Destiny-1DV01
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     27     EXT. ST. LOUIS I CEMETERY - NIGHT                          27

            It's as if we passed through the book into the cemetery. A
            pattern - the same one from the book - has been intricately laid
            out on the grass with lit candles all around it, flickering in
            the strong night wind.

            TOP VIEW of Mama Tamara, who's in the middle of the ritual
            circle, the book we saw earlier in front of her, shaking a gourd
            and chanting.

            She looks up at the tomb of Marie Laveau in front of her and
            starts to chant louder and louder. The wind picks up and it
            starts to rain.

            ANGLE - HER POV

            She's still looking at the tomb of Marie Laveau. Suddenly,
            someone steps in front of her. Mama Tamara looks up into the
            feral face of a VAMPIRE THUG.

                                VAMPIRE THUG 1
                      Now what's a nice old lady like
                      you doing alone in a cemetery at
                      night?

            She doesn't answer

                                VAMPIRE THUG 1 (CONT'D)
                      Well, actually I don't care. I'm
                      just going to kill ya.

            He advances on her, but HISSES in fear as she brandishes a cross
            in front of his face - A FLASH OF LIGHTNING etches this image
            into our memory.

                                MAMA TAMARA
                      Get away, foul being of the
                      night!

            A crash of THUNDER sounds - it starts to rain harder.

            She backs up, but only succeeds in stepping right into the
            clutches of another VAMPIRE THUG, who roughly takes her wrist
            and bends it forcing the cross to fall.

            By now, three more VAMPIRES surround Mama Tamara, as she
            struggles to break free from the vamp that holds her.

            ANGLE: DAWN

            is walking amongst the tombs. Eerily reminiscent of her dream,
            Dawn walks from shadow to shadow, fear showing in her eyes.
            Trailing her, careful to keep to the shadows, is a figure
            dressed in black.

            Suddenly, she hears something and cautiously peers around the
            next tomb.

            ANGLE - HER POV

            The vampires have formed a tight circle around Mama Tamara,
            who's still struggling in the clutches of one of the vamps. The
            first vampire walks right up to the Mambo:

                                VAMPIRE THUG 1
                      Where do you think you're going?

            Mama Tamara doesn't answer, and the vamp doesn't wait for one.
            With the indifference a butcher might show to slaughtering a
            cow, the vampire snaps her neck and lets her dead body fall to
            the ground.

            Dawn calls out in shock at the sudden death and starts to
            scamper back, but only succeeds in falling down.

            The VAMPS all swivel round in Dawn's direction. Their erstwhile
            leader kicks the dead body out of his way.

                                VAMPIRE THUG 1 (CONT'D)
                      Go. Kill anything that moves.

            ON DAWN, unable to move - she's in shock - as

            LIGHTNING FLASHES and THUNDER SOUNDS

                                                                 BLACK OUT.

                                   END OF ACT TWO

                                      ACT THREE

     28     EXT. ST. LOUIS I CEMETERY - NIGHT                          28

            It's pouring now, the rain drenching Dawn as she huddles next to
            the broken corner of a tomb. This is her nightmare come to life -
            the vampires are getting closer.

            A FLASH OF LIGHTNING suddenly lets us see a vampire standing
            over Dawn. He ROARS inhumanly, about to pounce. Dawn covers her
            face with her arms to protect herself, but...

            HE'S DUST

            And the man from The Boot, NIKOLAI SEVRUK, stands over her - the
            rain dripping down his leather jacket. Tall, with light brown
            hair and brown eyes, Nikolai's a 25-year-old Russian national
            with the whole "cryptic guy in black" thing going full time. He
            speaks without an accent, but he sometimes has a curious,
            distinctly Eastern European inflection.

                                NIKOLAI
                      Come on.

            He pulls her to her feet and starts to Drag dawn out of the
            cemetery. Dawn is still staring at the dead mambo, until Nikolai
            rather harshly spins her around.

                                NIKOLAI (CONT'D)
                      She's dead and you dying won't
                      bring her back. This way...

            That snaps Dawn out of it somewhat. She pulls her arm free of
            his - glares at him - and follows him.

     29     INT. AMY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM/DINING ROOM - NIGHT         29

            The room is cozy right now - there's even a fire in the hearth.
            It's a stark contrast to the horrible storm outside. Books are
            stacked all over the room, on tables and shelves, and an already
            used tea set sits on the coffee table.

            Part of our gang is here - Dawn, Willow, and Amy. The rest are
            elsewhere at the moment. Willow is sitting at the dining room
            table, adjacent to the living room, searching for something on
            her laptop.

            Amy is sitting in a chair, talking on the phone, occasionally
            referencing a book sitting in her lap. She looks exhausted -
            she's obviously been doing this for a while.

                                AMY
                          (into the phone)
                      Yes I know. Rupert, we've already
                      gone over this.

            A beat as Giles answers.

                                AMY (CONT'D)
                      Listen, us debating translations
                      doesn't help the situation.

            Amy glances up and notices Willow beckoning him.

                                AMY (CONT'D)
                      Look, I have to go. Willow's
                      found something. Yes I'll keep
                      you informed. Goodbye.

            She hangs up the phone and walks over to where willow is typing
            into her laptop, but before she can read anything, there's a
            KNOCK at the front door. Amy goes to answer it...

     30     INT. AMY'S HOUSE - FOYER - NIGHT                           30

            Whosever is outside is still knocking. Amy crosses to the door.

                                AMY
                      I'm coming, I'm coming.

            She unlocks and opens the door. A very wet Jake and Suzi stand
            on the stoop. They walk right in and get right to the point.

                                JAKE
                      She's gone.

                                AMY
                          (shutting the door behind
                           them)
                      Who exactly?

                                SUZI
                      Dawn. We went back to the dorm to
                      get her, but she wasn't there.

                                AMY
                      That's not so unusual.

                                SUZI
                      But none of her books were there.
                      She never came back from class.

                                AMY
                      Okay. Did you check the library?

                                SUZI 
                      Uh huh.

                                AMY
                      The Boot?

                                JAKE
                      Yeah. There too.

                                AMY
                      The last time I saw her, she was
                      heading into the alleyways behind
                      The Boot.

            Willow enters the foyer.

                                WILLOW
                      And there was no telling of this,
                      why?

                                AMY
                      Well, It seemed as if she needed
                      to blow off some steam. I didn't
                      expect her to go and get herself
                      lost in the French Quarter.

                                JAKE
                      So what do we do? From what I've
                      heard so far, fighting vampires
                      without a slayer is like
                      suicide... but bad.

                                SUZI
                          (what?)
                      Jake, you're car-guy.

                                AMY
                      Then stop standing around here
                      and go look for her.

                                JAKE
                      Okey-doke. Let's go search, in
                      the pouring rain, for a supergirl
                      who doesn't want to be found...
                          (off their looks)
                      Fine, let's get this party started.

            With that, Jake and Suzi open the door and head out into the
            pouring rain.

                                WILLOW
                      You need to see this...

     31     INT. ABANDONED BUILDING - NIGHT.                           31

            The ground floor of this building is filled with exposed girders
            and construction equipment - some covered in plastic drop
            cloths. The sound of the RAIN is muffled in here, but it's
            obviously still pouring outside.

            Dawn and Nikolai are inside. Nikolai is standing next to one of
            the boarded up windows. He peers out into the street.

            ANGLE - HIS POV

            The cemetery is right across the street - some vague movement
            can be seen inside - the vamps are still searching.

            Dawn, shivering from the rain, sits in a metal fold out chair
            next to a tipped-over card table. Nikolai, satisfied with the
            situation outside turns around - he notices her shivering, takes
            off his leather jacket, and hands it to her:

                                NIKOLAI
                      You're freezing. Here.

                                DAWN
                      Thanks.

            Dawn puts the jacket around her shoulders and hugs herself for
            warmth.

                                DAWN (CONT'D)
                      Who are you?

                                NIKOLAI
                      It doesn't matter.

            Nikolai goes to peer out of the window again.

                                DAWN
                      How did you find me?

                                NIKOLAI
                      Shhhh! They're still out there. 

            Dawn's getting nothing out of him. She stands up and begins to
            walk around the abandoned building. She doesn't want to face
            what's happened, so she tries again.

                                DAWN
                      Who was she, and why was she
                      there, in a cemetery, at night?

                                NIKOLAI
                      Hah! A Slayer asks that question.

            Dawn lets that pass.

                                DAWN
                      Okay, I get it. You have the
                      whole 'cryptic guy in black'
                      thing going. Just answer my
                      question. Who was she?

            Dawn turns her back on Nikolai as she stares at the burnt-out
            remains of a fireplace.

                                NIKOLAI
                      She was a Voodoo Priestess - a
                      Mambo. She was performing a
                      Voodoo ritual. Certainly you knew
                      that? You are supposed to be the
                      smart one. Put it all together. I
                      know you're not stupid.

            Dawn's had enough of this routine. She spins around to give him
            a piece of her mind, but he's gone.

            A moment, then:

                                DAWN
                          (darkly)
                      He just had to vanish.
                          (beat)
                      Typical.

     32     EXT. THE FRENCH QUARTER - NIGHT                            32

            The streets of the French Quarter, unique and beautiful in the
            light, take on a sinister, almost Gothic feeling, at night. The
            pouring rain drips off the wrought-iron balconies overlooking
            the sidewalks like a series of waterfalls.

            Dawn is walking alone down this particular street - she's still
            wearing Nikolai's coat - but that doesn't stop her from being
            drenched.

            WE TRACK with Dawn until she reaches a phone booth - you know,
            one of those old fashioned kinds with the glass doors.

            CLOSE ON: DAWN

            as she enters the phone booth, picks up the phone and starts to
            dial an international phone number. We hear the SOUND OF THE
            RINGER, before anyone picks up.

                                BUFFY (O.S.)
                          (filtered)
                      Hello?

            Dawn doesn't say anything.

                                BUFFY (O.S.) (CONT'D)
                      Hello? Is anyone there?

                                DAWN
                          (into phone)
                      Buffy.

                                BUFFY
                      Dawn? You sound terrible. Are you
                      alright?

                                DAWN
                      Buffy... I...

            Dawn doesn't finish her sentence as the lights of an SUV flood
            the phone booth and draw closer. Dawn drops the receiver and
            tries to make out who is driving the SUV - which has stopped,
            winshield wipers on full blast, right next to the phone booth.

            We can just make out Jake driving and Suzi riding shotgun. He
            beckons to Dawn. Buffy's voice can still be heard on the phone
            as Dawn exits the phone booth and enters the back door of the
            car.

                                BUFFY (O.S.)
                          (filtered)
                      Dawn? Dawn? Hello?

     33     INT. DAWN'S DORM ROOM - NIGHT.                             33

            The room looks really inviting now - it's lit only by the
            bedside lamps. We can still hear the drizzle of rain outside,
            but it's not pouring any more.

            CLOSE ON: A TEAPOT

            It's on a hotplate in the corner of the room. Steam starts to
            jet up from the spout as the teapot WHISTLES loudly.

            We FOLLOW the teapot as Willow's hand grabs the handle and
            brings it over to Dawn's desk, where two mugs sit with tea bags
            in them. She pours the hot water and then leaves, REVEALING DAWN
            sitting on her bed, wrapped in a blanket.

            Willow fixes the tea with some milk and sugar and bring the mugs
            over to Dawn's bed. She hands Dawn her mug and sits next to her.

                                WILLOW
                      I made it just the way you like
                      it - a little milk and some
                      sugar.

            Dawn smiles at this but doesn't respond.

                                WILLOW (CONT'D)
                      You want to talk about it?

                                DAWN
                      You wouldn't understand.

                                WILLOW
                      I wouldn't understand what?
                      Suddenly having a power you're
                      not sure if you can control?
                      Having your life change in a
                      split second, because some power
                      that be made it that way?
                          (beat)
                      Dawn, when I first started using
                      magic, I was so scared. I was
                      doing things that no one else
                      could do and I didn't have anyone
                      to talk to about it. Buffy had
                      disappeared and Giles was busy
                      looking for her.

            Willow takes a sip of her tea.

                                WILLOW (CONT'D)
                      Dawnie, you're really lucky. You
                      have some amazing new friends,
                      and some old ones too, that you
                      can talk to and family who can
                      support you. You just have to let
                      us in.

            Dawn looks at Willow and starts to cry.

                                DAWN
                      It's not supposed to be this way.
                      I wasn't a slayer, and you know
                      what, I didn't want to be one. I
                      had my own talents. I was going
                      to college, Willow. I was going
                      to be away from all this.

                                WILLOW
                      Dawn...

                                DAWN
                      I was trying to get away. So I
                      walked and walked, and guess
                      where I end up? At a cemetery.

            Amidst the tears, Dawn manages to smile at the irony.

                                DAWN (CONT'D)
                      I was in the St. Louis I cemetery
                      and there were vampires there.
                      They surrounded this old Voodoo
                      woman who was praying there, and
                      they killed her.
                          (beat)
                      I couldn't do anything, Will. I
                      was frozen in place. An innocent
                      person died today because of me
                      and I don't think I can deal.

                                WILLOW
                      You're going to get through this.
                      'Cause look what you've had to
                      deal with in your life - Glory,
                      Buffy dying, crazy evil Willow 
                      me.

            Dawn lays her head down in Willow's lap and continues to cry as
            we start to PULL BACK.

                                DAWN
                      I just wanted to be normal Dawn
                      for once.

                                                               DISSOLVE TO:

     34     INT. AMY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - LATER                     34

            It's later the same night - about 1:00 in the morning, and
            Dawn's finally here. Willow is on her laptop, looking up
            something, while Suzi and Tori are pouring through an old tome
            on the floor. Pete's gone back to his room, while Dawn is
            lifelessly paging through a book.

            Jake enters the room through the front door, brandishing a box
            of donuts and a tray of coffee cups.

                                JAKE
                      How is it that we've all known
                      each other for exactly two days,
                      yet I'm already the gopher?

            Suzi looks up from her research.

                                SUZI
                      It's your defining trait.
                          (takes the donut box)
                      You better have gotten chocolate
                      glazed...
                          (sees the donut with glee)
                      See Jake, what happiness you
                      bring?

            Jake puts the coffee down on one of the desks and picks up a
            random book - it's upside down.

                                JAKE
                      Yeah, yeah. I can be research guy
                      too.
                          (re: the book)
                      Huh? This isn't English

            Jess, who's reading nearby, takes the book out of Jake's hand,
            turns it right side up and gives it back to him.

                                JESS
                      Don't worry. Never happened.

            After a moment of frustration, Jake slams the book down on the
            table.

                                JAKE
                      How can you all be so casual
                      about this?

                                SUZI
                      It's only a donut run, Jake...

                                JAKE
                      No. Forget about that. Our lives
                      are overturned in a matter of
                      hours by a bunch of people we
                      don't even know, and we just take
                      it?

                                TORI
                      Jake, look at it this way. We can
                      pretend that what's happened
                      never happened and stand by while
                      the shit hits the fan, or we can
                      deal with it and do something
                      about it.

                                JAKE
                      Yeah. Die like those poor schlubs
                      at the party.

            He slumps down in a chair.

                                JAKE (CONT'D)
                          (to himself)
                      Mom and Dad said go to Stanford
                      or USC, maybe even go cross
                      country to NYU.
                          (louder)
                      No, I had to come to New Orleans
                      and get my own personal Zombie
                      Hole.

            Defeated, Jake closes his eyes and slumps deeper into the chair.

            After a moment, Tori sees something in the book she's just
            picked up, and turns to Dawn.

                                TORI 
                      Dawn, where did you say the Mambo
                      was praying?

                                DAWN
                      It was less praying and more
                      dancing and gourd shaking.
                          (off her look)
                      In the cemetery, by a tomb.

                                TORI
                      Which tomb? Do you know?

                                DAWN
                          (thinks)
                      It had all these little marks on
                      it - like crosses.

            Jess looks up from her work. It looks like she's been crying.

                                JESS
                      That's the tomb of Marie Laveau,
                      the Voodoo Queen.

                                DAWN
                      You okay?

                                JESS
                      I knew her - Mama Tamara. That's
                      all...

            Suzi looks over at Tori, and a look of comprehension crosses
            between them.

                                SUZI
                      The history section.

                                TORI
                      Of the library.

                                AMY
                      What now?

                                TORI
                      The new history section in the
                      library - the one you helped get
                      funding for, Professor.

                                SUZI 
                      I'm sure there's information on
                      Marie Laveau's tomb.

                                TORI
                      At least more info than we have
                      here.

                                AMY
                      By all means go. I'm this close
                      to researching cabbage at the
                      moment.

            Suzi and puts down what she's doing and walks over to Jake. She
            pulls the book out of his hand and starts to walk to the door
            with Tori.

                                SUZI
                      Come on. You're driving us to the
                      library.

            Jake sighs, stands up, and follows them.

                                JAKE
                      I better get a present for this.

     35     INT. TULANE LIBRARY REFERENCE ROOM - LATER                 35

            Suzi, Jake, and Tori are sitting in the library's research room.
            There are only two other people sitting reading in here and no
            reference librarians - it is almost 2 in the morning.

            Tori and Suzi are reading and taking notes from some books,
            while Jake is looking something up in one of the encyclopedias.
            He finishes what he's doing and walks over to the other two.

                                JAKE
                          (sitting on the table)
                      Either of you guys want anything
                      from the machines? I could use
                      some water.

                                TORI
                          (distracted)
                      No thanks.

                                SUZI
                      A bottle of water would be great.

                                JAKE
                      Be right back.

            WE FOLLOW Jake as he heads through the stacks and through a pair
            of double doors into:

     36     INT. LIBRARY HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS                          36

            It's a dimly lit hallway with a couple of vending machines and a
            water fountain. A janitor mops the hallway in the b.g. looking
            absolutely bored with his job.

            Jake heads over to the soda machine and looks at the choices. He
            puts some coins in the slot.

                                JAKE
                          (to himself; pressing the
                           water button)
                      One bottle of cleverly disguised
                      tap water for Suzi...

            The bottle comes out the slot at the bottom. Jake gets it and
            puts some more coins in for himself.

                                JAKE (CONT'D)
                      For me... Coke, Sprite. Sprite,
                      Coke.
                          (beat; presses the root beer
                           button)
                      Root Beer.

            Jake gets his root beer, cracks the top, and begins to drink as
            he heads back into:

     37     INT. TULANE LIBRARY REFERENCE ROOM - CONTINUOUS            37

            Jake heads back through the stacks, humming an obscure rock tune
            to himself.

                                JAKE
                      Hey Suz! I got your...

            He reaches the table where Suzi and Tori were working - all
            their notes and stuff are still there, but their chairs are
            toppled over and the girls are nowhere to be found - so are the
            guys who were reading earlier.

                                JAKE (CONT'D)
                      Suzi? Tori?

            Jake rummages through their notes for a second. He sees
            something interesting written down:

            INSERT - SUZI'S NOTEBOOK

            is filled with notes taken throughout the day, but one written
            in green and circled attracts notice: Tomb of Marie Laveau -
            Voodoo Rituals - The History of Voodoo in New Orleans. The last
            part is crossed out in red, the words 'On Loan' are written
            beneath them in Suzi's handwriting. Jake takes this in for a
            second.

            Then:

                                SUZI (O.S.)
                          (screams)
                      Jake! Help!

            Suzi starts to scream from somewhere O.S. Her scream is abruptly
            cut short as someone or something silences her. Jake drops
            everything in his hands and runs as fast as he can to the
            library exit.

     38     EXT. HOWARD-TILTON MEMORIAL LIBRARY - MOMENTS LATER        38

            Jake comes bursting out of the library and looks all around for
            some sign of the girls. He sees something to his right and runs
            off.

            As Jake rounds the corner of the library, he sees the girls,
            unconscious, being dragged by the two men who were sitting in
            the library earlier - except they're not men, they're TWO VAMPS.

            JAKE -- runs at the two vamps, trying to hit them. But, come on,
            they're vampires, and VAMP #1 BACKHANDS Jake and sends him
            flying into a nearby garbage can.

            CLOSE ON: JAKE

            As he slides into unconsciousness, his nose bleeding and his
            shirt ripped up.

                                                              SMASH CUT TO:

     39     INT. AMY'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM/DINING ROOM - NIGHT         39

            The rest of our gang, looking exhausted and none the better for
            it, are each sitting somewhere in the room. In fact, the only
            person still awake is Amy - she's leafing through a leather
            bound book and sipping a cup of tea.

            Dawn and Willow are sitting on opposite sides of Amy's diner
            table, both having fallen asleep on top of books. Jess is lying
            on the sofa, a book in her lap.

            Suddenly, we HEAR the sound of a CAR PULLING UP, it's ENGINE
            TURNING OFF, and it's DOOR OPENING and SLAMMING SHUT. In
            seconds, Jake, bloodied and bruised, rushes into the house and
            SLAMS the door behind him - waking everyone up.

                                AMY
                      Jake? What...

                                JAKE
                          (out of breath)
                      They've got them. The vampires
                      have Suzi and they have Tori.

                                DAWN
                      What? How?

                                JAKE
                      We were in the library... I went
                      to get a drink from the machines.
                      When I got back they were gone.

            Willow goes and gets Jake a glass of water from the kitchen.

                                JAKE (CONT'D)
                          (sitting down)
                      I followed their screaming
                      outside and saw two vamps
                      dragging them away.

                                WILLOW
                          (gives Jake a glass of water)
                      Here.

                                JAKE
                          (drinks)
                      Thanks.

                                AMY
                      Were they dead?

                                JAKE
                      How can you even ask that?!

                                AMY
                      It's rather important.

                                JAKE
                      Rather important? This is the
                      life of one of my childhood
                      friends we're talking about.

                                DAWN
                          (somber)
                      And my roommate.

                                AMY
                      Jacob, get a hold of yourself.
                          (crouches in front of Jake)
                      Were they still alive?

                                JAKE
                      Well before I got slammed into a
                      garbage can, yeah, I think they
                      were still breathing.

                                JESS
                      Well then there's still a chance.
                      From what I've read, If a vampire
                      doesn't kill you right off, then
                      they're either going to eat you
                      later or use you for something, I
                      don't know, bigger.

                                JAKE
                          (sardonically)
                      Thanks. That made me feel so much
                      better.

                                WILLOW
                      The vamps must have taken them
                      for a reason. A ritual?

                                JAKE
                          (to himself)
                      Tomb of Marie Laveau. Voodoo
                      Rituals. The History of Voodoo in
                      New Orleans.

            Dawn seems to be the only one that just heard this.

                                DAWN
                      Jake, what did you just say?

                                JAKE
                      Huh? I said... something about
                      Voodoo rituals?

                                DAWN
                      Yes, and...?

                                JAKE
                          (as if recalling a dream)
                      The History of Voodoo in New
                      Orleans.
                          (beat)
                      I think I read that off Suzi's
                      notes in the library. But it's a
                      no go. Someone's already borrowed
                      the book.

            Their one lead gone already. The group rapidly deflates as
            reality sinks in.

            Jess, however, doesn't look at all defeated. She stands up and
            reaches for her bag, then opens it and pulls out a large,
            leather bound tome titled The History of Voodoo in New Orleans.

                                JESS
                          (off their looks)
                      I've actually been reading it for
                      an independent study project.

                                AMY
                          (curious)
                      On Voodoo? Hmmm...

            Jess rapidly pages through the book until she finds what she's
            looking for.

                                JESS 
                      Bingo.

                                JAKE
                      Yeah. It was his name-oh. What?

                                JESS
                          (still reading)
                      The reason New Orleans has been
                      vamp free for over a century is
                      because of a Voodoo spell placed
                      on the tomb of the Queen of
                      Voodoo, Marie Laveau. The
                      weakening of the spell will lift
                      the protections from the city...
                          (beat; looks up)
                      The destruction of the spell will
                      bring about the end of times.

                                AMY
                      Of course. I should have...
                      damnit.

            Amy pulls a book out of one of her shelves and flips to a page.
            She reads and then looks at the group, her face very grave.

                                AMY (CONT'D)
                      In order to break a spell of this
                      type... The ritual requires the
                      life-blood of two females.

            The import of this sinks in immediately - Suzi and Tori are
            going to be sacrifices. We're on everyone's EXPRESSIONS as we...

                                                                 BLACK OUT.

                                  END OF ACT THREE
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