyed.
[Silence. The witch hunters turn, retreating back.]
Ezra: And that’s why attempted murder never works kids.
Rina: So we won then?
Tara: For now.
[Tara drops the baseball bat.]
Autumn: You think they’ll attack again?
Ezra: Definitely.
Kaspar: Looks like the target range’s been widened. It’s not just you Ez, it’s all of us.
Autumn: [with light sarcasm] Thanks Ez…
Rina: We’ve got an enemy and the witch hunt begins.
Ezra: You think they’ll manage it, fulfil their aims?
[Beat.]
Tara: [confident] Never.
[Fade to: the witches’ kitchen - day. Ezra puts a carton of orange juice into the fridge, she closes it as Tara walks in.]
Tara: Hey.
Ezra: And a good morning in return. Did you sleep ok?
Tara: Yeah, good.
Ezra: Cos if you didn’t you can say. By the way if you found Kas in your room at four ‘o clock in the morning, don’t scream rape he kinda -
Tara: Ezra it was fine, great in fact. I’d rate it five star accommodation. Thanks, for letting me stay the night.
Ezra: Well that’s good to know.
Tara: And what was that about Kas-
Ezra: Nothing you need to get concerned about. [quickly] Toast?
Tara: Ez, please.
Ezra: Was that a joke?
Tara: Quite possibly.
[The two chuckle.]
Ezra: Thanks.
Tara: For what?
Ezra: Again with the modesty.
Tara: It’s kind of a habit.
Ezra: Thanks for your help, I could just be another helpless witch hunt victim.
Tara: I’m sure you’d have fought through, you seem like the strong type.
Ezra: Seem being the highlighted word.
[There is a honk from outside.]
Ezra: Looks like you’re wanted.
Tara: Looks like.
Ezra: Have fun back at home, but promise me one thing.
Tara: What?
Ezra: You have to record your friends’ reactions for me! Talk about “Honey I came back from the friggin’ dead!”
Tara: [smiles] I’ll be back, armed with re-enforcements, the whole cavalry. Just need to make a quick pit-stop, then we’ll be back.
Ezra: Have fun.
[Tara smiles warmly, she turns to the door.]
[Cut to: Tara walking out of the witches’ house, into a taxi, day.]
[Fade to: the taxi driving down a road - day. The taxi reaches the outside of an average looking house. Tara gets out. She looks around perplexed. This isn’t Sunnydale.]
Tara: Uh…excuse me?
[The taxi driver gets out of the car.]
Tara: Where are we?
[The masked driver instantly punches her across the face violently. He puts a chloroform cloth over her mouth as she struggles against his strong grip, she quickly succumbs to the chloroform, still. The man drags her limp body into the house, they pass the letter box saying “Lori family”. He takes off his mask - Drake.]
[Cut to: the witches’ house - the living room - day. Kaspar is reading through a book as Ezra walks in.]
Pete: So our guest is gone?
Ezra: Yep, back home.
Autumn: So was she really…dead?
Rina: The deadest.
Autumn: [slightly surprised] Huh.
Kaspar: We meet the most interesting people.
Rina: Homocidal maniacs being among them.
Kaspar: This living in fear of dying thing - not fun.
Pete: [to Kaspar] What’s with Mr. Bookworm?
Kaspar: [flicking through his book] Just doing a little extra research in these Salem books, you never know something could just turn-
[Kaspar stops flicking. He stares at the page, stunned.]
Kaspar: - Up.
[Kaspar looks down at the book to see the title “ ‘Malleus Maleficarum’. The Hammer of the Witches - This demon can take human form and use this ability to aid itself in killing witches.” There is a picture of its scabby green demon form and it’s human form next to it - Tara.]
[Cut to: Drake and the witch hunters in the Lori family house, day. It looks abandoned. They are in an empty room with Tara’s unconscious body on the floor. A blue robed Shaman is also there. He chants, low and slowly…]
Shaman: Disguise her, warp her form…
[There is a flash of blue light, it fills the whole screen.]
[Cut to: the witches’ house - the living room.]
Autumn: Tara?
Kaspar: So we’re all seeing the same thing right?
Ezra: [stunned] No, no, no it can’t be.
Rina: Oh my god…
Autumn: Then how come this picture looks just like her?
Pete: Maybe it’s just someone who looks a lot like her.
[Ezra looks down at the book, her eyes hopeful, but at the same time wrecked with fear.]
Ezra: Maybe…
Kaspar: It says the creature disguises itself as an innocent person to get it’s way into the witches lives and destroy them from the inside.
Pete: So she could be this demon, it looks innocent enough.
Ezra: No, no it can’t be. It just can’t.
Rina: [soft] Don’t worry, we’ll find out what’s happening.
Ezra: [frantically] Th-There has to be a proper explanation, a reasonable one.
Autumn: So we need to find her.
Ezra: A locator spell.
[Cut to: blurred vision, we see wobbling, confusion, we are in Tara’s eyes. Her vision slowly clears up, very slowly. It soon becomes clear she’s in a house, nobody around her. As the vision clears Tara looks down - horrified.]
[Cut to: a white void, complete white light all over. The Messenger enters. There is a red robed figure sitting down on an armchair, a hood over his head, his face shrouded by darkness.]
Red Robed Figure: Was the plan successful?
The Messenger: A success.
Red Robed Figure: She is in?
The Messenger: Contact has been made.
Red Robed Figure: I assume she’s with the witches now.
The Messenger: The shift is complete.
Red Robed Figure: And it is certain she can never return?
The Messenger: All the appropriate measures have been taken. This plan will work sir - I promise you that.
Red Robed Figure: I’m sure it will.
The Messenger: We will achieve our goal. Our strife will not be for nothing. The transformation will not be in vain.
Red Robed Figure: Everything has gone according to plan.
[The Messenger nods.]
[Cut to: the witches driving down a street, day. Ezra has a map of Lesper Bay in her hands, there is a tiny blue light on it. Kaspar is driving.]
Ezra: How much longer?
Kaspar: We’re nearly there.
Rina: [comforting] Ez, don’t worry, we’ll be ok.
Ezra: I just have to know…
Pete: What if she is this demon? What are you gonna do then?
[Beat. Ezra looks out of the window - grave. The car stops. The engine dies. Pause. Ezra gets out of the car purposefully, they reach the same house Tara was dragged into.]
Autumn: Here we go.
[The witches run up the stairs.]
Ezra: Open.
[The door violently flies open sending a wave of dust up. It starts to settle slowly. The dust clears. Shock. The house is covered with dead bodies. Blood. Carnage. Mayhem everywhere. The bodies litter the house, men, women, children… Slowly pan up to see Tara blood on her hands, holding a long, bloody knife.]
[We go into Ezra’s eyes - she sees the same demon in the book in Tara’s place, holding the knife, blood all over its hands.]
Ezra: [shocked] Oh my god…
[Ezra sends a shockwave at Tara who stumbles back.]
Tara: Ezra…
[Ezra sends a blast of green energy at Tara who goes flying back into the wall. The witches march forward. Tara now scared. She runs from the house through a kitchen into the back porch, she is suddenly struck by a lightning bolt. Ezra - eyes black, murderous.]
Ezra: Got her.
[Blackout.]
To Be Continued…
© Copyright Yosso November 2006 / July 2007.
Any comments, thoughts would be greatly appreciated :D. Thanks for reading ;).
Next episode out 6th October - 1.02 "Enemy"
If you're a first time reader, enjoy :).
Episode 1.01 “The Hunt”
Part One of Three
Teaser
[Open to: a pair of legs, running desperately down a street, rain pouring down, a howling thunderstorm raging on, night. The girl is wearing jeans, we slowly move up and up her body, she’s panting - hard.]
[Her murmurs of fear grow louder and louder, faster and faster. We move up further to see she is wearing a deep blue jumper, we move up to shoulder length to see dirty blonde hair fluttering, we move further up to see a bloody stain on her jumper.]
[The girl looks around, her face hidden by her hair. There is a shadow on the wall, brandishing a knife, we follow the shadow on the wall running menacingly after the girl. The girl continues on down the alleyway, suddenly bumping into another shadowed figure, she gasps. The figure steps out of the shadow - a man, who grips the woman by the shoulders.]
Man: [surprised] Woah woah, what’s the hurry little miss?
[The woman breathes heavily.]
Woman: [gasping] We have to…run. Run away. It’s not safe.
Man: [Texan accent] I think a little chill pill prescription is in order here, just calm down.
Woman: I can’t. It’s coming for me. She’s coming for me. We have to run away before-
Man: [intent] Before what?
Woman: Before-
[She turns around, there’s nothing.]
Man: Let me say that again, before what?
Woman: She was…she was there just a minute-
Man: Yeah maybe. Hope you don’t mind me sayin’ but, drugs really aint good for ya, I can tell you some stories, puffin’ that magic dragon’s only gonna get you burnt-
Woman: I swear! I swear she was there, she was after me.
Man: D’you live around here?
Woman: Yeah, a few blocks on. It’s not far.
Man: Hey, you don’t look so good. I could take ya home if you’re scared.
Woman: Really?
Man: [smiles] I don’t think even the worst comedians would make a joke as bad as that.
Woman: Well I’d take laughter over terror of The Exorcist variety any day.
[The Man chuckles.]
Woman: Thanks.
Man: [with a smile] Nah, s’okay.
[The two start to walk down the alleyway.]
Man: Oh, before I forget and become “creep alleyway guy” I would be Drake.
Woman: Gabriella.
Drake: It’s a pleasure.
Gabriella: I’d have to say the pleasure’s all mine in this case. I mean it.
Drake: [chuckles] I suppose. So where are you from?
Gabriella: Before any conclusions get jumped, not France.
Drake: [nods] Oui.
Gabriella: Oh ha ha, there’s a comedian amongst the ranks. D’accord.
Drake: Huh? I’m clueless, my French goes as far as “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?”
Gabriella: Am I meant to be impressed or grossed out?
Drake: Take your pick.
Gabriella: I think I’ll go with the former, cos you seem like a nice guy.
Drake: Nice guy huh?
[She smiles warmly up to him, he smiles back. She shivers slightly.]
Drake: God I’m so stupid, you must be going Arctic in there.
Gabriella: I’ll survive. [She shivers] If the cold doesn’t kill me first.
Drake: Here.
[Drake wraps his coat around Gabriella.]
Gabriella: So gentleman is in this town’s vocabulary. Thanks.
Drake: Happy to help.
[They continue to walk on]
Drake: So why were you running?
Gabriella: I was being chased. One second I was coming out of wicca group with a cup of cocoa in my hands against the cold and feeling all clichéd, the next it was something out of Crouching Tiger, knives and swords… I’ve never been more scared in my life.
Drake: So who was chasing you?
Gabriella: This woman.
Drake: Any description?
Gabriella: The word psycho springs to mind.
Drake: So you have no idea why they’d be chasing you?
Gabriella: I’m not ruling out Satanism as a possibility.
Drake: Or maybe you deserved it.
[Beat. Tense Beat. They stop.]
Gabriella: [can’t believe her ears] What?
Drake: [suddenly malicious, his accent turns English] I think you heard me.
Gabriella: [starting to panic] Maybe I should call the police.
Drake: [slick] No, I don’t think that would be necessary.
Gabriella: I really need to return home now-
Drake: You really are gravely mistaken.
Gabriella: Excuse me?
Drake: How do you know your pursuer isn’t right and you’re wrong? Maybe you need to be killed.
Gabriella: I think I should-
[Gabriella turns away but Drake viciously grabs her back.]
Drake: Go? I don’t think so little missy.
Gabriella: [trembling yet trying to stay casual] I- I have p-people waiting at home, they’ll be worried.
Drake: I don’t think worried is the word you’re looking for. I’d say more like happy, joyful, celebrating. I’m sure they don’t care about you, they want you gone.
[Gabriella struggles further.]
Drake: Your dead corpse would bring them more joy than any of their time wasted on you.
Gabriella: [desperate] Please…
Drake: You know what you are? You’re disgusting, foul, a plague on humanity, you and all your kind.
[Drake harshly backhands Gabriella across the face, leaving a gleaming, pulsating bruise on her panicked expression.]
Gabriella: [terror struck] How? Why?
Drake: Because of what you are…
[A figure slowly walks out of the shadows. Gabriella struggles further against Drake. She pulls, she pulls, but his grip is too strong. Far too strong, she can’t win. She’ll never win. Drake shoves Gabriella against the wall - she slams into it. The figure is the same one that was running after her before, we see her face is female. She walks closer to Gabriella holding a dangerous looking dagger with a symbol on it.]
[The figure holds Gabriella still. She starts to scream. The figure puts her hand over Gabriella’s mouth, she struggles underneath. The figure raises her dagger. And plunges. Gabriella screams in agony - once. Silence.]
Drake: Witch.
[Blackout.]
Thunder cracks…
Opening Credits
Theme song: “Wherever I Go” by The Album Leaf.
Wherever I go, I take you with me,
‘Cause I don’t want to see you leave.
Whenever I go, you stay with me,
They won’t see you leave.
Are you here with me?
I want you here with me.
Whenever I turn, you are gone from me,
And I won’t see you leave.
Wherever I go, your shadow follows me,
I don’t want to see you leave.
Are you here with me?
I want you here with me.
You are here with me,
And I am here with you.
You are here with me,
And I am here with you…
Starring -
Amber Benson - Tara Maclay
Anna Belknap - Ezra Storm
Carmine Giovinazzo - Kaspar Sharpe
Percy Daggs III - Pete Holloway
Samaire Armstrong - Rina Faraday
and Autumn Reeser as Autumn Sharpe
Guest Starring:
David Anders - Drake
Jennifer Garner - Ameya
Amanda Seyfried - Jade
Jonathan Bennett - Fynn
Tania Saulnier - Gabriella
Michael Bailey Smith - The Messenger
Will Kempe - Red Robed Figure
Created by: Yosso
Written by: Yosso
Produced by: Yosso
Promo by: Artemis
Song(s) featured: “Wherever I Go” by The Album Leaf.
Original Airdate: (on BW) Sunday 5th November 2006
Re-release Airdate: (on BF and LJ) 22nd September 2007
Disclaimer: “Witch” is a virtual fan made series, set in Joss Whedon’s Buffyverse, property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar Television, Kuzui Entertainment, The WB, UPN and 20th Century Fox Television. No profit is made from this, the character of Tara was created by Joss Whedon. All other original characters were created by me (Yosso), so keep your hands off ‘em (except with permission).
Set during Season 7 of BtVS and Season 4 of AtS.
~+~
Act One
[Open to: darkness, a black screen.]
[Fade to: a flicker of an image, Tara in BtVS Season 4, looking down nervously. Cut to: a quick series of clips following, Tara running from a werewolf, Tara blowing the candles out, Tara with her father, Tara dancing with Willow, Tara looking up at the stars, Tara screams as her brain gets sucked, Tara's mind returns, Tara fighting with Willow, Tara with Buffy crying in her lap, Tara and Willow having coffee, Tara and Willow kissing. One final time.]
[Gunshot.]
[It stops, it all stops.]
[Abruptly cut to: a pair of eyes, the eyelids are closed. They stir for a moment, shift around and move. They suddenly shoot open, as they shoot open we hear the violent sound of another gunshot and blood spattering. We move back to see Tara on the ground, she lifts her head up slowly, she slowly sits up - bewildered. She is in a blank space of complete white, a void. A black robed figure is standing over her, she moves back suddenly startled.]
Tara: Willow...
[Tara suddenly looks up, shaken up, completely confused.]
Tara: [dazed] Where am I?
Black Figure: It isn’t important.
Tara: What’s happening?
Black Figure: You don’t need to know.
Tara: [she stands up] Who are you?
[Beat.]
Black Figure: I am The Messenger.
Tara: The Messenger? Of what, who?
The Messenger: You don’t need to know.
Tara: [confused] What happened to me? Where am I? Where is she? Where is-
The Messenger: You have been moved.
Tara: Moved from what?
The Messenger: From time, from space, from existence. This is the void.
Tara: The void for what?
The Messenger: We have ended your past existence. Killed you. To bring you new life, transfer you to the next level.
Tara: Killed me? The next level of what?
The Messenger: That doesn’t concern you.
Tara: [fiercer] Well I want it to.
The Messenger: You will soon be moved.
Tara: Why am I here? Where did everything go?
The Messenger: That is no longer under your control.
Tara: [out of pure desperation] Wherever I am, send me back. I want her back.
The Messenger: You think you belong? To that life. To that world. You never have.
Tara: Who are you to tell me who I belong to?
The Messenger: And you think you’re so certain?
Tara: I am.
The Messenger: You will discover in time.
Tara: What is this?
The Messenger: The time is coming, drawing near.
Tara: Tell me what’s going on.
The Messenger: I can’t.
Tara: Why? Why are you doing this?
The Messenger: You need to find your own future.
[Fade to white.]
[Cut to: a pair of eyes. They explode open - they’re Tara’s again. She sits up after finding herself lying on an alley floor, night. She is dazed, confused, disoriented. She sighs.]
[Cut to: an average kitchen, day. The same woman in the teaser is in there taking out various items of cutlery from a drawer. A man walks in.]
Woman: [brightly] Hey Fynn, good morning.
Fynn: Ameya, take out the good and put in crappy and that’s the kind of morning this is.
Ameya: That bad huh?
Fynn: Picture the effects of head meets truck, that’s how my I feel.
Ameya: So bad.
Fynn: Uh huh. Egg me.
[Ameya places two fried eggs on a plate for Fynn. Another woman enters.]
Ameya: [cheerful] Jade hi.
Fynn: Hey.
Jade: [with a beam] Hi Fynn.
Ameya: Egg?
Jade: [to Fynn, grinning] Were you the master chef?
Fynn: You could say that, but you’d be lying. It’s all ‘meya here.
Jade: I’ll pass then.
Ameya: Suit yourself.
Fynn: You sure? ‘Cos if I was this egg, cannibalism would so be an option right now.
Jade: [suddenly more bitter] Don’t get too excited there…
[Silence. Jade walks over to the counter and starts to pour herself some coffee.]
Ameya: You think you’ll get a better nights sleep tonight?
Fynn: Doubt it, insomnia doesn’t usually take nights off, just days which is crappy.
[Jade glares at the two of them talking, she notices a frilly blue blouse on the counter. Jade looks up to Ameya, she grins maliciously slowly placing her mug on the blouse.]
Ameya: [smiling] I could help if you want, make your night slightly more bearable. If you’re willing.
Fynn: [grins] Yeah…
Ameya: [airy] Great…
[They grin to one another. Jade glaring across at the pair casually tips the cup of coffee over the blouse with a small push of her finger.]
Jade: [falsely] Oops.
[Jade feigns a melodramatic gasp.]
Ameya: Oh my god what happened?
Jade: It must’ve been knocked down.
Ameya: [flustered] Knocked down? How?
Jade: Maybe this is a sign from the fates or karma being returned.
[Ameya grips the blouse and inspects the stain, she sighs, annoyed.]
Ameya: This is going to take an age to clean and I only got it yesterday.
Jade: I am so sorry. But maybe it’s a warning - a warning telling you to stay away from something. Or someone. A male someone.
[Ameya sighs and walks off with her shirt, irritated. Jade grins. We follow Ameya to her bedroom as she walks in she places the stained shirt on her bed. There is a knock at the door - she turns. Drake.]
Drake: Good morning.
Ameya: Hi.
Drake: That was good work from you last night. Expert stabbing.
Ameya: [shrugs] I didn’t think there were many ways except “shove-into-flesh.”
Drake: Oh it can be an art form. I just needed to congratulate you on that, your first kill.
Ameya: It was…messy.
Drake: It has to be. It always is.
Ameya: It’s just the blood…
Drake: [with passion] The blood is the reward. It is their life. When you kill one of those dirty things, they’re giving their life to you - it’s in your hands. Let the blood wash over you. Feel the blood. That is the power you have over these creatures. It is your right.
[Ameya is slightly stunned, but the expression quickly turns to a smile.]
Drake: They took so much away from you. It is your right to take it back.
Ameya: [looks down slightly painfully] Yeah…
Drake: I have news. We’re making progress in our campaign.
Ameya: How?
Drake: The next target…
[Fade to: a bedroom, morning, slowly pan over the messy room, clothes here and there, bowls and plates scattered around, finally move to see a woman is sleeping in a bed. An alarm suddenly goes off ringing shrilly. Her eyes slowly flutter open.]
Voice: Morning.
[Another woman appears over Woman 1’s shoulder. Woman 1 turns, an instant grin appears on her face. An instant sparkle glows in her eyes at the sight of Woman 2.]
Woman 1: My day doesn’t suck so far…
[Woman 2 grins. They kiss.]
Woman 1: Good dreams?
Woman 2: The best. But nothing compared to this.
Woman 1: Go me!
Woman 2: Wanna get up?
Woman 1: [false shock] Rina, how could you even think such a thing!
Rina: I guess. It’s way too comfortable in here.
[They snuggle up together in the bed.]
Rina: I’ll ask again Ezra, wanna get up?
Ezra: Never.
[Rina smiles to Ezra, gazing at her.]
Ezra: What? Has the Amazon suddenly sprouted on my head?
Rina: [chuckling] More like a bush.
Ezra: Oh god, I know I’m a witch, but not that kind of witch. I still have a sense of style.
Rina: It’s ok really. You’re gorgeous.
[They grin together.]
Ezra: I’m your girlfriend though, your opinion doesn’t count.
Rina: Suppose we should get out of bed then.
Ezra: Big day at college.
Rina: Lots of learning to be done.
Ezra: Let’s go.
Rina: Let’s go.
[They don’t move muscle.]
Ezra: Now maybe?
Rina: Maybe.
[The door suddenly bursts open. The couple bounce out of bed in an instant. A man walks in.]
Man: We’re all Titaniced.
Ezra: Pete, what’s up?
Pete: Think Noah’s Ark meets the household bathroom. Come with me.
[The three go to a bathroom and open the door - water instantly leaks out, completely flooded. We see a pipe leading out from the bath spurting out water madly and another man trying in vain to stop the flailing pipe.]
Man: Do you want to pay for the carpet too? Close the friggin’ door!
Rina: [to the Man at the pipe] Kaspar, how did this happen?
Pete: Pipe go snap.
Rina: This isn’t good.
Kaspar: You think?
Ezra: Well we’ll leave this predicament in your strong capable male hands.
Pete: What? You need to soak in the misery too!
Rina: [grinning] We’ll leave this job to the professionals.
Kaspar: Great…
Pete: Just us against the Lesper Bay water supply.
Kaspar: You’re up against some tough opposition Mr. Pipey.
[The pipe continues to spurt water in defiance.]
Pete: Fine, you want it that way do you?
Kaspar: Pete you can hold the pipe, try and stop it from shaking, I’ll see if I can repair it.
Pete: Harry Potter style I’m guessing.
Kaspar: Oh pur-lease.
[Kaspar focuses on the pipe.]
Kaspar: Fix.
[Metal melts its way over the pipe, stopping the leak.]
Pete: And after forty days and forty nights…
Kaspar: Crisis averted.
Pete: I’ve had ten shower’s worth of water on me, yet I smell like I’ve been to Sewage Central and back.
Kaspar: Nah, it’s there all the time.
Pete: I’m out of witty comebacks so I’ll just have to settle with - shut up!
Kaspar: Best friend here, I can get away with these things.
Pete: After a good long poker up the-
Kaspar: Oh the threats keep coming.
[Pete playfully punches Kaspar on the arm. They reach a kitchen - a woman is there.]
Kaspar: Hey Autumn.
Autumn: My God, what have you two been doing to each other?
Pete: Fight to the death, didn’t work out, but we’re cool.
Autumn: Just another typical morning then.
Kaspar: Who ever said we were barbarians?
Autumn: Well I do for one. [to Kaspar] Kas, we really need to change that shirt, come on.
[Kaspar and Autumn walk out.]
Pete: And what do I do, just stand here and freeze?
[We follow Kaspar and Autumn out of the door.]
Kaspar: You know I don’t intend to go to work like this, ‘cos thoughts involving wet t-shirt parties will probably spring to mind when I see my patients.
Autumn: But you know how you are with irons, a white shirt might as well be ash by the time you’re done with it.
Kaspar: How do you know that look isn’t in this year?
Autumn: Because the last time I let you near one was last year. Plus you’re my brother, since when have you and fashion ever mixed?
Kaspar: People change.
Autumn: Not you.
Kaspar: So is it college or work for you first?
Autumn: I’m all college bound right now.
Kaspar: Remember your bag this time.
Autumn: Yes “Mom.”
Kaspar: Yes, your very masculine mum. I just want to look out for ya.
Autumn: I know. It’s what you do.
[Autumn smiles up to Kaspar. The two walk back into the kitchen where Rina places a stack of pancakes on a plate.]
Kaspar: Yum fatty goodness.
Pete: Our very own Delia Smith.
Rina: Oh don’t underestimate, she is so beneath me.
Ezra: Damn straight.
[Kaspar switches on a radio on the counter.]
Announcer: [cheerfully] Welcome to the eight ‘o clock news, with the Lesper Bay Radio Crew. Now for our main headlines, a woman was found dead in an alleyway down in the South District of the city, there are major stab wounds to the gut with what seemed to be some sort of ceremonial dagger. There is little evidence to be found on her, but the police do know that she has a tattoo on her hand that represents the wiccan coven - Lenora. The police urge any members of this group and of the public to come forward with any information. The police appear perplexed by this case, desperately trying to find the perpetrator to this brutal crime. Here’s Alan for more…
[Rina turns the radio off.]
Rina: That’s enough murder, misery and mayhem for one morning.
Pete: Have you noticed how there’s never any good news? Only murders, rapes, it’s really depressing.
Autumn: Well we have something to be thankful for, a great start to a great day.
Ezra: Don’t go jinxing us now.
Autumn: Not jinxing more like…optimistic.
Rina: That optimism could turn into pain, horror and death.
Pete: Nah, what could go wrong with today?
[Cut to: Ezra walking down a dark, dank alleyway - night.]
Ezra: This isn’t creepy…not creepy at all.
[A bin suddenly rustles. Ezra gasps slightly, but it’s only a fox rushing away, false alarm.]
Ezra: Stupid slasher movie atmosphere…
[Cut to: Tara walking down a similar alleyway - night. Lost, confused, disoriented. Where is she now? Tara’s eyes are glazed with emptiness, she gazes around this unfamiliar environment, foreign and alone. She gazes slowly up to the black sky, watching. Her mind, her body, her soul astray and adrift. Where is she now?]
Tara: Where’s a map when you need one?
[Tara continues to walk on - innocent again. She reaches a crossroad to a few alleyways, suddenly she turns as a running figure breathing heavily flashes across.]
Tara: Hello?
[Cut to: Ezra still walking on down the alleyway.]
Ezra: [sighs] I can handle the supernatural, yet I’m like a woman with pepper spray when it comes to dark alleys. There should be a ban on these things.
[Ezra reaches a crossing between four dark alleys, as she walks along there is a heavy breathing and running. She suddenly turns to the left - nothing.]
Ezra: Great…
[She walks on dismissing what she saw but suddenly turns as the same heavy breathing figure rushes across the alley in front of her. Ezra instinctively runs towards her, her suspicions now aroused.]
Ezra: Hey wait!
[Ezra runs down the alley trying to get to the girl. She rushes forward - she’s gone. Nowhere to be seen.]
Ezra: What the friggin’-
[Cut to: Tara walking down the alley, she reaches the alley crossroads and also sees the same heavy breathing figure running across the parallel alley to her right. Putting aside her disorientation, she decides to run after it. On pure instinct.]
Tara: Wait!
[Cut to: Ezra in the alley, she sees the figure again and determinedly runs after it this time.]
Ezra: Wait!
[Spilt screen: to the two of them rushing after the girl at the same time in different alleys. They get closer and closer, getting nearer and nearer an alley crossroad.]
Tara: Etia Confuti!
[A strand of blue light shoots from Tara’s hands, though they don’t reach the girl. A figure comes out of the darkness snatching her away. She screams. There is a sound of a brutal stabbing. Nothing. A body drops out of the darkness. Ezra and Tara run to the body - their faces cold. Frigid. Tara notices the symbol on her hand.]
Tara: [icy] The Lenora coven…
[Tara and Ezra both look up to each other. A first look that will change everything.]
Tara: Hi.
[Cut to black.]
End of Act One
Act Two
[Open to: the witches’ house, the living room - night.]
Ezra: So this is everyone.
Pete: Howdy.
Tara: Hi, it’s nice to meet you.
Kaspar: So are you a witch?
Tara: Right down to the broomstick.
Rina: [concerned] Ez, what happened to your shirt?
[Tara takes a sharp quiet breath.]
Rina: It’s ripped.
Ezra: There was a girl, she was running from something.
Tara: S-Someone. And then we f-found her dead. We c-called the police and they took her away.
Pete: [in jest] Ezra, is there something you feel you need to admit?
Ezra: [serious] She was stabbed.
Tara: With a wiccan symbol on her arm.
Autumn: Wasn’t the other victim on the news-
Rina: A witch.
Kaspar: So we’re thinking witch hunt?
Ezra: Most likely.
Pete: We can’t exactly be sure these are witch killings there have only been two - the witch thing could be a coincidence.
Rina: Maybe.
Tara: Or maybe not. I-I don’t mean to intrude, but I don’t think this is the time to start making assumptions, my instincts seem to be pointing screaming that this does have something to do with witches, and I just can’t ignore that.
Ezra: We shouldn’t take the chance now.
Autumn: So what are we gonna do?
Tara: [softly] I would suggest say bait…if that’s okay. W-whatever’s hunting these witches m-must know who they are or can detect them somehow…possibly.
Pete: So attempted suicide, putting our lives on the line, great plan. [Beat] That wasn’t sarcasm by the way I’m all for it.
Ezra: So who’s up for that?
Rina: How about some stay here, research, we may be able to find out something while the bait is out.
Kaspar: Yeah, we should split up - cover more territory.
Pete: I’d agree with that.
Rina: So how are we gonna do this?
[Cut to: a similar dark alleyway - night. Ezra, Rina and Tara are walking down it.]
Ezra: So how long have you been a witch?
Tara: A little while.
Ezra: I’d say more than a little from that spell you pulled off.
Tara: [blushes a little] I-I know a few things.
Rina: Tara, modesty doesn’t look good on you.
[Tara smiles, looking down as she blushes a little further.]
Ezra: I started about a year ago, so I guess I’m kind of in the newbie section magic wise.
Tara: [smiling, blissfully reminiscent] I’ve always been a witch. I can’t remember not being one. I… I used to practice with my mum, she would teach me spells and all about magic. She was powerful.
Rina: Join the club, magic is all I’ve ever known since I was little.
Tara: It all seemed so simple then.
Ezra: [smiles] And what do I do? Just stand on the sidelines?
Rina: Aaw baby you can join.
[Ezra and Rina smile to one another. Tara is still smiling, she looks down into the floor her smile slowly fades, transforming into a look of brief longing, yearning.]
Rina: It may be simple then, but that feeling never goes away.
Ezra: That jolt you get every time you do a spell.
Rina: And it’s not because of the magics.
Ezra: It’s because of you, being able to be feel so much, by just one action.
Rina: Being able to feel accomplishment.
Ezra: Being able to feel-
Tara: Powerful.
Ezra: Yeah, that’s it.
Rina: Then why do witches get hunted? What drives people to think like this?
Tara: Fear, they’re scared of what we might do, what we can do.
Ezra: It’s a misunderstanding thing too, people fear the unknown.
Tara: After my mother died, I had to hide my magics, at least that’s what I felt.
Ezra: Why?
Tara: My father, he wouldn’t allow it - ever. He tried to get me to stop, so I did, or at least I pretended to. But now it’s ok. I don’t have that anymore. I’m not going to let the same thing happen to these witches.
Ezra: So where are you from?
Tara: Sunnydale, not originally though.
Ezra: Isn’t that America’s death hole?
Tara: [smiles] So I’ve heard.
Rina: So what’s life like back on the ranch?
Tara: Well, my very ranchless home is….was….perfect.
Ezra: Perfect? Who takes care of your house ‘cos I want that number.
Tara: Not in that way.
[Tara smiles nostalgically.]
Ezra: So why’re you here in this crap hole? And that was a compliment by the way.
Tara: I died.
[Silence.]
Rina: [not convinced] Nah, really.
Tara: [nods with a blank face] Really.
[Beat.]
Ezra: Well, that’s a new one.
Tara: I was.…killed. Then the next thing I knew I was here.
Rina: [struck by astonishment] Wow.
Ezra: I guess you don’t need a Sixth Sense to see dead people.
Tara: [kind of hollowly] I guess.
Rina: Again I say...wow.
Tara: [smiles] We should start to get to work.
[The three of them continue to walk down the alley.]
Ezra: This is disgraceful, why has nobody tried to kill us yet? [Beat.] That’s something I never expected to hear myself say.
Rina: You’re not the only one who’s a little disappointed.
Ezra: So I’m the one who’s wiggling on the line?
Tara: Yeah, are you sure about this?
Ezra: S’okay. I’ll survive - I hope.
Rina: [with a joking face, but hard, empty voice] Just - don’t get killed.
[Ezra gives Rina a soft, reassuring smile. It’s all going to be okay….]
Tara: I second that.
Ezra: That’s not on my to-do list today. Mojo me.
Tara: Permissum hostilis reperio suus, addo periculosus preconorus...
[Tara blows a handful of magical dust into her face. Fade to white.]
[Cut to: the witches’ house - the living room - night. The large round table is covered with books and scattered in papers and files. Autumn and Kaspar are at the table.]
Autumn: Anything?
Pete: [walks into the room] I think I might have a lead.
Kaspar: [clearly a little pissed off] It’s been two hours and we haven’t found anything, stop with the lead in and get on with it.
Pete: [sighs, with an intense look] Okay, but this is serious stuff.
Autumn: We’re ready. Give us the lead.
Pete: [serious] Okay, they have Margherita, ham and pineapple or salami and pickle.
Autumn: No anchovy with mushroom?
Pete: Nope.
Autumn: You sure?
Pete: If I ask the nice lady over the phone again for the twelfth time I think we’ll go hungry by the end of the night.
Kaspar: Ok screw it, we’ll have to go pizza-less.
Autumn: Sigh.
Kaspar: We should get to work. Last time I checked saving lives had little bit more priority than pizza.
Pete: What world do you live in?
[Kaspar looks disapprovingly down to Pete.]
Pete: [rolls his eyes] Ok, I’ll get Googling.
[Pete walks over to the table to a computer, he starts typing.]
Kaspar: How many million matches are there this time?
Pete: Ooh, got one that looks good.
Kaspar: Fill me in.
Pete: There’ve been killings all over the country, all these cases are witch related. They kind of come in clusters.
Kaspar: [nodding in understanding] Uh huh.
Pete: In ’99 there were several in Chicago, then in 2000 there were some in other smaller towns.
Autumn: [peering over Pete’s shoulder at the screen] So they’re moving and now they’re here. Doesn’t look like there’s been much killing in our area.
Kaspar: So you sure it’s just the witches being killed?
Pete: That’s a definite. It’s the only thing that connects all these victims.
Autumn: What about the girl stabbed yesterday, can you find out anything about her?
Pete: Just watch these fingers fly.
[Pete starts to type again into Google. Another page comes up.]
Pete: Yep, another Sabrina.
Kaspar: I suppose the next step would be finding who’s moved here recently, these hunters must be newbies around here.
Pete: Take the helm Major.
[Pete gets off the chair, Kaspar gets on it typing in something else to Google.]
Kaspar: Got ‘em.
[Kaspar presses the print button. A sheet of names and addresses comes out.]
Pete: So you’re going to go to all these addresses?
Kaspar: Guess I’ll have to.
Pete: And say “Hey you don’t happen to be part of the Salem-re-enactment society do you?”
Kaspar: Maybe a little edit work is in order.
Pete: So I’ve found the trail of these hunters, you got the addresses and Autumn got-
Autumn: A chocolate bar.
[Pete walks over to Autumn and snatches the bar from her hand.]
Autumn: Hey! Give that back.
Pete: [grinning] Make me little miss.
Autumn: Stick ‘em up.
[Autumn raises her small fists, in a mock fight.]
Pete: [with teasing sarcasm] Oh, threatening.
[Autumn quickly snatches the bar away from Pete and rushes off.]
Pete: Oh no you don’t.
[Pete runs away after her.]
Kaspar: Ok, ok. Break it up you two.
[Kaspar snatches the bar, rips it open and quaffs it in one bite. Autumn huffs.]
Pete: Woah, you could fit China in there.
Kaspar: [shrugs] I try.
Autumn: So we done with research?
Pete: Done as done can be.
Kaspar: Without the done bit though.
Autumn: Huh?
Kaspar: We need to find these killers, I got a group of addresses we could use. But we should wait first. See what the others find.
Pete: With Tara.
Autumn: Yeah….Tara.
[Beat.]
Kaspar: What’s up with her?
Pete: I’m voting Nazi or KGB spy.
Autumn: Well we can’t exactly judge. We barely know her.
Kaspar: We only did get a glance at her. She kind of appeared out of nowhere.
Pete: Well, I say the more help we get the better.
Autumn: What d’you think they’re doing now?
[Cut to: Ezra walking down the alley, alone as she whistles lightly to herself, night.]
Ezra: [under her breath] Oh come on, kill me already. Cos - I’m so helpless...
[Ezra continues to walk on casually whistling for a little while. A robed, faceless figure lunges. A whip of darkness strikes her. Without a chance to react she is pinned against the wall. Breath now hard, eyes sharp and determined, she struggles against the figure’s grip. In the struggle she manages to knee the figure in the gut. Grunt. It releases her.]
Ezra: [gasping] Repelli a mihi.
[The figure is sent back by a small wave of energy. Tara and Rina appear at her side, three other figures join the first one. Figure 2 swings a sword at Tara, she narrowly avoids it, however with little style.]
Tara: Permovi ut hosta hostiu.
[A small bin slams into Figure 2, disorienting him. Figure 3 and 4 are on Ezra, they grip her arms tightly, before Figure 3 takes complete control of Ezra’s arms. Figure 4 releases her and runs in front of Ezra, Figure 3 still holding her arms tightly behind, suppressing her escape. Figure 4 moves forward, raising a knife. It glints threateningly in the moonlight. Ezra takes a shocked glance at it, the very sight of it slashing fear into her. She struggles all further.]
[Rina repels the now advancing Figure 1 with a shockwave, as he slowly recovers from the last injury. Now seeing Ezra struggling, Rina instantly abandons Figure 1 who continues to pursue her. Tara also sees Ezra is struggling and rushes to her aid as Figure 2 pushes the bin away, also pursuing Tara. Both on their way to Ezra.]
Tara/Rina: Release!
[Strands of light appear, striking Figure 3’s hands who suddenly recoils from Ezra. Figure 4 decides to lunge at Tara with the gleaming blade who moves out of the way, again a narrow escape.]
Tara: Relinquish.
Rina: Repel.
[Tara sends a telekinetic wave at Figure 3 and 4, who stumble back, Rina sends one into Figure 1 and 2 as they try and advance again. They are sent staggering back into the alley wall. Pause. All noise has dissipated. Tense silence grips them all. Pause. Wordlessly the four figures decide to retreat slowly back up the alley. Rina pulls Ezra into a hug.]
Ezra: I’m ok. I’m ok…
Rina: Don’t die or I’ll kill you.
Tara: [with a small smile] And that just screams logic.
[Ezra and Rina separate.]
Ezra: So we know roughly what we’re up against, a bunch of Salem-esque monks. That’s a plus. [Beat.] Or not.
Rina: The mystery act isn’t exactly something to celebrating about. So in the end we’re back to square one with nothing. We weren’t able to get their faces while fighting for our lives.
Tara: I think that’s understandable.
Ezra: Hey look on the bright side, maybe they’ll try and kill us again.
[Cut to: the hunters’ house - living room, night. Jade, Fynn, Ameya and Drake are there, sitting on a sofa and chairs around the room, all focusing in on a table in the middle of the room - all present.]
Drake: [darkly] The attack hasn’t exactly gone to plan.
Fynn: It sucked.
Jade: She had help.
Ameya: Hidden help which we didn’t detect.
Drake: And we should have.
Jade: It looked like a trap.
Drake: I recognised two of them, both were trying to interfere with my last kill.
Ameya: You think they’re onto us?
Drake: Most definitely.
Fynn: So we can’t let that happen again.
Drake: Vigilance is crucial - awareness of surroundings.
Ameya: We can’t let them do that to us again.
Drake: They won’t destroy this fold. This mission. I won’t let them.
Ameya: [looking determinedly into Drake’s eyes] We won’t let them.
[Jade rolls her eyes. Drake nods, smiling with approval.]
Jade: How are we going to stop them?
Fynn: We need to fight fire with fire.
Drake: I’d say more like a burning inferno. This threat needs to be eliminated, completely and utterly.
Ameya: So we attack?
Drake: Tonight. Take the usual positions around and we’ll strike. We won’t let them destroy our goal. We will eliminate the target.
[Fade to: the witches’ house, night. Tara, Ezra and Rina walk into the entrance room through the door.]
Autumn: [with a smile] Well look here, you’re not dead.
Rina: Well noticed.
[Pete and Kaspar walk in.]
Pete: So what happened?
Ezra: Big attack from creepy robed guys.
Autumn: So you obviously won.
Rina: More like obviously drew.
Tara: We couldn’t see them, they were completely hidden.
Kaspar: So mystery not solved?
Tara: Looks like. We don’t exactly know who these killers are.
Autumn: From what we found these hunters target specific witches to take out.
Rina: So they kill one at a time.
Pete: Mass killings would be too obvious.
Tara: So we need to find out who this next target is, protect her. I will not let these people take another life.
Pete: How do we do that?
Kaspar: I’m thinking a ‘Reperi me alius’ incantation would do the job best.
Tara: I’m with you on that one.
Pete: So where do we start?
[Cut to: the living room, later on, the spell is all set up on the floor, a bowl of herbs in the middle. The witches are all sitting around in a circle. Tara drops a burning match into it, the contents suddenly burst into flame.]
Pete: So I’m a little clueless, a fill me in session would be nice.
Rina: Once the spell is cast, the name of target will appear in the flames.
Pete: Wow. That’ll show Houdini.
Tara: Ostendo ut mihi, ostendi sum...
[The flame suddenly bursts, turning a sharp blue, a few letters start to form onto the flame, the words dancing eerily in the fire. Slowly, slowly. Tara gazes at the flame - her expression darkens. The words formed show…
Ezra Storm.
[Cut to black.]
End of Act Two
Act Three
[Open to: the witches’ house - night. A continuation of the last scene. Ezra’s eyes are wide, hollowed and mortified with cold shock.]
Ezra: Oh my god…
Rina: [horrified] What?
[Silence.]
Rina: No, it can’t…
Kaspar: Are you sure? Are you sure this is…
Tara: Unless I’m suddenly illiterate.
[The witches gaze at the flame, disbelief sliced into each of their expressions. Nothing but hush fills the room.]
Ezra: [empty whisper] I’m the target…
[Tara turns to Ezra, giving her an encouraging smile, but she doesn’t see it, still stunned in fright.]
Tara: [softly] We’ll have to protect you.
[Kaspar pulls Ezra into a hug.]
Kaspar: [a strong whisper] You’re gonna be ok.
Ezra: You don’t know that.
Kaspar: I do. I won’t let it happen. You’ll never leave us.
Ezra: Never?
Kaspar: [smiling] Never. I’ve known you longer than anything and I’m gonna keep on knowing you.
Ezra: [with a glimmer of a smile] That’s good to know.
[They separate.]
Kaspar: We should protect the house.
Tara: Yeah, we obviously can’t let these people in to get what they want.
Kaspar: So we should probably get spellbound.
Pete: Bodyguards of the magical variety.
Rina: So let’s get moving.
[Cut to: Ezra walking into Ezra and Rina’s bedroom - night. She slowly climbs onto the double bed, curling up delicately on the covers. There is a knock. Ezra looks up, turning her head to look to the door - it’s Rina.]
Rina: Anything I can do?
Ezra: [with an attempt at a smile] Take this mind numbing terror from me please. That would be great.
Rina: Oh I would if I could, really.
Ezra: Shame.
Rina: Is there anything else you’ll settle for?
Ezra: [weak and sunken] Rina, I don’t know how to deal with this.
Rina: Who would? Nobody’s expecting you to.
Ezra: Death. Questioning my own mortality. I’ve never been so close to it and it’s turning me cold.
Rina: [strong] You don’t need to, you’re never going to leave me, never.
[Ezra looks directly into Rina’s eyes. Grateful, truly thankful eyes, fighting against the fear looking into her.]
Ezra: [soft] How do you always have the right thing to say at the right time?
Rina: [smiling] What can I say?
Ezra: I know what I can say.
[Ezra walks towards Rina and kisses her, they pair gradually separate.]
Rina: [smiles] I wouldn’t exactly call that speech but I’m not complaining.
Ezra: There was mouth movement.
Rina: [more seriously] Ez, I just want you to tell me you understand.
Ezra: I do.
Rina: I should go, d’you want anything before I-
Ezra: No.
[Ezra’s hand slowly slides down Rina’s arm, until her hand reaches Rina’s. She entwines her hand with her lover’s. Fingers together as one. She gazes into Rina’s eyes.]
Ezra: Stay with me.
[Beat. Rina smiles and crawls onto the bed with Ezra. They hold one another softly. So softly. Delicate.]
Rina: Forever.
[Fade to: the witches’ house - later on that night. The house is now completely dark, with moonlight the only thing dimly lighting it. Autumn, Kaspar and Pete are asleep at the research table. Everything is dark. Silent.]
[The windows smash. The glass crashes. A figure dives into the living room. Autumn, Kaspar and Pete suddenly wake up. More moonlight floods in through the new gaping gap. The figure is armed with a sword, the moonlight shows it’s - Fynn.]
[Autumn, Kaspar and Pete leap up from their slumber, shocked. Fynn swipes viciously at Kaspar who dodges it narrowly kicking Fynn in the stomach. Pete punches Fynn across the face who rises up and kicks him in the stomach in retaliation. Pete collapses to the ground. Jade jumps in after Fynn striking at Autumn who suddenly moves back hurling a book at her, it hits Jade in the face.]
[Kaspar dodges a stab with Fynn’s sword elbowing him in the face. Jade recovers from the book injury, she marches towards Autumn, angry. Autumn looks back at her brother in his fight with Fynn. Jade continues on confidently to a terror struck Autumn.]
Jade: So there’s a mouse amongst the scum is there?
[Autumn continues to tremble. Jade grins.]
Jade: Aren’t you going to strike me back with some abracadabra?
[Autumn tries hard to fight against Jade, but mere sparks emit from her hands. Jade is close to her, towering over.]
Jade: Go on. Put a spell on me.
[Autumn continues to tremble. Jade backhands Autumn across the face.]
Jade: Oh this is going to be so easy…
[Jade is suddenly struck down - she collapses. Pete is revealed behind her, holding a statue.]
Pete: Who says these are just for decoration?
Autumn: [relieved] Well I did till just then.
Pete: You ok?
[Autumn hugs Pete.]
[Kaspar dodges another swipe from Fynn charging him down. The two struggle on the floor, Kaspar tries to get up as does Fynn. There is a crash in another part of the house.]
Kaspar: Ezra.
[Cut to: the other end of the house, Drake and Ameya have come through, they’re walking upstairs slowly.]
[Cut to: the living room. Kaspar punches Fynn, he runs off. Fynn rushes after him as do Autumn and Pete.]
[Cut to: Ezra and Rina in their room, still lying, now asleep - at peace, gentle. The door suddenly bursts open. The couple wake up instantly, jumping out of bed. Drake and Ameya walk through, armed with their swords. Ameya slashes at Ezra who narrowly staggers back in shock.]
Rina: Repel.
[Drake and Ameya are thrown back out of the room by a shockwave. Tara and Kaspar rush up to them where they meet Drake and Ameya in the corridor. Kaspar punches Drake across the face. Tara rushes into Ezra and Rina’s room, she quickly leads Ezra out down the stairs as Kaspar keeps Drake and Ameya occupied with fighting.]
Ezra: What are we gonna do? We should fight while we can, try and drive them out of the house.
Tara: [breathing heavily] We’ll have to get them out of here somehow, it’s the only thing. We have to keep you safe, we can’t let them kill you or anybody.
[Fynn punches Tara in the back of the head. There are sounds of more struggles and fighting upstairs. Fynn smiles to Ezra.]
Ezra: Burn.
[Fynn’s robe sleeve suddenly lights up in flames, he rushes away, shocked in panic. Drake and Ameya rush downstairs, they’ve got past Kaspar and Rina. Ezra sees Rina upstairs - unconscious.]
Ezra: [deadly] What did you do to her?
Drake: Well you could say I gave her a little taster of violence. Just like I’m going to do with you Little Miss Witch.
[Tara slowly gets up, recovering from the punch.]
Tara: Y-You’re not going to touch her.
Drake: Wow, you’re tough.
Tara: That’s something I’ve never been called before. Obscura.
[A smoke screen suddenly appears in front of Drake, Ezra and Tara take this opportunity run off.]
Ezra: So much for my “let’s-fight” strategy.
Tara: We need to do a spell, a barrier, it’ll e-expel all those unwanted here in an instant.
Ezra: The magical alternative to getting rid of household pests.
Tara: Th-This isn’t the time for wisecracks, we need to gather together.
Ezra: Sure, that’s easy if we don’t get gutted in the process.
[Tara and Ezra rush up the stairs to Rina, they drag her into Ezra and Rina’s room. Ezra lightly slaps Rina on the cheek.]
Ezra: Baby wake up.
[Rina’s eyelids shake as she lightly stirs. She opens her eyes and smiles.]
Rina: An angel.
[They smile together. Rina sits up. Tara quickly shoves various items at the door as a barrier, a few chairs and furniture.]
Rina: What’s happening?
Tara: The “Domus Vindici” ritual.
Rina: To expel an enemy…You think we can do it?
Tara: I think so.
[Fade to: Ezra, Tara and Rina sitting in a triangle in the bedroom, holding hands - night.]
Tara: The house is broken,
The peace unspoken.
Rina: The darkness roams,
This place is not home.
Ezra: Release this from us, make it right,
Protect this house, this day, this night.
[The air bubbles around them, heats up. Blue energy starts to emit from the centre of the triangle. They squeeze tighter to one another as the spell starts to take effect, breathing slowly getting heavier, faster, faster, faster. The door thumps - once, twice. It flies open, the furniture scatters. Drake and Ameya walk in, they lunge at Ezra who breaks the chain in an attempt to dodge. Tara quickly grabs Rina’s hand to reform the chain.]
Tara: [to Ezra] Go!
Ezra: Dust.
[Ezra raises her arms and little dust particles appear, blurring the hunters’ vision. Ezra sprints down the stairs, Drake and Ameya on her tail. Ezra runs into the living room, Ameya with greater athletic ability manages to catch up with Ezra, punching her in the face, she staggers back in pain.]
Ezra: Bruise.
[An invisible strike hits Ameya in the stomach.]
Ameya: You’re going to die, witch.
[Ameya punches Ezra, hard across the jaw again, she hurls straight through the window.]
[Cut to: Pete struggling with Jade in the corridor upstairs. Kaspar is fighting Fynn and Autumn is armed with a lamp, circling the fighters, getting random hits here and there.]
[Cut to: Tara and Rina in Ezra and Rina’s room. They breathe more heavily. The blue energy grows.]
Tara: Domus Vindici
[The energy grows larger, hotter, brighter.]
Tara/Rina: Domus Vindici!
[The blue energy suddenly bursts out like an explosion throughout the whole house. Ameya, Drake, Fynn and Jade are all blown out through the windows, out of the house, Drake and Ameya onto the front lawn. Jade and Fynn go through the window in the bathroom, flying down into the lawn outside.]
[Ezra is also outside, glass surrounding her, she starts to stir and sits up. She sees there is a blue shield surrounding the house. Ezra tries to touch it experimentally, her hand is repelled back. She tries again - she is repelled back again.]
[She slams on the shield. Again. Again. Again. Harder. Stronger. Angrier. It doesn’t move, it doesn’t budge, nothing. Drake and Ameya slowly get up, recovering from the shock on the other side of the front lawn. Jade and Fynn walk round to join them, bruised but still armed.]
[Cut to: Tara and Rina, they sigh in exhaustion, completely short of breath. The spell complete.]
Rina: Woah.
[Tara slowly gathers the energy to get up, pulling Rina with her.]
Rina: Ez, where is she?
[Cut to: the witches gathering in their kitchen. Everybody but Ezra.]
Pete: Everyone ok?
Kaspar: Peaches and cream.
Rina: [agitated] Ezra, she’s not here.
[Cut to: the lawn. The witch hunters there. Ezra there. Eyes meet. They freeze.]
[Cut to: the kitchen, Autumn looks outside, they see Ezra.]
Autumn: Oh my god…
[Ezra starts to run.]
[Song: “Wherever I Go” by The Album Leaf.]
Wherever I go, I take you with me,
‘Cause I don’t want to see you leave.
Whenever I go, you stay with me,
They won’t see you leave.
[The hunters chase after her. The witches run to the door. The hunters continue after Ezra. She runs.]
Are you here with me?
I want you here with me.
Whenever I turn, you are gone from me,
And I won’t see you leave.
Wherever I go, your shadow follows me,
I don’t want to see you leave.
[Ezra runs through deserted streets, through the alleyways, breathing heavily, terrified, running for dear life. In through the alleyways. Out through the darkness of the night. She continues on.]
Are you here with me?
I want you here with me.
You are here with me,
And I am here with you.
[She stops as a darkened figure steps out, blocking her. The moonlight shows the eerie smirk of Drake.]
You are here with me,
And I am here with you…
Drake: Looks like we’re at the finish line.
[Blackout.]
End of Act Three
Act Four
[Open to: the alleyway - night. A continuation of the last scene.]
Ezra: Obscura.
[Smoke suddenly appears between Ezra and Drake, Ezra takes this chance to double back and run in the other direction. Drake cuts through the smoke easily with a slash of his sword. He grabs Ezra as she runs turning her viciously, he backhands her across the face.]
Drake: Magic proof sword, handy huh?
[Drake holds Ezra by the neck, pushing her up against the alley wall. He raises his sword, ready to strike.]
Voice OS: Shatter!
[Tara comes running up. Drake’s sword vibrates violently, falling out of his hand. Ezra takes the opportunity to kick Drake in the shins, girly style as he is distracted by the sword, she runs out of his vicinity. The other witches run up behind Tara. Rina lunges at Ezra, pulling her into a hug. The other witches hug her.]
Ezra: Looks like I had no idea about “let’s-all-hug-Ezra” day.
[The other hunters appear at Drake’s side.]
Tara: Who are you?
Drake: The truth.
Rina: Why are you doing this?
Drake: [determined] Your kind need to be dealt with. You witches need to be killed - wiped out.
Tara: So you’re the people who killed that innocent girl.
Ameya: You can never describe that as innocent. There’s nothing human about you.
Kaspar: You killed her, and you don’t even care.
Fynn: We care.
Jade: What he said.
Drake: We care enough to do what’s right. To take action, to do what needs to be done.
Pete: What needs to be done? Nothing about what you’re doing needs to be done.
Rina: Killing witches won’t solve anything.
Drake: It’s the only way, to deal with you.
Pete: Did anyone tell you you’re crazy?
Drake: You’re a virus, an infection. You’ll keep spreading and spreading, destroying, crushing everything with your very touch. Taking and taking. You’re the ones hollowing this earth, killing this world.
Autumn: Uh…since when?
Drake: Since always. You were created in the flames of destruction, the fires of chaos. Throughout history you’ve been a plague.
Tara: We’re still people, human. You must feel something.
Ameya: You’re not people.
Fynn: Not human.
Drake: Nothing so impure could ever be counted as human.
Ezra: You have no idea what being human means.
Drake: And you do?
Rina: You’re killers and you do it remorselessly.
Drake: We’re not killers - we’re warriors.
Pete: Warriors? Is that what you call yourselves?
Ameya: It’s what we are.
Drake: We have a mission, a purpose and we’re not going to give up because of you. You’re not going to destroy our plans.
Ezra: [defiant] Really? Then come and get me.
[Tense silence.]
[Ameya quickly raises her sword, ready to strike at Ezra.]
Rina: Confundi.
[Rina sends a small blast of white light into Ameya, she stumbles back - disoriented. Fynn punches Ezra in the face instantly after, she stumbles back stunned.]
Ezra: Movi.
[A piece of wood from the side hits Fynn on the leg, knocking him down, he winces in pain. Drake attacks Ezra now, though he is struck down by something - Tara, holding a baseball bat from behind.]
Tara: You s-stay away from her.
[Drake slowly gets up, scowling. Fynn also gets himself up. Ameya is still disoriented.]
Drake: This isn’t over.
Pete: Oh what a cliché.
Tara: Go.
Drake: Never. We’ll never leave you. We’ll never stop. You will be destroyed.
[Silence. The witch hunters turn, retreating back.]
Ezra: And that’s why attempted murder never works kids.
Rina: So we won then?
Tara: For now.
[Tara drops the baseball bat.]
Autumn: You think they’ll attack again?
Ezra: Definitely.
Kaspar: Looks like the target range’s been widened. It’s not just you Ez, it’s all of us.
Autumn: [with light sarcasm] Thanks Ez…
Rina: We’ve got an enemy and the witch hunt begins.
Ezra: You think they’ll manage it, fulfil their aims?
[Beat.]
Tara: [confident] Never.
[Fade to: the witches’ kitchen - day. Ezra puts a carton of orange juice into the fridge, she closes it as Tara walks in.]
Tara: Hey.
Ezra: And a good morning in return. Did you sleep ok?
Tara: Yeah, good.
Ezra: Cos if you didn’t you can say. By the way if you found Kas in your room at four ‘o clock in the morning, don’t scream rape he kinda -
Tara: Ezra it was fine, great in fact. I’d rate it five star accommodation. Thanks, for letting me stay the night.
Ezra: Well that’s good to know.
Tara: And what was that about Kas-
Ezra: Nothing you need to get concerned about. [quickly] Toast?
Tara: Ez, please.
Ezra: Was that a joke?
Tara: Quite possibly.
[The two chuckle.]
Ezra: Thanks.
Tara: For what?
Ezra: Again with the modesty.
Tara: It’s kind of a habit.
Ezra: Thanks for your help, I could just be another helpless witch hunt victim.
Tara: I’m sure you’d have fought through, you seem like the strong type.
Ezra: Seem being the highlighted word.
[There is a honk from outside.]
Ezra: Looks like you’re wanted.
Tara: Looks like.
Ezra: Have fun back at home, but promise me one thing.
Tara: What?
Ezra: You have to record your friends’ reactions for me! Talk about “Honey I came back from the friggin’ dead!”
Tara: [smiles] I’ll be back, armed with re-enforcements, the whole cavalry. Just need to make a quick pit-stop, then we’ll be back.
Ezra: Have fun.
[Tara smiles warmly, she turns to the door.]
[Cut to: Tara walking out of the witches’ house, into a taxi, day.]
[Fade to: the taxi driving down a road - day. The taxi reaches the outside of an average looking house. Tara gets out. She looks around perplexed. This isn’t Sunnydale.]
Tara: Uh…excuse me?
[The taxi driver gets out of the car.]
Tara: Where are we?
[The masked driver instantly punches her across the face violently. He puts a chloroform cloth over her mouth as she struggles against his strong grip, she quickly succumbs to the chloroform, still. The man drags her limp body into the house, they pass the letter box saying “Lori family”. He takes off his mask - Drake.]
[Cut to: the witches’ house - the living room - day. Kaspar is reading through a book as Ezra walks in.]
Pete: So our guest is gone?
Ezra: Yep, back home.
Autumn: So was she really…dead?
Rina: The deadest.
Autumn: [slightly surprised] Huh.
Kaspar: We meet the most interesting people.
Rina: Homocidal maniacs being among them.
Kaspar: This living in fear of dying thing - not fun.
Pete: [to Kaspar] What’s with Mr. Bookworm?
Kaspar: [flicking through his book] Just doing a little extra research in these Salem books, you never know something could just turn-
[Kaspar stops flicking. He stares at the page, stunned.]
Kaspar: - Up.
[Kaspar looks down at the book to see the title “ ‘Malleus Maleficarum’. The Hammer of the Witches - This demon can take human form and use this ability to aid itself in killing witches.” There is a picture of its scabby green demon form and it’s human form next to it - Tara.]
[Cut to: Drake and the witch hunters in the Lori family house, day. It looks abandoned. They are in an empty room with Tara’s unconscious body on the floor. A blue robed Shaman is also there. He chants, low and slowly…]
Shaman: Disguise her, warp her form…
[There is a flash of blue light, it fills the whole screen.]
[Cut to: the witches’ house - the living room.]
Autumn: Tara?
Kaspar: So we’re all seeing the same thing right?
Ezra: [stunned] No, no, no it can’t be.
Rina: Oh my god…
Autumn: Then how come this picture looks just like her?
Pete: Maybe it’s just someone who looks a lot like her.
[Ezra looks down at the book, her eyes hopeful, but at the same time wrecked with fear.]
Ezra: Maybe…
Kaspar: It says the creature disguises itself as an innocent person to get it’s way into the witches lives and destroy them from the inside.
Pete: So she could be this demon, it looks innocent enough.
Ezra: No, no it can’t be. It just can’t.
Rina: [soft] Don’t worry, we’ll find out what’s happening.
Ezra: [frantically] Th-There has to be a proper explanation, a reasonable one.
Autumn: So we need to find her.
Ezra: A locator spell.
[Cut to: blurred vision, we see wobbling, confusion, we are in Tara’s eyes. Her vision slowly clears up, very slowly. It soon becomes clear she’s in a house, nobody around her. As the vision clears Tara looks down - horrified.]
[Cut to: a white void, complete white light all over. The Messenger enters. There is a red robed figure sitting down on an armchair, a hood over his head, his face shrouded by darkness.]
Red Robed Figure: Was the plan successful?
The Messenger: A success.
Red Robed Figure: She is in?
The Messenger: Contact has been made.
Red Robed Figure: I assume she’s with the witches now.
The Messenger: The shift is complete.
Red Robed Figure: And it is certain she can never return?
The Messenger: All the appropriate measures have been taken. This plan will work sir - I promise you that.
Red Robed Figure: I’m sure it will.
The Messenger: We will achieve our goal. Our strife will not be for nothing. The transformation will not be in vain.
Red Robed Figure: Everything has gone according to plan.
[The Messenger nods.]
[Cut to: the witches driving down a street, day. Ezra has a map of Lesper Bay in her hands, there is a tiny blue light on it. Kaspar is driving.]
Ezra: How much longer?
Kaspar: We’re nearly there.
Rina: [comforting] Ez, don’t worry, we’ll be ok.
Ezra: I just have to know…
Pete: What if she is this demon? What are you gonna do then?
[Beat. Ezra looks out of the window - grave. The car stops. The engine dies. Pause. Ezra gets out of the car purposefully, they reach the same house Tara was dragged into.]
Autumn: Here we go.
[The witches run up the stairs.]
Ezra: Open.
[The door violently flies open sending a wave of dust up. It starts to settle slowly. The dust clears. Shock. The house is covered with dead bodies. Blood. Carnage. Mayhem everywhere. The bodies litter the house, men, women, children… Slowly pan up to see Tara blood on her hands, holding a long, bloody knife.]
[We go into Ezra’s eyes - she sees the same demon in the book in Tara’s place, holding the knife, blood all over its hands.]
Ezra: [shocked] Oh my god…
[Ezra sends a shockwave at Tara who stumbles back.]
Tara: Ezra…
[Ezra sends a blast of green energy at Tara who goes flying back into the wall. The witches march forward. Tara now scared. She runs from the house through a kitchen into the back porch, she is suddenly struck by a lightning bolt. Ezra - eyes black, murderous.]
Ezra: Got her.
[Blackout.]
To Be Continued…
© Copyright Yosso November 2006 / July 2007.
Any comments, thoughts would be greatly appreciated :D. Thanks for reading ;).
Next episode out 6th October - 1.02 "Enemy"