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Episode Summary
On a typical night of patrol and slaying, Buffy’s routine is unexpectedly interrupted by the arrival of her mother. Joyce feels that it’s time to get a better understanding of her daughter’s world by watching Buffy in action. Almost as soon as Joyce arrives, a vampire enters the scene.
After Buffy chases him into the thick of the woods, Joyce discovers the bodies of two dead children, one boy and one girl, at a nearby playground. A strange symbol has been enscribed in the palms of their hands.
While the police investigate the crime scene, Buffy tries to console her distraught mother. Buffy tells Giles about the murdered children in the library the next morning. She sketches the symbol she noticed on their palms and shows it to Giles, who believes it implies the handiwork of a cult.
Buffy cannot believe that humans are responsible for this as opposed to demons. At lunch, nobody notices Joyce walking into the cafeteria and straight to the gang’s table. Buffy excuses herself and takes her mom into the hallway.
Joyce tells her daughter that she’s organized a meeting at City Hall for that night to discuss the murder. Dozens of parents attend, including Sheila Rosenberg, Willow’s mother. Willow can’t believe she’s there, considering the fact that they barely communicate with each other.
After the Mayor delivers a textbook speech to the crowd, he invites Joyce to the stand to lead them in a moment of silence. Instead, Joyce proposes a call to action, declaring an end to the city’s silence concerning the ubiquitous dangers that plague Sunnydale.
Later that night, Willow, Amy, and their friend Michael gather together to explore their world of the black arts. On the floor beneath them is the very same symbol that appeared on the two dead children.
At school the next morning, a group of students harass Michael by his locker, stating their belief that witches were responsible for the children’s murder. Amy tries to fend them off, but it’s Buffy who gets them to back off.
Giles finds Buffy and tells her that witches may in fact be the prime suspects. The book that Giles needs to research this further was checked out by Willow, so he asks Buffy to get it for him. Buffy finds Xander sitting in the lounge, who points out Willow’s stuff.
As she picks up the book, Buffy notices the symbol drawn on Willow’s notebook. She asks Willow to explain it, but their conversation is cut short by the sudden commotion in the hallways.
Under Principal Synder’s supervision, the local police inspect each and every locker, looking for any signs of materials pertaining to witchcraft. After Amy is escorted to the office, Willow tells Buffy that the symbol is for a protection spell that she wanted to cast for Buffy’s upcoming birthday.
In other words, the symbol and what it stands for are completely harmless. At that moment, the cops open Willow’s locker and ask her to come with them. Buffy runs to the library and discovers a similar scene.
As the cops pack up all of Giles’ books concerning the supernatural, Buffy tells him about the misleading symbol. Later that night, Buffy argues with her mother, who is the founder of MOO (Mothers Opposed to the Occult). Buffy insists that this matter be dealt with by the Slayer.
However, Joyce doesn’t believe that Buffy’s work is making Sunnydale any better. After Buffy takes off, the two deceased children appear in the kitchen… very much alive. Joyce listens to them intently as they beg her to make their murderers suffer.
Meanwhile, Sheila grounds Willow for getting into trouble at school. She orders her daughter to stay in her room for the rest of the night. At the park,
Angel finds Buffy standing by the scene of the crime, which is now decorated with flowers, candles, and pictures of the children from a time when they were still alive. Buffy has not forgotten her mother’s criticism of the Slayer’s effectiveness.
Angel reassures Buffy that her destiny is not in vain. During their conversation, Angel inadvertently alerts Buffy to a mystery concerning the two children. She heads to the library and finds Giles, Xander, and Oz trying to find any useful information on the internet.
Buffy shares her realization that nobody seems to know anything about the two children, including their names or where they came from, and yet their pictures were somehow available for use in MOO’s campaign.
Oz sends an instant message to Willow, who then begins to search the web for any files or articles relating to the two children. Apparently, the dead bodies of these same two children have been repeatedly discovered once every fifty years, dating all the way back to 1649.
The oldest article identifies them as Hans and Greta Strauss. Unfortunately, Sheila cuts off Willow’s computer access at this moment, forcing Giles and the gang to figure the rest out on their own.
Giles recalls a theory that many fairy tales are based on actual accounts of the supernatural. Buffy fills in the blanks, recalling the story of Hansel and Gretel, who must have been based on Hans and Greta.
Suddenly, Michael bursts into the library and tells everybody that he was attacked by his own family. He also informs them that Amy was taken from her home. Xander and Oz head towards Willow’s house while Buffy and Giles race back to the Summers home to warn everybody.
Back at the Rosenberg’s, Willow answers the knocking at her door and finds her mother… along with a group of angry parents who want nothing but her death. Meanwhile, Buffy and Giles interrupt another MOO meeting.
As they take Joyce into the foyer to speak with her alone, the rest of the group sneak up from behind and knock Giles unconscious. Joyce does the same to Buffy with the help of some chloroform.
Buffy, Willow, and Amy are tied to large stakes in City Hall, ready to be burned for the crimes they’ve been accused of. Willow and Amy unsuccessfully struggle with their restraints, while Buffy remains unconscious.
Meanwhile, Xander and Oz burst into Willow’s room, which was left a total mess in the wake of the angry parents. As they leave for City Hall, Giles is awoken by an impatient Cordelia, who came to the house to find out what was going on.
They hurry to Giles’ car and speed towards City Hall. During the drive, Giles has Cordy mix together the ingredients for a spell while he tries to recall the incantation from memory. Back at City Hall, Buffy finally regains consciousness and realizes the situation she’s in.
Joyce refuses to listen to her daughter’s pleas. Amy escapes danger by transforming herself into a rat and bolting out of the room, but Willow and Buffy are still moments away from a fiery death.
Just as the fire is about to engulf Buffy and Willow, Giles and Cordy burst into the room. While Cordy extinguishes the fire, Giles casts the spell on the two children, who then combine and change into the true form of a tall, hideous demon.
As the parents realize the deception and try to escape, Xander and Oz approach the scene via a ventilation shaft above the ceiling. Without the help of the parents, the demon attempts to kill Buffy and Willow directly and charges them.
Buffy breaks the stake she’s been tied to in half and leans forward — just in time to impale the demon. The silence that follows is soon interrupted by the sight and sound of Xander and Oz falling down through a weak spot in the ceiling and crashing down onto the floor.
A while after their near-death experience, Buffy and Willow discuss Sheila Rosenberg’s convenient memory loss concerning the demon, just like the way Joyce Summers’ memory used to operate before learning that her daughter was the Slayer.
Willow then makes another attempt at restoring the Amy rat to human form. Unfortunately, Willow is going to need a little more practice before she can pull this one off.
Shooting Scripts
Teaser
EXT. PARK – NIGHT
BUFFY, on patrol, idly tosses a stake from hand to hand. The leaves of a nearby shrub RUSTLE
SUSPICIOUSLY. Buffy stops, pivots slightly toward the movement, brings up her stake…
JOYCE (O.S)
Is it a vampire?
Buffy jumps. JOYCE is standing next to her, holding a brown lunch back and a thermos.
BUFFY
Mom? What are you doing here?
JOYCE
I brought you a snack. I thought it
was about time I came out to watch,
you know, the Slaying.
BUFFY
Mom, you know the Slaying, it’s kind
of an alone thing.
Buffy circles the shrub, not taking her from where the potential vampire lurks. Joyce trails behind
her.
JOYCE
But it’s such a big part of your life,
and I’d like to understand it. It’s
something we could share.
BUFFY
It’s really pretty dull. Bam boom
stick poof. Not much to–
A VAMPIRE leaves from behind the bush. Buffy pushes Joyce back while stepping forward to meet the
attack. She BLOCKS A BLOW from the vampire, and counters with a strong KICK.
JOYCE
Good, Honey! Kill it!
The vampire stumbles backwards. Buffy launches herself at it, but the vampire brings up a foot,
which catches her in the midsection… she is TOSSED over the vampire and ends up landing BEHIND
HIM on the ground.
JOYCE
Buffy! He’s over there!
Buggy shoots Joyce a quick look even as she scrambles back to her feet and squares up opposite the
vamp.
JOYCE
(stunned as she gets a good look at him)
Oh my God. It’s Mr. Sanderson from
the bank!
Buffy exchanges blows with the late Mr. Sanderson. It’s a slightly clumsy effort on her part. She
finally manages to sweep his legs out from under him with a kick and he’s down. Buffy RAISES her
stake – about to finish him off when-
JOYCE
Are you sure you have to kill him?
He opened my IRA.
Buffy forgets herself for a moment. Turns to Joyce, totally exasperated.
BUFFY
He’s not Mr. Sanderson anymore, Mom, he’s-
JOYCE
(cutting her off)
Getting away!
Buffy looks to see that, indeed, Mr. Sanderson has scrambled to his feet and is TAKING OFF across
the park. Buffy shoots her mother a withering look.
BUFFY
Stay!
Now Buffy SPRINTS after Sanderson, leaving Joyce behind. A beat – then Joyce moves past a low
hedge that separates the PLAYGROUND from the rest of the park. She sits on the EDGE OF A
SANDBOX, starts to unpack sandwiches.
But her eye is caught by something on the ground. She moves to pick it up: A CHILD’S TOY TRUCK.
She glances around. Things suddenly feel a little too quiet and she braces herself against the night
chill. (read: SHMUCKY THE BAIT.)
ANGLE: BUFFY AND SANDERSON, in another part of the park, are locked in battle. Buffy finally gets
the upper hand again – DUSTS HIM.
ANGLE: JOYCE
She turns back to the SANDBOX – is about to toss the truck in – but STOPS SUDDENLY, a look of
sheer horror on her face.
ANGLE: SANDBOX
We move FROM THE TRUCK across the sand and begin to PAN ACROSS THE LEGS OF A CHILD’S
LIFELESS BODY.
CLOSE ON
The palm of the child’s tiny hand. Upon which is drawn an ARCANE SYMBOL.
BLACK OUT.
END OF TEASER
Act One
EXT. PARK – NIGHT – LATE
POLICE AND CORONER’S VEHICLES AND PERSONNEL are on the scene, which is periodically lit by the
red sweep of a mars light. Crime tape is up. Police radios send out bursts of static. Buffy is visible in
b.g. giving a statement to an officer. More sand has been removed and there are now clearly TWO
SMALL BODIES. A POLICE PHOTOGRAPHER SMAPS PICTURES:
FLASH — two little blonds in play clothes. They could be sleeping.
FLASH — closer, a darling little blond boy, age 8. In this closer shot we notice the paleness of the
skin, the faint blueness of the lips. Still, cute as a button.
FLASH — much closer, the SYMBOL on a tiny hand.
Buffy, stunned by the crime, finishes giving her statement and walks over to Joyce, who doesn’t react
to her presence.
BUFFY
They said we can go home now.
No answer. Then…
JOYCE
They were little kids. Did you see
them? So tiny.
BUFFY
I saw.
Joyce, devastated, finally looks at Buffy.
JOYCE
Who would do something like this?
I never–
She chokes a little, has to stop, fight back tears. Buffy is doubly distraught now – seeing her mother
like this.
BUFFY
I’m so sorry you saw this. But it’s
going to be okay.
JOYCE
How?
BUFFY
I’ll find whatever did it.
JOYCE
I guess. It’s just, you can’t, you can’t
make it right.
Joyce gives in to the tears. Buffy hugs her – speaks in a soothing, measured tone:
BUFFY
It’s okay. I’ll take care of everything.
I promise, mom. Just…try to calm down.
INT. LIBRARY – DAY (DAY 2)
Buffy and GILES are alone in the library before school.
BUFFY
(frantic)
Don’t tell me to calm down!
GILES
I only meant–
BUFFY
They were kids, Giles, Little kids.
You don’t know what it was like to
see them there. Mom’s just… she
can’t even talk.
GILES
I’m sorry, Buffy. I just want to help.
BUFFY
I know.
GILES
Do we know anything about how… it
wasn’t the vampire —
Buffy shakes her head.
BUFFY
There were no marks. Wait. I mean,
there was a mark, a symbol.
She grabs a piece of paper and a marker from the counter and moves to draw. Giles swiftly takes the
paper from her hand.
GILES
(re: paper)
Twelfth century Papal encyclical.
Try this.
He hands her a notepad. She draws.
BUFFY
It was on their hands. The cops are
keeping it quiet, but I got a good
look at it.
She finishes and shoves the paper at him. Giles looks at THE SYMBOL.
BUFFY
Find the thing that uses this symbol
and point me at it.
GILES
Hmm.
BUFFY
Giles. Speak. What?
GILES
What? Oh. It’s just, I wonder if
we’re looking for a “thing.” The use
of a symbol on a victim, it suggests
ritual murder, an occult sacrifice by
a group.
BUFFY
A group of… human beings. Someone
with a soul did this?
GILES
I’m afraid so.
A beat as this sinks in, then-
BUFFY
Okay. So while you’re looking for
the meaning of the squiggly mark –
maybe you could turn up a loophole on
the “slayers don’t kill people” rule.
Giles looks at her closely — she’s deadly serious.
GILES
Buffy, this is a dreadful crime. You
have every right to be upset.
However, I wonder if you’re letting
this become a shade more… personal
because of your mother’s involvement.
BUFFY
Oh, it’s completely personal. So
find me the people who did this.
Please.
She exits. Giles looks after her for a moment, then at the symbol. He heads for the books.
INT. CAFETERIA – DAY
Oz and Xander are in line at the cashier.
XANDER
Hey.
OZ
Hey.
Xander notes Oz’ lunch selection, trying to make conversation.
XANDER
So. Burrito.
OZ
This is a burrito.
XANDER
Damn straight.
They pay for their lunches, move off.
ON WILLOW AND AMY
Who carry their trays, looking for a table.
AMY
Oh, god, and Mr. Nyman, that thing he
does with his face —
WILLOW
(excited)
The thing with the face! When he
makes a point, the — I always think
he’s going to sneeze!
AMY
I thought I was the only one who
saw it.
They spot Xander and Oz, who are just sitting down, join them.
WILLOW
Hi Oz! Xander, hi.
OZ
Amy.
AMY
Hey guys.
OZ
(to Will)
I haven’t seen you around. Where’ve
you been?
XANDER
Not with me. No sir. Ask anyone.
Nooo.
Oz and Willow stare at Xander. He shuts up. There’s an uncomfortable beat of silence, then Oz has a
brilliant idea for something to talk about:
OZ
Hey, Buffy’s birthday’s next week.
XANDER
Oh! Yeah. Good. I’ve been
pondering the gift options–
WILLOW
Shh.
XANDER
Oh, come on. We just got a topic.
Buffy joins them — the reason Willow stopped Buffy gift talk.
WILLOW
Hi Buffy.
OZ
Hey.
XANDER
So, Buff, what’s up?
BUFFY
You guys didn’t hear?
XANDER
Hear what?
BUFFY
A murder. Somebody killed two little kids.
WILLOW
Oh no!
BUFFY
Like, maybe seven or eight years old.
My mom found the bodies during
patrol last night.
AMY
Oh my god.
OZ
Kids.
XANDER
Why was your mom there?
BUFFY
More bad. She picked last night, of
all nights, for a surprise “bonding”
visit.
WILLOW
God… Your mom would actually
take the time to do that with you?
(off their looks)
That’s really not the point of the
story, is it?
BUFFY
No, the point is she’s completely
wigging.
JOYCE
Who’s wigging?
Unnoticed, JOYCE has entered the cafeteria and is standing at their table.
BUFFY
Uh, well, everyone. You know, ’cause
of…. what happened.
JOYCE
It’s so awful. I had bad dreams
about it all night.
Indeed – she looks somewhat haunted. Xander, Oz, Willow and Amy exchange looks.
WILLOW
Hi, Mrs. Summers.
Xander, Oz and Amy also MUMBLE HELLOS.
JOYCE
Hello everybody.
(then)
Buffy, did you talk to Mr. Giles yet
about who could’ve done this?
BUFFY
(uncomfortable)
Uh, yeah. He says it looks like
something ritual, occult. He’s still
looking. We’re going to add to my
patrols, keep a closer eye on things…
JOYCE
(appalled)
Occult? Like witches? It’s witches?
Willow and Amy both make involuntary little gasp/choke noises.
WILLOW
Sorry. Phlegm. Too much dairy.
JOYCE
Oh, I know you kids think that stuff
is cool. Buffy told me you dabble…
WILLOW
Absolutely. That’s me. I’m a dabbler.
JOYCE
But anybody who could do this isn’t
cool. Anybody who could do this
would have to be a monster.
That’s it. Buffy’s had enough. She tugs at Joyce’s arm.
BUFFY
Mom. Can I talk to you for a sec?
JOYCE
(as she’s pulled away)
Nice to see you kids…
STAY ON WILLOW, XANDER, OZ AND AMY
As Buffy and Joyce move out into the hall.
XANDER
What a burn. Buff’s mom was just
starting to accept the slayer thing.
Now she’s going to be double-freaked.
WILLOW
(glances at Amy)
Makes me glad my mother doesn’t know
about my extra-curricular activities.
(then/goes off)
Or my curricular activities. Or, you
know, the fact of my activeness in
general…
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY – DAY
ON BUFFY AND JOYCE
JOYCE
Are your friends gonna help with the
investigation too?
BUFFY
Mom, this isn’t really —
JOYCE
You’re embarrassed to be seen hanging
out with your mother.
(in her own defense)
I didn’t hug you…
BUFFY
No, it’s just… this hall is about
school. You’re about home. Mix
them and my world dissolves.
JOYCE
I know. You have no mother, you
hatched full-grown out of a giant
egg. It’s just, I keep thinking
about who could have done such a
thing. I want to help.
BUFFY
Oh. Well, Giles can always use–
JOYCE
I called everyone I know in town.
Told them about the dead children.
They’re all just as upset as I am.
BUFFY
You called everyone you know?
JOYCE
And they called all their friends.
And guess what? We’re setting up
a vigil tonight, at City Hall. The
Mayor’s even going to be there.
Now we’ll get some action.
BUFFY
Uh-huh. That’s great. But, you know
what? A lot of times, when you’re
working on something like this, you
try to keep the number of people who
know about it, kind of… small.
Joyce hadn’t thought of that.
JOYCE
Oh. Right. Well, I’m sure it won’t
be all that many people.
INT. CITY HALL ROTUNDA – NIGHT
An impressive crowd fills the rotunda, which is every bit as large and as elegant as we can afford.
Many people hold candles or carry signs showing photographs of the two dead children (the photos
show them alive), and the slogan “NEVER AGAIN.” There are posters, with the same lay-out, on the
walls. A podium faces the crowd.
Buffy, Willow and Joyce are in the crowd near the podium.
BUFFY
(to Willow)
This is great. Maybe we can all go
patrolling together later…
WILLOW
At least your mom’s making an effort.
My mom’s probably
(sees her)
standing right in front of me this
second. Mom?
Buffy, Joyce and Willow are joined by WILLOW’S MOTHER, MRS. ROSENBERG, who, exasperated,
pushes though the crowd. She’s sweet and well meaning – but definitely of the woolly intellectual
variety.
MRS. ROSENBERG
Willow! I didn’t know you were going
to be her. Hello, Bunny.
BUFFY
Hi.
WILLOW
Mom — what are you doing here?
MRS. ROSENBERG
Oh, I read about it in the paper and
what with your dad out of town —
(stops, noticing)
Willow, you cut off your hair!
That’s a new look.
WILLOW
Yeah, it’s just a sudden whim that I
had… in August.
MRS. ROSENBERG
I like it. Hello, Joyce.
JOYCE
Sheila. I’m glad you could come.
GILES arrives, also perturbed after battling the growing mass of people.
GILES
There you are. I almost didn’t find
you in this crush.
Giles and Joyce look at each other. Awkwardness.
GILES
Mrs. — Joyce. This is quite a turn
out you’ve gotten here.
JOYCE
It wasn’t just me. But, thank you.
(then)
Well – it’s been a while.
GILES
Right. Not since, not since, not for
a while.
MRS. ROSENBERG
There’s a rumor going around,
Mr. Giles.
Giles blanches.
GILES
Rumor? About us? About what?
MRS. ROSENBERG
About witches. People calling
themselves witches are responsible
for this brutal crime.
GILES
Indeed? How strange.
WILLOW
Yes. So strange. Witches!
Willow makes a funny “pfff” noise, meaning “who could imagine such a thing?”
MRS. ROSENBERG
It’s actually not that strange. I just
co-authored a paper on the rise of
mysticism among adolescents and I
was shocked at the statistical —
ooh, are we starting?
The crowd has fallen silent. The Mayor is at the podium. Our group turns to look at him.
JOYCE
(to Buffy)
He’ll do something about this.
You’ll see.
The Mayor begins his address, his demeanor subdued.
THE MAYOR
I want to thank you all for coming in
the aftermath of such a tragic crime.
Seeing you here proves what a caring
community Sunnydale is. Sure, we’ve
had our share of misfortunes – but
we’re a good town, with good people.
And I know none of us will rest easy
until this horrible murder is solved.
With that in mind…
He holds up one of the posters.
THE MAYOR
I make these words my pledge to you.
Never Again.
There is a murmur of approval from the crowd. A few people get carried away and applaud.
THE MAYOR
And now, I ask you to give your
attention to the woman who brought
us all here tonight, Joyce Summers.
The Mayor gracefully maneuvers Joyce to the podium and steps back.
JOYCE
Mr. Mayor, you’re dead wrong.
General surprise. Not the least of it from Buffy.
JOYCE
This is not a good town. How many of
us have lost someone who just…
disappeared, or got skinned, or
suffered “neck rupture”?! And how
many of us have been too afraid to
speak out? I was supposed to lead us
in a moment of silence. But silence
is this town’s disease.
Buffy and Giles exchange a look – stunned by Joyce’s candor.
JOYCE
For too long, it’s been plagued by
unnatural evils. It’s not our town
anymore. It belongs to the monsters,
to the witches and Slayers.
That hits Buffy hard, to hear Slaying lumped in with what’s wrong with Sunnydale.
JOYCE
I say – it’s time for the grown ups
to take Sunnydale back. I say – we
start by finding the people who did
this and making them pay.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. SUNNYDALE – NIGHT (STOCK)
Only a few lights glow… the town is asleep.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. WILLOW’S ROOM
A CLOCK-RADIO
on a desk in a darkened room. The digital display shows the time as 1:00 AM.
PAN off the clock to MICHAEL
a young man we haven’t seen before. Gothic Look: dressed in black, pale face, darkened lips, dyed
hair.
PAN to reveal AMY sitting next to him. Also in black.
PAN to reveal Willow, completing the triangle.
The shot WIDENS. Amy and Willow each pour liquids into a container that Michael holds. Heavy-
looking smoke begins to spill over the sides of the container. In addition, two things become visible:
that we’re in WILLOW’S ROOM, and that, on the floor, surrounded by herbs and powders, is a large
square of cloth inscribed with THE SYMBOL.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT ONE
Act Two
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY – DAY (DAY 3)
Michael and Amy at Michael’s locker. Pasted inside: pictures of Marilyn Manson and other disturbing
things, and a small mirror. Michael is still in Gothic death-on-toast mode. He uses the mirror to check
his look. A HERD OF BIG JOCKS thumps down the hallway. One of them, ROY, slams the locker shut
in Michael’s face.
MICHAEL
Watch it!
ROY
Oh, sorry. Did I make you smudge your
eye-liner? Gonna put a spell on me?
He pushes Michael against the lockers, ready to do some pummeling. Amy, furious, rushes to
Michael’s defense.
AMY
(to Roy)
Hey! What is your problem?
ROY
Everyone know he’s into that voodoo
witch crap. I heard about those kids;
people like him gotta learn a lesson.
AMY
What about people like me?
ROY
Get in my face and you’ll find out.
He pushes past her and grabs Michael again.
A little crowd of students has gathered to watch. Among them, CORDELIA. Buffy pushes through the
group and sizes up the sitch. She steps up next to Amy and Michael, and just lets the jocks see that
she’s there — her expression more expectant than fierce. Roy and the guys see her. Stop. A beat.
Then –
ROY
No problem here. We’re walking.
Now Roy and the other thugs take off.
BUFFY
(to Amy and Michael)
You guys okay?
MICHAEL
We’re fine.
AMY
Thanks, Buffy.
The hallway has emptied. Amy and Michael walk away, Michael rubbing his arm where it hit the
lockers. Buffy sees that Giles has emerged from the library, drawn by the noise of the confrontation.
She takes a step toward him, but is intercepted by Cordelia.
CORDELIA
You’re gong to be one busy little
Slayer, baby-sitting them.
BUFFY
I doubt they’ll have more trouble.
CORDELIA
I doubt your doubt. Everyone know
witches killed those kids. Amy is a
witch. And Michael is whatever the
boy of “witch” is, plus being the
poster child for yuck.
BUFFY
Cordelia–
CORDELIA
If you’re going to hang with them,
expect badness, ’cause that’s what
you get for hanging with freaks and
losers. Believe me, I know.
She takes a step away, then comes back.
CORDELIA
That was a pointed comment about me
hanging with you guys.
Point made, Cordy turns on her heel and stalks off.
BUFFY
(calling after)
I get that. But witches didn’t do it!
Giles clears his throat and leans in toward Buffy.
GILES
Actually, I’m afraid they may have.
My research keeps leading me back to
European Wiccan covens.
BUFFY
You found the meaning of the symbol?
GILES
Just about. I’m fairly sure a book
that Willow borrowed has the rest of
the information I need.
INT. SCHOOL LOUNGE – DAY
Buffy enters. Xander is sitting on one of the couches.
XANDER
Buffy. Hi.
BUFFY
Hey. Is Willow around?
XANDER
How can I convince you people that
it’s over?! You assume because I’m
here, she’s here, or that I somehow
mysteriously know where she is.
Buffy sees a stack of books at a nearby study carrel.
BUFFY
Are those hers?
XANDER
Yeah. She’s in the bathroom.
Buffy heads for the carrel. Xander trails along.
XANDER
But the fact that I know doesn’t
change that I have a genuine
complaint here. I’m sick of the
judgement. The innuendo. Is a man
not innocent until proven guilty?!
Buffy is looking at Willow’s stuff. She hesitates, then moves some papers, revealing an old volume.
On the cover: the symbol.
BUFFY
Xander. You are guilty. You got
illicit smoochies and you have to
pay the price.
XANDER
But I’m talking about future guilt.
Everyone expects me to mess up again.
Like Oz. I see the way he is around
me. You know, that steely gaze…
The pointed silence…
Buffy picks up the book, flips through it casually.
Buffy
‘Cause he’s usually such a chatterbox.
XANDER
No. It’s different now. It’s a more
verbal non-verbal. He says volumes
with his eyes.
Now Buffy glances at the desk-top and sees what the book had been covering: an open notebook.
Writing surrounds a hand-copied version of the symbol. Buffy looks at it if it were a snake. Willow
comes over.
WILLOW
Hey, Buff. What’cha looking for?
You want to borrow something?
Buffy picks up the notebook and turns it so Willow can see.
BUFFY
What’s this?
WILLOW
(nervous)
A doodle. I do doodle. You too.
You do doodle too.
XANDER
(to Buffy)
You’re not going to make me feel
better, are you?
BUFFY
(to Will/ignoring him)
This is a witch symbol.
WILLOW
(caught)
Okay. Yeah. It is.
BUFFY
(shocked)
Willow.
WILLOW
What?
BUFFY
This symbol was on the murdered kids.
Willow is stunned.
WILLOW
It was? On the kids… Oh no,
Buffy. I didn’t know. No one told
me about that. I swear–
A big CLATTER AND COMMOTION interrupts Willow. Xander joins them as they look down the hall
toward the noise. The NOISE builds, the clang of lockers, raised voices… Buffy hands Willow her
notebook. Willow picks up the book from the carrel and the three of them head for the source of the
noise.
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY – CONTINUOUS (DAY)
Students are gathered, watching with disbelief and indignation as SNYDER walks the row of lockers.
One by one they are unlocked by a CUSTODIAN, and searched by ARMED SECURITY GUARDS.
Farther down the hall, a FACULTY MEMBER stops students and searches their backpacks. Buffy,
Willow and Xander join Oz, CORDELIA and AMY among the spectators.
XANDER
Oh, man. It’s Nazi Germany and I
have Playboys in my locker.
Snyder is speaking to the assembled students.
PRINCIPAL SNYDER
This is a glorious day for principals
everywhere. No pathetic whining
about “students’ rights,” just a long
row of lockers and a man with a key.
Oz leans over to Buffy and Willow.
OZ
They just took three kids away.
BUFFY
I don’t get it. What are they
looking for?
AMY
Witch stuff.
WILLOW
What?
AMY
They found my spells. I’m supposed
to report to Snyder’s office.
WILLOW
Oh my god.
A TEACHER comes over to Amy, takes her by the arm. As she’s led away:
AMY
Willow, be careful.
WILLOW
I have things. In my locker.
Henbane, Hellibore, Mandrake root…
XANDER
Excuse me, Playboys. Can we work the
sympathy thisaway?
Another locker is opened.
CORDELIA
Get your grubby custodial hands off
that! That hair spray cost forty-
five dollars and it’s imported!
WILLOW
The next one’s mine.
(then, frantic)
Buffy, I didn’t do anything wrong.
The symbol’s harmless. I used it to
make a protection spell for you, for
your birthday. With Michael and Amy.
Only, now it’s broken, because you
know about it. So Happy Birthday,
and please, you have to believe me.
PRINCIPAL SNYDER
(loudly)
Ms. Rosenberg. My office.
Willow looks up. Snyder is standing in front of her open locker. He holds up plastic bags filled with
herbs and roots. Willow, resigned but terrified, starts to move off. Buffy very casually reaches out
and takes the book with the symbol and Willow’s notebook out of Willow’s hands. Willow shoots her a
quick, grateful look – heads for the office. Buffy head for the library.
INT. LIBRARY – CONTINUOUS (DAY)
Buffy enters the library just as AN ARMED SECURITY GUARD exits with a large box full of books. She
steps in further to see ANOTEHR ARMED GUARD pulling books from the shelves, filling another box.
Giles watches, frustrated and defeated.
BUFFY
Giles?
GILES
They’re confiscating my books.
Buffy sets Willow’s book and notebook on the counter.
BUFFY
Giles, we need those books.
GILES
Believe me – I tried telling that to
the nice man with the big gun.
BUFFY
There’s something about this symbol
we’re not getting. Willow used it in
a protection spell. She said it’s
harmless – not a big bad. So why
would it turn up in a ritual sacrifice?
GILES
I don’t know. Ordinarily I’d suggest
we widen our research…
BUFFY
Using what? The dictionary and “My
Friend Flicka”?
Giles takes this in – reaching the boiling point.
GILES
This is intolerable. Snyder has
interfered before, but I will not
take this from that twisted little
homunculus –
Snyder has entered — Buffy sees him and pushes Willow’s book off the back edge of the counter onto
the floor — at least they’re out of sight.
PRINCIPAL SNYDER
Ah, I love the smell of desperate
librarian in the morning.
GILES
Get out of here, and take your…
marauders with you.
PRINCIPAL SNYDER
Oh my. So fierce. I suppose I
should hear you out. Just how is
(picking up a book)
“Blood Rites and Sacrifices”
appropriate material for a public
school library? The Chess Club
branching out?
GILES
These items are my personal research
materials. I assure you – they’re all
perfectly harmless.
But as Giles speaks, one of Snyder’s goons OPENS A CABINET behind him in the book cage –
revealing a brutal assortment of weaponry: crossbows, axes, spears… Snyder grins like the cat who
ate the canary
GILES
They’re antiques.
PRINCIPAL SNYDER
So are you. A relic of a progressive
era that is finally coming to an end.
Welcome to the new new age.
GILES
This isn’t over.
PRINCIPAL SNYDER
Oh, I’d say it’s just beginning.
Fight it if you want — just remember:
lift a finger against me, and you’ll
have to answer to MOO.
BUFFY
Answer to MOO? Did that sentence
make some sense that I’m just not in
on?
PRINCIPAL SNYDER
Mothers Opposed to the Occult.
Powerful new group.
BUFFY
And who came up with that lame name?
PRINCIPAL SNYDER
That would be the founder. I believe
you call her ‘mom’.
INT. WILLOW’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Willow enters to find her mother, sitting in front of the coffee table – upon which lies all the magik-
making items that were confiscated from Willow’s locker. She looks up at Willow calmly.
MRS. ROSENBERG
Sit down, honey.
WILLOW
Principal Snyder talked to you.
MRS. ROSENBERG
Yes. He’s quite concerned.
WILLOW
Mom. I know what it looks like, but
I can totally-
MRS. ROSENBERG
(cutting her off)
You don’t have to explain, honey.
This isn’t exactly a surprise.
WILLOW
Why not?
MRS. ROSENBERG
Identification with mythical icons is
perfectly typical of your age group.
It’s a classic adolescent response to
the pressure of incipient adulthood.
Willow actually looks a little disappointed.
WILLOW
Oh. Is that what it is.
MRS. ROSENBERG
Of course, I could have wished that
you would identify with something a
little less icky, but developmentally
speaking —
WILLOW
Mom, I’m not an age group. I’m me.
Willow group.
MRS. ROSENBERG
I understand —
WILLOW
No you don’t. It’s probably hard to
accept, but I can do stuff. Nothing
bad or dangerous. But I can do spells-
MRS. ROSENBERG
You think you can. And that’s what
concerns me. The delusions-
Willow is growing frustrated. She’s not getting through to her mom at all.
WILLOW
Mom. How would you know what I can
do? The last time we had a conversation
over three minutes it was about the
patriarchal bias of the Mr. Rodgers show.
MRS. ROSENBERG
Well, with “King Friday” lording it
over all the lesser puppet —
WILLOW
Mom, you’re not paying attention!
MRS. ROSENBERG
And this is your way of trying to get
it. Now, I’ve consulted some of my
colleagues and they all agree. This
is a cry for discipline. You’re
grounded.
WILLOW
Grounded? This is the first time –
ever – I do something you don’t like
and I’m grounded? I’m supposed to
mess up. I’m a teenager, remember?
MRS. ROSENBERG
(nods)
You’re upset. I hear your –
That’s it, Willow snaps.
WILLOW
Hear this, Ma! I’m a rebel. I’m
having a rebellion-
MRS. ROSENBERG
Willow. Honey. You don’t have
to act out like this to prove your
specialness-
WILLOW
Mom! I’m not acting out – I’m a
WITCH. I make pencils float. I
summon the four elements! Well –
two elements – but four soon!
(then)
And I’m dating a musician!
MRS. ROSENBERG
Willow!
WILLOW
I worship Beelzebub! I do his
bidding. Do you see any goats
around? No! Because I sacrificed
them! All bow before SATAN!
MRS. ROSENBERG
I’m not listening to this —
She gets up, starts to go. Willow follows her around the room, calling out:
WILLOW
Prince of darkness – I summon you!
Come fill me with your black,
naughty evil!
Mrs. Rosenberg’s voice grows loud and sharp. She’s had it.
MRS. ROSENBERG
That’s enough!
Willow is stunned silent. This may be the first time her mother’s ever paid enough attention to yell at
her.
MRS. ROSENBERG
Now. You will go to your room and
stay there until I say otherwise.
(hard)
And we’re gonna make some changes.
I don’t want you hanging out with
those friends of yours. It’s clear
where this little obsession came
from. You will not speak to Bunny
Summers again.
INT. BUFFY’S DINING ROOM – NIGHT
Buffy stands in front of Joyce, who addresses her in a very similar tone to the one Mrs. Rosenberg
just used. The dining room has been converted into an office. There are neat stacks of “NEVER
AGAIN” posters, phone lists, Joyce’s computer… and MOO lapel pins.
JOYCE
I don’t want you seeing that Willow
anymore. I’ve spoken with her mother.
I had no idea her forays into the occult
had gone so far.
Buffy stares at her mom, disbelieving.
BUFFY
You’re the one who ordered the raid
on the school today.
JOYCE
Honey, they opened a few lockers.
BUFFY
Lockers. First syllable, lock.
They’re supposed to be private.
Also, they took all of Giles’ books
away.
JOYCE
He’ll get most of them back. MOO
just wants to weed out the offensive
material. Everything else will be
returned to Mr. Giles soon.
BUFFY
But we need those books now. To help
solve this thing.
JOYCE
Sweetie, those books had no business
in a public school library. Especially
now. Any student could waltz in there
and get all sorts of ideas. Do you
understand how that terrifies me?
BUFFY
Mom, I hate that these people scared
you so much. And I know you’re
trying to help. But you have to let
me handle this. It’s what I do.
JOYCE
But is it really? You patrol. You
slay. Evil pops up, you undo it.
And that’s great. But has Sunnydale
gotten any better? Are they running
out of vampires?
BUFFY
I don’t think they run out–
JOYCE
It’s not your fault. You don’t have
a plan. You just… react to things.
It’s bound to be kind of fruitless.
Buffy’s hurt, but she turns it into anger.
BUFFY
Okay. Maybe I don’t have a plan.
Lord knows I don’t have lapel buttons…
JOYCE
Buffy–
BUFFY
…And maybe the next time the world
is getting sucked into hell, I won’t
be able to stop it because, guess
what, the anti-hell-sucking book
isn’t on the approved reading list!
JOYCE
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put down–
BUFFY
Yeah. You did. But you know what?
I have to go. I have to go out on
one of my pointless little patrols
now, and “react to” some vampires,
if that’s all right with MOO.
Buffy storms out. A beat, then she pops back in to say:
BUFFY
And nice acronym, Mom.
She goes.
ANGLE: JOYCE
She sighs and looks tired.
JOYCE
I’m just trying to make things better.
LITTLE BOY (O.S.)
You are.
WIDEN TO REVEAL:
The TWO LITTLE DEAD KIDS are sitting opposite Joyce at the table, right where Buffy had just been
standing.
They have the slightest hint of death about them: a little pale, lips a little blue. They speak softly,
beseechingly.
LITTLE GIRL
There’s bad people out there.
LITTLE BOY
And we can’t sleep.
LITTLE GIRL
Not until you hurt them…
LITTLE BOY
The way they hurt us.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT TWO
Act Three
EXT. PLAYGROUND – NIGHT
The playground is eerily quiet as Buffy patrols, fighting an overwhelming sense of foreboding. She
moves somewhat reluctantly to the sandbox, which has been turned into an impromptu shrine –
covered with flowers and photos.
Angel steps up beside her. She turns to him and without a word folds herself into his arms. After a bit
of holdage…
ANGEL
Hey…
BUFFY
Hey. How are you?
ANGEL
I’m all right.
(looks at her)
I think I’m better than you right now.
Buffy turns back to the shrine.
ANGEL
I heard about this. People are talking.
People are even talking to me.
BUFFY
It’s strange… People die in
Sunnydale all the time. And I’ve
never seen anything like this.
ANGEL
They were children. Innocent. It
makes a difference.
BUFFY
And Mr. Sanderson from the bank had
it coming?
Now Angel leads her to a bench – they sit.
BUFFY
My mom… She said some stuff to me.
About being the Slayer. That it’s
fruitless. No fruit for Buffy.
ANGEL
She’s wrong.
BUFFY
Was she? Is Sunnydale any better
than when I came here? Okay – so
I battle evil. But I don’t really win –
the bad keeps coming back and
getting stronger. I’m like that kid
in the story, the boy who stuck his
finger in the duck.
ANGEL
Dike.
(off her confusion)
It’s another word for a dam.
BUFFY
Oh. Okay, now that story makes a
lot more sense.
ANGEL
Buffy, you know I’m still working
things out; there’s a lot I don’t
understand. But I know it’s
important to keep fighting and I
learned that from you.
BUFFY
But we never —
ANGEL
We never win.
BUFFY
Not completely.
ANGEL
We never will. That’s not why we
fight. We do it ’cause there’s things
worth fighting for.
Buffy takes this in.
ANGEL
Those kids. Their parents.
This seems to strike Buffy. She looks at Angel – realizing something.
BUFFY
Right. Their parents.
ANGEL
I know it’s not much.
BUFFY
(deep in thought)
No. It’s a lot…
INT. LIBRARY – NIGHT
The shelves have big ugly gaps where Giles’ world should be. The man himself, supremely frustrated,
sits alone at the table with a computer. He keeps pushing buttons – only to be confronted with a
LOUD PROTESTING BEEP.
GILES
Session interrupted? Who said you
could interrupt — Stupid, useless
fad — That’s right! I said fad!
And I’ll say it again.
XANDER
At that point I will become frightened.
He has walked in with Oz.
OZ
Take heart. We found your books.
Giles looks up as if Oz’ voice were a chorus of angels.
XANDER
Put the heart back. We can’t get
’em. They’re locked in City Hall.
Xander looks over his shoulder – pretends shock.
XANDER
“Frisky Watcher’s Chat Room.”
Why, Giles…
Giles shoots Xander a withering look as Buffy strides in.
XANDER
Buffy! Oz and I found out —
BUFFY
These kids. What do we know
about them?
GILES
What?
BUFFY
Facts. Details.
XANDER
Well… they were found in the park —
BUFFY
Where’d they go to school? Who are
their parents? What are their names?
The three men look at each other, trying to think.
BUFFY
We know everything about their
deaths, but we don’t even know
their names.
XANDER
Sure we do… uh… it’s on the tip
of my tongue…
OZ
It’s never come up. Ever.
BUFFY
And if no one know who they are,
how did they get these pictures?
GILES
I – I assumed that someone knew the
details. I never really…it’s very strange.
BUFFY
(points to the computer)
We need to get some information.
GILES
Could somebody else… This thing has
shut me out.
XANDER
Well if you didn’t yell at it…
Oz moves to the computer. Giles gratefully move aside.
OZ
I can look around, but Willow really
knows the sites we’ll need.
BUFFY
How – she’s not even allowed to come
to the phone. The wrath of MOO.
OZ
We don’t need a phone.
INT. WILLOW’S ROOM – NIGHT
Willow sits on her bed, reading. Her computer CHIMES. She look over at it.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. LIBRARY – LATE (NIGHT)
Giles, Xander and Buffy watch as Oz works the computer.
OZ
Okay. We’re linked. If anyone’s
ID’d the kids, she’ll pull it up and
feed it here.
INT. WILLOW’S ROOM – NIGHT
Willow’s at her computer. Her computer screen fills with data. A newspaper article. She smiles, hits a
button…
INT. LIBRARY – NIGHT
The article appears on the screen of the library computer. Giles hovers over Oz, reading.
GILES
Two children, found dead. Mysterious
mark… No. These children were
found near Omaha in 1949,
XANDER
They aren’t ours. Keep going.
Oz is ready to clear the screen…
BUFFY
Wait.
A black and white photograph appears on the screen, gaining resolution slowly as it is downloaded.
Two little kids. The picture grows sharper.
INT. WILLOW’S ROOM – NIGHT
Willow looks at the same photo.
WILLOW
Those are…
INT. LIBRARY – NIGHT
BUFFY
The same kids.
GILES
Fifty years ago.
The screen shifts, a new article.
OZ
- Utah… Two children… rural
community torn apart by suspicion…
GILES
A hundred years. How is that possible?
OZ
No mention of who they were.
BUFFY
They’ve never been seen alive, just
dead. A lot.
The screen fills with old-style German type.
GILES
Let me see that.
An Instant-Message box appears in the corner of the box. Oz reads it.
OZ
There were more articles. Every
fifty years, all the same.
GILES
From as far back as 1649.
Now Giles takes Oz’s place at the computer, concentrates on the text, translating as he reads.
GILES
Written by a cleric from a village
near the Black Forest. He found
the bodies himself. Two children…
Greta Strauss, age six. Hans
Strauss, eight.
Giles reads on silently.
XANDER
So they have names. That’s new.
Suddenly, the computer screen goes black. It them displays an official-looking message: “ACCESS TO
THIS SITE DENIED.”
INT. WILLOW’S ROOM – NIGHT
At a dead end, a frustrated Willow turns off her computer. Turns to see Mrs. Rosenberg standing next
to her, not happy.
MRS. ROSENBERG
You’re not minding me, Willow. I
thought I made myself clear.
Willow is shocked by the anger in her mother’s voice.
WILLOW
Mom –
Mrs. Rosenberg closes the computer and takes it.
MRS. ROSENBERG
I see what you’re doing. You’re
challenging me. But I will not have
you communicating with your cyber-
coven or what have you-
WILLOW
Coven? What happened to me being
“delusional” and “acting out?”
MRS. ROSENBERG
That was before I talked in depth
with Ms. Summers and her associates.
It seems I’ve been rather closed-minded.
WILLOW
So – you believe me?
MRS. ROSENBERG
I believe you, dear.
(then)
Now all I can do is let you go
with love.
WILLOW
Let me go? What does that mean?
Mrs. Rosenberg doesn’t reply — just leaves. She shuts the door, locks it.
WILLOW
(perplexed)
Mom?
INT. LIBRARY – NIGHT
Buffy, Giles, Oz and Xander, in confusion.
OZ
We lost Willow.
Oz types, tries to get the connection back.
GILES
Greta Strauss. Hans Strauss.
Deep in thought, Giles goes to on eof the bookshelves… and remembers the books are gone. He
turns away helplessly, pulling the facts from his memory with effort.
GILES
There’s a fringe theory held by a few
folklorists that some regional stories
have actual, very literal antecedents…
BUFFY
And in some language that’s English?
OZ
(still typing)
Fairy tales are real.
BUFFY
Hans and Greta.
(light bulb)
Hansel and Gretel.
XANDER
Wait. Hansel and Gretel? Breadcrumbs,
ovens, Gingerbread house?
GILES
Of course… it makes sense now…
BUFFY
Yeah, it’s all falling into place.
Of course, that place is nowhere
near this place…
GILES
There are demons that thrive on
fostering persecution and hatred
among the mortal animals. Not on
destroying men, but on watching them
destroy each other. They feed us our
darkest fear, and turn peaceful
communities into vigilantes.
BUFFY
Hansel and Gretel go home and tell on
the mean old witch —
GILES
And she and probably dozens of other
are punished by a righteous mob.
It’s happened throughout history. It
happened in Salem, not surprisingly.
XANDER
I’m still spinning on the whole fairy
tales are real thing.
OZ
What do we do?
XANDER
I don’t know about you, but I’m going
to go trade my cow for some beans.
(off their looks)
No one else is seeing the funny here?
BUFFY
Giles, we have to talk to Mom. If
she know the truth she can defuse
this whole thing —
The library doors fly open and Michael runs in. He’s bloodied and out of breath. The group goes to
him, holds him up.
XANDER
What happened?
MICHAEL
I was attacked.
XANDER
Officially not funny.
BUFFY
By who?
MICHAEL
Dad. His friends. They’re taking
people from their homes. And
something about a trial at city
hall… They got Amy.
OZ
Willow.
MICHAEL
Tell her to get out of her house.
BUFFY
Michael, stay here and hide. Giles,
we’ll go find my mom. Oz, you and
Xander —
OZ
We’re already gone.
And they are.
INT. WILLOW’S ROOM – NIGHT
Willow hears the door being unlocked. She rushes to it.
WILLOW
Mom. We really need to-
The door opens. Revealing MRS. ROSENBERG and a number of hostile-looking MOO MEMBERS.
MRS. ROSENBERG
It’s time to go.
(mom-like)
Get your coat. It’s chilly out.
WILLOW
Go? Go where-
MRS. ROSENBERG
(harder again)
I said – get your coat, witch.
Acting on instinct – Willow powers forward and SLAMS THE DOOR SHUT ON HER MOTHER. Mrs.
Rosenberg and the others immediately start to pound on it and shout.
OFF WILLOW
Trying to keep the door shut. Terrified.
INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE, ENTRYWAY/LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Buffy and Giles enter through the front door and rush into the living room, surprising Joyce who is in
the middle of a lively debate with four of her fellow MOO members.
JOYCE
Buffy. Mr. Giles? Has something
happened?
BUFFY
Oh. Um. Mom? Can we talk to you?
JOYCE
Of course, Honey.
(to her guests)
You go on without me.
Joyce follows Buffy and Giles into the entry way.
BUFFY
(to Joyce)
Mom, we have to talk alone. There’s
more going on than you —
Giles lets out a SHOUT, cut off quickly, as ONE OF THE GUESTS GRABS him from behind and DRAGS
him back into the living room. Buffy whirls, ready to fight, when Joyce’s hand clamps over her mouth
and nose. The hand holds a soaked handkerchief. Buffy sinks to the ground. As she lies there,
fighting for consciousness, she blink up at her mother.
JOYCE
You were right. That was easy.
The two dead kids step into Buffy’s line of sight. The girl takes a previously-unseen bottle of
chloroform from Joyce.
LITTLE GIRL
I told you.
LITTLE BOY
It gets even easier.
LITTLE GIRL
But I’m still scared of the bad girls.
LITTLE BOY
You have to stop them. You have to
make them go away. Forever.
The images of the little kids BLUR and waver. Buffy’s eyes close. She’s out.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT THREE
Act Four
INT. WILLOW’S HOUSE – NIGHT
Oz bursts in through the front door, Xander behind him. They run toward Willow’s room.
They enter…
INT. WILLOW’S ROOM – NIGHT
Oz and Xander freeze. The room is empty but upturned. There has clearly been a struggle here.
INT. CITY HALL ROTUNDA – NIGHT
Willow is being tied to a stake by Mrs. Rosenberg. Amy is tied to another stake, and Buffy,
unconscious, is TIED TO A THIRD. Giles’ books are piled at their feet. People with MOO buttons ring
the room. Among them: Joyce.
MRS. ROSENBERG
(to Willow)
Stand still. Be a good girl.
WILLOW
No! Why are you doing this to me?
Mom?
MRS. ROSENBERG
There’s no cure but the fire.
AMY
Buffy! Wake up!
WILLOW
Mom, this is crazy!
AMY
Buffy!
But Buffy is still out cold.
INT. BUFFY’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT
Giles lies unconscious on the floor of the living room. A hand SLAPS him hard. Again. And again. He
grunts with pain and opens his eyes. The hand slaps him again anyway.
GILES
Cordelia?
Sure enough, the hand belongs to Cordelia. And it’s drawn back for one more swipe. Giles blocks it.
CORDELIA
Took you long enough to wake up.
My hand hurts.
Giles rubs his face.
GILES
Pity… Why are you here?
CORDELIA
Things are way out of control, Giles.
First the thing at school, and then
my mom confiscates all my black
clothes and scented candles. I came
over to tell Buffy to stop this
craziness and I found you all
unconscious again. How many times
have you been knocked out, anyway?
I swear, one of these times you’re
going to wake up in a coma.
GILES
Wake up in– Never mind. We have to
go save Buffy from Hansel and Gretel.
A beat as Cordy tries to process this. Then-
CORDELIA
Now let’s be clear, the brain damage
happened before I hit you.
She helps him to his feet.
INT. CITY HALL LOBBY – NIGHT
Xander and Oz run into City Hall and head for the doors that lead into the rotunda. Tow men wearing
MOO buttons block their path. Two other MOO members close and lock the doors.
XANDER
What’s with the grim? We’re here
to join you guys.
It’s not going over The mini-mob presses in on them.
XANDER
Really. Why should you guys have
all the fun? We want to be part of
the hate.
Nope. The MOO freaks are looking even more murderous.
OZ
Just so we’re clear – you know you’re
nuts, right?
With that, Xander and Oz run for their lives.
INT. CITY HALL ROTUNDA – NIGHT
As before: Willow, Amy, and the still-unconscious Buffy bound to stakes, Giles’ books piled at their
feet.
WILLOW
Buffy!
Willow tries kicking books at Buffy to wake her up. Finally Buffy comes to, takes in the situation.
Joyce steps forward and smiles kindly at Buffy.
JOYCE
Good morning, sleepy-head.
BUFFY
(still groggy)
You don’t want this.
JOYCE
Since when does it matter what I
want? I wanted a normal, happy
daughter and instead I got a slayer.
Buffy takes this in – stricken.
ON JOYCE AND MRS. ROSENBERG
MRS. ROSENBERG
(to Joyce/pleasantly)
Torch?
Joyce takes the torch.
JOYCE
Thanks.
(then)
This has been so trying — but you’ve
been a champ.
MRS. ROSENBERG
You too, Joyce.
JOYCE
We should stay close. Have lunch.
MRS. ROSENBERG
How nice. I’d love to.
BACK ON AMY, WILLOW AND BUFFY
who watch, disbelieving, as Joyce and Mrs. Rosenberg light the pyre.
AMY
Oh, you can’t be serious…
BUFFY
Mom, don’t!
But it’s too late. The books have already begun to burn.
CLOSE ON AMY
who is wild with fear – furious.
AMY
All right! You want to fry a witch!?
I’ll give you a witch!
She throws her head back – starts to incant.
AMY
“Goddess Hecate, work thy will…”
Buffy glances at Willow. This sounds familiar.
BUFFY
Uh oh.
Now Amy lower her head and crosses her arms over her heart – she’s GONE BLACK-EYED from her
majik-making trance.
AMY
“Before thee let the unclean thing craw!”
BOOM – AMY SHUDDERS as her body rocks with A BALL OF PURE ENERGY. The MOOSTERS fall back –
screaming with fear at this display.
A beat as the smoke clears. Amy appears be gone – until Willow sees A RAT scurry from the pyre and
away to safety.
BUFFY
She couldn’t do us first?
Some MOOsters move tentatively forward —
WILLOW
Do not dare! You see what we can
do — another step and you will all
feel my power!
BUFFY
(sotto voce)
What are you gonna do, float a pencil
at ’em?
But there seems to be some hesitation…
WILLOW
It’s a really big power…
BUFFY
(getting into it)
That’s right! You will all be turned
into vermin… and some of you will
be fish… the people in the back
will be fish…
It seems to be working. Moosters are moving slowly away. Even Joyce and Sheila are hesitating.
MOOSTER
Maybe we should go…
NOW THE TWO LITTLE DEMON KIDS suddenly appear before Joyce, Mrs. Rosenberg and the rest of
the terrified Moo members.
LITTLE BOY
But you promised…
LITTLE GIRL
You have to kill the bad girls.
INT. GILES’ CAR – NIGHT
Giles drives. Cordelia holds containers of various herbs, roots, etc.
CORDELIA
I can’t believe you had this stuff in
your apartment. It smells foul.
GILES
Shred the Wolfsbane — that’s the
leafy stuff. Then crush the Satyrion root.
(to himself)
Luften sie den something. Schumer?
Shluter?
CORDELIA
God. This is killing my manicure.
What are you muttering about?
GILES
It’s part of an incantation I’m trying
to recall. It’s in German and
without my books…
CORDELIA
What’s it mean?
GILES
It’s about lifting a veil. It should
make the demons appear in their true
form, which should negate their
influence. Oh, and you need to drop
a toadstone into the mixture.
CORDELIA
This? It doesn’t look like a toad.
She smells the small stone.
GILES
No reason it should. It’s from
inside the toad.
CORDELIA
I hate you.
INT. CITY HALL ROTUNDA – NIGHT
The flames burn higher. The little dead children press in closer, firelight reflecting off their faces. They
speak in voices soft and clear:
LITTLE GIRL
They hurt us.
LITTLE BOY
Burn them.
BUFFY
Mom, dead people are talking to you.
Do the math!
JOYCE
I’m sorry, Buffy
BUFFY
Mom! Look at me. You love me.
If you do this, you won’t be able to
live with yourself.
JOYCE
You earned this. You toyed with
unnatural forces… Buffy, what kind
of mother would I be if I didn’t
punish you?
Willow and Buffy struggle, trying to free themselves.
INT. CITY HALL LOBBY – NIGHT
Giles and Cordy arrive at the door to the Rotunda where Xander and Oz faced the mob. Everyone’s
inside now, no one guards the door. Cordy holds the little vial of potion. Giles tries the door. Locked.
He plucks a pin from Cordy’s hair.
CORDELIA
Ow! You got hair with that!
Giles ignores her – applies himself to picking the lock.
CORDELIA
God, you really were the little
youthful offender, weren’t you? You
must look back and just cringe.
INT. CITY HALL CORRIDOR – NIGHT
Meanwhile, a winded Oz and Xander peer around a corner – checking to make sure they lost the
Moosters.
They move to some doors. Oz tries the doors – locked, of course.
OZ
We have to get inside.
A beat. Then Xander and Oz both SLAM their shoulders into the door. It doesn’t even budge. A beat.
WILLOW
No! Oh, God! Help!
OZ
Will.
XANDER
It sounds like she’s right… above us?
They look above them – the sound is clearly coming from an overhead AIR VENT. They glance at each
other.
Xander starts to give Oz a hand up. Oz knocks out the grate and pulls himself in.
INT. CITY HALL ROTUNDA – NIGHT
The fire burns merrily. Willow looks close to passing out.
WILLOW
Buffy… it’s too hot. I can’t take it.
BUFFY
I’m so sorry, Willow. If it wasn’t
for me, you never would…
Buffy trails off when she sees Giles and Cordy sneak into the room behind Joyce.
ON GILES AND CORDELIA
As they make their way to a coiled fire-hose behind a glass hinged door. Giles takes the potion from
Cordy and motions for her to open the glass door. Cordy nods, but instead, she SMASHES it.
JOYCE AND HER FRIENDS.
Whirl around. Cordy tugs at the water valve as Giles begins his spell, which he continues under the
subsequent dialogue and action.
GILES
(shouting in German)
Dämonen zeight euch. Ich
beschwöre die Mächte der
Hecate, Königin und
Beschützerin der Hexen, die
Masken wegzureissen. Das
Böse soll das Gesicht des
Bösen tragen…
(English)
Demons show yourselves. I
call on the powers of
Hecate, queen and
protectress of witches, to
strip away the masks. Let
evil wear an evil face…
JOYCE
Stop them!
MOO members converge, but Cordelia is armed. The hose comes on FULL FORCE. Cordelia barely
manages to keep hold of it. MOO members are swept off their feet by the water. Cordelia keeps them
at bay.
WILLOW
Buffy! I’m on fire!
BUFFY
Cordelia, put out the fire!
Realizing that sounds good too, Cordelia wrestles the hose into place, and douses the fire.
INT. AIR VENT – NIGHT
Xander and Oz follow the sound of the girls and the Moosters – crawling in almost total darkness.
INT. CITY HALL ROTUNDA – NIGHT
Cordelia is still battling the fire while Giles continues to chant:
GILES
Hecate ruft euch an.
Hebt den Schleier auf.
(Hecate implores you. Lift the veil)
He falters, stumbling over the German. He hesitates, then continues:
GILES
Hebt den Schleier auf.
Verbergt euch nicht hinter
falschen Gesichtern.
(Lift the veil. Hide not behind false faces.)
Now Giles THROWS the potion.
ON THE DEMON KIDS
The little vial breaks at the feet of the dead kids – the liquid SPATTERS and STEAMS. The little dead
kids start HOWLING, then MORPH together. They flow into a liquid shape that coalesces into ONE BIG
NASTY DEMON. Their HIGH-PITCHED VOICES DROP, deepen alarmingly into a single deep how.
ON GILES, CORDELIA, JOYCE, MOOSERS, ET AL…
CORDELIA
Okay. I liked the two little ones
better than the one big one.
MOO members fall back, confused, as they are freed from the hold the kids had on them. They see
the demon, SCREAM AND SCATTER, except for JOYCE AND MRS. ROSENBERG.
DEMON
Protect us! Kill the bad girls!
BUFFY
You know what? Not as convincing in
that outfit.
Snarling, the demon turns on her, RUNS.
JOYCE
Oh my god, Buffy!
Buffy gives on last wrenching pull on the ropes that bind her hands – and ends up BREAKING THE
STAKE FROM THE FLOOR.
She’s more mobile, but she’s still tied to the stake. The demon sees that his time is limited. He
ROARS and CHARGES at her, a flying tackle. Buffy bends forward and the stake angles out in front of
her like a wooden sword-point. It CATCHES THE DEMON IN THE THROAT, piercing it — a mortal
wound.
Now Buffy’s STUCK with her stake embedded in the dead demon, who has died on his feet. Buffy’s
still bending forward – can’t see anything but the ground.
BUFFY
Did I get it? Did I get it?
Before anyone can answer XANDER AND OZ PLUMMET through the CEILING, the AIR VENT HAVING
GIVEN WAY. They land DIRECTLY BEHIND BUFFY AND THE DEMON, creating a bizarre tableau.
Willow walks up to them on the ground.
OZ
We’re here to save you.
FADE TO:
INT. WILLOW’S ROOM – DAY
Buffy and Willow are on the bed, mixing various spell things and talking.
BUFFY
Your mom doesn’t mind us doing this
in the house?
WILLOW
She doesn’t know.
BUFFY
(sympathetically)
Business as usual?
WILLOW
Sort of. She’s doing that selective
memory thing your mom used to be
so good at.
BUFFY
She forgot everything?
WILLOW
No, she remembered the part where I
told her I was dating a musician. Oz
has to come for dinner. So that’s
sort of like taking an interest…
BUFFY
So. You want to try this again?
WILLOW
Let’s do it. I think we got the mix
of herbs right this time.
And we see for the first time that they have the Amyrat on the bed in front of them.
Buffy drops some RAT HAIR in the dish. Lights it with a match. A THICK PLUME of smoke rises.
Willow does the incantation.
WILLOW
“Diana! Hecate! I hereby license
thee to depart. Goddess of creatures
great and small – I conjure thee to
withdraw!”
Buffy and Willow wave the smoke away – look at the cage expectantly.
CLOSE ON CAGE
Amyrat sits there. Unchanged. Buffy and Willow are at a loss. A long beat. Finally-
BUFFY
Maybe we should get her one of those
wheel things.
BLACK OUT.
THE END
Transcripts
Prologue
A Sunnydale park at night. Buffy slowly strolls along the perimeter and
into an area surrounded by bushes. She hears a rustling sound coming
from the bush directly in front of her, and stops instantly, her gaze
fixed on the shaking branches. She pulls out her stake and gets ready to
fight, when suddenly she hears a voice to her left.
Joyce: Is it a vampire?
Buffy snaps her head to the left and sees her mother walk toward her
carrying a bag in one hand and a large thermos in the other.
Buffy: Mom, what are you doing here?
Joyce: (holds up the bag and thermos) I brought you a snack. I thought
it was about time for me to come out and watch. Y-you know, the slaying.
Buffy: You know, the slaying is kind of an alone thing.
Joyce: But it’s such a big part of your life, and I’d like to
understand it. It’s, um, you know, something we could share.
Buffy: A-actually, it’s pretty dull, you know, it’s (distracted) bam
boom stick… poof.
Her attention is back on the rustling bush, and she nudges her mother to
the side a bit. Suddenly a vampire jumps out at her and runs straight
for her. She ducks as the vampire lunges at her with his arms
outstretched. She gets back up and delivers a right hook to his face
followed by a backhand punch on the backswing and a left to the face,
making him take a step back. Her mother cheers her on.
Joyce: Good, honey! Kill him!
Buffy does an out-to-in crescent kick, which he easily ducks. She tries
to punch him in the face again, but he grabs onto her shoulders and
rolls onto his back, sending her rolling over him and onto her back. She
lets out a pained grunt and looks around to get her bearings.
Joyce: (points) Buffy, he-he’s over here!
The vampire faces her and roars.
Joyce: Oh, my God! It’s Mr. Sanderson from the bank!
He comes at Buffy with a front snap kick, which she low blocks. He tries
to punch her, but she ducks it. Buffy does a half spinning in-to-out
crescent kick followed swiftly by a leg sweep, knocking the vampire’s
legs out from under him. She stands back up and gets ready to punch him,
but he’s had enough. He scrambles to his feet and hightails it out of
there.
Joyce: (points with the thermos) And he’s getting away!
Buffy gives her a stern look.
Buffy: Stay!
She runs off after the vampire. Joyce lets out a worried sigh and
decides to walk the short distance over to the playground. There she
sets down her bag and the thermos on a bench near the swings. She
shivers a bit from the cold night air. She steps over to the concrete
border between the grass and the sand of the playground and notices a
toy pickup truck that was left behind in a small puddle. She picks it up
and smiles as she looks it over. Then something catches her eye at the
other side of the playground.
Cut to Buffy on the ground with the vampire bending over her. She grabs
him and pulls him over and down onto the ground next to her. She
scrambles to her knees and jams her stake home. The vampire explodes in
a cloud of ashes.
Cut to Joyce as she makes her way over to the carousel. When she’s close
enough to get a good look, she stops in horror, shocked at what she
sees.
Joyce: Oh, God. (takes a breath) Oh…
Cut to a long shot of her with the carousel in the foreground. The body
of a young boy lies dead on it, and next to it on the sand lies the body
of a young girl. Joyce can’t believe her eyes. Each of the children has
one arm outstretched, and drawn in black on the palms of their hands is
a triangle. It has a wide U-shaped symbol in the middle, with its ends
extending out from the triangle and bending in a sharp arc at the tips.
Opening credits roll. Buffy’s theme plays.~~ Part 1 ~~
The playground. Several police cars and a coroner’s van have arrived,
and the detectives are looking over the scene. No one has touched the
bodies yet. The police photographer steps up to the carousel and takes
aim at the young boy with his camera. A series of black-and-white photos
follow. The boy’s outstretched arm with the symbol on the palm of his
hand. The girl from straight above with her outstretched arm. A close-up
shot of the girl’s face. A wide-angle shot of both of the children from
above. The boy from straight above with his outstretched arm. A close-up
of the boy’s hand with the symbol clearly visible.
Sometime later, Buffy is finishing an interview with a police officer.
She asks him if she and her mother can leave now.
Police Officer #1: Yes, ma’am.
Buffy walks over to her mother. The police bustle with activity around
them.
Police Officer #2: Alright, let’s move here. Somebody pull that car
out.
Buffy: (reaches her mother) They said we can go home now.
Joyce: (distraught) They were little kids. Did you see them? They’re so
tiny.
Buffy: (sympathetically) I saw.
Joyce: (shaking her head) Who could do something like this? I just…
(looks down sadly)
Buffy: I’m so sorry that you had to see this. But I promise, everything
is gonna be okay.
Joyce: How?
Buffy: Because I’m gonna find whatever did it.
Joyce: I guess. It’s just you can’t… you can’t make it right.
Buffy hugs her mother closely. Joyce begins to sob.
Buffy: (comfortingly) I know. I’m sorry. But I’ll take care of
everything. I promise. Just try and calm down.
Cut to the library the next morning. Buffy looks up at Giles standing at
the top of the stairs to the book stacks.
Buffy: (upset) Don’t tell me to calm down!
Giles: (taken aback) I-I-I only meant…
Buffy: They were kids, Giles. Little kids! You don’t know what it was
like to see them there. My mom can’t even talk.
Giles: (takes a few steps down) I’m sorry. I… I just want to help.
Buffy: (calms a bit) I know.
Giles comes down the rest of the way and goes over to the center table.
Buffy follows and leans against the back of a chair.
Giles: Do we know how? Uh… It wasn’t a vampire? (sits on the table)
Buffy: No. There were no marks.
Giles lifts his mug for a sip of his tea, but stops as Buffy continues.
Buffy: Wait. I-I mean, there, there was a mark, um, a-a symbol.
She steps around the chair, grabs a pen from the table and sits to draw
it. Giles hurriedly sets down his mug and quickly reaches over to stop
Buffy before she can deface the parchments lying there in front of her.
Giles: Oh, uh, 12th century, Papal Encyclical. Write on this.
He gently picks up the parchments and nudges a spiral notebook over to
her. Buffy flips the notebook to a blank page and draws as Giles sets
down the parchments and picks up his mug again.
Buffy: I-it was on their hands. The cops are keeping it quiet, but I
got a good look at it.
She pushes the drawing over for Giles to see.
Buffy: There. Find me the thing that uses this symbol and point me at
it.
Giles: (thoughtfully) Hmm.
Buffy: Hmm. What? Giles, speak.
Giles: (torn from his reverie) What? Oh, sorry. Um, no, it… (picks up
the notebook) I just wonder if we’re looking for a thing. The use of a
symbol o-o-on a victim like this suggests a, a ritual murder and a cult
sacrifice by a group.
Buffy: A group of… human beings? Someone with a soul did this?
Giles: Yes, I’m afraid so.
He goes over to the bookshelves behind the table and starts his
research.
Buffy: Okay. Then while you’re looking for the meaning of that symbol
thingy, could you also find a loophole in that ‘Slayers don’t kill
people’ rule?
Giles looks back at her from his crouched position.
Giles: Buffy, this is a dreadful crime, I know, (stands up) and you
have every right to be upset, but… I-I wonder if you’re not letting
yourself get a shade, uh… more personal because of your mother’s
involvement.
Buffy: (stands and faces him) Oh, it’s completely personal. Giles,
find me the people that did this. Please.
Cut to the cafeteria. Oz and Xander are at the steam tables selecting
their lunch. Oz reaches in, grabs a foil-wrapped burrito and sets it on
his plate. Xander glances over at him.
Xander: Hey.
Oz: Hey.
They move down the line to the fruit cocktail bowls and each takes one.
Xander: (slightly nervous) So, a burrito.
Oz: This is a burrito.
Xander: Damn straight.
They both take their trays and head for an empty table. Cut to them
sitting and eating. Willow and Amy find them.
Willow: Hi, Oz.
Oz: Hey.
Willow: Xander. Hi.
Oz: Hey, Amy.
Willow and Amy both sit. Amy has a huge smile on her face, pleased to
show off her new short and darker hairstyle.
Amy: Hi, guys.
Xander: Hey, Amy. I like your new hair.
Oz: (to Willow) I haven’t see you all day. Where you been?
Xander: (shaking his head defensively) Not with me. No, sir. Ask
anyone. No.
Oz looks over at him with his lips stretched tightly. Willow gives
Xander a look and tries to give Oz a smile. The tension is very thick.
Oz finally breaks it with a change of subject.
Oz: So, Buffy’s birthday is next week.
Xander: (claps his hands and points at Oz) Ooh! Yeah. Good. I’ve been
pondering gift options.
Willow sees Buffy approaching.
Willow: Shh.
Xander: Oh, come on, we just got a topic here.
Willow: Hi, Buffy.
Xander: Buffy! (stands up) What’s up?
He offers her his chair. She takes it and sits while he grabs one from a
neighboring table.
Buffy: You guys didn’t hear?
Xander: Hear what?
Buffy: A murder. Somebody killed two little kids.
Willow: (shocked) Oh, no.
Buffy: They were, like, seven or eight years old. My mom found the
bodies during patrol last night.
Amy: Oh, my God.
Oz: Kids?
Xander: Why was your mom there?
Buffy: More bad. She picked last night, of all nights, for a surprise
bonding visit.
Willow: God, your mom would actually take the time to do that with you?
Buffy shoots Willow a look.
Willow: That really wasn’t the point of the story, was it?
Buffy: No. The point is, she’s completely wigging.
Her mother comes up behind her.
Joyce: Who’s wigging?
Buffy snaps her head around, sees Joyce standing there and stands up.
Buffy: (thinking quickly) Um… everyone. You know, ’cause of what
happened.
Joyce: Oh, it’s so awful. I-I had bad dreams about it all night.
Willow: Hi, Mrs. Summers.
Joyce: (absently) Oh, hi, everybody.
Xander: Hi.
Amy: Hi, Mrs. Summers.
Joyce: Buffy, have you talked to Mr. Giles yet about who could have
done this?
Buffy: Yeah. He, uh… He thinks it might be something ritual. A cult.
Uh, he’s still looking. In the meantime, we’re gonna add to my patrol
and, and, y’know, keep an eye out.
Joyce: A cult. (jumps to a conclusion) Like witches.
Willow coughs. Amy looks away.
Willow: Sorry. Phlegm. Too much dairy.
Joyce: Oh, I-I-I know you kids think that stuff’s cool. Buffy told me
you dabble.
Willow: (nervously) Right. Absolutely. That’s me. I’m a dabbler.
Joyce: But anybody who could do this isn’t cool. Anybody who could do
this has to be a monster. It’s…
Buffy: (interrupts) You know what? Uh, would you guys excuse us for a
little bit?
Joyce: Uh, n-nice to see you.
Buffy leads her out of the cafeteria.
Xander: What a burn. I mean, Buff’s mom was just starting to accept the
whole Slayer thing, and now she’s gonna be double-freaked.
Willow: (smiles) Makes me grateful that my mom’s not interested in my
extra-curricular activities.
Amy has to smile at that. Then Willow frowns.
Willow: Or my curricular activities.
Cut to the hall outside the cafeteria. Buffy and Joyce come into the
hall and slowly start down it.
Joyce: Are your friends gonna help with the investigation, too?
Buffy: Mom, I really think… Maybe this isn’t the best place to talk
about this.
Joyce: Are you embarrassed to be hanging out with your mother? I didn’t
hug you.
They stop by the stairs.
Buffy: No. It’s just… This hall is about school, and you’re about
home. Mix them, my world dissolves.
Joyce: It’s just, I keep thinking about who could have done such a
thing. I have to help.
Buffy: Well, Giles can always use help in the library.
Joyce: I called everybody I know in town. I told them about the dead
children. They’re all just as upset as I am.
Buffy: (confused) You called everybody that you know?
Joyce: And they called all their friends. And guess what? We’re setting
up a vigil, for tonight, for City Hall. The Mayor is even gonna be
there. Now we are gonna get some action. (smiles)
Buffy: (less than thrilled) Uh-huh. That’s great. Uh… But you know
what? A lot of times when we’re working on stuff like this, we like to
keep the number of people that know about it kind of… small.
Joyce: (considers) Oh. Right. Well, I-I’m sure there won’t be all that
many people.
Cut to City Hall. A large crowd has gathered in the main conference
room. Many of them are holding up signs with pictures of the two
children and the words “Never Again!” Buffy and Willow walk in and look
around at the crowd.
Buffy: This is great. Maybe we could all go patrolling together later.
Willow: (gestures at Joyce) At least your mom’s making an effort. My
mom’s probably… (notices) standing right in front of me right this
second.
Her mother sees them and comes up to them.
Willow: Mom?
Sheila: Willow, I-I didn’t know you were going to be here. (to Buffy,
absently) Oh, hi, Bunny.
Buffy: Hi.
Willow: Mom, what are you doing here?
Sheila: Oh, well, I read about it in the paper, and what with your dad
out of town… (notices, surprised) Willow, you cut off your hair! Huh.
That’s a new look.
Willow: Yeah, it’s just a sudden whim I had… in August.
Sheila: (smiles) I like it.
Joyce comes over to join them. Sheila reaches out to shake hands.
Sheila: Hello, Joyce.
Joyce: Sheila, I’m glad you could come.
Giles also shows up. He keeps his hands in his pockets.
Giles: There you are. I almost didn’t find you in this crush. (notices
Joyce) (nervously) Oh, uh, Mrs., uh… uh, Joyce. Quite a turnout you
have here.
Joyce: Oh, well, it’s, it’s not just me, but thank you. Well, it’s, uh,
it’s been a while.
Giles: (uneasy) Right. Not since, um… Not since… Not for a while.
Sheila: There’s a rumor going around, Mr. Giles.
Giles: (suddenly worried) R-rumor, about us?
Joyce shoots him a look of dismay. Giles gets the hint.
Giles: A-a-about what?
Sheila: About witches. (Willow and Buffy exchange a look) People
calling themselves witches are responsible for this brutal crime.
Giles: Indeed? How strange.
Willow: (laughs nervously, trying to play it off) Yes! Strange!
Witches.
Sheila: (goes into lecture mode) Well, actually, not that strange. I
recently co-authored a paper about the rise of mysticism among
adolescents, and I was shocked at the statistical…
She is interrupted by some electronic feedback when the Mayor tests the
microphone as he steps up to the lectern.
Sheila: Oh. Oh, a-are we starting?
The Mayor clears his throat and sniffles. Joyce makes her way around
behind everyone over to Buffy, who is frowning up at the Mayor.
Mayor Wilkins: Hello, everybody.
Joyce: (to Buffy, wispering) He’ll do something about this. You’ll see.
Everyone settles down to listen to what the Mayor has to say.
Mayor Wilkins: Um… I wanna thank you all for coming in the aftermath
of such a tragic crime. Seeing you all here proves what a caring
community Sunnydale is. Now, sure, we’ve had our share of misfortunes,
but we’re a good town with good people, and I know that none of us will
rest easy until this horrible murder is solved. With that in mind…
(picks up one of the signs) I make these words my pledge to you. (holds
it up for everyone to see) ‘Never again!’ Now I ask you to give your
attention to the woman who brought us all here tonight, Joyce Summers.
He steps away as Joyce walks to the front of the room and steps up to
the lectern.
Joyce: Thank you.
She considers her words for a moment before beginning.
Joyce: Mr. Mayor, you’re dead wrong. (people begin to murmur) This is
not a good town. How many of us have, have lost someone who, who just
disappeared? Or, or got skinned? Or suffered neck rupture? And how many
of us have been too afraid to speak out? I-I was supposed to lead us in
a moment of silence, but… silence is this town’s disease. For too long
we-we’ve been plagued by unnatural evils. This isn’t our town anymore.
It belongs to the monsters and, and the witches and the Slayers.
Buffy looks at her mother in open-mouthed shock. She and Willow exchange
a worried glance. Giles can’t believe what he’s hearing either.
Joyce: I say it’s time for the grownups to take Sunnydale back. I say
we start by finding the people who did this and making them pay.
The people in the crowd begin to applaud.
Man: Hear, hear!
Sheila claps her hands and looks around at the other people. A man nods
his head in silent agreement. Buffy is too much in shock to do anything
but stare at her mother.
Cut to a panning shot of a Sunnydale residential area at night. The
streets are quiet. Cut to Willow’s house. The light from her room is
clearly visible from the street. Cut inside. The camera is centered on a
skull with a hole at the crest of the cranium. It is resting on a throw
rug next to a burning candle. A hand reaches over the hole in the skull
and drops in a short string of beads. The camera pans up to Michael, a
witch draped in a black, hooded cloak. He folds his hands intertwining
his fingers and glances up at another cloaked figure as it steps around
him. The figure kneels to pick up the skull, and it’s Amy. She stands
back up and carries the skull around the rug to a position opposite
Michael. The camera follows her, panning low across the rug, where there
are other candles, cups of powders and potions, and a small cauldron.
Amy sets down the skull and sits. She takes a cup of powder and hands it
to a third figure, who takes it from her and pours the contents into the
steaming liquid in the cauldron. The camera pans up to reveal the third
figure as Willow, also cloaked in black. She stares silently down at the
boiling mixture. Cut to a shot from above. The camera pulls up from the
cauldron, taking in the array of things and the three witches around it,
and continues until it’s high enough to see the pattern in the center of
the throw rug: a large triangle with a U-shaped symbol in the middle,
its ends extending out of the triangle and bending in a sharp arc at the
tips.~~ Part 2 ~~
The hall at Sunnydale High. Michael has his locker open and checks his
black makeup in the mirror stuck to the inside of the locker door. A
group of guys comes up to him, and Roy, their leader, slams the locker
door shut.
Michael: Watch it.
Roy: (smiling smugly) Oh, sorry. Did I make you smudge your eyeliner?
Michael rolls his eyes and shakes his head.
Roy: You gonna put a spell on me?
Amy comes to Michael’s defense.
Amy: Hey, what is your problem?
Roy grabs Michael by the shirt and slams him up against the lockers.
Roy: Everyone knows he’s into that voodoo witchcraft. (other students
stare) I heard about those kids. People like him… (slams Michael
again) gotta learn a lesson.
Amy: And what about people like me?
Roy: (threateningly) Get in my face and you’ll find out.
Buffy steps up behind Amy and gives him a smile. He notices her and
suddenly thinks better of going any further. He lets Michael go and
straightens his shirt a bit.
Roy: No problem here. (nods to the other boys) We’re walking.
Buffy follows them for a few steps, then turns back to Michael and Amy.
Buffy: You guys okay?
Michael: Yeah. We’re fine. (walks off)
Amy: (smiles) Thanks, Buffy. (walks off)
Buffy looks back down the hall to make sure the gang is still headed
away. Giles comes around the corner, and Buffy starts toward him, but is
headed off by Cordelia.
Cordelia: You’ll be one busy little Slayer, baby-sitting them.
Buffy: I doubt they’ll have any more trouble.
Cordelia: I doubt your doubt. Everyone knows that witches killed those
kids, and Amy is a witch. And Michael is whatever the boy of witch is,
plus being the poster child for yuck.
Buffy: Corde…
Cordelia: (interrupts) If you’re gonna hang with them, expect badness.
‘Cause that’s what you get when you hang with freaks and losers. Believe
me, I know.
She starts down the hall, but stops and turns back to Buffy.
Cordelia: (smiling) That was a pointed comment about me hanging with
you guys. (turns and leaves)
Buffy: Yeah, I got that one. (loudly after her) Besides, witches didn’t
do it. (turns to Giles)
Giles: (whispers) Actually, I think they may have. My research keeps
bringing me back to European Wiccan covens.
Buffy: You found the meaning of the symbol?
Giles: (exhales) I’m pretty sure, yes. There’s a, a piece of
information I need that’s in a book that Willow borrowed. Can you find
it?
He goes down the hall toward the library. Buffy looks around into the
student lounge to see if Willow happens to be there. She sees Xander
sitting on one of the couches and heads over to him.
Xander: Buffy, hi.
Buffy: Hey. Is Willow around?
Xander: (exasperated) How can I convince you people that it’s over? You
assume because I’m here, she’s here, that I somehow mysteriously know
where she is.
Buffy: (points) Those her books?
Xander: Yeah. She’s in the bathroom. (points)
Buffy takes a step toward Willow’s books, but stops as Xander continues.
Xander: But the fact that I know that doesn’t change that I have a
genuine complaint here. Look. I’m getting sick of the judgment, the
innuendoes. Is a man not innocent until proven guilty?
Buffy: You are guilty. You got illicit smoochies, gonna have to pay
the price.
She tries again to go to Willow’s books, but Xander isn’t finished yet.
Xander: But I’m talking about the future guilt. Look, everyone expects
me to mess up again. Like Oz. I see how he is around me. You know, that
steely gaze… that pointed silence.
Buffy: ‘Cause he’s usually such a chatterbox.
This time she just goes to Willow’s books and lets Xander talk.
Xander: No, but it’s different now. It’s more a verbal nonverbal. He
speaks volumes with his eyes.
Buffy finds the book in question and picks it up. Underneath it is a
spiral notebook. On the exposed page is the triangle symbol. Buffy picks
it up and stares. Willow comes out of the bathroom and over to her.
Willow: Hey, Buff. What cha looking for? You wanna borrow something?
Buffy: (holds up the notebook) What is this?
Willow: (takes and closes it) A doodle. I do doodle. You, too. You do
doodle, too.
Buffy: This is a witch symbol.
Willow: Okay, yeah, it is.
Buffy: Willow…
Willow: (defensively) What?
Buffy: That symbol was on the murdered children.
Before they can get any further into it, they are distracted by the
sounds of many lockers suddenly being slammed shut. They can hear a man
talking.
Police Officer #3: Please step back. Stay away from the lockers. This
is police business.
Buffy, Willow and Xander exchange alarmed looks. They all head into the
hall to see what’s going on. Cut to the hall. A police officer is going
from locker to locker opening them with a master key. At another locker
another officer takes some books from a student.
Police Officer #4: Hand them over, please. The books.
Yet another officer takes a string of garlic cloves from a locker and
sets it on a cart with a bunch of other things they’ve confiscated.
Principal Snyder stands in the hall, gloating as the police continue
their search. Several officers keep the students at bay. A detective
leads a boy away. Amy has joined the group as they watch all the
activity.
Xander: Aw, man, it’s Nazi Germany, and I’ve got Playboys in my locker!
Snyder: (smugly) This is a glorious day for principals everywhere. No
pathetic whining about students’ rights. Just a long row of lockers and
a man with a key.
An officer finds a voodoo doll in a locker.
Oz: (to Willow, quietly) They just took three kids away.
Buffy: What are they looking for?
Amy: Witch stuff.
Willow: (very worried) What?
Amy: They got my spells. I’m supposed to report to Snyder’s office.
Willow: Oh, my God.
An officer looks through a girl’s purse. Another officer steps up to
Amy.
Police Officer #3: Okay, Amy. You’ll have to come with me.
Police Officer #4: (to some students) Stay away from the locker.
Willow: (to Buffy, sick with worry) I have stuff in my locker. Henbane,
hellebore, mandrake root.
Xander: (interrupts) Excuse me. Playboys. Can we turn the sympathy
(jerks his head) this way?
One of the officers has reached Cordelia’s locker and pulls out a can of
hairspray.
Cordelia: Hey! Get your grubby custodial hands off that. (tries to
approach)
Police Officer #4: (pushes her back) Miss, you have to stay back. Miss,
stay back.
Cordelia: That hair spray costs $45, and it’s imported!
Willow: (begins to freak out) Oh, God, my locker’s next. Buffy, I
didn’t do anything wrong.
An officer pulls some plastic bags from Willow’s locker.
Willow: The, the symbol is harmless. I used it to make a protection
spell for you, for your birthday. With Michael and Amy. Only, now it’s
broken, because you know about it, so happy birthday, and please, you
have to believe me!
Snyder walks over to the group with the bags in hand.
Snyder: Ms. Rosenberg. My office.
He holds up the bags of henbane and mandrake root. Willow stares back at
him, eyes wide with worry and fear. Buffy discreetly walks in front of
her and takes Giles’ book from her arms. Willow starts down the halls in
front of Snyder. Oz accompanies her with his hand on her back in a
gesture of comfort.
Cut to the library. A police officer kicks open the cage door and
strides out into the room with a stack of books in his hands. He carries
them over to the table and drops them unceremoniously into a box.
Another officer comes down from the stacks with another armful of books.
Buffy comes into the library as still another officer walks out carrying
one of the boxes. She heads straight for Giles, who watches helplessly.
Buffy: Giles.
Giles: They’re confiscating my books.
Buffy: Giles, we need those books.
Giles: Believe me, I tried to tell that to the nice man with the big
gun.
They move to the side to talk. Giles watches the activity around him,
seething with anger.
Buffy: No. There’s something about the symbol that we’re missing.
Willow said she used it in a protection spell. It’s harmless. Not a big
bad. So then why would it turn up in a ritual sacrifice?
Giles: I don’t know. Ordinarily, I would say let’s widen our research.
Buffy: Using what? A-a dictionary and ‘My Friend Flicka’?
She sets the book on the counter as Giles steps back into the room.
Giles: This is intolerable. Snyder’s interfered before, but I, I won’t
take this from that twisted little homunculus.
Snyder walks into the library holding a cup of coffee.
Snyder: (smirking) I love the smell of desperate librarian in the
morning.
Giles: (approaches him angrily) You get out! And take your marauders
with you.
Snyder: (unaffected) Oh, my. So fierce. (walks past him) I suppose I
should hear you out. Just how is, um… (takes a book from an officer,
reads the title) ‘Blood Rites and Sacrifices’ appropriate material for a
public school library? Chess club branching out? (sips his coffee)
Giles: This is not over.
Snyder: Oh, I should say it’s just beginning. Fight it if you want.
Just remember, lift a finger against me, and you’ll have to answer to
MOO.
Buffy: (incredulous) Answer to MOO? Did that sentence just make some
sense that I’m not in on?
Snyder: ‘Mothers Opposed to the Occult.’ A powerful new group. (sips
his coffee)
Buffy: And who came up with that lame name?
Snyder: (heads out) That would be the founder. I believe you call her
‘Mom’.
Buffy can’t believe it.
Cut to Willow’s house that night. She opens the door and goes in. In the
living room she finds her mother looking over a bunch of her things
taken from her room. Her mother notices her come in.
Sheila: Oh, sit down, honey.
Willow: (goes to the couch) Principal Snyder talk to you? (takes off
her pack and sits)
Sheila: Yes. He’s quite concerned. (looks at an old picture)
Willow: Mom, I know what this looks like, and I can totally…
Sheila: (interrupts) Oh, you don’t have to explain, honey. This isn’t
exactly a surprise. (turns over the picture)
Willow: (fidgets, confused) Why not?
Sheila: (shrugs) Oh, well, identification with mythical icons is
perfectly typical of your age group. It’s a, a classic adolescent
response to the pressures of incipient adulthood. (set the picture down)
Willow: Oh. Is that what it is?
Sheila: (picks up a bag of herbs) Of course, I wish you could’ve
identified with something a little less icky, (shrugs) but
developmentally speaking…
Willow: Mom, I’m not an age group. I’m me. Willow group.
Sheila: Oh, honey…
She puts down the bag and gets up to go over to her daughter.
Sheila: I understand. (sits next to her)
Willow: No, you don’t. (faces her) Mom, this may be hard for you to
accept, but I can do stuff. Nothing bad or dangerous, but I can do
spells.
Sheila: You think you can, and that’s what concerns me. The delusions.
Willow: Mom, how would you know what I can do? I mean, the last time we
had a conversation over three minutes, it was about the patriarchal bias
of the Mr. Rogers Show.
Sheila: Well, (makes finger quotes) with King Friday lording it over
all the lesser puppets…
Willow: Mom, you’re not paying attention.
Sheila: And this is your way of trying to get it. Now, I have consulted
with some of my colleagues, and they agree that this is a cry for
discipline. You’re grounded.
Willow: (surprised) Grounded? This is the first time ever I’ve done
something you don’t like and I’m grounded? I’m supposed to mess up. I’m
a teenager, remember?
Sheila: You’re upset, I hear you…
Willow: (stands up) No, Ma, hear this! I’m a rebel! I’m having a
rebellion!
Sheila: (smiling) Willow, honey, you don’t need to act out like this to
prove your specialness.
Willow: Mom, I’m not acting out. I’m a witch! I-I can make pencils
float. And I can summon the four elements. Okay, two, but four soon.
(her mother doesn’t react) A-and I’m dating a musician.
Sheila: (disgusted now) Oh, Willow!
She gets up and goes back to the table of Willow’s things. Willow
follows her.
Willow: (thickly sarcastic) I worship Beelzebub. I do his biddings. Do
you see any goats around? No, because I sacrificed them.
Sheila: (tired of it) Willow, please!
Willow: All bow before Satan!
Sheila: (leaves the room) I’m not listening to this.
Willow: (follows her) (heavy on the sarcasm) Prince of Night, I summon
you. Come fill me with your black, naughty evil.
Sheila: (loudly) That’s enough! Is that clear? Now, you will go to your
room and stay there until I say otherwise. And we’re gonna make some
changes. (shakes her head) I don’t want you hanging out with those
friends of yours. It’s clear where this little obsession came from. You
will not speak to Bunny Summers again.
Cut to Buffy’s house. Joyce is at the dining room table surrounded by
posters of the two children. She has a MOO button pinned to her blouse.
Her laptop is open and a phone and fax sit nearby. The place is set up
like a command center. Behind her is a whiteboard full of statistics.
She speaks sternly to Buffy.
Joyce: I don’t want you seeing that Willow anymore. I’ve spoken with
her mother. I had no idea her forays into the occult had gone so far.
Buffy: (in disbelief) You’re the one who ordered the raid on the school
today.
Joyce: (makes light off it) Honey, they opened a few lockers.
Buffy: Lockers. First syllable, ‘lock’. They’re supposed to be private.
And they took all of Giles’ books away.
Joyce: He’ll get most of them back. MOO just wants to weed out the
offensive material. Everything else will be returned to Mr. Giles soon.
Buffy: If we’re gonna solve this, we need those books now.
Joyce: (very seriously) Sweetie, those books have no place in a public
school library. Especially now. Any student can waltz in there and get
all sorts of ideas. (gets up and steps over to Buffy) Do you understand
how that terrifies me?
Buffy: Mom, I hate that these people scared you so much. And I-I know
that you’re just trying to help, but you have to let me handle this.
It’s what I do.
Joyce: But is it really? I mean, you patrol, you slay… Evil pops up,
you undo it. A-a-and that’s great! But is Sunnydale getting any better?
Are they running out of vampires?
Buffy: I don’t think that you run out of…
Joyce: It’s not your fault. You don’t have a plan. You just react to
things. I-i-it’s bound to be kind of fruitless.
Buffy: (taken aback) Okay, maybe I don’t have a plan. Lord knows I
don’t have lapel buttons…
Joyce: (exasperated) Buffy.
Buffy: …and maybe next time that the world is getting sucked into
Hell, I won’t be able to stop it because the Anti-Hell-Sucking Book
isn’t on the approved reading list!
Joyce: I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put down…
Buffy: Yeah, well, you did. (shakes her head) It doesn’t matter. I have
to go. I have to go on one of my pointless patrols and react to some
vampires. If that’s alright with MOO.
She turns around and heads for the door. Joyce just watches her go.
Buffy steps back into the room.
Buffy: And nice acronym, Mom. (leaves)
Joyce turns around and goes back to her chair, shaking her head.
Joyce: Just trying to make things better.
As she walks past the table the dead boy and girl are suddenly sitting
there looking up at her.
Boy: You are.
Girl: There’s bad people out there.
Joyce looks at them sadly.
Boy: And we can’t sleep.
Girl: Not until you hurt them.
Boy: The way they hurt us.
Joyce nods, knowing what she has to do.~~ Part 3 ~~
The playground where the children were found. The carousel is bedecked
with candles and flowers and pictures of the children. Buffy quietly
walks up to it. She pulls her arms to her body for warmth. To her right
she notices Angel approaching.
Angel: Hey.
Buffy: Hi.
They embrace each other lovingly for a long moment. Buffy looks up into
his face.
Buffy: How are you?
Angel: I’m alright. I think I’m better than you right now.
They both look over at the carousel.
Angel: I heard about this. People are talking. People are even talking
to me.
Buffy: It’s strange. People die in Sunnydale all the time. I’ve never
seen anything like this.
They both stroll over to a bench.
Angel: They were children. Innocent. It makes a difference.
They sit facing each other.
Buffy: And Mr. Sanderson from the bank had it coming? (sighs) My mom…
said some things to me about being the Slayer. That it’s fruitless.
(shakes her head) No fruit for Buffy.
Angel: She’s wrong.
Buffy: Is she? Is Sunnydale any better than when I first came here?
Okay, so I battle evil. But I don’t really win. The bad keeps coming
back and getting stronger. Like that kid in the story, (gestures) the
boy that stuck his finger in the duck.
Angel: Dike.
Buffy gives him a confused look. Angel smiles.
Angel: It’s another word for dam.
Buffy: Oh. Okay, that story makes a lot more sense now.
Angel: Buffy, you know, I’m still figuring things out. There’s a lot I
don’t understand. But I do know it’s important to keep fighting. I
learned that from you.
Buffy: But we never…
Angel: We never win.
Buffy: Not completely.
Angel: We never will. That’s not why we fight. We do it ’cause there’s
things worth fighting for. Those kids. Their parents.
Buffy: (has an epiphany) Their parents.
Angel: Look, I know it’s not much.
Buffy: No. No, it’s a lot.
Cut to the library. Giles is at the table trying to do some online
research. He loses his connection.
Giles: Session interrupted? (frustrated) Who said you could interrupt,
you stupid, useless fad! No, I said fad. And I’ll say it again. (types)
Xander and Oz walk up to him.
Xander: At that point, I will become frightened.
Oz: Take heart. We found your books.
Giles looks at them hopefully as the two boys go to stand behind him.
Xander: You can put the heart back. We can’t get them. They’re locked
up in City Hall. (teases) ‘Frisky Watcher’s chat room.’ Why, Giles.
(slaps his shoulder)
Buffy comes striding into the library. She goes straight over to Giles.
Xander: Oh! Buffy, Oz and I found out…
Buffy: (ignores him) What do we know about these kids?
Giles: What?
Buffy: Facts. Details.
Xander: Well, they were, uh, found in the park.
Buffy: No. Where did they go to school? Who were their parents? What
are their names?
Giles takes off his glasses. None of the guys has answers for any of her
questions.
Buffy: We know everything about their deaths, but we don’t even know
their names.
Xander: Well, sure we do. Um, it’s on the tip of my tongue.
Oz: (realizes) That never came up. Ever.
Buffy: And if no one knows who they are, where did these pictures come
from?
Giles: (puts his glasses back on, stares at the screen) I just assumed
someone had the details. I never really… Well, that is strange.
Buffy: We need to get some information.
Giles: (gets up) Yeah, well, somebody else do it. This thing’s locked
me out.
Xander: Well, if you wouldn’t yell at it. (gets a look from Giles)
Oz: (takes Giles’ place) I can look ’round, but Willow would really
know the sites we need.
Buffy: That’s great. She can’t even come to the phone. The wrath of
MOO.
Oz: (types) Well, we don’t need a phone.
Cut to Willow’s room. She’s lying on her bed idly toying with her teddy
bear. Then she hears her laptop beep. She goes over to her desk and
brings it back to the bed. Cut to the library.
Oz: Alright, we’re linked. If anybody’s ID’d the kids, she’ll pull it
up and feed it here.
Cut to Willow’s room. She surfs the web, looking for any leads. Cut to
the library. Oz does his part on his end and brings up the pages as
Willow finds them. Giles reads the text from the screen.
Giles: Oh. ‘Two Children Found Dead. Mysterious Mark…’ No. No. These
children were found near Omaha in 1949.
Xander: Yeah, they ain’t ours. Keep going.
Before Oz can move on the accompanying image loads from the ‘Net.
Buffy: Wait.
Cut to Willow’s room. She sees the same image loading on her screen and
looks at it in surprise.
Willow: Those are…
Cut to the library.
Buffy: …the same kids.
Giles: Fifty years ago.
Oz loads up the next page.
Oz: ‘1899. Utah… Two Children… Rural Community Torn Apart by
Suspicion.’
Giles: (confused) A hundred years ago? How is this possible?
Oz: There’s no mention of who they were.
Buffy: They’ve never been seen alive, just dead. A lot.
The next page loads. This one is dated 1649 and has a hand drawing of
the two children. An Instant Message window pops up with a note from
Willow.
Oz: Ah. There were more articles. Every fifty years. All the same.
Giles: (intrigued) From as far back as 1649. Can I see that?
Oz surrenders his place to Giles. He types a bit, then reads the German
and translates.
Giles: Written by a cleric from a village near the Black Forest. He…
found the bodies himself. Two children… Greta Strauss, age six. (types
more) Hans Strauss, eight.
Xander: So they have names. That’s new.
Cut to Willow’s room. Her mother opens the door, and is upset to find
her daughter online.
Sheila: Willow. (steps over to the bed) I thought I made myself clear.
You’re not minding me.
She folds down the screen and pulls out the phone line.
Willow: Mom…
Sheila: I see what you’re doing. You’re challenging me. But I will not
have you communicating with your cyber-coven or what have you.
Willow: (sits up) Coven? What happened to me being delusional and
acting out?
Sheila: Well, that was before I talked in depth with Ms. Summers and
her associates. It seems I’ve been rather close-minded.
Willow: So, you believe me?
Sheila: (sighs) I believe you, dear. Now all I can do is let you go
with love.
Willow doesn’t like the sound of that.
Willow: Let me go? What does that mean?
Her mother turns and walks out of the room without saying a word,
pulling the door closed behind her and locking it from the outside.
Willow: Mom?
Cut to the Library. Giles paces while Oz keeps looking for more
information on the web.
Giles: Uh, wait, wait a minute. Uh… Uh, there is a fringe theory held
by a few folklorists that some regional stories have actual, um, very
literal antecedents.
Buffy: And in some language that’s English?
Oz: Fairy tales are real?
Buffy: Hans and Gre… (her mind clicks) Hansel and Gretel?
Xander: Wait. Hansel and Gretel? Breadcrumbs, ovens, gingerbread house?
Giles: Of course! Well, it makes sense now.
Buffy: Yeah, it’s all falling into place. Of course that place is
nowhere near this place.
Giles: (sits on the table) Some demons thrive by fostering hatred and,
and, uh, persecution amongst the mortal animals. Not by, not by
destroying men, but by watching men destroy each other. Now, they feed
us our darkest fear and turn peaceful communities into vigilantes.
Buffy: Hansel and Gretel run home to tell everyone about the mean old
witch.
Giles: And then she and probably dozens of others are persecuted by a
righteous mob. It’s happened all throughout history. It happened in
Salem, not surprisingly.
Xander: Whoa, whoa, whoa. I’m still spinning on this whole fairy tales
are real thing.
Giles stands and begins to pace again.
Oz: So what do we do?
Xander: I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna go trade my cow in for
some beans.
He gets a confused look from Giles.
Xander: No one else is seeing the funny here.
Buffy: (goes to the counter) Giles, we need to talk to Mom. If she
knows the truth, she can defuse the whole thing. (grabs her coat)
Just then Michael comes running into the library with a slight limp.
He’s been beaten and bruised. He has a black eye and his face is bloody.
Buffy: What happened?
Xander and Oz come over to them.
Michael: (out of breath) I was attacked!
Xander: Officially not funny.
Buffy: By whom?
Michael: (hugging himself) My dad. His friends. They’re taking people
out of their homes. They’re talking about a trial down at City Hall.
They got Amy.
Buffy: Michael, stay here and hide. Giles, we’ll go find my mom.
Oz gets Xander’s attention.
Oz: Willow!
The two of them run out of the library. Giles grabs his coat.
Michael: (calls after them) Tell Willow to get out of her house!
Giles: (to Michael) Stay in my office.
He and Buffy run out also. Michael goes to hide in Giles’ office.
Cut to Willow’s room. She hears the door unlock and gets up from her
bed. She runs over to the door as it opens.
Willow: Mom, we really have to talk.
There she sees her mother surrounded by several other adults.
Sheila: It’s time to go. Oh, and get your coat. It’s chilly out.
Willow: (very confused) Go? Go where?
Sheila: (angrily) I said get your coat, witch!
Willow slams the door on them. The adults start to pound at it. Willow
desperately tries to keep them out.
Cut to the living room at the Summers house. Several people are gathered
there. Joyce interviews them about their activities.
Joyce: Did you speak to the families on Sycamore Street?
Woman: Yes, I did.
Joyce: Great.
She writes it down in her notebook. Buffy opens the front door and
quickly enters. Giles is right behind her. Joyce looks up in surprise.
Joyce: Buffy! Mr. Giles! Did something happen?
Buffy: Mom, we need to talk to you. Now.
Joyce: (puts down her notebook) Well, of course, honey. (to the others)
Um, go on without me. (goes to Buffy)
Buffy: No, we need to talk alone.
They start into the dining room.
Buffy: Look, there’s more to this than…
Suddenly Joyce holds a cloth up to Buffy’s mouth and nose and two of the
men there jump Giles from behind, wrestling him to the floor. Buffy
quickly collapses to the floor, overcome by the fumes from the cloth.
Joyce: (looking down at Buffy) You were right. (looks behind her) I-it
was easy.
There are the two children standing on the stairs. The boy is holding a
bottle of chloroform in his hand.
Gretel: I told you.
Hansel: It gets even easier.
Buffy isn’t completely knocked out yet, and can hear the conversation.
Gretel: But I’m still scared of the bad girls.
Buffy’s vision begins to blur.
Hansel: You have to stop them. You have to make them go away. Forever.
Buffy passes out.~~ Part 4 ~~
The living room in the Rosenberg house. Oz and Xander run in.
Oz: (yells) Willow!
Oz runs for her room. Xander is right behind him. Cut to her room. The
boys barge in and see that it’s a shambles. It’s clear there was quite a
struggle. They waste no time running back out.
Cut to City Hall. A crowd is gathered in a room. A few of them are
bearing torches. They all calmly watch as two of them finish tying
Willow and Amy to stakes.
Sheila: Hold still. Be a good girl.
Buffy is between Willow and Amy, unconscious and also tied to a stake.
Piled all around them are the library books that MOO has deemed
offensive, ready to burn in a glorious blaze.
Willow: No! Why are you doing this to me? Mom?
Sheila: There’s no cure but the fire.
Amy: (struggles against her ropes) Buffy! Wake up!
Willow: This is crazy, Mom!
Amy: Buffy! Buffy!
Cut to the Summers house. Cordelia kneels over Giles and gives him a
sharp slap to the face.
Cordelia: Wake up!
She slaps him two more times, and he begins to come out of it. She is
about to slap again, when he suddenly reaches up and blocks her swing.
Giles: Cordelia?
Cordelia: Took you long enough to wake up. My hand hurts.
Giles: Pity. (rubs his temples) Oh… Why are you here?
Cordelia: Things are way out of control, Giles. First the thing at
school, and then my mom confiscates all of my black clothes and scented
candles. (Giles sits up) I came over here to tell Buffy to stop this
craziness and found you all unconscious… again. How many times have
you been knocked out, anyway? (Giles finds his glasses) I swear, one of
these times, you’re gonna wake up in a coma.
Giles: (puts his glasses on) Wake up in a… Oh, never mind. (struggles
to his feet) We need to save Buffy from Hansel and Gretel.
He heads for the front door. Cordelia follows him out.
Cordelia: Now, let’s be clear. The brain damage happened before I hit
you.
Cut to City Hall. Oz and Xander slam up against the doors and barge in.
There they encounter four men guarding the doors to the room where the
girls have been tied up. The two boys stop to face the men.
Xander: What’s with the grim? We’re here to join you guys.
They slowly approach the men, who eye them suspiciously.
Xander: No, really. Why should you guys have all the fun? We wanna be
part of the hate.
Oz: Just so we’re clear, you guys know you’re nuts, right?
The men lunge for the boys, who make a fast break and run down the hall.
Cut to Buffy and Willow. Buffy begins to stir back to consciousness.
Willow: Buffy!
Buffy struggles against her bonds.
Joyce: Good morning, sleepyhead.
Buffy: (imploringly) Mom, you don’t want this.
Joyce: Since when does it matter what I want? I wanted a normal, happy
daughter. Instead I got a Slayer.
Sheila joins Joyce bearing a torch.
Sheila: Torch.
Joyce: (takes it) Thanks. This has been so trying. You’ve been such a
champ.
Sheila: Oh, you, too, Joyce.
Joyce: We should stay close, have lunch.
Sheila: Oh, I’d like that. How nice.
Joyce bends down to set fire to the books.
Amy: Oh, you can’t be serious!
Buffy: Mom, don’t!
Joyce touches the torch to the books, and they begin to burn. Others
with torches set the books ablaze all around them.
Amy: Alright. You wanna fry a witch? I’ll give you a witch! Goddess
Hecate, work thy will!
Buffy: Uh-oh.
Amy’s eyes turn pitch black, and the energy of her spell begins to swirl
around her.
Amy: Before thee let the unclean thing crawl!
She shivers as the spell’s power increases around her, building ever
greater strength. Finally, since she hasn’t directed the spell at anyone
else, it works on her. She is engulfed by a sudden burst of flame.
People in the crowd scream as they watch. An instant later Amy’s clothes
are empty, and they and the ropes drop to the books below. Everyone
stares in amazement. Buffy and Willow look over to see what happened to
her. Then a rat comes crawling out of Amy’s clothes. It scampers down
the pile of books and scurries across the floor. The frightened adults
jump out of its way. Buffy can only watch Amy go.
Buffy: She couldn’t do us first?
Willow: (desperately) You’ve seen what we can do! Another step and you
will all feel my power!
Buffy: (quietly) What are you gonna do, float a pencil at ’em?
Willow: It’s a really big power!
The people stare at them in shock and horror.
Buffy: Yes! You will all be turned into vermin. And some of you will be
fish! Yeah, you in the back will be fish!
Man in the back: Maybe we should go.
The children suddenly appear.
Hansel: But you promised.
Gretel: You have to kill the bad girls.
Cut to Giles’ car. He and Cordelia race to City Hall. Cordelia looks
through the things Giles brought with them.
Cordelia: (disgusted) I can’t believe you had this stuff in your
apartment. It smells foul.
Giles: Shred the wolfsbane. That’s the, uh, the leafy stuff. And then
you can crush the satyrion root. (tries to remember a spell) Luften sie
den something. Schlumer? Schluter?
Cordelia: (crushing the roots) What are you muttering about?
Giles: It’s a part of an incantation. It’s in German, and without my
book…
Cordelia: What does it mean?
Giles: It’s about, uh, lifting a veil. Um, it should, uh, make the
demons appear in their true form, which with any luck, will, uh, negate
their influence. And, uh, drop a toadstone into the mixture.
Cordelia: (picks it up) This? (sniffs it) It doesn’t look like a toad.
Giles: No reason it should. It’s from inside the toad.
Cordelia: (quickly drops it in) I hate you.
Cut to City Hall. Oz and Xander have lost the posse and are trying to
find another way in. They each struggle with doors, but they are all
locked.
Oz: We gotta get inside.
They look around for where to go next. Then they hear Willow cry out.
Willow: No! Oh, God, help!
Oz: Will?
Xander: It sounds like she’s right… above us?
Oz hops up on a bench below a ventilation shaft grate. He bangs on it a
couple of times and it gives way. He climbs in. Xander is right behind.
Cut to a high view of the crowd from behind Buffy. The fires are getting
bigger, but still haven’t reached the girls. Hansel and Gretel stand at
the front of the crowd as they watch the flames grow and advance.
Gretel: They hurt us.
Hansel: Burn them.
Buffy: (desperately) Mom, dead people are talking to you. Do the math!
Joyce: I’m sorry, Buffy.
Buffy: Mom, look at me! You love me. You’re not gonna be able to live
with yourself if you do this!
Joyce: You earned this. You toyed with unnatural forces. What kind of a
mother would I be if I didn’t punish you?
Cut to the hall outside. Giles and Cordelia barge into the hall. Giles
hears the noises coming from inside and rushes over to the doors, but
finds them locked. He looks around in desperation, and unexpectedly
reaches into Cordelia’s hair and pulls out a hairpin.
Cordelia: Ouch! You got hair with that!
Giles ignores her protests and kneels down in from of the doors. He
carefully inserts the pin into the lock and begins to pick it.
Cordelia: God, you really were the little youthful offender, weren’t
you? You must just look back on that and cringe.
Giles: Shh!
Cut inside. The flames are getting very close to Willow.
Willow: Buffy, I can’t take it! It’s too hot!
Buffy: I’m sorry, Will. If it wasn’t for me, none of this would have
happened.
Giles gets the door open, and comes in.
Buffy: It wouldn’t be… (sees Giles)
Giles points Cordelia to a fire hose in the corner. She goes to it and
smashes the glass with her elbow, holding up her hand to protect her
face from the glass. The noise gets the crowd’s attention.
Joyce: Stop them!
Cordelia pulls out the hose and turns it on, spraying the advancing
crowd. Giles starts reciting his incantation in very bad, unintelligible
German, muffled by the sound of the water spraying.
Cordelia: (to the people) You like that? Huh? How ’bout some more!
In spite of all the spraying, not very much water has gotten on the
flames, and they have gotten dangerously close to Willow.
Willow: Buffy, I’m on fire!
Buffy: Cordelia, put out the fire!
Cordelia: Oh, right.
She turns the stream of water on the flames and quickly douses them.
Cut to the ventilation shafts. Oz and Xander are still trying to find
their way to the room.
Cut to the room. Cordelia gets the last of the flames extinguished and
turns off the water. Hansel and Gretel slowly walk up to them. Buffy and
Willow pant in relief. The children keep closing in on Giles. Giles
raises the bottle with his potion high and recites an incantation.
Giles: Ihr Goetter, ruft Euch an! Verbergt Euch nicht hinter falschen
Gesichtern!
Translation: You gods, I call upon you! Do not hide behind false faces!
He throws the bottle to the floor, smashing it in front of the children.
The potion begins to steam around them. Hansel and Gretel look at each
other and embrace. A moment later the two children morph into a single
demon standing over seven feet (215cm) tall. Its ears are pointed and
huge fangs jut from its lower jaw. Its skin is red and mottled and its
hair is long and tangled.
Cordelia: Okay, I think I liked the two little ones more than the one
big one.
Sheila and Joyce stare up at the demon in horror. The other people in
the room all run out screaming. The demon turns to face Buffy. Out of
her trance now, Joyce looks at the two girls tied up and helpless
against him.
Joyce: Oh, my God!
Demon: Protect us! Kill the bad girls!
Buffy: You know what? Not as convincing in that outfit.
The demon roars and comes at her. Buffy struggles with her bonds, trying
to get free. The ropes don’t give, but the stake breaks. It’s top heavy
now, and forces Buffy to bend over so the tip is pointing at the demon,
who can’t stop his advance and impales himself through the neck. Sheila
and Joyce look on in disgust. Buffy can’t straighten herself back up
with the weight of the demon’s body at the other end of the stake, and
so can’t see the result of her unwitting maneuver.
Buffy: Did I get it? Did I get it?
Suddenly the ceiling gives way above them, and Oz and Xander come
crashing down. The books break their fall. They look up weakly at Buffy
and the dead demon.
Oz: We’re here to save you.
Cut to Willow’s house on another night. Cut into her room. She and Buffy
have a number of bowls and jars of powders and potions laid out. Several
candles are burning. Willow idly crushes some herbs in a bowl.
Buffy: Your mom doesn’t mind us doing this in the house?
Willow: She doesn’t know.
Buffy: Business as usual?
Willow: Hmm, sort of. She’s doing that selective memory thing your mom
used to be so good at.
Buffy: She forgot everything?
Willow: (ruefully) No. She remembered the part where I said I was
dating a musician.
She takes a pinch of the herbs she’s crushed and sprinkles it onto a
ceremonial iron plate set out between the girls.
Willow: Oz has to come for dinner next week. So, that’s sort of like
taking an interest.
Buffy: (looks down at their preparations and sighs) Okay, should we try
this again?
Willow: Let’s do it. I think we got the mix of herbs right this time.
Buffy: Okay. Ready?
She lights a match and sets it to the mixture of herbs and roots on the
plate while Willow recites her spell. It begins to burn, emitting purple
smoke.
Willow: Diana, Hecate, I hereby license thee to depart. Goddess of
creatures great and small, I conjure thee to withdraw.
Willow and Buffy both look over at Amy the rat. She gets up on her hind
legs expectantly. Nothing happens, though, and she gets back down on all
fours, seemingly disappointed. Buffy looks over at Willow.
Buffy: Maybe we should get her one of those wheel thingies.
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