Witch 1.03 "Liar"
Episode 1.03 “Liar”
Part Three of Three
Tara VO: Previously on Witch…
[Open to: Tara and Willow kissing as carnage flashes in front of the screen.]
Voice: It cannot be.
[Cut to: Tara and Ezra in the kitchen.]
Ezra: Thanks for your help.
Tara: I’m sure you’d have fought through, you seem like the strong type.
[Cut to: a large, old, brown book with a sketch of a demon and it’s human form - Tara.]
Autumn: The “Malleus Maleficarum”. The Hammer of the Witches.
[Cut to: Demon/Tara picking up the blue jacket and wrapping it around herself. We abruptly flash to see Tara’s lonely face again, quickly flashing back to the demon.]
Ezra VO: Tara. Or that’s what I thought your name was.
Tara VO: It is.
[Cut to: Tara and Ezra in the alley.]
Ezra: You’re a witch hunter.
Tara: I’m not.
Ezra: Could have fooled me, all costumed up in demon’s clothes.
Tara: Drake, it’s-it’s Drake.
[Cut to: Drake and the witches standing in the alleyway.]
Rina: Why are you doing this?
Drake: Your kind need to be dealt with. You witches need to be killed - wiped out.
[Cut to: Ezra storming up to Tara sending sparks of electricity at her, electrocuting her. Tara screams in pain and anguish.]
Pete VO: You think she’s gone out to - kill?
Rina VO: On her own?
Kaspar VO: You know how she gets when she really wants something. It’s like
nothing else matters.
[Cut to: Rina and Ezra in their bedroom.]
Rina: I’m not going to give up on you. This demon, you’re letting it consume you. You need to stop. Please Ez, tell me what’s wrong.
Ezra: I found them. There was so much blood. My family, displayed like that, arranged, their bodies, I broke down completely when I saw them... When I saw Tara, it all came rushing back. I just went crazy, thinking about it.
[Cut to: Tara in her motel room.]
Tara: [realisation] Of course.
[She rushes up to one of the many books scattered over the floor.]
[Cut to: Tara on her bed, holding a yellow ball in her hand. The finished product. She smiles.]
[Cut to: Tara in the witches’ kitchen, the yellow ball floating on her hand, she is horrified, she looks back down at her ball, it suddenly disintegrates in her hand.]
Kaspar: Destroy.
[Tara’s shield suddenly shatters. Pete goes behind her and grips Tara’s arms.]
[Cut into: Tara’s eyes. Ezra backhands her across the face.]
START OF EPISODE
Teaser
[Open to: blurred darkness. Misty light slowly fades its way into view. Voices, noise echo incomprehensible, quelled by the overwhelming blur. Slowly the voices grow clearer but are resonant and reverberate vividly.]
Voice: [echoes] Look what you’ve done.
Tried to reverse it.
Tried to save yourself - now look where it’s got you.
You’re in the arms, in the hands of your enemy, and who knows what your enemy are going to do with you now.
Don’t bother fighting anymore, don’t bother with your struggle.
[Beat.]
It’s all over.
[Flash to: Tara’s unconscious face. Zoom out to see Pete dragging Tara’s limp unconscious body across the house, with the rest of the witches, night. The atmosphere quick - hurried - tense.]
Pete: Where do we take her?
Kaspar: Leave her in the bedroom.
Autumn: Or maybe-
Ezra: The cellar.
Kaspar: The cellar?
Pete: There’s a cellar?
Ezra: Abandoned, we haven’t used it in years.
Pete: I could have guessed that.
Rina: The cellar, isn’t that the room-
Ezra: Completely magic proof, sealed in, yeah.
[Cut to: Tara being dragged down some stairs into an empty basement area by Pete. There is a door against the opposite wall.]
[Cut to: the witch hunters in their living room, night. Drake walks in, a triumphant smirk resting on his face.]
Drake: She’s in.
Jade: So it worked?
Drake: Completely. Stage one is complete.
Ameya: So you plan for the new witch to kill some of these witches and for them to kill her in return?
Drake: Yes.
Ameya: [slightly skeptical] How? Surely the new witch and a possible two others maximum will die if she feels she needs to kill them, she doesn’t appear to be much more powerful than the rest of them.
Drake: Take them by surprise, while they’re pre-occupied with the new witch, we can make our move then. Any more questions, Ameya?
[Drake looks at her intensely, who does the same in return.]
Ameya: No...sir.
[Cut to: the witches in their cellar, night.]
Ezra: Open.
[The door slides open, Kaspar and Pete drag Tara inside, Autumn hands them some rope and the two tie her up in a chair. Tara starts to come to as they tie her. Her eyes slowly open as the witches walk out of the room.]
[Cut into: Tara’s eyes to see blurred images of the witches in front of her, slowly growing clearer and clearer. Kaspar and Pete walk away towards the other witches.]
Tara: K-Kaspar wait, please, d-don’t go. I can explain.
[The witches gather together. One united group against Tara - alone, helpless, desperate.]
Tara: [despairing] I c-can explain...
Ezra: I can’t believe anything you say.
[Ezra turns.]
Tara: Ezra wait...
[The witches follow suit and turn. They move out, walking further and further away.]
Tara: Ezra!
[The door opens and the witches move out through it. A few moments after the witches have left the door closes again.]
[Tara’s head lowers in disappointment, we pan over to the window of the room where we see… Drake - smirking.]
[Blackout.]
Thunder cracks…
Opening Credits
Theme song: “Wherever I Go” by The Album Leaf.
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
Created by: Yosso
Written by: Yosso
Produced by: Yosso
Edited by: Mabus101
Song(s) featured: “That Kind of Love” by Alison Krauss.
Original Airdate: (on BW) 2nd December 2006
Re-release Airdate: (on BF and LJ) 20th October 2007
Disclaimer: “Witch” is a virtual fan made series, set in Joss Whedon’s Buffyverse which is 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: the witches’ living room, day. Pete comes in carrying a pile of books while the witches are all researching. He collapses them down on the table, they spill everywhere.]
Pete: All the relevant books I could find from the library - or attempted to find at least.
Kaspar: As if our search couldn’t get difficult enough.
Autumn: We know what the demon is, but there’s no reference on how to kill it.
Rina: I quote: “The weapons of man cannot destroy the witch killer. The weapons of the wielders of magic cannot destroy the witch killer. There is no known way to ensure its destruction.”
Pete: Well thanks a lot, we’re all clued up.
Autumn: Still no luck then. This demon or whoever she is-
Ezra: It.
[Pete, Kaspar, Autumn and Rina turn to see Ezra typing away determinedly at a computer.]
Ezra: [sternly] The demon is an it.
Rina: Found anything yet sweetie?
Ezra: No.
Autumn: You sure we can’t help? Surely four brains are better than one - well mostly.
Ezra: No.
Pete: Ezra, have a rest, you’ve been up all night.
Ezra: No.
[Ezra is breathing heavily, gripping the mouse.]
Rina: Ez...
Ezra: No!
[Silence. The witches look at Ezra, then at one another, obviously worried.]
Autumn: [carefully] You should rest. You’re just tired.
Ezra: I’m not tired, I’m fine.
Rina: [firmly] You haven’t slept in two days.
Ezra: I’ll live.
Pete: That’s not the point. It’s not good for you, we worry.
Ezra: Well don’t.
Kaspar: You don’t need to push yourself this hard.
[Kaspar touches Ezra’s shoulder. She turns violently.]
Ezra: [pissed off] Stop worrying. Stop complaining. Stop moaning. I need to find how to kill this bitch, sleeping won’t help. Sleeping won’t save those people. Just back off.
Rina: You really didn’t listen to anything I said before did you?
Ezra: [harshly] Listen to what?
[Cut to: the witch hunters’ house, night. Fynn and Ameya are walking silently down a corridor; they reach a door and stop. They smile warmly to each other; Fynn reaches for the door handle and opens it. It’s a nice, ordinary bedroom.]
[Fynn gestures silently, a smile on his face in a very gentlemanly manner. Ameya smiles back entering. Fynn follows. They close the door behind them and move towards one another holding each other by the shoulders, almost in dance position, both grinning… grinning with jubilant happiness.]
Fynn: Hey...
Ameya: Hey...
[The simply stand together, smiling to one another.]
[Cut to: Tara’s prison, night. The door slides open, Ezra walks in. Ezra glares at her in silence. No movement. For a moment the two of them simply look at one another, Ezra’s eyes no longer blazing with fury, but are now seething with hatred. Tara’s eyes look back at Ezra’s, filled with anguish. No movement.]
Tara: Hello.
[Ezra doesn’t reply, continuing to glare.]
Tara: Hi.
Ezra: You really think you deserve a hi back?
Tara: I can’t say I’m not surprised at your response.
Ezra: What did you expect? A kind greeting, hugs and kisses, a nose rub? You’re a killer. You don’t deserve any of that.
Tara: You don’t know what I am.
Ezra: I think I do. You were killing, maiming, destroying and we caught you. We caught you before you could do any more damage.
Tara: No.
Ezra: [forceful, vicious] You killed all those witches, disfiguring them, just for your sick pleasure.
Tara: No.
Ezra: You destroyed Mandy, you slaughtered her family!
Tara: No.
Ezra: You’re a killer, evil, and you don’t even care.
Tara: N-no!
[Tara takes in a breath.]
Ezra: Stop with the act.
Tara: I-it’s not.
Ezra: You have no idea what guilt is, what mercy is. I trusted you, I invited you into my home.
Tara: I know…
Ezra: I thought you were a friend. I’ve had enough of this, all these lies, deception, all this death. [maliciously] You can’t hide your true face, you can never hide it, what you really are, outside and inside. A heartless murderer.
Tara: Stop it.
[Glaring at Tara, Ezra turns to the door.]
Ezra: You won’t get away with this. I will destroy you.
Tara: W-wait!
[Ezra stops.]
Tara: A spell, there’s a spell. I can prove what I really am.
Ezra: [her eyes narrow] I know what you really are.
Tara: This is a trick, a guise, an illusion, some sort of spell.
Ezra: You don’t think I’ve heard that line before?
Tara: This isn’t me. I-I’m not a demon.
Ezra: Then what are you?
Tara: I’m a girl, I’m just a girl. Drake put some illusion in your head to make you
think...
[Ezra laughs, a loud hard-hearted laugh. Tara tumbles slightly further into desolation.]
Tara: Ezra, please...
Ezra: You’re lying. I don’t believe you.
Tara: I wouldn’t either, but please you have to try. A truth spell would work, a revealing spell, I promise you, this can all be dealt with, if you just-
Ezra: What? Trust you?
Tara: [heartfelt] Yes.
[Pause. They look at each other. Ezra looks completely disgusted, she takes a sigh and thinks for a moment.]
Ezra: Okay.
Tara: [in relief] Thanks. I know it’s a lot to ask, r-really a lot, but please, trust me…
Ezra: I don’t think I can - ever.
[Ezra turns finally walking out of the door which automatically slides open for her, closing when she leaves. We slowly move into Tara’s face, she looks down and sighs.]
[Cut to: Ezra walking into the living room, night. The witches are there researching.]
Ezra: Anything yet?
[Silence. The witches look up. Autumn and Pete are hesitant to respond.]
Rina: [slightly cold] No, not really.
[The witches head go back down into books and research.]
Ezra: Look, I’m sorry - for snapping earlier.
Rina: Sorry are you?
Ezra: [quieter] I know I was…unreasonable before.
Rina: [bluntly] Yep.
Ezra: So could we just go back to how things were before?
[Awkward pause.]
Autumn: It’s ok Ez. It really is.
[Ezra nods to Autumn; the other witches nod in return. Ezra looks at Rina, who looks straight back at Ezra; she eventually gives her a small smile and nods in return. Ezra attempts a smile in return, but it doesn’t quite come out.]
Pete: So what were you saying down there?
Ezra: She- it’s asked me for something.
[Beat.]
Ezra: To do a truth spell.
Pete: Why?
Ezra: To prove itself - it claims it’s actually a witch that Drake has cast a spell on us, made us think she’s evil.
Autumn: Maybe she’s right.
[Beat.]
Kaspar: [almost horrified] What?
Autumn: [calmly, trying to be reasonable] Come on Kas, we don’t know this girl from Eve, she could be telling the truth, we can’t just assume the worst about people all the time.
Kaspar: And the massacre wasn’t enough proof?!
Autumn: Maybe we’re being deceived, we don’t know what we’re seeing.
Kaspar: Oh I know exactly what we’re seeing.
Pete: We don’t know it’s lying.
Rina: We don’t know anything for sure.
Kaspar: It could be lying.
Autumn: What if we kill a witch, a person, what are we gonna do then? How are we going to live with ourselves if-
Kaspar: Better safe than sorry.
Pete: Kas, don’t you think we should at least give her a chance before-
Kaspar: Before she betrays us again? Before we have another body on our hands, another massacre? I’m not going to let that happen. Something like that, something cold, callous, killed Ezra’s family and I’m not going to stand by and let my friend get hurt again!
[Beat. Autumn and Pete both turn to Ezra, appalled and yet also with pity.]
Autumn: Ez...
Kaspar: [regretful] Ezra, I’m sorry…
[Ezra winces, suddenly wallowing in painful memory, but she looks up, pressing down the pain, trying to be strong.]
Ezra: No, it’s ok. It’s ok.
[Ezra looks down. Long, tense beat.]
Autumn: Oh honey, I’m so sorry…
[Autumn walks over to Ezra, she hugs her.]
Pete: [softly] Why didn’t you tell us?
Ezra: I’ve just been trying to forget it, but it’s been at the back of my mind all these years.
Autumn: So what are we going to do? I say we give it a shot.
Kaspar: [forcefully] Aut, you can’t be saying this, especially after-
Rina: Kaspar-
Kaspar: How do we know this isn’t its plan? To try and escape!
Autumn: We won’t know if we don’t try!
Pete: The only thing we can do to be sure is, chant chant chant!
Kaspar: Pete-
Ezra: That’s enough!
[Beat.]
Ezra: I’m tired of arguing, I’m tired of fighting. What’s past is past and… I say why not go for it. Maybe she is innocent, maybe all this, all this struggle, maybe it is for nothing. We’re doing the spell, but we still need to take precautions, just in case this is a trap.
[Cut to: Kaspar walking down a corridor in the witches’ house, night. Pete comes out of the toilet noticing Kaspar walking briskly down, with purpose. With almost too much purpose. Pete sighs.]
Pete: You’re not going where I think you’re going are you?
Kaspar: [without concern] Probably.
Pete: A little unease wouldn’t kill you would it?
[Pete follows Kaspar as he goes down to the basement.]
Kaspar: [purposefully] Open.
[The door slides open.]
Pete: [worried] Kas, you know this isn’t a good idea.
Kaspar: That’s not the issue.
Pete: Then why’re you doing this?
Kaspar: It needs to be done.
Pete: Here we go with the protective friend trip again…
[Kaspar walks into Tara’s prison, followed by Pete.]
Kaspar: [briskly] What are you?
[Tara looks up, slightly startled to see Kaspar there.]
Tara: Very direct of you.
Kaspar: [hard] Look, I’m not interested in games. No mind games, no avoiding, I want a straight answer.
Tara: I’m a w-
Kaspar: You’re not one of us. You could never be one of us.
Tara: I am. You want answers, I’m giving you some.
Kaspar: We all know what you are.
Pete: [warningly] Kas...
Tara: I’m telling you the truth, I c-can’t give you any other answer.
Kaspar: Don’t lie to me.
Tara: I’m not.
Kaspar: Tell the truth.
Tara: How?
Kaspar: Do it.
Tara: I can’t!
[Kaspar glares at Tara.]
Kaspar: Fine. We’ll kill you.
Pete: Kaspar this isn’t helping.
[Kaspar turns to the door, but suddenly turns back.]
Kaspar: You’re hurting her. Ezra. My friend. She’s suffering because of you.
Tara: I-
Kaspar: If it’s some kind of spell, if you’re doing something, you will have hell to
pay. I guarantee that. She’s… she’s gone through enough in her life, she’s lost people, friends, family. She doesn’t need this. She doesn’t need any of this, so whatever you’re doing, you need to stop.
[Kaspar glares at her, with the same cold contempt Ezra showed her, finally turning to the door. Pete looks at Tara, not furious, but still cold. Tara looks down, she takes a gulp of air, holding back slight tears. She sighs again - hurt.]
[Cut back to: the witches’ living room, night. Kaspar and Pete walk back into the room, the witches are all in research mode.]
Pete: [to Kaspar] I told you, so many times, but no you wouldn’t listen. You shouldn’t have done that.
Ezra: [looks up] Done what?
[Pete and Kaspar look at one another. Pete takes a small sigh.]
Pete: Nothing.
Ezra: You were never a good liar Pete, spill-
Autumn: Found something.
Kaspar: [to Pete] Luck is on our side for once.
[Rina looks up to Autumn.]
Rina: For real this time?
Autumn: Yeah!
Rina: That’s what you said the last seven times.
Autumn: Well…maybe.
Ezra: I swear you’re schizophrenic.
Autumn: It’s always been a possibility.
Pete: So we’re all set?
Autumn: Yeah, it’s the LaBoul truth spell, created by a French sorcerer in the thirteenth century, blah blah blah, it should work.
Pete: Blah blah blah? That’s a new one.
Autumn: [to Pete] Pedantic Pete is not my favourite alter ego of yours. It’s the most reliable truth spell around, it even gets around barriers and “strips away lies to the bone”, leaving only truth behind.
Ezra: Ok, let’s give it a shot.
[Cut to: the witch hunters’ house, night. The hunters are in their kitchen, eating dinner. Drake walks in.]
Drake: Ameya, a word please?
[Ameya gets up and walks out with Drake.]
Ameya: [all business] Any news?
Drake: Not yet. We’ll need to prepare for the attack soon.
Ameya: So…
Drake: You’ve always been a good soldier, loyal. I’ve always been able to trust you. You’ve always been reliable, honourable.
Ameya: What are you saying?
Drake: I want you to lead the attack with me.
[Ameya’s jaw drops, shot by shock.]
Ameya: Ok, this can’t be reality.
Drake: You should have the honour to kill one first.
Ameya: I-I don’t know what to say...
Drake: I know what those witches did to you, they hurt you a lot more than…more than most of us. This is what you’re owed, what those witches owe you, their lives.
Ameya: Drake...of course. I’ll be glad to. But…before, when I was asking all those questions-
Drake: You thought I was angry.
Ameya: Well yeah.
Drake: I was never angry at you, I was proud. It just proves how powerful you are, you’re not weak willed, you have a strong mind for this mission, you’re more than worthy.
[Ameya smiles. Pan to: Jade behind the wall in the other room, next to the door, listening. She scowls, jealous.]
[Cut to: Tara still tied in her chair, in her prison, night. Her head is down, she suddenly looks up as the witches come in - all business.]
Ezra: Reveal the truth we desire to know.
Fire, wind, air, reveal
Let it show.
[Tara realises what’s going on. Kaspar and Rina pour coloured sand around Tara in a circle, Kaspar going clockwise, Rina going anti-clockwise.]
Ezra: Let it show. Let the truth be told.
[The witches wait, we see Tara from their point of view - the demon. She stays the same. They continue to look at Tara. The seconds painfully ticking away. Trickling slowly. Ezra continues to glare. Finally Ezra turns and walks away, enough time has passed, enough is enough. The other witches follow.]
Pete: Did that work or did witchcraft just get really crappy?
Tara: [horrified] What?
[The witches turn and continue to walk away.]
Tara: It h-hasn’t worked?
[The witches continue to walk away.]
Tara: [desperately] The spell! It’s been tampered with! Please, you have to believe me!
[The witches ignore her, walking away.]
Tara: Come on! You have to believe me! Th-this is a lie!
[The witches continue to walk away from her, wordless, silent.]
Tara: It’s Drake! He’s doing this! He’s doing this! He altered the spell!
[The witches approach the door, it opens as they leave.]
Tara: I’m not lying, I’m not...
[The door slides shut as the witches leave.]
Tara: Please.
[Tara sighs, lowering her head, almost crying.]
Voice: Aaw.
[Quickly pan to: Drake standing in front of her. The atmosphere cracks, splinters into hard tension.]
Drake: [mocking] Poor ickle witch, my heart goes out to you. No, actually I’d prefer yours coming out to me.
Tara: What are you?
Drake: Better than you.
Tara: What’s that supposed to mean?
Drake: Thankful I’m not one of your kind, unworthy. You filthy, disgusting murderous witches.
Tara: Murderous? That’s rich coming from you!
Drake: What I did… was not murder.
Tara: Have you consulted the dictionary lately?
Drake: You’re in no position to be wise-cracking.
Tara: Why’re you doing this? You’re going to so much trouble just to cause so much pain. You don’t even care. You can’t be human. I don’t believe it.
Drake: You’re the one saying I’m not human? You’re joking, right? I’ve never heard anything more hypocritical, you sickening thing!
Tara: How can you be?
Drake: Oh, I’m far more human than you will ever be.
Tara: I don’t believe any person could do that. Be so cruel. So merciless.
Drake: Cruelty? It’s justice.
Tara: For what? Existing?!
Drake: For the things you do, you take and take, without thinking of the consequences of your actions, you’re selfish, you all are.
Tara: I want to help people, do good. Can’t you see that?
Drake: No. Because it’s not true.
Tara: You have to be lying.
Drake: Once again I repeat, I am very much human.
Tara: If that’s true, then turn around, reverse the spell, let me go.
Drake: [resolute] No.
Tara: My reverse spell didn’t work, you happy now?
Drake: Oh very.
Tara: I know it was you, you tampered with it, screwed it up.
Drake: [sarcastically] Oh well done Sherlock! Here’s a medal!
Tara: Just turn back, stop what you’re doing. There’s good in everyone, including you. I believe it.
Drake: Well I don’t believe it about you. There’s nothing in there but darkness with a deceiving face. You don’t deserve this life you have.
Tara: Why do you hate witches so much?
Drake: [ignoring her] You’re stupid.
Tara: Why are you doing this?
Drake: Unworthy.
Tara: There must be a reason for all of this.
Drake: You’re scum.
Tara: Just tell me why you’re doing this.
Drake: I don’t have to explain myself to you, you dim bitch. We’ve banded together to eliminate your filth. You’ve wronged us. So we do the same to your kind.
Tara: That’s not fair. That’s not the way-
Drake: Oh, it’s more than fair. Your miserable life deserves to be hell, you know, witch, I know more about you than you think...
Tara: Enlighten me.
Drake: Your mother.
[Tara takes an almost inaudible breath. Her eyes snap wider.]
Drake: I see the word hit a nerve. I knew the witch.
Tara: Y-you’re looking for some payback now, because she got the better of you?
[Drake grimaces.]
Drake: [silkily] No... I wouldn’t put it like that.
Tara: Stop.
Drake: She was so easy. So soft, so delicate. She melted, like ice.
Tara: Stop.
Drake: [vicious] She was so stupid. So slow, dim-witted, foolish, no wonder it happened so quickly. It was so easy…
Tara: Stop.
Drake: And your girlfriend, found out a lot about her, nearly destroyed the world didn’t she? The stupid witch bitch got hooked on the magics.
Tara: Stop.
Drake: Your girlfriend should be burned with the rest of you, I’ll catch up to her soon and-
[Drake raises his sword threateningly.]
Drake: We’ll get acquainted.
Tara: You’ll never succeed. She’s far stronger than you could ever be.
Drake: I think not. I’ll kill her, burn her in front of you, make you watch her scream.
Tara: [hurting] S-stop please...
Drake: That might bring back some memories of dear old mum.
[Drake suddenly lurches back as an invisible magical force hits him; Tara is looking down - tearful.]
Tara: Why’re you doing this? Wh-what do you want?
[Beat.]
Drake: Revenge.
[Tara’s face is now filled with tears. She looks up and nothing is there. He’s vanished. Tara looks around, bewildered. A murmur of pain escapes her lips. Another one escapes her lips again, this time louder.]
[Abruptly cut to: another angle of Tara, her face contorted in confusion, worry, torment. We take a few similar shots as different angles until Tara lets out an even louder murmur. We take one more abrupt shot and she screams. As loud as she can. Letting out all her inner frustration, her torment, her pain. It all explodes.]
[Fade to black.]
End of Act One
Act Two
[Open to: Tara’s prison cell, day. Tara is tied in the chair, asleep, her eyes still stained with tears. The door suddenly slides open violently, the witches march in again seriously. Tara instantly wakes.]
Tara: I-
Ezra: Atteru isa everti.
Tara: What?
Ezra: [harshly] Destroy.
[Vines instantly start to rise from the ground, they grip Tara quickly, squeezing her tight, so tight it hurts. Tara screams in pain.]
Ezra: Destroy.
Tara: [in agony] Ezra...
Ezra: Destroy!
[The vines continue to tighten.]
Tara: [in pain] Ez, don’t do this. You won’t do this.
Ezra: Wrong.
Autumn: Ez, it’s not working like it should.
Ezra: Destroy!
Pete: Ez...
Ezra: Destroy!
Tara: Ezra-
Ezra: You escaped last time you’re not going to this time!
[She sighs, the vines suddenly shatter and disintegrate. Ezra glares at Tara, out of breath.]
Ezra: This isn’t over.
[The witches turn and walk out of the sliding door. Tara looks down and sighs, breathing heavily, shocked, frightened, scared.]
[Cut to: the witches walking back to the living room, day.]
Kaspar: It doesn’t matter, we can try next time.
Rina: There might not be a next time.
Autumn: We should just keep researching.
Ezra: The spell didn’t work, why didn’t it work?
Rina: I don’t think it was strong enough. It didn’t go far enough in killing her.
Ezra: Well we need to find a stronger one. I can’t keep waiting anymore.
Rina: Don’t worry, we’ll find another way.
Ezra: [smiles] Thanks, all of you.
Pete: I don’t get these random proclamations of appreciation, but I’m not complaining.
Ezra: No, it’s just, I’m grateful for you guys, being here for me, just wanted to say thanks. Especially after my bitch-fest yesterday.
[The witches smile to her.]
[Cut to: the witches in the living room, later on that day. Autumn is in the room, delved in books, researching.]
Autumn: Got it.
[Pete comes into the living room, soon after so do the rest of the witches.]
Pete: Ok, Aut, have you got it got it or just…got it?
Autumn: Yes, I’m pretty sure this is the one. It seems like the most powerful so far.
Rina: So this is really it?
Ezra: Third times’ the charm.
[Cut to: Tara’s prison cell, day. The door slides open while Tara is tied to the chair, the witches walk in.]
Ezra: Corrumpsi obrubi occisor efflixum perdi.
[Vines suddenly burst up from the ground, slowly wrapping themselves around Tara. They slowly creep up her neck, caressing them slowly until they grip her neck, choking, suffocating. She struggles as they continue to choke her.]
Tara: [choking] Libera extrica... Libera extrica...
[One of the ends suddenly burst into flames. She takes a breath mustering up every ounce of strength in her - all her power.]
Tara: Cassa illa funis.
[The ropes snap suddenly and she rushes straight for the door, but a magical barrier appears there, blocking her way.]
Ezra: [fiercely] You’re not going anywhere.
[A jet of light shoots at Tara from Ezra. Tara dodges it narrowly, she turns to the door desperately, banging on the barrier.]
Tara: Open! Release!
[She ducks when another jet of light shoots at her, narrowly missing her head.]
Ezra: The shield won’t budge. You’re trapped.
Tara: [slowly] Don’t…make me fight you.
[Tara slowly turns.]
Ezra: Why not? That’s what you demons do.
[She hurls another jet of light at Tara who dodges it again.]
Ezra: Right?
[Tara sends a light jet of light which hits Ezra. Ezra staggers back. Ezra sends another one at Tara, who deflects it. Running up to the barrier Ezra brandishes three knives, floating them up in mid-air, they go flying at Tara who deflects them again.]
Tara: Break!
[The barrier suddenly shatters. The door to the prison suddenly opens. Tara runs out through the witches’ house - the witches quickly on her tail, we follow the witches as they run through the house, hearts pounding as they chase. We hear the smash of a window. Crash. The witches rush into the living room… Nothing.]
[Cut to black.]
End of Act Two
Act Three
[Open to: the witches in the living room, day. A continuation of the last scene.]
Autumn: She’s gone.
Pete: And that’s not obvious?
Kaspar: How could she have escaped?
Rina: The barrier was strong enough.
Ezra: Ok, this isn’t the time for moping in our failure. We need to find her. Everybody scatter. Pete and Autumn to the kitchen, Kaspar go to the front lawn, Rina, you and me to the back lawn. We need to find her.
[The witches separate.]
[Cut to: Drake in the witch hunters’ back garden, day, he’s sitting down on the grass. He glances down to a mirror, looking at the witches through it, observing their every action as it happens.]
Tara OS: So that’s how you do it.
[Drake turns, he stands up. At first he is tense, but then he quickly relaxes, smirking.]
Drake: You’re out.
Tara: Five years now, well noticed.
Drake: So…they’re not dead yet. Shame.
Tara: They’re not and nothing is going to happen to them because of you.
Drake: So… for the sake of small talk, how did you find me? Did you magic your way to me? Do the dance of the voodoo before sacrificing seven goats?
Tara: [uncharacteristically sharp, annoyed] Two words. Phone. Book.
Drake: [grins confidently] Oh, not as foolish as I thought.
Tara: You’ve got that right.
Drake: But that doesn’t mean you’re not completely thoughtless. Why’re you wasting your time here? Shouldn’t you be scampering off in case they find you? Or do you witches all have a death wish? [getting gradually quieter, creepier] Maybe you know that we’re right. Maybe you know what you really are. That you’re unworthy, lower than the rest of us. You know that you need to be wiped out. You know you ought to die. You know you should and you want to but you shy away from it-
Tara: [a little shakily] That’s enough.
Drake: [cockily] Interrupting? How rude! Do they not teach manners in wicca world?
Tara: You need to stop this.
Drake: This? Not a very informative word.
Tara: [firmly] What you’re doing, ruining lives this way, it’s wrong.
Drake: That’s where you and I differ, you witches don’t deserve your lives.
Tara: You have no right to judge whether a person should live or die.
Drake: When it concerns witches it’s our right. My duty.
Tara: Can’t you see what you’re doing?! People are going to die because of you!
Drake: Like you’re going to ever convince me. Nothing that comes out of that foul mouth of yours is worth anything.
Tara: Just listen to me. You can’t do this.
Drake: Watch me.
[Drake glares defiantly at Tara.]
Tara: Agitti sicco.
[A blue mist forms around Drake, binding him. With his sword in his hand, he manages to cut through it as he struggles.]
Drake: Do you not remember the whole magic-proof sword thing?
Tara: Don’t make me do this.
Drake: Oh.
[He walks up to Tara - confident, straight in her face.]
Drake: Bring it on.
[He backhands Tara across the face who staggers back, bruised. She clutches her face in pain and looks up to him, moving back, fighting through the pain.]
Tara: Bind.
[Strands of light start to wrap around him from the ground. He cuts at them viciously, retreating back now a few metres away from Tara. Tara quickly rummages in her bag and extracts a bag of herbs. She sprinkles it just in front of her, chanting quietly to herself.]
Tara: Licens pungi subrui mehi. Licens pungi subrui mehi…
Drake: [moves forward] Oh come on, the abracadabra’s getting lame now.
Tara: Repel.
[Drake suddenly goes flying back. Tara winces in pain and rubs her head, the spell slightly too much for her to handle. Drake slams into a tree. We go into his vision to see it’s blurry, unfocused. Tara walks towards him. We go out of his vision, from Tara’s point of view to see him, slumped down, concussed.]
[Tara notices the magical mirror next to him, she walks towards it. She bends down and picks it up, she can see the witches all gathering in their living room through the mirror. Tara looks down at the image of them. She sighs. She raises it up and she throws it down to the ground, smashing it completely.]
Tara: What you’re doing is wrong, Drake. You need to stop now. Or things are only going to get worse.
[Cut to: Tara in the library, late afternoon. Many books are around her, open. She’s researching hard. She has a pad of paper in front of her, she’s gripping a pen. At the top of the paper there is an underlined title “Solutions.”]
[Tara picks up a picture next to her of Willow smiling. The picture has been printed off a computer on A4 paper. She sighs with longing as she stares at it. She looks at her pad of paper, there is nothing under the title. She hasn't found any solutions.]
[Fade to: Tara in the library, still researching through another pile of books, evening. She finds the same solution she used before in 1.02 - the yellow ball. She also has another book open next to her - “The Wiccan’s Guide to Protection Spells”.]
[Fade to: Tara back in her motel room, sitting on her bed, night. She looks at the phone, staring at it, her expression completely blank, plain, bare. She reaches slowly to pick it up. Her breathing grows heavier. Her hands move slowly towards the machine. She quickly moves it back. Hesitant. Uncertain.]
[Song: “That Kind of Love” by Alison Krauss.]
Who would sell their soul for love?
Or waste one tear on compromise…
[Tara takes another breath. Her hands now move to the phone, surer, more certain, firmer. With all her will she picks up the phone. And slowly puts it to her ear.]
Should be easy enough
To know a heartache in disguise
[She takes another breath, now staring into the distance, straight ahead, eyes full of longing, loneliness.]
But the heart rules the mind
And the going gets rough
[She dials a number on the phone, it rings. She takes a breath. It rings. She lightly bites her lip. It rings. Her eyebrows softly crinkle. It rings. The ringing stops. A voice answers.]
Pride takes the fall
When you find that kind of love
Willow OS: Hello?
[Tara manages a soft smile, glowing at the very sound of her voice. She instinctively opens her mouth to speak, but quickly stops herself.]
I can’t help feeling like a fool
Since I lost that place inside
Where my heart knew its way
And my soul was ever wise
Willow OS: Hello?
[Tara is still smiling, jovial, beaming, relishing the sound of her voice. There is a silence. Her smile fades as reality sinks in again, the look of longing returns, her face slowly contorts into sadness.]
Though beauty is rare enough
Still we trust
Somehow we’ll find it there
With no guarantee
It seems to me
[A tear rolls down Tara’s face. She starts to cry. A silent cry.]
[Cut to: Willow at the other end, clutching the phone to her ear. Silent. Peaceful. She smiles slowly, somehow sensing something, somehow feeling something. It’s all uncertain, but she acts on instinct, on pure instinct.]
There was not faith enough
Still my heart held on
When we find that kind of love…
[Willow’s mouth slowly opens. She takes a slow breath and mouths the words “I love you” into the phone. One final word.]
[Fade to black.]
End of Act Three
Act Four
[Open to: the witches’ house exterior, night. Tara walks purposefully up to the house to the door, focused, utterly and completely determined and wearing a gentle blue jumper. Tara knocks. The door opens, Ezra appears behind it.]
Ezra: I have to admit, I’d have never expected a house call from a murderous demon.
Tara: [forceful] I’ve had enough.
Ezra: You’ve-
Tara: I want this over.
[Tara barges roughly past Ezra, the witches are in the living room and suddenly pull away from what they were previously doing at the sight of Tara. They rise, backing up Ezra.]
Ezra: So we’re going to finish this are we? Finally come out of the shadows, come to face the music-
Tara: And dance? This is hard enough as it is.
Ezra: Hard? Things have never been easier. It’s simple really.
Tara: I wish it was. I wish it was easy for me, simple. I wish that there wasn’t more to it, but everyday, every time I look at one of you, it reminds me of all of it. I’ll never forget. I can’t back away from that. I have to act.
Ezra: Just see how much I don’t care.
Tara: You have no idea how much damage you’ve caused, the pain you’ve inflicted, what you’ve done to me.
Rina: [suddenly stepping up] She has done nothing but do the right thing. You’re the betrayer. You’re dirty. Not her.
Tara: No.
Rina: You-
Tara: I’ve tried hard, to get past all this madness, but it all brings me back to the same place. I know what I have to do.
Rina: You’ll never stop us.
Tara: Oh, I will.
[Tara walks forward towards Rina, who stands still and resolute, though still ready to fight. Tara gently touches Rina’s cheek with her index finger, writing a small cross on it.]
Ezra: Don’t you put your filthy hands on her.
Tara: Those that stand tall, always fall down. Nothing is forever.
[Ezra sends Tara flying back into a wall with a telekinetic blast.]
Ezra: I’m getting déjà vu all over again.
[The witches march purposefully forward as one unit towards Tara, their magics managing to pin Tara up from the ground. She struggles roughly against it.]
Tara: Aurorus clarus efflixi.
[A violently thick cloud suddenly emerges in the room. The witches hold on Tara breaks in the confusion and she is released. Ezra roughly dives her way through the smoke, she manages to glimpse Tara through it, her expression focused and set on the task.]
[She continues to push through, slash away at the smoke, growing closer and closer to Tara who is sitting down against the wall, breathing heavily in recovery. Ezra reaches Tara, she roughly lifts her into standing position and backhands her across the face.]
Tara: Burn.
[Tara’s hands turn white hot for a second and she pushes Ezra roughly away on her face. There is a coarse, hand-shaped burn mark on Ezra’s face as she screams. Tara takes this opportunity to swing Ezra roughly round into the wall. Tara’s expression is now harsh, her eyes just as furiously dangerous as Ezra’s.]
Tara: This is what pain is.
[Ezra screams in agony, her face contorting in anguish and suffering. The pain subsides and dies away. Ezra looks up and glares at Tara.]
Ezra: You hate everything you are, don’t you?
Tara: It’s you that I’m hating. Not anything else. Nothing else.
[Tara focuses on Ezra again, her eyes boring into her. Ezra screams again in agony, her shouts echoing around the room.]
Ezra: Go on! Finish it! But it’s never enough, it never will be. I’ll always be here, with you, haunting you. I’ll never let you go, never!
[Rina rushes through the smoke towards Tara and Ezra. Her face contorted in worry.]
Rina: Stop it! Stop it!
[Tara roughly punches Rina to the ground with one swing, we suddenly flash to see the demon in Tara’s place as she punches Rina. She lies there. Her body on the floor, immobile. Still. An alarm clock suddenly goes off in the background.]
Ezra: I told you not to touch her!
Tara: Like that’s going to stop me.
[Ezra rushes at Tara, she grapples Tara to the ground, viciously, violently, punching her - bloody.]
Ezra: Never! Never!
[Tara forcefully pushes Ezra off her, her face bloody, scarred and red. A horrific sight. The two of them stand up, breathing heavily, facing one another and glaring their eyes glazed with fury.]
Ezra: You think you’ve won? It’s never over.
Tara: I know.
[Tara sends a green jet of light at Ezra. It hits her. Straight in the chest. Straight through the chest. We go into slow motion as it does this. Blood splatters and rains all around, through her. Ezra gasps in shock. Her right hand goes out softly to touch the air for a moment. Just for a moment.]
[Tara looks down at her blue jumper. The blood slowly splatters onto it. It soaks in, embedding itself into her. She looks down at herself, the scene flashes to “Seeing Red” for a second. Just as Tara is shot. The scene flashes back. Ezra collapses against the wall. Blood following her trail down it. The clock alarm continues to beep and wail.]
[Pan slowly to: the fallen clock on the ground. The time flashes in ominous green : 3.16.]
[The other witches slowly walk towards the scene. The vision blocking cloud slowly dies away. There is only silence. Slowly zoom out.]
[Fade to: darkness, light slowly seeps in, we are in somebody’s eyes. The eyes are hazed, blurry. They flutter open and quickly focus to - Tara. We move out of the eyes, now to Tara’s point of view and see Drake against the wall, slumped on the floor. Drake’s eyes slowly open, gradually prying themselves open. They open fully. Drake’s eyes widen in shock and horror. He turns his head suddenly round, almost panicking.]
Drake: [harshly] What did you do to me?
Tara: You’re not really in a position to be ordering me about.
Drake: How did I get here? You did something to me.
[Drake strains and screws up his face in conflict, trying to move. He can only move from his neck up.]
Tara: Paralysing Potion, glad it worked - well mostly.
Drake: Let me go. Now.
Tara: Is that what you would do to me? Let me go?
Drake: I assure you, whatever you do to me, the same will happen to you, tenfold.
Tara: You’re not really in a position to make meaningless threats either.
Drake: Oh you’re going to suffer so much, witch.
Tara: [passionately, angry] Look what you’re doing!
Drake: Purification. Eliminating the world of your kind, cleansing-
Tara: How can you call this cleansing?! What you’re doing, it’s disgusting! How can you not believe what you’re doing is wrong?
Drake: Wrong? Nothing’s ever felt more right.
Tara: People have died. People are dying. People are going to die. Because of you. Because of what you’re doing.
Drake: In the name of the cause.
Tara: You don’t care about anyone else but your-
Drake: Mission.
Tara: It’s not a mission. It’s a vendetta. Meaningless deaths. It doesn’t have to be this way. I don’t know what happened to you in your past but I can see you can’t look past it and move on.
Drake: Crushing your kind is moving on.
Tara: But it’s not too late. You can turn back, stop this before it gets out of control. I beg you, stop this before anymore lives are put on the line, before anybody else gets hurt.
[Pause. Drake seethes, staring deathly at Tara - hard. Drake spits viciously at Tara, the saliva landing just in front of her.]
Drake: [bitter] No.
Tara: [imploring] It’s not too-
Drake: Did you not hear me before?
Tara: I’m giving you a way out. I’m trying to help you. Why won’t you see-
Drake: So they’re dead right? The witches. The rest of them at least.
[Tara looks down. She gulps. She fights back tears crawling their way to the surface of her eyes.]
Tara: [hurt] You really don’t care do you?
Drake: Not about filth.
Tara: [starting to get angrier] This is prejudice, this is discrimination.
Drake: No, this is justice.
[Pause.]
Drake: They dead yet?
Tara: How can you have the nerve to ask me that?
[Ezra walks into the room.]
Ezra: [casually] Guess not.
[Drake’s eyes widen in horror for a moment, but quickly revert away from that, he hides his shock, covering it with a dark look.]
Drake: [darkly] What did you do? What did you do?! What did you do to me?!
Ezra: We’re not as brainless as you think we are.
Drake: [angry with a tinge of shock] How?
[Pete, Autumn, Kaspar and Rina also come out.]
Tara: You want to know how?
[Flash to: Drake unconscious against the tree from earlier. Tara is standing above him. The screen is black and white indicating a flashback. Tara is in front of Drake, a circle of herbs and coloured sand around her on the ground.]
Tara: [chanting] Ora tumila, everi stavria meum assi uri ko ko secur secum secur.
[Her breathing grows heavier as the spell takes more and more out of her. She winces in pain suddenly, her brow furrowing, blood slowly running down her nose. She looks up, still breathing heavily. She stares at Drake, more defiant.]
Tara: [with more zest] Ora tumila, everi stavria meum assi uri ko ko secur secum secur…
[The ring of herbs and coloured sand suddenly shoots up in the air around her turning into sparkling particles. There is a sudden flash of light.]
[Cut to: the witches’ house, a continuation of the scene before last, night.]
Drake: You... you put a spell on me.
Ezra: We have you to thank for the idea.
Drake: Everything I saw, the fight, the blood, the cloud…
Kaspar: Wasn’t real. It wasn’t real.
Tara: I managed to break down your spell which blocked truth spells from working.
Drake: [furious] That’s how they gained your trust. You tricked me, used my own weapons against me, you rank cowards! You-
Pete: Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you.
Ezra: We’re the cowards? You tried to turn us against each other, you’re too weak,
too pathetic to kill us yourselves you have to resort to other means.
Drake: Shut your mouth, witch.
Tara: No.
[Tara moves towards Drake with stern eyes.]
Tara: You shut your mouth. Listen to sense. What you’re doing is wrong.
Drake: You have no idea how much damage your kind has inflicted on this earth, on this world. You foul it. Disease it. Taint it. All of you. You deserve to be burned.
[Drake stands up suddenly, now grinning.]
Drake: [cockily] Oh, look what’s happened.
Rina: You stood up, what’s there to look at?
Drake: Looks like your little hocus pocus has worn off.
[Drake glares at the witches who return it equally, glares fuelled by hard conflict. Both wait for each other to make a move. Tense. Suddenly Drake lunges for his sword and stabs it wrathfully at Tara.]
Tara: Palus se teni.
[Drake is repelled by a blue shield of energy, he cuts it in half, furious, completely determined and keeps on coming.]
Kaspar: Away.
[Ropes come up from the ground, but Drake slashes at them with his sword, Drake continues forward. The witches slowly band together, all of them - Tara, Ezra, Rina, Autumn, Kaspar and even Pete. They join together and glance at one another briefly, eyes meeting in a moment of clarity before turning their attention to Drake advancing.]
Tara/Ezra/Rina/Autumn/Kaspar/Pete: Rise!
[Drake is suddenly forced into the air by the witches, he drops his sword - stunned, aghast by the power of the spell. After a few seconds he is suddenly dropped straight to the floor.]
Tara: Don’t come back here, ever.
Drake: [picking up his sword] Oh, you’re really asking for it now. We will destroy you. Make you pay for what you did. For everything you did.
Ezra: [through gritted teeth] Get out.
Tara: Go. Just go.
Drake: [darkly] This isn’t over. You’re all in for a mountain of pain. Pain, torment, death. It’s not over. Not now, not later. It’s never over.
[Drake glares threateningly. He slowly walks out of the door. Away. Just this time.]
[Fade to: Tara and Ezra in the witches’ living room, night. Ezra walks in.]
Ezra: Another adventure over.
Tara: [turns] You said that in a happy voice.
Ezra: More like relieved.
[Ezra collapses onto a sofa.]
Tara: Relieved that it’s over?
Ezra: That we actually managed to kick Drake’s ass - without the actual ass part being involved though.
Tara: You must’ve done it before.
Ezra: [surprised] Before? I’ve never done that before. That was awesome.
Tara: [slightly reflective] We were together.
[Pause.]
Ezra: [sincere] I am so sorry.
[Tara looks up to her, her expression blank.]
Ezra: For everything I did to you.
Tara: It was the spell…
Ezra: But still...
[Ezra looks down, slightly ashamed.]
Ezra: I still feel responsible. I still am responsible.
Tara: No you weren’t. You don’t need to keep blaming yourself. It’s done. Finished. You weren’t yourself.
[Pause. The two of them are silently reflective.]
Tara: But we can’t just forget what’s happened. I wish I could, but those things, everything in life is unforgettable. You live it. But you can’t dwell on it, stay with it forever or it’ll just eat you whole.
Ezra: I know…
Tara: Yeah…
Ezra: [looks up] But how do you know that wasn’t the real me? I could be a homicidal, crazy, paranoid witch who goes after people she thinks are demons for all you know.
Tara: No.
Ezra: How do you know?
Tara: I just do. I feel it. You had your reasons.
[Tara smiles. Ezra returns it.]
Ezra: You know that?
Tara: [honestly] I know that there was more to it than just Drake’s spell making you act that way.
Ezra: You’re right. I’ve had a hard time admitting it to myself recently, this is the second time I’ve brought it up in years. So many years. When I was seventeen, I came back from drama practice. [She smiles at the memory] I’d just done an audition, I got the part of Eliza in My Fair Lady. I was so happy. So pleased, I’d worked so hard and they’d supported me. That’s when I found them. [slowly, painfully] My family, all lying there, on the floor, ripped to pieces, just lying there like that, perfectly arranged, so much blood…
[Tara stares at her.]
Tara: I’m-
Ezra: [stronger] Don’t be. Please.
Tara: So it’s ok now?
Ezra: It’s never ok. You can never totally deal with it. But it’s not so bad now. [beat] How was it for you?
Tara: I’d never felt more alone in my entire life. Before, a few years ago, that’s all my life was. A big pit of it - I didn’t know anything else. But after I met Willow, I swore I would never go back there.
Ezra: I’m sorry.
Tara: Like you said. Don’t be. Please.
Ezra: [with a grin] The hole still there? ‘Cos I could help fill it up for ya if you like? Though I might need the help of a big big shovel.
Tara: A little. There’s still some there. But I don’t think that’s ever going to go away.
Ezra: Do you mind me asking about Willow? Who is she?
Tara: [filling with reminiscent joy] I love her more than...more than the world and more. More than the stars, the moon, the universe…
Ezra: I don’t get it, can’t you just get back together?
Tara: I had a dream. I just knew that if we were together again, if there was the slightest touch between us, if we even looked at each other again...
[Beat. Ezra still listens, drawn in. However Tara pauses, with sorrow, with so much sorrow.]
Tara: It’ll cause pain, torment, suffering. Not to me, but to the people around me.
Ezra: How do you know? It was just a dream, right?
Tara: No, it wasn’t. It was far more than that. I just feel it, I know it’ll happen, I’m certain. I can’t do that, be so selfish. I can’t even risk it.
Ezra: [in comfort] Tara...
Tara: [yearning] I love her so much, I just want to go back to her, kiss her, feel her in my arms again. My Will.
Ezra: What are you gonna do now?
Tara: [sighs with new strength] Move on. Make a new beginning. A new start. I’ll have to.
Ezra: That’s good.
Tara: I was given a second chance. I don’t know how. I don’t know why, I shouldn’t be here anymore, I shouldn’t breathe, I shouldn’t exist. But I’m back.
Ezra: D’you know where you’ve been?
Tara: No. None of it. I can’t remember anything. But I’m going to find out - where I was, why I’m back, who brought me back. I need to know. And what happened to my mother.
Ezra: Your mother?
Tara: Drake knows something about her. Her death. When she died they said it was a heart failure, I’d always believed that, but now I don’t think so.
Ezra: You think Drake had something to do with it?
Tara: That’s exactly what I think.
Ezra: D’you think he’ll come back?
[Fade to: Drake storming into the witch hunters’ house, night. He charges through the front door, furious. The other hunters are sitting in the sitting room, waiting in silence.]
Jade: [concerned] Drake?
Fynn: What happened?
[The hunters all stand up.]
Drake: This is war.
Ameya: What?
Drake: [hard] This is war.
Jade: Isn’t that what it’s always been?
Drake: [fiery] No. Before it was a mission. They were the mark, the target, but now they’ve declared war.
Fynn: What does that mean?
Drake: Train harder. Fight harder.
Ameya: We have been.
Drake: That’s not good enough, we have to be stronger. Because next time we see those witches - we will make them pay. With blood.
[Cut to: the witches’ living room, night. The witches are all in there.]
Autumn: So what if Drake comes back? What are we gonna do then?
Kaspar: We’ll deal, we always do.
Pete: You think he’ll pull another stunt like that again?
Ezra: From what we’ve seen - definitely.
[Autumn turns to Tara.]
Autumn: Thanks.
[Tara looks perplexed.]
Tara: For what?
Autumn: You know why.
[Autumn smiles to Tara. We hear a honking of a car in the background. Tara stands up.]
Ezra: You’re going now?
Tara: Taxi’s waiting. This time not an evil one.
Pete: [in jest] Don’t want the cycle to start all over again do we now?
Ezra: No…
[The witches all look down. The atmosphere has turned slightly awkward, rifted and tensed, though only slightly. Pete bites his lip, regretting what he just said. Tara looks up, as does Ezra. Ezra smiles to Tara, hoping for peace. Tara smiles back, but it’s weak. She walks towards the door.]
Ezra: Tara.
[Tara stops and turns around.]
Ezra: Good luck, okay.
Tara: Thanks.
[Cut to: the front lawn of a house, night. Tara is standing half hidden behind a large tree, watching a shadow move in the house. The curtains of the house ruffle. Tara just watches. We pan around and it’s slowly evident this is the Summers’ House back in Sunnydale.]
[Song: “That Kind of Love” by Alison Krauss.]
Who would sell their soul for love?
Or waste one tear on compromise…
Tara VO: Things are hard. Things are so hard. We’ve been ripped apart, pulled so far, both of us. Our world is fogged, everything’s so confused, so muddled. It’s not as easy at it used to be. All I want are your arms around me, I want you to make everything okay, how we used to be. But we can’t go back to that. I can still see you, I can still smell you, feel how you used to feel, I still know your smile.
Should be easy enough
To know a heartache in disguise
[Tara stares at the house, she sighs. A painful expression of longing, yearning in her eyes. Wishful.]
Tara VO: I wish I could stop all this, tear it all away, fight it, but I can’t risk it, something in me just tells me that it’s only going to end in blood again. No spell is going to fix this. I’ve tried and I’ve tried but I can’t get past it. I look at you, here, now - you’ve never been more beautiful, more radiant than now. I’ve missed you so much. You’re so near, but so out of my reach.
[Tara is hurt, she takes a deep breath, trying to stop herself, restrain herself. It’s tough and difficult, but she continues to fight.]
Tara VO: I would rip the world apart for you, but I can’t be selfish, I know I shouldn’t. I want to be kissing you again, but we can’t. We have to go onto separate paths. We might not be together, but I won’t stop loving you. But you know what?
Tara VO: I am you know...
[A head pokes out through the curtain to look out - Willow. She peers round, curious.]
Willow VO: What?
[Willow stops her peering and now looks straight ahead into the distance - longing.]
Tara VO: Yours...
[Willow sighs with angst.]
There was not faith enough
Still my heart held on
When we find that kind of love.
[Tara walks away into the darkness.]
The End
Special Guest Star:
Alyson Hannigan - Willow Rosenberg
© Copyright Yosso November 2006 / July 2007.
Any comments, thoughts would be greatly appreciated :D. Thanks for reading ;).
Next episode out 5th November - 1.04 “A Knife in the Back”