act 3
Fade In:
Int.
Watchers Council – Slayer Rec Room – Same Time
Slayers lay in a mix of blankets and sleeping bags in front of the wide-screen television, though it no longer worked. Instead of watching Michael Myers stalking Jamie Lee Curtis, as they had before the power outage, the girls sat around in a circle with a host of candles, telling ghost stories. Dawn looked down at her watch, then over her shoulder and back at her watch again, as the storm continued to rage outside.
“I’m gonna go see if Skye got lost,” Dawn told Kennedy, who sat to her right. She traded her popcorn bowl for the flashlight Kennedy held. She got up from the sofa and walked from the room.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Kitchen – Same Time
Dawn flashed the light around the room as she entered, but saw nothing.
“Skye? Where are you?” she called out.
She walked further into the darkened room, humming an absent tune, until she tripped on something, nearly falling face first. The flashlight fell from her hands as she tried to catch herself. It slid back toward her to show she’d tripped on Skye’s lifeless feet. Dawn looked at her own hands to see them covered with blood, and she began to scream.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Pantry – Same Time
Andrew fumbled and then dropped the candles he was holding as he heard the scream.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Slayer Rec Room – Same Time
“Did you hear that?” Vi asked, looking back at Mia and Kennedy. “It sounded like it came from upstairs.”
“Dawn,” Kennedy muttered and shot to her feet. The younger slayers started to get up but Kennedy motioned them back down. “You guys stay put. We’ll check it out.”
Kennedy nodded to Vi, Jeff, and Mia. Then they followed her from the room.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Kitchen – Same Time
Dawn sat against the cabinet, the flashlight trembling as she sobbed. Jeff worked his way inside first, with Vi behind him.
“Oh god,” Vi whispered, as she saw Skye lying on the ground in a pool of blood. “What happened?”
Mia knelt down to bring Dawn to her feet, as the young woman still cried uncontrollably. Jeff walked over with his flashlight and put his fingers to Skye’s throat. “She’s dead,” he said softly after a few seconds. He turned around and faced Dawn. “Did you see who did this?” he asked.
“No, I-I came in a-and she was here…like this,” Dawn cried.
“We gotta break up the costume party,” Kennedy told the group, as she motioned them from the room. “Vi, will you take Dawn back to the rec room and then meet us at the dining room?” Vi nodded and Kennedy turned to Jeff. “Go with them and look after her, okay?”
“Sure thing,” Jeff answered. “C’mon Dawn,” he said gently.
Kennedy and Mia watched the pair practically carry Dawn down the hallway.
“What did this, Ken?” Mia asked.
“I don’t know, but let’s hope it didn’t find anyone else in here. C’mon.”
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Dining Room – Moments Later
Kennedy and Mia walked into the dining room to find it empty. “Where’d everyone go?” Kennedy asked impatiently, as she shined her flashlight around the room.
Mia pointed hers on the floor to find another pair of feet. “Over there,” she nodded.
The two worked their way over and Kennedy’s eyes widened as she saw Brell. “Oh Jesus,” she sighed, then she fell to her knees to check his pulse. “He’s not breathing,” she said, looking up.
“Where are the others at?” Mia asked.
“I don’t know, but we need to find them. Let’s get the generators going first though. We need some light in here, fast.”
“Agreed. I’ll look for them, and you go –”
“No,” Kennedy told her. “If there’s something in here, I don’t want you alone. We stick together.” Kennedy hit the button on her wireless radio. “Vi?” she called over.
“Yeah, Ken?”
“Stay put. We just found Brell, too. Mia and I are going to turn on the generators and we’ll come get you. Safety in numbers, okay?”
“No problem,” Vi replied.
Kennedy put the radio back on her hip and motioned Mia to follow her.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Kitchen – Same Time
Willow walked into the kitchen to see everyone standing there. “Another one?” she asked, seeing Skye on the floor.
“Yes, but it appears that he did it,” Giles said, pointing to Andrew.
“I told you, I found her this way,” he argued. “Being here first doesn’t make me a murderer.”
“I can see why everyone might want Mr. Boddy dead,” Robin answered. “But why the mansion staff? It makes no sense.”
“I suggest we take the latest casualty to the dining room,” Xander recommended to the room. “Let’s try to figure this out from a secured location. All in favor?”
“Aye,” Giles answered.
“Sure,” Rowena added.
“Certainly,” Robin agreed.
“Whatever,” Willow said with a shrug.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Slayer Rec Room – Same Time
“What’s going on?” one of the younger slayers asked Vi.
“We’ve got some people here hurt,” Vi lied. “Kennedy and Mia are going to see about getting the generators started so that we can search the building.”
One of the girls pointed over to the table where Dawn sat sipping some water as Jeff consoled her. “Skye got hurt, didn’t she?” the girl asked.
Vi licked her lips nervously. “Yeah, but you slayerettes will be okay here, so just stay together.” Vi began to look around the room. “I’ll be right back,” she told them. She walked over to the card table where Dawn and Jeff sat and saw Dawn’s bloodshot eyes. “I just thought of something. Have either of you seen Marsha?”
“She was supposed to be here. Oh God,” Dawn muttered, starting to rise.
“No,” Vi told her. “You stay here with Jeff. I’ll see if I can find her. When Mia and Ken get back, tell them I’ll meet them in the dining room.”
Before they could offer a protest, Vi left the room.
Cut To:
Ext.
Watchers Council Building – Same Time
The storm continued to pound on Mia and Kennedy. As Mia opened the gas tank of the generator, Kennedy readied the gallon jug.
“All set,” Mia yelled over the storm.
Kennedy lifted the funnel to the tank and had begun to pour it when another crash of lightning went off behind them.
“Standing out here with a bucket of gas isn’t very bright, is it?” Kennedy remarked.
“We don’t have much choice,” Mia answered.
The hood from Kennedy’s slicker fell back, and Mia righted it and wiped some of the rain from Kennedy’s face so that she could keep pouring. Once the can was empty, Kennedy closed the cap on the generator and Mia gave it a swift pull. Suddenly the lights inside the Council glowed. The two slayers gave each other a thumbs-up sign before running back toward the building.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Dining Room – Moments Later
The men carried Skye’s body inside and set it down next to Brell’s as everyone else took a weary seat.
“What are we going to do?” Faith asked.
“Call the police,” Robin told them, as he adjusted his tie.
“We can’t do that,” Giles answered.
“And why not?” Robin countered. “Have something to hide?”
“We all have something at stake here,” Willow argued. “I’ll never find work again if I’ve been involved in a double murder. Even if I didn’t do it.”
“She’s right,” Rowena answered. “I know with the scrutiny that I’ve faced this won’t be looked too kindly upon…for any of us, actually.”
“Then what’s the solution?” Xander asked.
They all turned to see Kennedy and Mia enter the room. Kennedy’s eyes scanned the room. She seemed to do a double-take at Willow in the tight dress, before shaking it off.
“Thank God, you’re all here. We’ve got a psycho killer on the loose,” Kennedy told them.
“We know,” they all answered in a sing-song voice.
Kennedy took a step closer to Willow, with a curious expression at how casual she sounded. “Skye’s dead and…lying right next to Brell?” she finished, as she noticed the two on the ground next to each other. “You moved her? Shouldn’t we call the police?”
Everyone shouted, “No!” except for Robin, who told her, “That’s what I said.”
Giles walked over to Kennedy. “We’re not sure who the young woman is, but we know that someone in this room killed Mr. Boddy. We need to find out who.”
Kennedy looked dumbfounded. “Giles, what the hell are you talking about?”
“Who’s Giles?” he asked.
Kennedy paused, appearing even more confused. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m sorry, Miss. My name is Professor Peter Plum. You must have mistaken me for someone else.”
Kennedy blinked slowly, three times, then shook her head before turning to Mia. “Care to jump in here?” she asked.
With an equally flabbergasted expression, Mia opened her mouth to speak, but just shrugged instead.
Cut To:
Int.
Watchers Council – Coven Room – Same Time
Vi looked inside to see Marsha with a cauldron at Willow’s workbench. With a relieved sigh, she opened the door and walked in.
“There you are,” Vi announced. She watched the young slayer jump and quirked an eyebrow. “What are you up to?” Vi asked.
“Nothing,” Marsha answered quickly, and began to walk toward the older slayer. “I see we got the power back. Let’s go see some videos.”
“Hold it, hotshot,” Vi said, grabbing Marsha by the arm as she tried to walk past her. “What were you doing in here?”
“Just some stuff. Stuff that would impress Andrew,” Marsha answered, trying to sound casual.
“Magics? Did you conjure something?” Vi asked impatiently.
“Maybe,” Marsha said guiltily.
Vi let out a deep sigh. “We’ve got to find Kennedy and Mia quick and tell them what’s going on.”
“Is something wrong?” Marsha asked.
“Brell’s dead. Skye’s dead. And maybe even other people at the Council, including your watcher.”
“What?” Marsha asked.
“Come on,” Vi said, pulling her from the room.
Black Out
End of Act Three