NEW FIC: "Still Life" 1/1
Alex Moskwa
Author: Alex Moskwa
Email: ajmo...@mail.com
Summary: Now settled in Cleveland the gang must battle a group of
Mormons who plan to convert the world with their undead army.
Rating: PG
Archiving: Feel free to archive and distribute as you like, just keep my
name and e-mail attached.
Disclaimer: Buffy and all Slayerettes belong to Joss Whedon and company.
The piece of fan-written fiction below does not intend to infringe upon
copyright or trademark.
Author's Notes: Part of a virtual series. Check out
http://www.soulslaying.com
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
"Still Life"
Written by
Alexander J. Moskwa
SHOOTING DRAFT
ajmo...@mail.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
"Still Life"
TEASER
1 INT. BUFFY'S KITCHEN - NIGHT 1
Dark and spooky. Moonlight shoots shadows into the room.
We float through the eerie silence out into:
2 INT. BUFFY'S HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS 2
The front door can barely be made out. MUTED VOICES just
ahead. Then a window CRASHES. A bevy of SCREAMS. Rush
down the hallway to:
3 INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 3
Cast in the glow of the television the Slayerettes are mostly
in various stages of cringing. XANDER, DAWN, and ANDREW sit
on the couch in fearful contortions. BUFFY'S crosslegged on
the floor unphased. KENNEDY and WILLOW clutch each other on
the recliner. ANYA lingers nearby.
Another flash from the television and Dawn lets out a whimper.
Buffy stares hard at the TV, studying.
BUFFY
She'd make a great Slayer.
DAWN
She cut the guy's arm off!
BUFFY
But the precision she did it with.
Plus she kinda had to.
DAWN
She cut the guy's arm off!
XANDER
Only before she beheaded him.
DAWN
(small voice)
She cut his head off too?
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 2.
3 CONTINUED: 3
XANDER
It was kind of an implied off screen
thing.
Andrew tilts his head to look at the screen.
ANDREW
The infected don't shamble enough.
XANDER
I have to agree. Nymphomaniac
cheerleaders, they should run fast.
But zombies -- shambling's half
their charm.
BUFFY
Okay, I just got an insight into
your personal life I did not need.
ANYA
I cursed someone once so that his
nagging mother-in-law came back as
a zombie. Kind of a disappointment.
I wish the real ones were more crafty
and vicious.
Everyone takes a moment to turn and glare at Anya. Then
they all chuck popcorn through her.
BUFFY/XANDER/WILLOW/DAWN/KENNEDY
JINX!
4 EXT. GRAVEYARD - NIGHT 4
Moving overhead, ancient oaks, tombs so worn their occupants
have been forgotten. The CLINK of shovels. Down through
some branches to see:
WILLIS, wearing a suit minus jacket with sleeves rolled up
and tie thrown over his shoulder. He's whistling "I've Been
Working On the Railroad" while tearing out chunks of earth
with his pickax.
Similarly dressed yuppie fellows are digging up other graves
nearby.
FATHER (O.S.)
Excuse me son.
Willis turns from his work to see an aged old priest standing
nearby holding a lantern.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 3.
4 CONTINUED: 4
FATHER
What are you boys doing?
Willis steps out of the hole he's part way sunk into. Pickax
over his shoulder.
WILLIS
We're digging father.
FATHER
Who told you to dig here? What's
going on?
WILLIS
So many fascinating questions in
this world and Catholics still bother
with the simple ones.
Willis drive's his pickax into the priest's forehead who
crumples to the ground dead.
Willis jumps back into the shallow hole. Keeps on whistling,
keeps on digging.
BLACK OUT.
END OF TEASER
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 4.
ACT ONE
5 INT. DINER - MORNING 5
The bustle of the breakfast crowd, bright and early. Willis
walks in like he owns place, dapper well dressed and all
dat. He slides into a booth with two of his fellow diggers,
THOMAS two pounds short of being an entire offensive line
and KYLE, orange haired frazzle who looks like his life
consists of one unending caffeine fix. Both are suit and
tied as well.
WILLIS
Hello gentleman, everyone sleep
cozy?
KYLE
Sleep? Like we sleep.
THOMAS
What's with this required six A.M.
breakfast fun? I don't think
heavenly father got up this early
unless it was to be tortured.
Willis picks up a menu, flips through.
WILLIS
Then consider it your daily suffering
for our good work.
THOMAS
I need sleep.
WILLIS
You can sleep when you're dead.
THOMAS
Only if you two let me.
WILLIS
Exactly. How are our new recruits
Kyle?
KYLE
Um, they're kind of disoriented,
you know, not with the program yet.
But, chanting, I've done some
chanting and I think they'll come
around.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 5.
5 CONTINUED: 5
WILLIS
Can we have them on the line by
this afternoon?
KYLE
Doable doable. Definitely, I think,
we can do that.
WILLIS
I want them out in the neighborhoods
as soon as possible. You help him
Thomas.
THOMAS
(sighs)
You know I hate clocking in the
newsies. All that concentration
and those gosh darn herbs mess with
my allergies.
WILLIS
We each make our sacrifices.
THOMAS
What will you be doing?
WILLIS
Scoping out new meat.
6 INT. DAWN'S ROOM - MORNING 6
The alarm clock on her bedstand JANGLES She reaches over
and CLICKS it off.
Hops out of bed disturbingly perky. She wears pajama pants
and a baby T with a rainbow snake on it. Stretches her arms
above her head, the bottom of her T sliding up to reveal her
tummy scars in the mirror.
She notices and rolls her eyes.
7 INT. DAWN'S BATHROOM - LATER 7
The shower's running and steam floats through the room. Her
reflection in the mirror is blurred over with condensation.
She draws a little flower with her finger.
On her shoulder blades as she pulls her shirt off over her
head. Fresh pink scars adorn her back but she doesn't notice.
(CONTINUED)
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BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 6.
7 CONTINUED: 7
She steps into the shower and closes the frosted glass door
behind her.
CUT TO:
BLACKNESS
The locker door opens and we're looking out at Dawn's pretty
face.
8 INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY - DAY 8
Dawn gathers her books for first period. JODY slides up
next to her.
JODY
Hey Dawn, how are you?
DAWN
Feeling like someone spiked my
Cheerios with the happy.
JODY
Excellent, what'd you do last night?
DAWN
I saw a penis.
Jody looks more than a bit flummoxed for a few beats.
JODY
Yeah, um, that's well... educational
I guess.
DAWN
My sister showed me.
His jaw gesticulates a bit but no sounds come out.
Dawn gathers the last of her books and shuts her locker.
She leans in and kisses him on the cheek.
DAWN
You're cute when you're confused.
She steps past him and heads down the hall. He turns to
watch her go, still struggling to find the words.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 7.
9 EXT. GRAVEYARD - DAY 9
Buffy's got her snazzy work suit on. She trudges up a muddy
incline in heels. Her Slayerness makes it look almost
gracious.
She slips past a rather robust mausoleum to find Willow who
stands inside a police tape perimeter amidst a dozen or so
empty graves. Each has a open coffin still in the bottom.
BUFFY
Great way to spend a lunch hour.
WILLOW
I'm thinking we should stop watching
the news altogether. And cancel
the paper. And bury our heads in
the sand.
BUFFY
These people probably thought they'd
be safe underground too. Imagine
their surprise to get dug up.
WILLOW
Hmm, I don't feel any bad majicks...
BUFFY
I'm sensing a but.
WILLOW
I don't feel anything, that's the
big but. Not the grass or the trees.
Nada. It's like everywhere around
here someone hit life's mute button.
BUFFY
It is a graveyard. Did you check
any of the coffins?
WILLOW
And steal all the fun from the
Slayer. Why would I go and do that?
Buffy gives her a "you smarmy vixen" look. Looks at her
work clothes, shrugs, then hops down into one of the ditches.
She examines the inside of the coffin. Inside the lid she
see two grimy palm prints on the fabric liner.
BUFFY
Welcome to zombie fun time hour.
(CONTINUED)
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BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 8.
9 CONTINUED: 9
With one heave Buffy leaps straight up and out of the grave
for a perfect ten landing.
BUFFY
Coffin opened from the inside.
Thinking it's magic after all.
Either that or the occupant had a
hundred year hangover.
Willow kneels down at the edge of the grave. She runs her
hands through a clump of grass.
WILLOW
This close and I only feel twinges.
That's a pretty impressive glamour.
BUFFY
Can you see through it?
WILLOW
Some time and a little fun chanting,
I should be able to crack it.
She grabs some of the dirt from the ground. Drops clumps of
it back into the hole.
WILLOW
Does it ever strike you weird Buffy?
Everything we do brings us back to
death.
BUFFY
It's far from comforting if that's
what you mean.
WILLOW
We're the front lines or sometimes
the only lines. Okay, big pressure,
freaking myself out. Having the
power over life and death. Not
quite the reassuring gig you'd expect
it to be is it?
BUFFY
I wouldn't know.
Willow makes a little Willow noise.
BUFFY
I protect people sure, save their
lives even. I use death.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 9.
9 CONTINUED: (2) 9
BUFFY (CONT'D)
But you can touch life, reach into
it and guide it home when it's lost.
WILLOW
When I brought you back I had Xander
and Anya and -- We did it together
is all.
BUFFY
You can play coy Wicca with the
others Will. I'm the Slayer, I
know power. We do not walk in this
world. We're visitors intruding.
I fight and I've died protecting a
humanity I can never really be a
part of. Because I was Chosen.
I've lived through death and the
more I see of what you can do, the
more I'm convinced you will too.
WILLOW
I won't.
BUFFY
We'll see.
Willow's a tad flustered. She plops her butt down into the
dirt.
WILLOW
I need to chant.
BUFFY
Okay, speechifying done. You know
by now we've probably read all
hundred and one twisted things to
do with a corpse. Wonder what these
are for?
WILLOW
Let's hope a friendly picnic.
10 INT. JACKSON'S FOYER - DAY 10
Jackson opens the door to reveal the priest from the teaser.
He appears unblemished and now wears a suit like a man in
black.
FATHER
Hello son. May I come in?
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 10.
10 CONTINUED: 10
JACKSON
Sure thing Father.
The man in black steps inside and Jackson closes the door.
FATHER
Tell me, have you accepted Jesus
into your life?
Jackson's face scrunches in confusion.
JACKSON
Father Donovan, you baptized me.
You presided over my confirmation.
Father looks at him blankly.
JACKSON
It's Jackson. Don't you remember
me? Or my sister?
FATHER
Did you know that Christ came to
America?
JACKSON
What happened to you? Where's your
collar?
FATHER
These aren't the questions you should
be asking, son. Greater things
await. Even for someone like you.
JACKSON
Someone like me?
FATHER
A cursed Lamanite who's skin is
burned to show his rebellious and
violent nature. I offer you a chance
for redemption from your wicked
heritage.
Jackson's hit pretty hard by Father's comment.
JACKSON
You told me love "bears all things,
believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things." Even
madness. That helped me.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 11.
10 CONTINUED: (2) 10
FATHER
It must have been a different time.
I was wrong.
JACKSON
Get out of my house.
FATHER
Son, don't turn your back on God.
JACKSON
I'm only following your example.
Get out!
11 EXT. GRAVEYARD - DAY 11
Buffy's no longer around. Willow sits in the lotus position
at the edge of an open grave, her hands folded in her lap.
An echoing hum emanates from her.
Willow stares down in the grave. The shadows, dark and deep,
begin to separate and take on lighter tones. The hand prints
on the inside lid shimmer.
She gazes around the graveyard and all the colors are muted
shades of grey.
She stands, watches the black and white world she sees.
Catches sight of a glimmer of yellow wiggling in the grass
nearby. Moves closer to see what looks like a shimmering
kite string.
Though there's no wind, it lifts and hovers a few feet off
the ground. Willow's eyes follow one end of it to where it
touches the grass again. It snakes through tombstones
beckoning her to follow.
Willow starts moving along the string.
12 EXT. GRAVEYARD GATES - MOMENTS LATER 12
She opens the creaking rusty gates and slips through following
the yellow string. In places the string hovers, other
sections wind across the pavement.
People move along the sidewalk in their day to day business.
Each person has a pulsing yellow light within them.
She keeps following the string.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 12.
13 INT. SOUP KITCHEN - DAY 13
A wide tableau of a run down industrial space. A few dozen
men in black sit at long rickety tables. A variety of
slurping noises come from them devouring their lunch.
14 INT. SOUP KITCHEN - KITCHEN - DAY 14
Our three cafe baddies all have their suit jackets off and
aprons on. Several huge soup cisterns simmer on the stove.
They stand in front of the serving counter.
WILLIS
Pretty good neuron overall.
KYLE
Not enough.
(mumbles, counts on his
fingers)
Lunch definitely covered. Dinner,
maybe half if we're lucky.
WILLIS
I went all over town to get that
much. Ration them.
KYLE
Can't. Indoctrination simple.
Maintaining it -- the longer they
go, the more they think, the more
they think the more they need.
They gobble more and more to keep
the same pathways active, to let us
control them.
Willis steps up, thrusts his finger against Kyle's chest.
WILLIS
Joseph Smith got close. I'll go
all the way. We'll fix this.
THOMAS
How?
WILLIS
I don't know. What are the Baptists
doing this evening?
THOMAS
You're not funny.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 13.
14 CONTINUED: 14
WILLIS
Am I laughing?
A moment as his words sink in.
WILLIS
You want to spend your life under
the yoke...
(points upwards)
...of el goody two shoes, enjoy.
But already we've transcended His
barriers. We resurrected these
people to live the word how it should
be.
THOMAS
What about that priest you killed?
Last time I checked Catholics are
Christians too.
WILLIS
Following an imperfect line of dogma.
He could not realize the full truth.
Now he's become part of it. We
know because we were taught we can
become gods if we have the power
and perseverance to seize it.
THOMAS
And mass murder.
WILLIS
Sodom, Gomora. Stepping stones.
Punishment. He's killed to mold
the world to his vision. We can do
the same.
15 EXT. WAREHOUSE - DAY 15
Willow stands in front; the yellow string hovering around
her feet. The warehouse is rather nondescript and pretty
scummy looking, especially in tones of grey she sees.
MAN IN BLACK (O.S.)
Late for lunch. So hungry.
She barely catches a glimpse of him as he rushes past her
through the door.
Willow looks at the ground, the yellow string she followed
is no longer there. She takes a deep breath and pulls the
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 14.
15 CONTINUED: 15
door open.
16 INT. SOUP KITCHEN - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS 16
THOMAS
So, what, we just crash some prayer
meeting?
WILLIS
That would do.
KYLE
Mathematically speaking it makes
total sense. Big city lots of
wrongful just not teaching the right
way to God kind of places. Low
security no one expecting it; no
risk max reward; our shepherdship
continues.
The mib from outside walks up and scrapes his hand across
the counter.
MAN IN BLACK
Hungry, very hungry.
Willis grabs a bowl and ladles out some nasty look gray soup
into it. He walks over and hands it to the mib who eyes it
lustily and walks off.
THOMAS
We've scoped out the opposition
around here. Which place looks the
best.
Willis keeps staring out past the serving counter.
WILLIS
I see a girl.
THOMAS
Focus Willis. You're our heavenly
father with the plan remember.
WILLIS
We don't dig up girls.
The other two rush to the counter and look out.
WILLIS
I'll deal with her.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 15.
17 INT. SOUP KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS 17
Willow wanders in a daze amidst the crowd.
From her perspective the grey world is filled with pulsing
light emanating from inside the people eating. Their lights
appear weaker than the people she saw along the street.
Yellow chords are wrapped thickly around each person's neck
and droop to the ground in long gooey lines. The ethereal
strings tangle across the ground everywhere Willow steps.
Willow watches the shimmering kite strings begin to sway and
move.
WILLIS (O.S.)
Hello miss. What can I do for you?
Willow doesn't look at him at first, she's still studying
the strings, following the icky lines of them with her eyes.
They seem to converge.
She looks up. Everything shows in Willow's expression. The
lines of her face crack, terror unbound.
Her eyes shift to the crowd. Everyone stares at her with
their mouths hanging open. Their lips not moving, shrieks
fill her head.
CHILDLIKE (V.O.)
Help us!
GROGGY (V.O.)
Stop him...
PATHETIC (V.O.)
He won't let us rest.
MANIC (V.O.)
I can't move! I CAN'T
MOVE!
She clamps her hands to her ears.
WILLOW
(her scream echoing both in
her mind and out)
XANDER!
She tries to turn but stumbles, smashes her knee hard on the
industrial tile floor. Her feet SQUEAK on the tile. She
scrambles and bolts out the door.
Willis wears a scowl. Four mibs from the crowd stand around
him now.
(CONTINUED)
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BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 16.
17 CONTINUED: 17
WILLIS
You want a brain? Taste that one.
He points and they tear out the door after Willow.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT ONE
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BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 17.
ACT TWO
18 INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - DAY 18
Xander's sprawled out in the arm chair sleeping. His arms
hang over the edges, a remote in one hand. He shudders
violently awake, the remote CLACKS to the floor.
XANDER
Willow?!
He jumps up and looks around catching his bearing.
XANDER
Weird dreams.
He wobbles on his feet. Blinks hard and grabs his head.
19 EXT. CITY STREET - DAY 19
SCRAMBLING POV
Silent, only images that are scratched and slightly blurred.
Willow's feet hitting the pavement as she runs. Looks behind
her to see four men in dark suits chasing her.
20 INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 20
Xander covers his left eye with his hand. He gazes around
the room. Everything appears as normal and boring as usual.
He covers his right eye and opens his left.
21 EXT. CITY STREET - CONTINUOUS 21
SCRAMBLING POV
running, turns a corner. Glimpse of crossed street signs on
a pole: Euclid Ave and Knowles St.
22 EXT. BUFFY'S PORCH/STREET - CONTINUOUS 22
Xander throws the door open and runs out. One hand covers
his left eye, the other holds a baseball bat.
A thirty-something man in black walks along the sidewalk.
Xander rushes past to his car.
(CONTINUED)
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BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 18.
22 CONTINUED: 22
MAN IN BLACK
Excuse me, may I have a moment?
Xander's in mid-fumble between the bat, his keys, and avoiding
vertigo by covering his left eye.
XANDER
Sorry, gotta go.
He gets the door open and hops in the car. The mib heads up
the walk. Xander tears off.
23 INT./EXT. BUFFY'S FOYER/PORCH - CONTINUOUS 23
Andrew comes down the stairs to find the front door hanging
open.
ANDREW
(calling out)
Global warming! Am I the only one
here who respects inside outside
boundaries?
He shuts the door but it catches on something before it
closes.
MAN IN BLACK (O.S.)
Ow! Okay, that hurt.
Andrew opens the door to find the mib hopping and grabbing
his foot.
ANDREW
Welcome, to Casa de Summers. I can
say that because I've been to Mexico.
MAN IN BLACK
It's good to travel.
24 INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 24
The mib hops over the the couch and falls to a sit.
ANDREW
Is there anything I can get you.
Tasty beverage, pop tart?
MAN IN BLACK
No, I'm fine thank you.
(CONTINUED)
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BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 19.
24 CONTINUED: 24
Andrew walks over, sits in the arm chair.
ANDREW
Soooo, ummmmm, who are you?
MAN IN BLACK
I'm here to tell you how you can be
saved.
ANDREW
From what?
MAN IN BLACK
Heavenly father smiles on all his
children. Especially on those who
have accepted His path. You seem
like a very nice man. If I may ask
have you found your faith?
ANDREW
I learned to summon demons once but
I'm sort of over that now.
MAN IN BLACK
It's unfortunate that we all channel
demons at some time. Avarice, lust,
egotism. With heavenly father's
guidance we can purge these faults
in ourselves and be redeemed.
ANDREW
You can give me redemption?
MAN IN BLACK
I can't. Our Lord can. There is
no sin so grievous it cannot be
forgiven if you ask our Lord in the
right way. He was once a humble
man like you or I. In another world
and place he ascended to a higher
state. Became our Lord here. Any
one of us through living rightly
could do the same.
ANDREW
What do I have to do?
MAN IN BLACK
Love God with all your being. Slay
the demons of which you spoke with
the sword of His truth?
(CONTINUED)
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BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 20.
24 CONTINUED: (2) 24
A KNOCK comes from the door. Andrew doesn't get up at first.
KNOCKS again. Andrew goes over:
25 INT./EXT. BUFFY'S FOYER/PORCH - CONTINUOUS 25
Opens the door.
JODY
Hey man, how's it going?
ANDREW
I'm learning about redemption.
JODY
Uh, cool.
26 INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 26
Jody steps on inside. Sees the mib on the couch. The mib
smiles and Jody just rolls his eyes.
JODY
Is this for real?
MAN IN BLACK
Come, sit with us. We were having
a delightful conversation.
JODY
Yeah, I'm not much for the talking.
He throws his arm around Andrew. Andrew twitches a bit but
doesn't shake it off.
JODY
Me and my bud here haven't been
straight with the man upstairs for
a while now.
MAN IN BLACK
Now is as good a time as any to
start.
JODY
Tell me something, what do you think
about marriage?
MAN IN BLACK
If a couple truly loves each other
they should be joined in His sight.
(CONTINUED)
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BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 21.
26 CONTINUED: 26
JODY
Sweet, so will you marry us?
MAN IN BLACK
Excuse me?
JODY
We'd like to get married, right
now. Hop to.
The mib stands, stares at Andrew. Andrew shakes Jody's arm
off and takes a step away from him.
ANDREW
See, he has this condition, it's
kind of like Tourets, only worse.
MAN IN BLACK
If you knowingly continue a life of
sin the Lord cannot save you.
JODY
Okay, this is the part where my
fist will impact every square inch
of your body if you don't make with
the getting the hell out.
MAN IN BLACK
I'll pray for you both.
JODY
Ditto.
The mib heads out the door, slams it behind himself.
ANDREW
Okay, why did you make him leave?
JODY
Hello, religious freak.
ANDREW
Hello, guy who summoned demons and
could be going to hell for it. I
did things, I did bad bad things.
What if he's right? What if I could
be fine without some minor
orientation issue?
JODY
What's going on here.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
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BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 22.
26 CONTINUED: (2) 26
JODY (CONT'D)
(motions his hand indicating
the two of them)
Whatever the hell it is. It's who
we are. Freako's like that guy try
to make us ashamed because they
can't deal with it. Don't let him
mess with your head. The only person
who can redeem you is you.
ANDREW
You're so sure of that.
JODY
I pretty much have to be.
27 INT. BUFFY'S FOYER - CONTINUOUS 27
Andrew tromps up the stairs. Jody stops following him at
the bottom. A DOOR SLAMS somewhere above.
JODY
(calling up)
So, um, about that thing Dawn saw?
28 EXT. PARK - DAY 28
Willow tears across a narrow field and into some brambles
and trees. Things catch on her clothes slowing her down but
she keeps pushing through.
She looks back, only two mibs are in pursuit now.
The forest rolls down an embankment and she runs with it.
It's steep and she soon can't control how fast she's barreling
down the hill. She clips a tree and it spins her sending
her tumbling down smashing through the brambles.
She rolls to a painful stop, looks up. Sees a stream up
ahead with a path running next to it.
Hustles to her feet and makes for the path. Runs full out
fast as she can. The path and the stream run under a small
overpass.
She dives into the shadows underneath, runs for the other
side. The silhouettes of two mibs appear up ahead.
She skids on her heels to a stop. Turns back, the two other
mibs are there. She's trapped under the bridge. Both sets
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 23.
28 CONTINUED: 28
walk toward her.
WILLOW
Circle of truth and beauty, I call
thee, no, that's not right. Circle
of truth and beauty, I ask -- No,
come on think. Circle...
(looks one way)
Truth.
(looks the other)
Ugly.
They're on her. A blonde man in black grabs her by the
collar. He head butts her and her nose starts to bleed. He
wraps his thumbs around her throat and chokes her. Willow
flails to fight him off.
He trips as she squirms and they plummet into the water. He
stands back up in the waist deep water and holds her under
by the throat.
WILLOW'S POV
Sound is muffled from the water engulfing her. The face of
the man killing her is distorted and indiscernible. She
gasps but can't find air. Somewhere above she hears a car
SKID to a stop. Her eyes close.
The other three watch from the bank, chanting:
MEN IN BLACK
Baptism! Baptism! Baptism!
PLONK! A bat impacts the back of one of their heads. He
drops out cold. The other two turn to face Xander.
One charges. Xand swings low slamming him in the knee. The
mib crumples. The next one charges.
Willow's eyes pop open.
Xander, who had both eyes open is thrown off his game. The
mib tackles him and the bat skitters away.
Willow bares her teeth. The water around bubbles and scalds.
The blonde mib let's go. He backs away shaking his burned
hands.
Xander grapples on the ground. He gets an arm free and slams
his elbow into the side of the mib's head, knocking him out.
Xander pushes him off and gets up.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 24.
28 CONTINUED: (2) 28
Blondie backhands Willow across the face. She stumbles but
doesn't fall. He slaps again, but deflects off a magic
barrier Willow manages to cast in time.
The mib hit in the knee is halfway up. Xander runs over and
kicks him in the side knocking him back down. Xand kicks
him twice more on the ground to keep him down.
Blondie pounds on the barrier. Willow holds her hand up to
maintain it but it won't last for long. The more he slams
his fists against it the duller it appears.
Xander covers his left eye with one hand, grabs the bat with
the other. He makes a mad dash for the stream and leaps
into it splashing down behind Blondie. Three solid swings
and Blondie's out and falls into the water, floating off
with the current.
The barrier gives and Willow falls into Xander's arms. He
hefts her out of the water and back to dry land. They catch
their breath. Xander kneels by Willow. She lies on the
ground.
Close on Xander's mystic eye as it sees from:
WILLOW'S POV
looking up at Xander.
DISSOLVE TO:
XANDER'S POV
looking down at Willow, the spell ended.
WILLOW
I screamed your name. I hoped you'd
find me.
XANDER
Whatever mojo that scream worked it
got me here.
He helps her up and into a hug.
WILLOW
Thanks Xander.
XANDER
I told you practicing that Aquaman
lunge as a kid would come in handy.
Let's get you home.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 25.
29 INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - EVENING 29
Willow's wrapped in a towel on the couch with Kennedy's arm
wrapped around her as well. The gang's convened.
WILLOW
They're not just animated corpses.
30 EXT. BAPTIST CHURCH - CONTINUOUS 30
The whitewash is chipped and the walls themselves sag with
the weight of the world.
A few mibs appear from shadows along the street. More emerge
and they move toward the front doors.
WILLOW (V.O.)
Somehow he brought their souls back
and pressed them into their maggot
ridden bodies; then used a glamour
to hide it.
31 INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 31
Dawn kneels at the coffee table.
DAWN
I've read about soul binding rituals.
It's not for-dummies magic. Souls
naturally want to be free.
Controlling them's a toughy. Did
you see how he's doing it?
WILLIS
(her voice quavers)
His saliva strangles them. Long
gooey strings of it wind back to
him. I could hear them, begging
their bodies not to do what they
did. The strings yanked them along,
forced them.
DAWN
Essence chords, I've read about
them. I have to find the right
book. Hopefully it's not in Aramaic.
I suck at Aramaic.
She goes to shelves and starts digging.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 26.
31 CONTINUED: 31
WILLOW
That's not the worst part.
32 INT. BAPTIST CHURCH - CONTINUOUS 32
The double doors swing open. Willis strides down the center
aisle, big smile.
WILLOW (V.O.)
I saw his face, not his flesh, but
his true face. Crooked razorblade
teeth in an enormous maw and eyes
like black holes.
BUFFY (V.O.)
He's a demon?
WILLOW (V.O.)
No, he's human. That's what makes
it worse.
A group of twenty or so people of all ages sit in the pews
near the front. Willis strolls up nonchalantly.
WILLIS
Studying the good book I see.
BAPTIST PASTOR
Sit down, join us brother.
WILLIS
Nah, read that one. I prefer the
updated version.
He chucks a book at the Pastor's feet. It's the Book of
Mormon.
BAPTIST PASTOR
You're a cult.
WILLIS
Well, this cult just hit big time.
Men in black pour in the front doors behind him. They file
into the pews and keep walking, snaking back and forth along
the wooden benches, getting closer row by row. As they move:
WILLIS
You have something we need.
Misguided faith. We feed off it.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 27.
32 CONTINUED: 32
BAPTIST PRIEST
If you've come to argue theology
we'd be more than happy to oblige
you.
WILLIS
No, I haven't come to argue. I've
come to settle it.
He walks back toward the front doors. The men in black
continue snaking forward through the pews.
WILLIS
Enjoy your dinner boys. Save me a
wing.
WILLOW (V.O.)
I could feel their hunger...
33 INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 33
WILLOW
...when they attacked me. They
wanted to open my head and devour
my thoughts.
Kennedy hugs Willow tighter. Dawn's got a few large tomes
out now.
DAWN
We'll find a solution Willow.
ANYA
See, Dawnie will read and we'll
follow the instructions and
everything will be solved. Besides,
you can't keep that much expired
life going. Not without taking
life to maintain it.
(off their looks)
What? That's supposed to be
comforting?
34 INT. BAPTIST CHURCH - CONTINUOUS 34
The massacre. Willis moves amongst his flock. They tear
the parishioners apart.
Father Donovan takes shaky steps up to the altar. The Baptist
Pastor cowers on the ground near it.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 28.
34 CONTINUED: 34
BAPTIST PASTOR
Though I walk through the shadow of
the valley of death I will not fear.
I will not fear. I will not...
Father Donovan ignores him and stares up at a cross set high
in the wall behind the altar. His eyes twitch a little.
He drops to his knees. He looks at his hands like he's not
quite sure what to do with them. Trembling ever so slightly,
they come together in prayer.
Seeing this the Baptist Pastor crawls across the floor and
to a side door. He slips out.
Willis notices Father at the altar. He walks up and kicks
him over.
WILLIS
What are you doing? Chase him!
Father stands and charges out the same door the Pastor took.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT TWO
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 29.
ACT THREE
35 EXT. SUBURBIA - NIGHT 35
The Baptist Pastor tears along the sidewalk, his arms
flailing, running full out. Father Donovan's gaining.
BAPTIST PASTOR
Help! Help!
Father dive tackles him. They struggle in the grass a moment
before Father pins his arms. Father licks his lips.
BAPTIST PASTOR
Please, whatever your sins he will
forgive you. He will accept you
and he will love you. You need
only ask.
Father scrunches his face.
FATHER
Jackson?
His grip lessons and the Baptist Pastor crawls out from
underneath him and runs. Father stays kneeling for a moment.
FATHER
Jackson!
He stands up.
36 INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - NIGHT 36
Gang's in full research mode. Dawn sitd cross-legged on the
carpet surrounded by books. Open tomes cover the coffee
table, the floor, three are stacked in her lap. She jumps
from book to book with ease, a cross referencing fiend.
DAWN
I have souls over here, death over
there, afterlife dimensions in this
one, and Tibetan chanting monks in
that one.
BUFFY
Huh?
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 30.
36 CONTINUED: 36
DAWN
Thought it might go somewhere but
it turned out to be a dead end.
(beat)
Oh god, I'm becoming Xander.
Willow's clacking away on the laptop.
WILLOW
Lot's of interesting random theories
here. Low on the details or any
relevant field experience.
ANDREW
All this research is giving me the
runs. Let's watch some TV.
He clicks on the news. A REPORTER stands outside the
whitewashed Baptist Church.
REPORTER (V.O.)
A Baptist prayer meeting gone
horribly wrong. Over twenty are
believed to be dead in what appears
to be a cult ritual.
Quick shots of inside: White sheets on top of bodies
everywhere, blood soaked through each sheet around the head
area.
REPORTER (V.O.)
The victims' heads were bashed open
and their brains removed. At this
time police have only one lead: a
bloody Book of Mormon found at the
scene. If anyone has any information
regarding this crime please call-
Andrew clicks it back off.
ANDREW
Okay, bad idea.
WILLOW
Didn't I say we should stop watching
the news.
Buffy's fuming mad.
BUFFY
That's gross. You... you... Mormons!
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 31.
36 CONTINUED: (2) 36
WILLOW
That's the why for all the suits.
They're on their mission.
ANDREW
One of them came by earlier.
XANDER
A group of Mormons have taken up
the necromantic arts and raised a
horde of men in black to go out and
convert people to their religion?
WILLOW
And they're eating the competition.
XANDER
Here I thought the Jehovah's
Witnesses served ultimate evil.
DAWN
Those poor poor people.
Buffy puts her hand on Dawn's shoulder.
BUFFY
We'll find who did this Dawnie.
Before they eat more churchgoers.
Everyone shares a morose moment of silence. Anya isn't quite
with them on it.
ANYA
Everybody look at me. I have a
trick.
Anya floats to the center of the room.
ANYA
Watch carefully.
She holds her arms out to either side, wiggles her fingers.
A moment and then Anya splits down the middle, half her torso
leans one way, and half leans the other way, her body
separating along the gash that killed her. Her fingers keep
wiggling.
Everyone in the crowd gives a whimper, wince, or "oh my god
you freak" noise.
With a SLURPING sound Anya comes back together.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 32.
36 CONTINUED: (3) 36
ANYA
Been practicing that for days. Got
to look at the bright side of being
dead.
WILLOW
I'm going to have Kennedy poke my
eyes out with her tongue barb now.
KENNEDY
Sorry honey, wearing the blunt.
WILLOW
Oh. Bummer.
BUFFY
Anya, why would you ever think we
wanted to see that?
ANYA
I figured it would lighten the mood.
You know cause I'm dead, you're not
dead.
BUFFY
People skills still an issue then.
DAWN
Oh my gosh, I think I'm gonna hurl.
Oh wait... no, that's me having an
idea.
Dawn goes crazy with the book page flipping.
DAWN
Resonance.
She grabs a different book. Flips some more pages.
DAWN
Gateway.
Grabs yet another, flips.
DAWN
Eureka! Soul resonance.
Everyone stares at her not understanding. Willow's lightbulb
pops first.
WILLOW
She's a passage point.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 33.
36 CONTINUED: (4) 36
DAWN
Halfway here, halfway there.
WILLOW
We can siphon through her.
BUFFY
Okay, girls, dumb it down for the
rest of us.
WILLOW
Think of the zombie souls as being
held on this plane in one big icky
bathtub.
DAWN
Anya gets to be the drain.
WILLOW
Because of her not-quite-dead status
her soul's in the same place
spiritually with the zombies. So
with Dawn's Watchery help...
DAWN
...and Willow's Wicca woo.
WILLOW
We can turn Anya into a gateway
back to the soul ether.
BUFFY
There's a spell for that?
Dawn and Willow both make faces.
WILLOW
Not really.
DAWN
We'll have to combine a few. A bit
more research. A ritual here.
WILLIS
A ritual there. Mix and match.
DAWN
We can totally make it work.
BUFFY
Then let's do it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 34.
37 INT. JACKSON'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 37
Jackson works with notebooks and papers piled around him on
the couch. Someone POUNDS on his door. He doesn't break
off right away, checks something on a notebook. They POUND
three more times.
JACKSON
Hold it a sec!
They keep POUNDING. He rushes over and yanks open the door.
JACKSON
What the f-
Father Donovan falls into his arms. Jackson pushes him off
to the stairs.
FATHER
You have to help me son.
JACKSON
Sorry, I might be a little too black
for that.
FATHER
I'm dead.
JACKSON
That's an interesting excuse for
becoming a racist bastard.
Father clutches Jackson's hand and pulls it to his forehead.
JACKSON
What are you-
Two of his fingers slip through the skin and inside the
priest's head. Jackson jumps back and knocks into the door.
Stunned, on his fingertips he sees brownish blood. He looks
at the priest's forehead but it appears perfect.
FATHER
They killed me my son, but I'm kept
from the kingdom. Even now I feel
their call pulling me further away
from God. I almost did something
horrible tonight. I can't resist
much longer.
Jackson's hand starts to shake, clutches into a fist.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 35.
37 CONTINUED: 37
JACKSON
What should I do father?
FATHER
Avenge me. Be my guardian. A Mormon
named Willis killed me and brought
me back. Confused me with spells
and sorcery. He's gathered an army
and I can tell you where. You must
find a way to stop them.
38 INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 38
Willow and Dawn kneel over the same huge tome. They point
at things together, mumble. They nod to each other.
WILLOW
We got it.
DAWN
Really nifty actually. We combine
an enjoining spell with this mojo
to talk to the dead. Then we-
WILLOW
Dawnie.
DAWN
Sorry, giddy excitement. It's like
a drug. Not that I would know.
WILLOW
What happens we do the spell and
Anya become a physical gate to the
afterlife attuned to the zombies.
Which means she can touch them and
they can touch her. She so much as
brushes one and kapoof, it's the
afterlife express.
ANYA
So I get to be the Buffy. I'll
have the punch that knocks the bad
guys into oblivion.
WILLOW
I like to see it more as offering
them the eternal rest they deserve.
But whatever works for you.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 36.
38 CONTINUED: 38
ANYA
Can I act all superior too?
BUFFY
Hey!
DAWN
(to Anya)
You could give us some kind of
rousing long winded speech.
BUFFY
Right here, in the room right now!
WILLOW
Problem is, the gateway is sort of
the temporary kind.
BUFFY
How temporary?
WILLOW
Kind of unpredictable.
BUFFY
So we wait until we're in striking
distance. Now all we have to do is
track them down.
A KNOCK comes from the door.
39 INT./EXT. BUFFY'S FOYER/PORCH - CONTINUOUS 39
She opens the door to reveal Jackson standing there with
crowbar in hand.
JACKSON
You know how to take care of this
right?
BUFFY
Take care of what?
JACKSON
Whatever it is you're fighting. I
know where they're gathering.
I'm going. You coming?
BUFFY
Uh... sure.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 37.
40 EXT. GRAVEYARD - NIGHT 40
Willis stands atop the robust mausoleum on the hill. The
men in black are arrayed around him amidst tombstones and
the holes they rose from. Thomas and Kyle stand at the back
of the group overseeing.
WILLIS
We have come far. Those who will
not hear us will feed our power.
Between their deaf ears shall be
our strength. His army will not
want. We come from all walks of
life, all times. He brings us here
for one purpose: to make His glory
our glory. To show us that His
power can be our power.
41 EXT. GRAVEYARD GATES - NIGHT 41
The Slayerettes converge. Dawn carries a huge duffel bag
packed with their stuff.
BUFFY
Jackson and I will go in and make
with the fisticuffs to get them to
group around us. Andrew's on
artillery. When you hear the signal
pump Anya with the mojo and we'll
knock 'em dead, or, um, redead.
42 EXT. GRAVEYARD - NIGHT 42
Mist spins around the ankles of the Slayer. The ground makes
SOFT SUCKING SOUNDS as she marches in. Jackson keeps pace
behind her. They trudge up the same hill she did earlier.
She finds Willis sitting atop the robust mausoleum with his
pickax next to him. He appears to be alone now.
WILLIS
Interesting. I didn't expect a
blonde. Your redheaded friend ran
off so fast I didn't get a chance
to introduce myself. I'm Willis.
BUFFY
I'm Buffy. Hop on down. I think
it's time to bruise my knuckles
with your face.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 38.
42 CONTINUED: 42
JACKSON
My crowbar seconds that.
WILLIS
Sounds risky for me. Besides,
there's a nice breeze up here and
it allows me to survey the breadth
of my domain. You want to know the
wonderful thing about power?
(beat)
Not having to do the dirty work.
From one side of the mausoleum a man in black appears, broad
chested with a grimace. Another emerges from the other side,
smaller, sneering. More appear from behind larger
gravestones.
They charge. Jackson slams one in the face with his crowbar.
Buf throws one into two others. Sweeping roundhouse kicks
three more. Jackson checks two to the ground.
ANDREW
just down the hill from where the battle has begun. He's
decked out in his cat burglar gear. He wears a utility belt
covered in bulging pouches.
ANDREW
Operation distract and signal to
commence.
(checking his pouches)
M-80s, firecracker strings, roman
candles, ooo sparklers.
He pulls out a Zippo. Finger snap lights it.
ANDREW
It's just you and me sweet flame of
loud noise.
He starts running up the hill giving out an astoundingly
girlish battlecry the whole way.
HILLTOP
Buffy and Jackson have been split up by the horde of men in
black. Jackson's holding his own with the crowbar taking
wide swings to thump as many as he can.
Buffy's grabs a mib by the arm, swings him, hurls him knocking
five more down. She leaps into a different group of them.
Her feet take out two as she comes in. A flurry of punches
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 39.
42 CONTINUED: (2) 42
as four more surround her.
A massive string of firecrackers lands in the middle of a
pack of six men in black. They look at it a moment. Then
it RATATATS off sending them reeling back.
ANDREW
Ah-ha, taste fourth of July fun!
He chucks a cherry bomb into another group of them.
43 EXT. GRAVEYARD WALL - CONTINUOUS 43
A distant BOOM of the fireworks.
XANDER
That's the signal.
Willows sit inside a circle of mystical purple dust laid out
on the sidewalk. Kennedy's got a crossbow out. Xander's
got his trusty baseball bat.
Dawn kneels near another smaller dust circle double checking
everything in a large dusty tome.
DAWN
Okay, paint by number is paint by
done. Anya, you go in the smaller
circle over here.
Anya walks into place.
ANYA
Smaller is sometimes better.
XANDER
Here, here! Um, nevermind.
WILLOW
Okay, interfering with the
concentration now.
KENNEDY
You two shut up. Willow, we got
your back.
Willow nods but she's definitely nervous. She takes a deep
breath. A brick lands on her head knocking her out cold.
Thomas stands on the outer wall holding a shovel. Four more
just exhumed men in black stand with him.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 40.
43 CONTINUED: 43
THOMAS
Sky's falling.
They jump down on the attack.
44 EXT. GRAVEYARD - NIGHT 44
Buffy's providing quality Slayer smackdown. But she's being
quickly overwhelmed and things are looking more desperate.
Mibs are being hurled left and right but more show up to
take their place.
Jackson slips in the mud and ass plants. He loses his crowbar
in a dirty puddle. Mibs converge on him. He kicks out with
his feet trying to keep them at bay.
Andrew's less charging in with fireworks as dropping them
behind himself trying to keep the mibs from grabbing him.
Willis slips down off the top of the mausoleum pickax in
hand. The horde parts out of his way as he approaches Buffy.
The men in black break off her for a moment and he stands
before the Slayer.
WILLIS
Don't you adore graveyards? They're
so relaxing.
BUFFY
Until nimrods like you start poking
holes in the ground.
She charges. A mib's fist lashes out smashing her in the
face and breaking her attack. Willis swings the pickax for
our Buffster. She sucks her midriff in but not quite fast
enough. A red trail gashes open across her stomach.
She falls, tumbling backwards down the hill. Men in black
part letting her roll past. A few yards down her back smashes
into a tombstone bringing her to an abrupt and painful halt.
Willis follows and a dozen or so of his army group in behind
him. Buffy clutches her wound breathing hard. Willis glowers
over the fallen Slayer.
WILLIS
So this is what you bring? You, a
Lamanite, and a boy who makes scary
noises. Really it's charming.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 41.
44 CONTINUED: 44
Willis swings his pickax for her head.
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT THREE
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 42.
ACT FOUR
45 EXT. GRAVEYARD - NIGHT 45
Buffy head ticks and the pickax point pierces the tombstone.
It shatters and crumples.
WILLIS
(re: broken tombstone)
Whoever that was, they're nothing.
Dead, gone and unremembered. Is
that what you want to be? Buffy?
I can give you a second chance to
be resurrected. You can become
part of my power or you can be
overwhelmed by it.
Buffy let's out a coughing cackle, blood in her teeth.
BUFFY
Power? You think that's what you
have cause you got a bunch of brain
dead wannabes goose stepping your
line? That doesn't make you
powerful, it makes you a fraud in a
badly tailored suit.
WILLIS
Says the bleeding girl on the ground.
BUFFY
Kill me. Do whatever you want. It
won't make you any less pathetic.
WILLIS
It will provide a nice sense of
closure.
He walks away.
WILLIS
Slurp out her skull. She's not
worth changing.
46 EXT. GRAVEYARD WALL - CONTINUOUS 46
Willow lies unconscious in what's left of the spell circle;
it's been pretty much trampled in purplely swirls. Xander
desperately blocks shovel swings from Thomas. One of the
mibs lies nearby, down and out. Kennedy takes on the other
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 43.
46 CONTINUED: 46
three.
Dawn puts herself between a mib and Kennedy. It steps past
her like she's not even there. She kicks him in the shin.
He grabs his leg and looks around, oblivious.
Anya shoots through the battle, taking ineffectual swings at
the bad guys trying to distract them.
Xander's being quickly knocked back by the bulldozer Thomas.
XANDER
Kennedy, little help here!
Two mibs lunge for Kennedy. She ducks under their attacks
and swiftly reloads her crossbow. She shoots the third mib
in the chest. He stumbles back. She drops the crossbow
down, catching his neck between the bow and string. A twist
of the hip and she chucks him into Thomas. Both of them
tumble to the ground.
KENNEDY
That work.
XANDER
It'll do.
Xander kneels down by Willow, his back turned for a moment.
He brushes his hand across her cheek, shakes her a little.
Thomas chucks the mib off himself with ease. He uses his
bulk to check Kennedy to the ground. He steps past her,
raises the shovel over his head.
ANYA
Xander!
She whooshes forward and pushes Xander out of the way. The
shovel CLANGS on the ground after passing harmlessly through
her.
Anya looks at her hands, stunned. She hurls punches at
Thomas. He goes to block one but her fists pass through
him. He shrugs and walks right through her after Xander.
Dawn clubs him one with a little girlish punch slap. He's
almost amused. He pulls his fist back to wham her. Kennedy
sweeps his feet out from under him. But the other three
mibs are back up and surround her. One pulls the crossbow
bolt from his chest. Slashes at her.
Willow's head lolls, groggy but coming too.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 44.
46 CONTINUED: (2) 46
WILLOW
May nothing beyond our coil pass my
mortal sight.
Her eyes swim with divine light. Anya fades from view. The
men in black engaging them drop to the ground. Their limbs
flail like fish out of water.
Thomas props himself back to a stand with his shovel, sees
Willow. He makes a wide arc with the shovel swinging straight
for her head. Kennedy catches it dead with her Slayer
strength.
Willow staggers a bit.
WILLOW
I can't hold this for long.
KENNEDY
Just enough for me to kick this
punk's ass.
She drives her elbow into Thomas' sternum. She yanks the
shovel from his grip, snaps it in two over her knee. Proceeds
to beat the stinking tar out of him with her new found two
weapon combo.
Xander grabs hold of Willow and keeps her on her feet.
WILLOW
Get me out of here Xander.
Xander hefts Willow over his shoulder. Dawn picks up her
big tome from the ground. They huff it for the graveyard
gates. Kennedy chucks the two shovel pieces away by the
battered Thomas. Runs after them.
Anya blinks back into existence. The mibs start getting
back up around her.
ANYA
Typical, always leave the dead people
behind.
She walks right through the graveyard wall.
47 EXT. GRAVEYARD - CONTINUOUS 47
Andrew's being edged back by mibs. He's out of ammo.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 45.
47 CONTINUED: 47
ANDREW
Nice Mormons. Think of those
fireworks as a practical joke. A
fiesta of fun to liven up your day.
No harm. I mean you guys can just
reattach some of your fingers right?
One of them grabs Andrew by the collar.
JACKSON
has managed to get back up and even has his crowbar a swinging
again. He looks pretty torn up though. He slams a mib across
the face. Swings the other way. Sparks fly as the bar
deflects off Willis' pickax blade. They circle each other.
WILLIS
So, Lamanite.
JACKSON
Where's Buffy?
WILLIS
The girl with the silly name is
dead. Or well on her way anyway.
JACKSON
I'll kill you.
WILLIS
Your valiant. It's really kind of
cute. I could use someone like
you. Spread the proper word far
and wide and silence the nay-sayers
who won't believe. I am his form
incarnate.
JACKSON
You think this is what Jesus was?
WILLIS
Jesus resurrected himself to show
God's power and offer humanity a
second chance. I resurrect humanity
and give them that second chance
directly.
JACKSON
They're shells filled with your
hate. Jesus preached love.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 46.
47 CONTINUED: (2) 47
WILLIS
How wonderfully Hallmark. He
preached power. Love and suffering
were his means. Rome knew this,
the Jews knew this. That's why
they crucified him. But Jesus won
and was remembered. I'm about to
do the same.
XANDER
sets Willow back down. The spell folks have grouped well
into the graveyard near the bottom of the hill. Dawn's madly
flipping through the book she has.
DAWN
Another spell. Find the page, little
mojo. Gotta be something.
WILLOW
There's another way.
Everyone perks up at this.
WILLOW
I learned about soul binding when I
drained the Magic Box. Way's in
which it can be done, what it costs.
Dawnie found the friendliest way to
send them back. But there are other,
less cozy methods.
XANDER
I hate to say it Will, but we're
kind of at Defcon one here and the
finger's definitely on the button.
ANYA
I wonder if we lose and you all
become ghosts if we'll be able to
touch each other.
Willow puts her hand on Kennedy's shoulder.
WILLOW
You should help Buffy.
KENNEDY
I need to stay with you.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 47.
47 CONTINUED: (3) 47
WILLOW
Case you haven't seen, it's three
against a gazillion up there. Xander
and Dawn have my back.
Kennedy nods. Gives Willow a quick kiss on the cheek and
dashes off. Willow turns to Xander, her jaw tense.
WILLOW
Evil Arthur's generalling the army,
but his Merlin's hiding somewhere
nearby. I can feel it. We find
him and I can make it stop.
ANDREW
A group of mibs have grabbed and lifted him into the air.
ANDREW
Careful with the hands.
Kennedy slams into the mibs with the mother of all flying
kicks. They flail at the impact and Andrew's dropped free.
KENNEDY
Where's Buffy.
ANDREW
(points in a seemingly random
direction)
Over there maybe?
Kennedy runs off. The men in black she slammed down are
already getting back up.
FROM ABOVE
a horde of dark suits and grabbing hands. Amidst them a
wisp of blonde hair. We drop down into the melee.
Buffy slams her palm into the back of a mib's elbow making
him painfully double jointed. She twists him and drives her
knee low at his waist. With a sickening CRACK his spine
gives. She tosses him aside.
She's hunched on a pile of mib bodies, a dozen so far. Some
of them still twitch under her, most of their limbs broken
and useless.
Kennedy hammers through the crowd with the crossbow. Makes
it to Buffy. Sees the impressively large pile of carnage.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 48.
47 CONTINUED: (4) 47
KENNEDY
Wow!
Buffy slides down the pile.
BUFFY
Kind of makes it a shame they didn't
have girls' varsity wrestling.
They go back to back surrounded. Amongst various punches,
parries and lunges:
BUFFY
Not that I'm not pleased as punch
to see ya. But I expected someone
a little deader.
KENNEDY
We kinda hit some static.
BUFFY
Lovely.
KENNEDY
Yeah, I thought it was a hoot too.
BUFFY
We have a plan B then?
KENNEDY
They're working on it.
BUFFY
Well, as long as we're on the verge
of being overwhelmed by a army of
the dead they should take their
time.
KYLE
peeks out from behind a grave, watching the hilltop.
XANDER (O.S.)
So...
He whips around at the sound of Xander's voice.
XANDER
Would this be considered a box seat
or general assembly?
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 49.
47 CONTINUED: (5) 47
KYLE
Um, yeah, you see, I was walking by
and then you know I got lost and-
XANDER
Stow it.
He pops Kyle in the gut with the tip of the bat. Kyle drops
to his knees gurgling. Xander kicks him in the face, knocking
him onto his back.
Dawn goes to his arms and sits on his hands, pinning them.
Xander grabs his legs.
Willow gazes down at his prostrate form. She appears solemn
but determined.
WILLOW
I'm sorry. This'll kind of hurt.
KYLE
Hurt not good.
WILLOW
Shoulda thought of that before a
raised a zombie army don't ya think?
He struggles but Dawn and Xander have him pinned well.
ANYA
Naughty boys get punished.
Willow kneels down at his chest.
XANDER
Like you said Will, we got your
back. No matter what.
She nods. Holds up her hand. Waves of heat move across it
and then it glows like molten metal. The roots of her hair
darken but the tips remain Willow red.
WILLOW
From the chest of the army's creator
I draw a bone.
BUFFY AND KENNEDY
still surrounded. Kyle's BLOOD CURDLING SCREAM echoes through
the battle. The fight goes on pause for a moment, the mibs
looking around. They part and Willis steps in. He chucks a
battered Jackson at their feet.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 50.
47 CONTINUED: (6) 47
WILLIS
You forgot your erstwhile friend.
Drives a hard bargain, hard to
persuade.
Buffy helps Jackson up.
JACKSON
He didn't seem to like "Get bent"
as an answer.
BUFFY
Bad guys are picky that way.
KYLE
His suit jacket and shirt are burned through. A bright pink
scar adorns his chest just above his stomach. He's
unconscious but breathing steady.
Willow's hair is back to normal. She holds what looks like
a rib in her hand. One side of it has a particularly nasty
serrated edge. She goes to Anya.
WILLOW
A soul fragment inside will let you
hold the dagger. You'll see what I
saw. Cut the chords he uses to
bind them and they'll be free to go
or stay as they please.
Anya takes the ribknife from Willow.
ANYA
Neat.
She tears off up the hill.
XANDER
What do we do with this evil
missionary?
WILLOW
He paid his price.
Dawn's checking out Kyle's grody scar.
DAWN
Plus a healthy portion of interest.
Willow staggers a bit.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 51.
47 CONTINUED: (7) 47
XANDER
Willow, are you...?
WILLOW
Pfft, I'm totally fine.
She faints.
ANYA
reaches the hilltop. She holds the knife in front of her
and passes near a group of baddies who have Andrew hefted
into the air. The knife jerks in her hand a few times when
she runs by them.
The glamour broken, most of the group crumples to the ground,
a murder of decayed bodies. Andrew now lies on top of a
pile of maggot infested ick.
ANDREW
(pinches his nose)
Ewwww, dead people stink.
A couple remain standing, rotting and wholly gruesome but
still animated. One of the zombies looks at his hand, watches
the bones move through holes in his leathery skin. He looks
at the other zombie.
ZOMBIE
(loud rasping whisper)
I'm FREE!
WILLIS
stands inside the tight ring of men in black who have our
three heroes surrounded.
Holding the knife above her head Anya whooshes through the
outer ring into the circle.
BUFFY
Anya, finally!
ANYA
Blame Willow.
KENNEDY
Hey! Screwing up was a group effort.
ANYA
Whatever.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 52.
47 CONTINUED: (8) 47
WILLIS
Excuse me, miss. I'm about to kill
them. So if you don't mind.
Anya grimaces when she looks at Willis.
ANYA
Willow was right, that is not a
face to woo the women.
WILLIS
Fine, I'll just have to kill you
too.
ANYA
Sorry, first evil already did that.
But I do have another neat trick
for you.
She swipes the knife the knife one way. A section of the
circle collapses with only a few still standing.
ANYA
And they all...
Swipes it another way. More fall, again a couple remain up.
ANYA
...fall down.
She does a little pirouette with her slash. The entire circle
collapses. Only a dozen or so are left standing in their
full dead glory.
ANYA
Except the ones who are really pissed
at you.
Willis eyes anxiously around. He's now staring down a bunch
of very angry dead people. He starts backing away.
WILLIS
Can't we discuss this like rational
human beings?
ZOMBIE
Brains!
WILLIS
Fair enough.
Willis turns and swings the pickax, knocking one of the
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 53.
47 CONTINUED: (9) 47
zombies behind him aside. He makes a dash for it.
XANDER
puts his arm around Dawn. They watch Willis at the hilltop
scream like a little girl. He's chased by the zombie army.
XANDER
Ah, a lynch mob. Never thought I'd
see the day where that was a good.
48 EXT. CITY STREET - MOMENTS LATER 48
Willis hauls ass out of an alley. He charges across the
street and ducks past a corner.
He peeks back around the corner to see the zombies surge out
from the alley. They mob into the street, disoriented for a
moment. One of their eyes catches him. It points and all
the zombies turns to see him.
WILLIS
Fitting I would go out just like
Joseph Smith.
He runs. The zombies tear around the corner after him.
49 EXT. GRAVEYARD GATES - NIGHT 49
Kennedy holds Willow tight, helping the exhausted Wicca
stumble along. Anya walks with Andrew who's now in a muddy
and torn commando suit. Xander goes with Dawn and Buffy
with Jackson bring up the back.
ANYA
I was amazing wasn't I? You too
Andrew, you had some quality crowd
control there.
ANDREW
I thought the M-eighties worked
quite well but the cherry bombs
left me wanting. But yes, I fought
quite valiantly this eve. So what
should we do with the rest of our
night?
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 54.
49 CONTINUED: 49
WILLOW
(yawning wide)
Wicca girl will be making with the
sleepins.
KENNEDY
After all the punching and the dire
I just went through; don't think
you're getting off that easy, red.
Willow lips Kennedy's ear.
WILLOW
You always make it easy honey.
ANYA
Lesbian sex humor. It's nice.
(looks at Xander)
And really frustrating.
XANDER
Willow, you can hijack my eyeball
later if you want.
Buffy notices Jackson is kind of in his own world.
BUFFY
Watcha thinking?
JACKSON
I just fought an army of the dead.
It doesn't really lend to the
thinking.
ANDREW
We could watch Army of Darkness.
DAWN
Are there naked guys in that one
too?
ANDREW
No, but it has a shotgun and Bruce
Campbell. Dear sweet Bruce Campbell.
BUFFY
I've had my fill of dead things for
the evening, present company
excluded. I'm looking forward to a
nice shower, wash the graveyard off
me.
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 55.
49 CONTINUED: (2) 49
JACKSON
Lobotomies. You think they have it
to the point where they can figure
out what the precise section to
remove is?
BUFFY
You sound like you'd never hung
with the Slayerettes before. Go
home, get some sleep, it will all
make sense in the morning.
50 EXT. JACKSON'S PORCH - NIGHT 50
Jackson sits on his porch swing. It CREAKS a little but
he's too consumed by his thoughts to notice. Buffy strolls
up. She's had her shower, cleaned herself up, changed clothes
and looks a sort of rumpled cute.
BUFFY
Hey you.
JACKSON
Hi.
BUFFY
Can't sleep either?
JACKSON
Not a wink.
She sits down next to him. He still stares off into space.
She leans in and nudges him with her shoulder.
BUFFY
Soooo, figure out which part of
your brain to remove yet?
JACKSON
I met a dead person.
BUFFY
A whole bunch in fact.
JACKSON
I knew one in particular.
BUFFY
Who was it?
(CONTINUED)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER "Still Life" 56.
50 CONTINUED: 50
JACKSON
A priest. He helped me through
some rough times when I was younger.
BUFFY
I'm sorry. You want to talk about
it?
JACKSON
No, I really think I don't.
BUFFY
Okay.
She gets up to leave.
JACKSON
But it'd be nice to have you here,
you know, not talking about it with
me.
She smiles and sits back down. Makes a motion like she's
zipping her lips.
They both lean back and the seat starts to swing a little
more. Tentatively she reaches over and touches the back of
his hand. He turns his hand over and their fingers
intertwine.
51 INT. BUFFY'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 51
Dark all around. Xander's crashed out on the couch snoring
profusely. Anya kneels by his side watching him.
She looks at her hand. Gingerly she moves it toward his
face, braces herself for impact. Her fingers disappear inside
his head without stopping.
Her shoulders sag and she shakes her head.
FADE OUT.
END OF SHOW