Episode 17 - Timeless
TIMELESS
ACT ONE
EXT. SUNNYDALE STREET - DAY (DAY ONE)
ANGLE ON : CAT LADY'S HOUSE
creepy and silent.
We WIDEN to reveal a lemonade stand in the foreground
on the kerb by the road. We see two girls sitting
patiently by the stand, waiting for their next
customers. There is a jug and several cups on a table
in front of them.
ANGLE ON : THE TWO BUDDING ENTREPENEURS
looking fairly glum at the lack of business.
LEMONADE GIRL #1
(to her companion)
I told you this street was quiet. No
one ever passes through here.
LEMONADE GIRL #2
My mom told me we had to set up
within a block of our house, so..
LEMONADE GIRL #1
(poutily)
I'm sure Jessie and Kate are raking
in the money. I heard they were
actually gonna wear their cheerleader
uniforms!
LEMONADE GIRL #2
Lemonady Tarts!
Girl #1 notices someone approaching and gently bumps
girl #2 with her elbow. They smile cheerfully at..
ANGLE : CAT LADY
a pleasant-looking old lady, carrying a cat in her
arms.
LEMONADE GIRL #1
Would you like some lemonade? It's
for a good cause.
The cat lady smiles and drops her cat to the ground.
It scurries off.
CAT LADY
Why how can I resist two such lovely
young ladies?
She takes a cup of lemonade and drinks it.. in one
long gulp, and rather voraciously. The two girls share
a look. The cat lady finishes the drink and places the
cup on the table.
CAT LADY
Better.
LEMONADE GIRL #2
Thirsty much?
Cat lady smiles.. somewhat creepily.
LEMONADE GIRL #1
Another?
Cat lady nods. The girl pours her another cup and
hands it over, then notices something in the cup..
ANGLE ON : CUP
a dead fly in the drink.
LEMONADE GIRL #1
(reaching out for the cup)
Oh God, I'm sorry. I'll just get
you..
CAT LADY
No matter.
The cat lady drinks the lemonade, fly and all. The two
girls share a look. The cat lady puts down the cup and
wipes her mouth with relish.
CAT LADY
Well, that was lovely. And you two
are simply adorable. How much do I
owe you?
LEMONADE GIRL #2
Um...
Suddenly, we see the pitcher and the glasses begin to
lightly tremble, causing ripples in the lemonade.
LEMONADE GIRL #1
What's going on?
CAT LADY
(smiling)
Oh, that's nothing dear. Nothing for
you to worry your pretty heads about.
We TILT down slowly to look at the road. We go to
BLACK for a beat. We hear a mechanical sound, getting
louder and louder.
INT. GENERAL'S MANSION - DAY
from BLACK, we DOLLY down from the ceiling (as if
we've travelled from the road, through the ground and
into the mansion).
We see two youngish-looking vamps breaking into a
wall. One vamp has a pickaxe and the other holds a
jackhammer of sorts, using it to dig into a large hole
in the wall. It is very dusty and loud here and the
two vamps are wearing ear-muffs. Harmony enters,
covering her ears. She tries calling the vamps but her
voice is drowned out by the sound of the jackhammer.
She comes up to the vamps and taps them on their
shoulders.
HARMONY
(yelling to the two vamps)
Hey! Noisy and noisier.
The vamps turn around and see Harmony. The vamp with
the jackhammer shuts it off. The deafening sound dies
down.
HARMONY
You know, I realise we're all like,
you know, undead around here, but we
still need our beauty sleep.
Harmony takes a second look at the vamp with the
jackhammer.
HARMONY
Some more than others.
JACKHAMMER VAMP
Stick it Harm!
HARMONY
Well, well. I didn't realise they
were having a sale on spines today.
Should have called me. I would have
picked out something more of a fit
for you.. you know, something more
bendy.
Jackhammer vamp snarls angrily. Harmony takes her
first good look at the hole in the wall.
HARMONY
What's going on here?
(smiles excitedly)
Wait, are we finally putting in a
jacuzzi?
PICKAXE VAMP
What?
HARMONY
Well, this place needs something
bright and bubbly.. you know,
something besides all the death and
the scheming. Everything's so dark
and depressing down here. And
besides, I hear that too much evil is
murder for your skin.
(off the vamps' looks)
Oh I know! 'Evil is its own reward'..
blah, blah. But, you know, there's
nothing in the manual which says you
can't have a little fun on the way.
Ooh! Maybe we could like put in one
of those karaoke machines. I hear
those things are really taking off
top-side.
JACKHAMMER VAMP
What do I look like? A freakin'
suggestion box.
HARMONY
There's no need to take that tone
with me 'Neville'. It wasn't that
long ago that you were following me
around like a lost puppy, trying to
get me to go steady with you.
NEVILLE
I've changed. Or haven't you noticed?
HARMONY
Well, I've changed too. I'm a vamp
just like you.
NEVILLE
(contemptuously)
You're not a vamp. You're a Harmony.
You'll always be a Harmony. A sheep
in wolf's clothing.
PICKAXE VAMP
(snickering)
Good one dude.
HARMONY
(to Neville)
That's very profound Mr 290 Verbal on
the S.A.T.
(off Neville's look; faux
sorry)
Oops! I'm sorry. Didn't mean to bring
up such a high number in front of
your Math score. Don't wanna give it
a complex or anything.
NEVILLE
Screw you Harm.
HARMONY
(all puffed up)
You know, I would be more careful
about what you say to me if I were
you. I happen to carry a lot of
weight around here. Me and the
General? We're like this.
After a little effort, Harmony crosses her fingers to
show to the two vamps. The two vamps turn to each
other and share a disdainful laugh. Harm crosses her
arms petulantly. The two vamps turn back to look at
her and their expressions immediately change. They
start to back away a little.
HARMONY
(noticing; happier)
See.. That's better. All I'm asking
for is a little respect from you
people. I mean, I'm a big, bad vamp
now and it's about time people
started treating me like one.
The two vamps silently bow their heads.
HARMONY
(growing in confidence)
Yeah! This is the new Harmony you're
dealing with. From now on, I'll be
the one walking over everyone else.
I'll be the one deciding what to do
with my life and I'm totally not the
reason you guys are backing away am
I?
We WIDEN to reveal Solomon standing behind Harmony..
towering over her. Harmony nervously turns around,
looks up at Solomon and smiles meekly. He looks at her
suspiciously; menacingly. A nervous beat.
HARMONY
(smile)
Okay.. bye.
Harmony runs off-screen. Solomon takes a good look at
the departing Harmony for a beat, then turns his
attention back to the two vamps in front of him. He
steps forward.
SOLOMON
Is it done?
Neville turns to the hole, then reaches in and pulls
some rubble out of the way. He stands back away from
the hole. Solomon walks closer and takes a look in.
ANGLE ON : WALL
In the centre of the hole, buried in stone and dirt,
we see a large hand reaching out, frozen in time. A
dim blue glow occasionally sparking around it.
ANGLE : SOLOMON
looking at the hand.
EXT. UNIVERSITY OF SUNNYDALE LIBRARY - DAY
to establish.
INT. UNIVERSITY OF SUNNYDALE LIBRARY - DAY
ANGLE ON : A CLOCK ON THE WALL
The second hand ticking slowly by.
We PAN down to a table where we see a bored looking
guy looking up at the clock. He looks down to his
books. We PAN down to his large textbook - 'Principles
of Equity and Trusts'.
From here, we slowly PAN down the length of the table,
focusing on each of the textbooks in front of their
owners as we do. From a Chemistry text, to History, to
Mathematics.. We end on an empty space on the table. A
pile of books are suddenly placed into frame. A couple
of the titles we can see read 'Rituals of
Restorations' and 'The Arcane Powers of Blyh'.
TILT up to reveal Willow, sitting in a chair in front
of the table. She opens one of the books and begins to
go through it.
It is very quiet in the library. We hear some low
whispering and the general sounds of studying.
The girl sitting next to Willow takes a curious look
over at her and what she's reading. Willow notices and
looks over to her. The girl looks away, then packs up
and leaves.
Willow looks at the departing stranger for a beat,
before being distracted by the sounds of quiet
laughing. She turns to look.
REVERSE ANGLE : A COUPLE
laughing quietly in a corner, near the exit. They are
shooshed. The two laugh a little more, then head out
through the main glass library doors, hand in hand. We
can see through the glass doors that it is extremly
sunny outside.
Willow looks back down disconsolately and starts
flipping through the book. We hear the sound of
library doors opening off-screen, the only real sound
in the library. Willow looks up..
REVERSE ANGLE : STUDENTS
walking into the library, their features hidden by the
strong sunlit backlight behind them.
Willow looks back down, flips through another page.
Again, we hear the sound of the library doors opening
off-screen. Willow looks up again.
REVERSE ANGLE : TARA
entering the library, her features slightly hidden by
the strong sunlit backlight behind her. A crowd of
people walk in front of shot, blocking Tara out.
ANGLE : WILLOW
her face immediately lightening up, her eyes widening.
She begins to stand up.
REVERSE ANGLE : STUDENTS
walking out of Willow's way to reveal a female
student, looking a little like Tara but quite
obviously not her. She sees someone and walks off-
screen.
ANGLE : WILLOW
as the realisation sinks in. She gradually realises a
few people staring at her and she quietly sits back
down. She looks down at the table in front of her..
her eyes idly wandering around, then focusing on
something.
REVERSE ANGLE : A PEN ON THE DESK
ANGLE : WILLOW
as she focuses on it, concentrating hard.
REVERSE ANGLE : A PEN ON THE DESK
as we slowly PUSH IN on it.
ANGLE : WILLOW
PUSH IN on her eyes.
CLOSE ON : THE PEN
as nothing happens for a beat. Then, it bobbles and
then starts to roll by itself.. slowly off the table
and landing onto the floor. The sound resonating
through the quiet building.
ANGLE : WILLOW
looking down at the pen on the floor. She bends down
and picks it up. She holds it in front of her face,
looking hard at it.. deep in thought.
BLACKOUT
END OF TEASER
CONTINUE TO ACT ONE