Episode 5 - Double Date
ACT THREE
INT. THE LOCKRIDGE MANSION/BALLROOM - NIGHT
Xander and Anya are standing away from the main crowd,
waiting for Willow and Tara, drinking some punch.
Willow and Tara enter urgently.
WILLOW
Ear! Ear!
XANDER
Ear?
WILLOW
Ear, here!
Willow shows Xander and Anya the ear Willow is
carrying by her fingertips.
ANYA
(matter of factly)
Ear..
XANDER
..got to be kidding me. Will, what
are you doing with.. I mean whose..
WILLOW
Some woman left it in the bathroom.
ANYA
So? Just leave it at the desk. She's
bound to notice her life in mono.
XANDER
An, again.. you and the point, not
in the same zip code.
TARA
Maybe we should leave.
XANDER
But.. the evening's just getting
started. I mean, so you find an ear.
Who hasn't done that? Let's deal
and, you know, move on.
WILLOW
I agree with Tara. Call me crazy
but, disembodied ears? Way too David
Lynchy for my taste.
M.C. (O.S.)
Time for our first unveiling of the
night. Will Table One please step up
to the stage.
Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya turn to the stage to
watch the proceedings. Amidst applause, a group of
people walk up to the stage to greet the M.C.
M.C.
So, what have you four come as
tonight?
PARTY GUEST
We've all come as accountants from
Florida.
Laughter and applause from the floor.
M.C.
Yes, very convincing. I like the
tan.
(to the floor)
What do you say? Give them a big
round of applause.
Xander, Willow and Tara share confused looks.
M.C.
Now, let's all see who we really
have in front of us.
The four on stage peels off their human masks to
reveal four red-eyed, green-skinned demons.
M.C.
Gisha demons! Well done. Everybody
please, let's show them our
appreciation.
More clapping as the four demons walk back to their
tables.
M.C.
Well, that was our first unveiling
for the night. Remember, we will
have our next unveiling in five
minutes, so table two, get ready for
your big moment.
ANGLE : XANDER, ANYA, TARA AND WILLOW
looking stunned.
WILLOW
Demons.
XANDER
(dropping his glass of
punch)
Oh God! Demon juice!
ANYA
Actually, I just think it needs more
sugar.
WILLOW
Xander, where did you get the
invite?
XANDER
I sorta stepped on to it by
mistake.. in a literal kinda way.
(off Willow's look)
Well, I didn't know. It didn't
exactly say, 'Halloween Ball - Come
dressed as your favourite snack'.
TARA
Oh God. The unveiling. What table
are we?
ANYA
Six.
XANDER
Maybe we should leave.
The four start heading towards the exit. We PAN UP to
see a banner over the door with the symbol that was on
the leaflet.
We prelap:
DAWN (V.O.)
I tell you I've seen it before
somewhere.
INT. GILES' APARTMENT - NIGHT
CLOSE ON : A ROUGH DRAWING OF THE SAME SYMBOL
WIDEN:
to reveal Dawn doodling the symbol on a piece of
paper. Buffy looks on.
BUFFY
This thing was on Xander's
invitation?
DAWN
Yeah. It's been bugging me all
night.
(then)
Oh! I remember.
Dawn goes to the laptop and starts clicking with the
mouse.
BUFFY
What are you doing?
DAWN
I remember seeing this on the net,
when I was online a few days ago.
BUFFY
You remember where?
DAWN
No, but the computer does. There's
this thing where you can bring up
all the sites you've visited in the
past few days.
ANGLE ON : COMPUTER SCREEN
as Dawn trawls through a few listings, bringing up the
web pages. She finally hits one and the symbol comes
up on screen. Giles enters.
DAWN
There!
BUFFY
What is it?
GILES
It's the mark of the Fellowship of
demons.
BUFFY
There's a fellowship? Like the
P.T.A?
(suddenly realising)
Wait! Giles, if that symbol was on
the leaflet then..
GILES
We better get there. Should I call
Christopher?
BUFFY
No time. I'm going to get some
weapons. Giles, go start up the car.
DAWN
What do I do?
BUFFY
Oh. We need you to arm up and come
with us while we face a horde of
blood-thirsty demons.
DAWN
Really?
BUFFY
No! Just stay here and don't let
anybody you don't recognise in.
Buffy exits to get some weapons. Giles heads to the
car. Dawn sits resigned at the laptop.
ANGLE ON : COMPUTER SCREEN
We see some peculiar listings near the bottom of the
History list. 'Dark Magic and Spells', 'Black Arts',
'Unholy Incantations and Spells', and the like.
ANGLE: DAWN
not noticing. She switches off the laptop.
INT. THE LOCKRIDGE MANSION/FOYER - NIGHT
Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya are at the front table
at the entrance to the mansion. The door in front of
them is locked. Door Guy is here.
DOOR GUY
You wish to leave?
XANDER
Yeah. Don't get us wrong. You've got
yourself a great party here but we
kinda need to fly.
DOOR GUY
I'm afraid you can't leave. It's
against the rules of the Ball.
Surely you know of the rules.
XANDER
Of course we know the rules. I mean,
what self-respecting demon would
turn up and not have read the rules.
It's just that.. um..
WILLOW
(trying to be evily)
We're hungry. Yeah. We're thirsting
for some human blood. We long for
the taste of that sweet, sticky
nectar at the back of our throats
because, you know, we're so evil.
XANDER
Yeah, we'll just go out, grab a bite
and come right back for the big
show.
DOOR GUY
Well, why didn't you say so earlier?
Of course we wouldn't force our
brothers to eat mortal food all
night.
(to Willow)
Come with me. We have a feeding room
where you can fill yourself up with
some fresh human flesh and blood.
WILLOW
(retreating)
I'm good.
An awkward beat. The Door Guy begins to eye the four
suspiciously.
DOOR GUY
What type of demons did you say you
were?
XANDER
That would be giving it away but I
assure you, we're this big evily
fire-breathing kinda demon.
WILLOW
Yeah, you don't wanna mess with us
cause we have a short temper and
we.. we could explode at any second.
Door guy looks at Tara.
ANGLE : TARA
as she can't help but smile nervously.
Willow notices and gives Tara a little tug. Tara tries
to act stern and mean but is not terribly convincing.
Door Guy turns to look at Anya.
ANYA
Oh I'm a vengeance demon. This is
just my weak, mortal form.
DOOR GUY
(to the four of them)
Maybe you should follow me upstairs
and we can sort this out.
WILLOW
(to Xander)
You know something, I think my
craving's all gone. Let's get back
to the party and kick some sand on
some of those other, weaker, lesser
demons.
The four start walking away nervously.
ANGLE : DOOR GUY
as he reaches for a phone.
DOOR GUY
(into the phone)
I think we have a problem.
INT. THE LOCKRIDGE MANSION/HALLWAY - NIGHT
Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya are cautiously searching
for an exit. It is a long hallway filled with closed
doors.
XANDER
Man, with so many doors you'd think
one of them would lead to an exit..
or at least a bathroom.
They are cautiously opening doors, checking to see
where they lead.
WILLOW
I'm happy so long as we don't find
the feeding room.
TARA
Yeah, it kinda gives a whole new
meaning to finger food.
A beat as the group absorbs this new mental image.
TARA
(off the looks)
Sorry.
Xander opens a door. He is startled by what he sees
inside. We hear a menacing growl.
XANDER
Sorry. You two just get back to
whatever you're.. doing. I mean, you
three..
Xander quickly closes the door.
XANDER
Man, this is just like senior prom.
The four reach the end of the hallway, turn a corner
and stops.
TARA
Haven't we been here before?
WILLOW
Looks like we've gone around in a
circle.
ANYA
(acerbic)
Xander, before we get devoured limb
by limb in a bloody orgy of feeding
and become nothing but a bad
aftertaste, I'd just like to thank
you for a wonderful evening. It's
nice to think that your idea of a
romantic night out includes a four-
course dinner. By the way, did you
want to be the entree or the
dessert?
XANDER
An, I'm sorry. But this isn't the
time to play 'Let's blame Xander'.
WILLOW
(snippily to Anya)
We have to focus on getting out of
here.
ANYA
(to Willow)
I think they'll probably save you
for last since you're the one most
likely to cause indigestion.
WILLOW
Hey. I happen to be very edible.
TARA
Yeah. She..
(on second thoughts,
quietly)
um.. doesn't need my moral support
here.
WILLOW
(to Anya)
Anyway, I don't know what you're
worried about. Wouldn't eating you
be kinda, you know, cannibalistic?
Willow and Anya in a glare-off.
XANDER
Guys.
TARA (O.S.)
Guys?..
(more urgently)
Guys!
They turn to look at Tara who is looking at a pack of
demons closing in on them.
The four take off in a rush. The demons follow. Big
chase scene.
The four are chased through various corridors and
rooms. Xander manages to topple a table over in front
of the demons, slowing them down a little.
INT. THE LOCKRIDGE MANSION/FOYER - NIGHT
The four end up back at the foyer where more demons
are waiting at the door. They see the four and begin
approaching them.
XANDER
(motioning to the stairs)
Quick! Up here.
Xander and Tara start running up the stairs but the
demons cut off Willow and Anya.
WILLOW
(gesturing to a hallway)
This way!
Willow and Anya rush down the hallway being chased by
demons while Tara and Xander are similarly being
chased upstairs.
ANGLE : TARA AND XANDER
as they race down a hallway. They turn a few corners
but reach a dead end. There's a blue door in front of
them. Xander opens it. Tara and Xander looks terrified
at what they're seeing.
REVERSE ANGLE:
to reveal the back of three demons munching on
something. One of them turns around and grins.
XANDER
(nervously)
Trick or Treat?
Xander and Tara turn to go back but are faced with the
four demons that were chasing them. They smile.
BLACKOUT
END OF ACT THREE
CONTINUE TO ACT FOUR