[Transcript of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" episode Nightmares at buffyology.com.]
In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.
The camera pans through the chamber and over to the entrance where BUFFY is quietly making her way in, stake in hand. She stops and takes a look around. Slowly she makes her way down to the floor below. She raises the stake to the ready.
Reveal the MASTER hiding behind a pillar out of sight. Buffy continues into the lair, spins around and raises the stake when she senses the Master behind her. He hisses loudly and Buffy freezes with fear, dropping the stake. She slowly retreats as the Master advances on her. When she can't retreat any further she cowers as the Master reaches out with his hand and clasps it around her neck. Terrified, she closes her eyes as he lowers his head to her neck.
No! No!
Buffy is having a nightmare. Her mother, JOYCE, is sitting on the edge of her bed trying to shake her awake.
No...
Yes.
Buffy wakes suddenly, her eyes open wide.
It's time to get up for school.
Mom?
Are you all right?
No... yeah! Yeah, I'm, I'm fine. Oh... school! Great
You want to go to school?
Sure, why not?
Joyce gets up and opens the blinds.
Okay. Good day to buy that lottery ticket. I spoke with your father.
He's coming, right?
You're on for this weekend.
Good.
WILLOW and Buffy are walking along the hall on their way to class.
So do you see your dad a lot?
Not a whole lot.
He's still in L.A. He comes down for weekends sometimes.
When did they get divorced?
Well, it wasn't finalized till last year, but they were separated before that.
Must have been harsh.
Yeah, that's the word you're looking for. I mean, they were really good about it around me, anyway, but still...
My parents don't even bicker. Sometimes they glare. Do you know why your folks split up?
I didn't ask. They just stopped getting along. I'm sure I was a really big help, though, with all the slaying and everything. I was in so much trouble. I was a big mess.
Well, I'm sure that didn't have anything to do with him leaving.
No.
And he still comes down on weekends.
Sometimes.
CORDELIA is checking her makeup in her mirror as WENDELL approaches and stops to look at his paper in the light.
Hello? Doofus! You're in my light.
Wendell, what is wrong with you? Don't you know that she is the center of the universe and the rest of us merely revolve around her?
Why don't you revolve yourselves out of my light?
The bell rings. Wendell and Xander take their seats as Willow and Buffy enter.
Wendell was in Cordelia's light.
I'm so ashamed.
Why is she so Evita-like?
I think it's the hair.
It weighs heavy on the cerebral cortex.
Hey guys, was there any homework?
We're doing active listening today.
Cool! What's active listening?
That would be the homework.
Chapter Five? Active listening? Where you put on your big ears and really focus on the other person?
Ms. Tishler demonstrated it yesterday.
With you!
She was wearing that tight sweater?
Oh, the midnight blue angora! See, I was listening.
The teacher, MS. TISHLER, strides purposefully into the room and the class quiets down.
All right, take your seats. In a moment we will choose partners and practice what we read about in Chapter Five.
Xander cups his ears with his hands while smiling and shaking his head around.
Good, Xander. That's the spirit.
Willow and Buffy are clearly amused.
Before we do, let's review. Isaacson's research led him to conclude that one of our most fundamental needs after food and shelter is to be heard.
Buffy drops her pencil and bends down to pick it up.
Wendell, would you read the first two paragraphs on page seventy-eight...
As Buffy sits back up she sees BILLY, a young boy, standing at the door looking in at her. Buffy is taken aback by the surreal nature of the boy's presence.
...where Isaacson describes the rapid improvement active listening brought to some special-needs clients.
Wendell opens his book and screams. He drops it on his desk as several tarantulas crawl out of it and onto him. Ms. Tishler and the students closest to him scream and overturn their chairs, scrambling away from him. The tarantulas crawl up Wendell's body.
Please! Get 'em off of me! Oh, please help me!
Sorry about that.
Please help me!
Opening credit sequence.
COLLIN is sitting, rapt, listening to the Master.
Fear is a wonderful thing. It is the most powerful force in the human world. Not love, not hate... fear! When you were a mortal boy, what did you fear?
Monsters.
We are defined by the things we fear. (moves to the large cross) This symbol, these two planks of wood, it confounds me. Suffuses me with mortal dread. But fear is in the mind.
He places his hand on the cross and holds it there while it burns.
Like pain. It can be controlled. If I can face my fear, it cannot master me. Something is happening above. Something new, powerful, psychic force. Do you feel it?
I feel change.
Change. Yes. For the worse.
The camera pans up above the cross and through the ground to
Joyce arrives to drop Buffy off for school.
You're awfully quiet this morning.
I didn't sleep well.
I'll say. I came in to check on you twice. You were yelling in your sleep. Do you know what you were dreaming?
Not really. Oh no, my bag! I packed it for the weekend and I forgot it.
You and your dad can swing by the house and get your bag. It's not an international crisis.
Okay, yeah, I just had meant to bring it. He's picking me up here, right? At three-thirty?
Honey, are you worried your father isn't going to show?
No, not really. Should I be?
Well, of course, not. I just, I know it's a hard situation. You just have to remember that your father adores you. No more than I do, by the way.
Goodbye.
Have a great day.
Thanks.
She gets out of the car and heads into the school.
Buffy comes around the corner and is met by Willow and Xander.
Oh, Buffy, we've been looking for you.
We have?
About the spiders, did you talk to Giles about--
Oh, the spiders! Willow's been kind of-- what's the word I'm looking for?-- insane about what happened yesterday.
I don't like spiders, okay? Their furry bodies, and their sticky webs, and what do they need all those legs for anyway? I'll tell you: for crawling across your face in the middle of the night. Ewww! How do they not ruffle you?
I'm sorry, I'm unruffled by spiders. Now, if a bunch of Nazis crawled all over my face...
It was pretty intense.
Thank you.
Well, the Hellmouth, the center of mystical convergence, supernatural monsters: been there.
Little blasé there, aren't you?
I'm not worried. If there's something bad out there we'll find, you'll slay, we'll party!
Thanks for having confidence in me.
You da man, Buff!
Okay, but we're still caring about the spiders here. Let's not forget the spiders.
Well, Giles said he was gonna look it up. Giles?
Maybe he's in the Faculty Room.
GILES comes out of the stacks and looks around, bewildered.
Hey, Giles! Wakey, wakey!
I was in the stacks. I got lost.
Did you find any theories on spiders coming out of books? Big, hairy, crawly...
He reaches around Willow's shoulder with his arm and uses his fingers to mimic a spider crawling on her shoulder. She's startled and spins around and smacks Xander.
It's funny if you're me.
I couldn't find anything... particularly illuminating. I think perhaps you'd best have a chat with Wendell himself.
Okay. If he can still talk.
She gives Giles an odd look and they start out of the library. Giles looks back into the stacks, still confused.
Wendell sits on a bench as the team approaches him.
Hey, Wendell. How are you?
Huh?
You okay?
Good talking to ya, man.
He pats Wendell on the back and starts to leave but Buffy stops him.
Do you guys want something?
We just thought you might want to talk about what happened.
You know, yesterday? With the spiders?
I don't know what to say about that.
There's nothing to say. You saw two hundred insects, you gonzoed. Anybody would have.
They're not insects. They're arachnids.
They're from the Middle East?
Spiders are arachnids. They have eight legs. Insects only have six. Why does everyone make that mistake?
Don't know. Has anything like this ever happened before?
Wendell nods.
When?
Lots of times.
Ew! You must hate spiders more than I do.
I don't hate spiders. I love 'em. They hate me.
Cordelia walks past and turns to Buffy.
I hope you studied for the history test.
What history test?
The one we're having in fourth period right now.
There's a history test? Nobody told me there was a history test! I haven't... I... okay, I will catch up with you guys later.
What do you mean, you love spiders?
It is platonic, right?
I had the best collection in the tri-county area. Browns and tarantulas and black widows... Then my folks shipped me off to wilderness camp. All my brother had to do was maintain their habitats. Instead he left their heat lamp on for a week. When I came home they were all dead. That's when the nightmares started.
The nightmares?
It's always the same. I'm sitting in the classroom, the teacher asks me to read something, I open up my book and then there they are. They're comin' after me. God, can you blame them after what I did?
And that's how it happens? Every time?
Yesterday in class I thought I'd just nodded off again. But then everyone else started screaming, too.
Buffy looks frantically for her history class. Cordelia waits by the door, holding it open.
You don't know where class is, do you?
Well...
Hardly a shocker. You've cut history just about every time we've had it.
Well, I was there the first day. I think.
It's in here.
I haven't been to class, I haven't read any of the assignments... how am I going to pass this test?
Blind luck?
Buffy sits and looking around at the other students. The teacher passes by. Buffy looks over at Cordelia, who apparently isn't having any problems with the test. Cordelia turns the page, looks back at Buffy and goes back to taking the test. The teacher comes by again and stops to glance at Buffy's work. He continues, apparently satisfied. Buffy flips through the short answer test. All the pages are still blank. She glances up at the clock. 11:20. She looks at the space for her name.
Well, at least I know my name.
She starts to write, but her pencil breaks and she lets out an exasperated breath. She grabs her sharpener and sharpens her pencil as she looks back up at the clock; it's now 12:10. She stares at it in disbelief and looks around at everyone. The teacher is watching her intently and tapping his pencil. She looks back down at her test as the bell rings. All around her the students get up and begin turning their tests in as she just sits and watches in stunned amazement. Billy appears at the door and looks in. Buffy sees him there with a sad look on his face. Then he turns and walks off down the hall. The classroom is empty now and Buffy is sitting at her desk alone.
Billy walks along and comes upon LAURA and another girl talking as they come down the stairs.
Well, they both got detention, which is completely unfair since Sean started it. Anyway, it means we can't do the movie.
The other girl looks disappointed as they stop in front of the basement door. Laura pantomimes smoking a cigarette.
I'm gonna take a break.
Her friend turns and leaves as she looks around to see if anyone's watching, then opens the door and goes in.
You shouldn't go in there.
Laura enters and closes the door behind her. The basement area is dark. She comes down the steps and looks around. Satisfied that no one's there she puts down her books and takes out her pack of smokes. Suddenly an UGLY MAN, covered in horrible scars emerges into the weak light.
Lucky nineteen!
He attacks Laura and she screams. He begins to beat her with his huge deformed club arm as she desperately tries to roll out of the way of his blows.
Buffy and Giles look for Laura's room.
I think they said Room 3016.
Do you know the girl?
To say hi to. Laura's nice enough. Nobody saw who attacked her?
Well, I was rather hoping that Laura did.
Laura has cuts and bruises all over. Buffy and Giles enter and she looks up at Buffy.
Hey, Laura.
Hi.
I hope we're not intruding ...
He holds out a small potted flower arrangement. Buffy takes it from him and sets it next to the bed.
That's okay. I don't wanna be left alone.
You understand we're anxious to make sure this doesn't happen again.
Can you tell us what happened?
I was in the basement. I went down for a smoke. There was... someone there.
Someone you knew?
I've never... seen anything like it.
It?
Can you describe it?
Laura can't seem to bring herself to answer.
Hey, that's okay. Don't worry about it.
Yes, you just rest now.
You know, but...
Hi, Laura.
...if you remember anything? You can tell us. Even if it may seem weird.
She needs her rest now.
Giles and Buffy start to leave.
'Lucky nineteen.'
Buffy and Giles stop and turn back.
I'm sorry?
It's what he said, right before. He said 'lucky nineteen'. That's weird, right?
Yes. Yes, it is.
Feel better.
Take care.
Giles approaches Laura's DOCTOR.
Doctor, is she going to be all right?
You family?
Friends.
She'll recover. She's got a couple of shattered bones, a little internal bleeding... she got off pretty easy.
Easy?
Have you looked up the word lately?
Well, the first one's still in a coma.
First what?
First victim. (indicates an adjoining room) They found him a week ago. Exact same MO as the girl, only he's in worse shape. If he doesn't wake up soon... Somebody's gotta stop this guy.
Buffy's face sets in a grim mask.
Somebody will.
One of the school punks is busy posturing in front of a group of his low-brow friends.
Listen, I'm not afraid of him. Hey, if he wants to fight, then I'm takin' him down. I'm not backin' off on this. This is about honor. I'll break his neck!
Willow and Xander walk down the hall to her locker.
I'm just saying, Wendell had a dream and then that exact thing happened.
Which is a fair wiggins, I admit, but do you think that ties in with Laura?
I dunno. Maybe she dreamed about getting beat up. We should ask Buffy when she gets back from the hospital.
The punk's mother suddenly appears in the hall. Xander sees the encounter and grins.
Oh, there's my little baby!
Mom, what are you doing here? Mom...
How's my little pookie?
Mom, please don't kiss me in front of the guys! It's embarrassing, Mom! Please!
You cute little rascal, you!
Mom... thanks, but Mom, please, my friends are right here...
Willow closes her locker and they head to their next class laughing.
It could be a coincidence. Y'know, Wendell finds a spider's nest and we all wig because he dreamt about spiders. So it may not be connected.
As they enter the classroom, the students look up and start laughing as they notice Xander.
If there is a connection it doesn't sound like anything... what?
Willow is confused and looks behind her at Xander. His clothes are gone and he's standing there in his underwear.
Xander! What happened to your--
I don't know! I was dressed a minute ago! It's a dream. It's gotta be a dream. (pinches himself) Ow! Wake up. (pinches himself again) Ow! Gotta wake up.
He realizes he's not dreaming and runs from the room screaming. Willow chases after him.
Giles peruses a number of newspapers, but he's clearly frustrated about something.
This can't be happening. This can't be...
Buffy comes into the library.
What's the word?
Oh, I've got back issues of the papers to try to do some research.
Did you find anything?
I don't know.
You don't know if you didn't find anything?
I'm having a problem.
What is it?
I can't read!
What do you mean? You can read, like, three languages.
Five, actually, on a normal day. The words here don't make any sense. It's gibberish!
That's him.
Who?
The kid I've been seeing around school. (reads) 'Twelve-year-old Billy Palmer was found beaten and unconscious after his Kiddie League game Saturday. Doctors describe his condition as critical.' When was this published? (looks at the date) Last week. It says he's in a coma in intensive care. This is the boy from the hospital!
The first victim? You've seen him around the school?
Yeah, first when the spiders got Wendell, and then when I didn't know a thing on the history test. I thought it was weird seeing this kid around, but I forgot about it.
The boy's been in a coma for a week. How can this be possible?
What, am I knowledge girl now? Explanations are your terrain.
Well, there's astral projection, the theory that while one sleeps one has another body, an astral body, which can travel through time and space.
Billy's in a coma. That's like sleep, right?
In a manner of speaking, although one doesn't always awake from a coma.
Could I be seeing Billy's asteroid body?
Astral body, and I don't know. As usual, one doesn't have an inordinate amount of information to work with.
Lucky nineteen.
As Buffy is pondering this mystery, her father, HANK SUMMERS, enters the library.
There you are! I've been looking everywhere. Why aren't you in class?
Dad, what are you doing here? You're not supposed to pick me up till after school. Is something wrong?
Well, I need to talk to you.
Something is wrong. Is it mom?
No, no, it's not your mother, she's fine. (sotto) Could I speak with you for a moment? Privately?
Sure, yeah. Oh, I'm sorry. Dad, this is Mr. Giles, the librarian. This is my dad, Hank Summers.
My pleasure.
Likewise.
I'll be back.
She and her father leave the library. Giles tries reading the papers again to no avail.
Buffy and her dad walk as they talk.
I came early because there's something I've needed to tell you. About your mother and me. Why we split up.
Well, you always told me it was because--
I know we always said it was because we'd just grown too far apart.
Yeah, isn't that true?
Well, c'mon, honey, let's sit down. You're old enough now to know the truth.
Was there someone else?
No. No, it was nothing like that.
Then what was it?
It was you.
Buffy is confused.
Me?
Having you. Raising you. Seeing you everyday. I mean, do you have any idea what that's like?
Buffy is stunned. Her voice comes out a strangled sob.
What?
Gosh, you don't even see what's right in front of your face, do you? Well, big surprise there. All you ever think about is yourself. You get in trouble. You embarrass us with all the crazy stunts you pull... and do I have to go on?
No. Please don't.
You're sullen and rude and... you're not nearly as bright as I thought you were going to be. Hey, Buffy, let's be honest. Could you stand to live in the same house with a daughter like that?
A single tear slides down her cheek.
Why are you saying all these things?
Because they're true. I think that's the least we owe one another.
She turns away to hide her tears.
You know, I don't think it's very mature, getting blubbery when I'm just trying to be honest. Speaking of which, I don't really get anything out of these weekends with you. So what do you say we just don't do them anymore?
She stares at him in shock. He pats her on the leg and gets up to leave.
I sure thought you'd turn out differently.
Buffy is so devastated she can't do or say anything he walks away. As her father walks past the building, she sees Billy there, staring at her. Buffy fights back her tears and turns away.
Willow and Xander enter and Xander is pulling on his gym shirt.
Red alert! Where's Buffy?
She, she just stepped out. Her father came by early. He needed to talk to her. Where are your other clothes?
Oh, don't I wish I had the answer to that question.
Xander kinda found himself in front of our class not wearing much of anything.
Except my underwear.
Yeah! It was really... (off Xander's look) bad. It was a bad thing.
'Bad thing'? I was naked. 'Bad thing' doesn't cover it.
Everyone staring? I would hate to have everyone paying attention to me like that.
With nudity! It's a total nightmare.
Well, yeah Xander! It's your nightmare!
Except the part with me waking up goin' 'it's all a dream'. It happened.
Like it happened to Wendell. That thing with the spiders? Wendell had a recurring dream about that.
I dreamt that I got lost in the stacks and I... couldn't read. Of course!
Our dreams are coming true?
Dreams? That would be a musical comedy version of this. Nightmares, our nightmares are coming true.
So why is this happening?
Billy.
Well, that explanation was shorter than usual. (to Willow) It's Billy! (to Giles) Who's Billy?
He's a boy in the local hospital. He was beaten. He's in a coma. Somehow I think he's crossed over from the nightmare world he's trapped in.
And he brought the nightmare world with him. Thanks a bunch, Billy.
How could he do that?
Things like that are easy when you live on a Hellmouth.
Well, we have to stop it.
And soon. Or else everyone in Sunnydale is going to be facing their own worst nightmares.
Cordelia opens her locker and looks in her mirror. Her hair is standing on end, frizzy and unmanageable: a far cry from the nearly flawless hairstyles she normally sports. She nearly faints when she sees it and tries to force a comb through it to no avail.
I don't understand... this can't be happening! I was just at the salon!
She puts her hands to her head in terror.
Oh, my god!
Horrified, she runs off down the hall in search of some kind of help for her tortured locks.
Buffy is still reeling from her encounter with her father. She notices Billy entering the gymnasium. Buffy follows and finds him sitting in the stands.
Buffy cautiously approaches Billy.
Billy?
He looks up at her and she comes closer.
Are you Billy Palmer?
I'm Billy.
She sits down next to him.
Why are you here? Did something bad happen to you after your game?
Something bad? I don't remember.
Do you remember playing baseball?
Yeah, I play second base.
Are you 'Lucky Nineteen'?
That's what he calls me.
Who?
The ugly man. He wants to kill me. And he hurt that girl.
Why does he want to kill you, Billy?
He's...
Billy, it's okay. What? Just tell me.
He's here!
The Ugly Man leaps at Buffy and clubs her with his deformed arm, knocking her down.
The Ugly Man hits Buffy in the face, knocking her off of the stands and onto the floor. She quickly recovers as he tries another swing and misses. She ducks a third swing, kicks him in the jaw and follows up with another kick to his face. He isn't even fazed. He swings again with his club arm and hits her squarely in the back, knocking her into the stands. He swings again as she gets up and knocks her legs out from under her, causing her fall backward and onto the floor. She rolls out of the way as he swings again, gets up, and limps out the door after Billy.
Giles, Willow and Xander head out to look for Buffy.
Buffy doesn't know this is happening. And given the sort of thing that she tends to dream about, it's imperative that we find her.
Probably faster if we split up to look for her.
Good idea.
He and Xander go off in opposite directions. Willow is left standing by herself, suddenly spooked by the empty hallways.
Faster, but... not really safer.
Buffy slides a hockey stick through the door handles to slow the Ugly Man down. He pounds on the door as she leans against it. She looks around, sees Billy and goes over to him.
Billy!
I'm sorry, I can't help it.
Who is he?
He's the ugly man.
He's too strong! I can't fight him. We have to find my friends. They can help us.
We have to hide.
No, he'll find us.
Yes, but we have to hide. That's how it happens. We hide and then he comes.
Buffy doesn't know what to make of that, but she's not wasting time trying to figure it out. She grabs him and sets off in search of the others.
Willow comes down the stairs and sees a commotion down the hall. Cordelia is being dragged bodily by some nerds into the Chess Club.
No! What are you doing? Hey, no! You don't understand. I don't want to go. I'm not even on the chess team! I swear, I'm not!
They drag her into the room and close the door. Willow can't help but smile at the sight. However, her attention is drawn by a voice from the door to the basement.
Willow...
Noooo!
Willow turns toward the voice, goes to the basement door, opens it and looks inside.
Willow...
POV: the basement, looking up the stairs at Willow.
Buffy?
She starts down the stairs, leaving the door open.
Hello? Buffy?
She reaches the bottom and looks around.
I'm not afraid. You'd think I'd be afraid, but I'm not.
She continues into the room and looks around. A hand grabs her shoulder and pulls her away as she screams.
Xander finds the hall has been vandalized, with swastikas spray-painted everywhere. A light hanging from the ceiling is flickering. He spies a chocolate bar on the floor. He picks up the bar and tears it open.
All right! Someone else's loss is my chocolatey goodness.
He takes a huge bite. He looks around some more and sees a Hershey bar. He walks over to it, picks it up and tears it open.
This is my lucky day.
He takes a huge bite out of the Hershey bar and looks around again.
Buffy and Billy run out of a side door and into the sunshine. This is clearly not what Buffy expected.
Wha-- I was sure this led to the library.
Billy sees a couple students playing on the other side of the fence and it troubles him. Buffy goes over to him.
They're just playing. What is it? What's bothering you?
Baseball. When you lose, it's bad.
Did you lose your game last week?
It was my fault.
Why was it your fault?
I missed a ball and I should have caught it.
You missed one ball and the whole game was your fault? What, you were the only one playing? There wasn't eight other people on your team?
He said it was my fault.
Who said? Billy, did he hurt you after the game?
Can we go another way to find your friends?
Sure, okay. We can go around the cafeteria.
As she turns, she sees the Ugly Man moving in their direction. He punches out a student who gets too close.
Bad idea! This way. C'mon!
She pushes Billy ahead of her through some bushes. When they break through to the other side they are in
Buffy skids to a halt, reeling from the shock.
What just happened?
Is this where your friends are?
No, it's not.
A show DIRECTOR is pulling a scared and confused Willow through a door to a dressing room. She is dressed in a green kimono for the part of Cio-Cio-San, the title character of Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly.
Man, I thought you weren't gonna show! Aldo is beside himself.
He makes some adjustments to her kimono. Willow can hear the EMCEE make his announcement on the stage.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are proud to present two of the world's greatest singers!
The audience begins to applaud o.s. The director guides Willow onto the auditorium stage behind the curtain.
I hope you're warmed up. It's an ugly crowd out there tonight. All the reviewers showed up.
All the way from Firenze, Italy, the one and only Aldo Gianfranco! And all the way from Sunnydale, California, the world's finest soprano, Willow Rosenberg!
Willow sees Aldo on stage through the curtain, dressed in a tuxedo and holding out his hand to greet her. She backs away into the director.
But I... I didn't learn the words!
The director gives her a shove onto the stage and she stumbles through the curtains and bumps into ALDO. He shoots her a dirty look. She's terrified. The applause dies down. The spotlight is on Aldo, and he begins to sing the famous love duet from Act I. We are subtitled at this point.
Bimba dagli occhi pieni di malia, ora sei tutta mia. (Child, from whose eyes the witchery is shining, now you are all my own.)
The spotlight moves to Willow; it's her turn. She is stiff with fear and remains silent as she looks between Aldo and the crowd. Realizing she's not going to sing, Aldo begins again and the spotlight shifts back to him.
Sei tutta vestita di giglio. Mi piace la treccia tua bruna fra i candidi veli. (You're dressed all in white like a lily. Your ebony tresses are shining on ivory shoulders.)
This time when he finishes, he gives her an annoyed look and stomps his foot. She's still frightened.
My turn?
Si!
She turns to the crowd and lets out a high-pitched squeak. Numerous murmurs from the audience. Aldo is disgusted and turns away.
There are sheets of plastic hanging from the ceiling. Xander pushes through and stops. His hands are full of various chocolate bars.
I love these bars!
He spots another one on the floor.
A Chocolate Hurricane! These are the best. I haven't had one of these since my...
He hears the sound of unpleasant giggling coming toward him.
...sixth birthday.
He sees a shadow come up behind a sheet of plastic and a clown suddenly bursts through. Xander screams in terror as the clown holds up a knife. Xander falls as he tries to get away and somersaults backward into the next hall. He starts to crawl away as fast as he can.
Buffy looks around cautiously as she explores the cemetery.
I don't see the ugly man. I also don't know where the sun and the rest of the world went.
Look at this.
She looks down where Billy indicates and sees a freshly dug grave with an open pine coffin inside.
I guess we're gonna bury someone. I wonder who died.
Nobody died.
Buffy and Billy look up at him in shock and surprise.
What's the fun of burying someone if they're already dead?
She stares at him in disbelief.
You!
So this is the Slayer. You're prettier than the last one.
This isn't real. You can't be free!
You still don't understand, do you? I am free because you fear it. Because you fear it, the world is crumbling. Your nightmares are made flesh. You have little Billy to thank for that.
She looks behind her but Billy is gone. She turns back to the Master.
This is a dream.
A dream is a wish your heart makes.
He reaches out and seizes Buffy by the neck and pushes her toward the open grave.
This is real life. Come on, Slayer, what are you afraid of?
With a roar, he throws her into the coffin at the bottom of the grave and the lid slams shut.
No, help me!
How about being buried alive?
The Master laughs as he starts to shovel dirt into the grave. Buffy cries out in abject terror. The first shovelful of dirt hits the coffin, and some trickles in
through the cracks of the poorly constructed coffin and slides down her cheeks. The next shovelful covers the crack between the boards.
Help!
Willow comes dashing through a door in her kimono while being pelted with tomatoes. Xander runs up to her.
Did you find Buffy?
I had to sing! Very bad to sing!
Willow, c'mon. Let's find the others.
What happened to you?
Remember my sixth birthday party?
Oh, yeah! When the clown chased you and you got so scared that you had... oh.
The clown slices through a sheet of plastic right behind them. Willow screams and they start to run, right into Giles.
No sign of Buffy?
They grab hold of him and pull him with them as he sees the clown and starts to run, too. When they reach the end of the hall Xander stops, searching for a way out. Finally, he's just had enough. He turns and strides purposefully up to the clown and as the clown raises his knife to attack, Xander punches him dead in the face and knocks him out.
You are a lousy clown! Your balloon animals are pathetic. Everyone can make a giraffe.
They leave the clown lying there in a heap and exit the school.
They come running out of the building and stop, catching their breath.
I feel good! I feel liberated!
People are running past them, panicked.
You seem to be the only one. Things are getting worse. In a few hours reality will fold completely into the realm of nightmares.
Well, what do we do?
The only thing I can think is to try and wake Billy.
No, we can't leave without Buffy.
Agreed, but who knows where she might have gone?
Willow sees the dimensional rift to the darkened graveyard across the street.
Excuse me, when did they put a cemetery in across the street?
And when did they make it night over there?
They all look at each other then walk across the street and through the rift into the cemetery.
Whose nightmare is this?
Giles looks down at the gravestone before him.:
Buffy Summers
1981 -- 1997
It's mine.
They all gather around the grave and Giles kneels next to it.
I've failed in my duty to protect you. I should have been more cautious. Taken more time to train you. But you were so gifted. And the evil was so great. I'm sorry...
He lays his hand on the fresh soil. As he starts to stand up, a hand punches up through the dirt and grabs his. Willow screams. Giles tears himself away as Buffy pulls herself up through the dirt and out of the grave. She brushes herself off.
Buffy?
She looks up at them and they can see that she has become a vampire.
I thought I was dead.
Buffy, your face!
Buffy feels her face and as her fingers trace her ridged brow and gleaming fangs, she realizes what's happened.
Oh, god!
She keeps her hands up to hide her face. Xander takes a couple of steps toward her.
Buffy...
Don't look at me!
You never told me you dreamt of becoming a vampire.
This isn't a dream.
No. No, it's not. But there's a chance that we can make it go away. This all comes from Billy. Now, if we can only wake him up, I believe that the nightmares will stop and reality will shift back into place, but we must do it now! I need you to hold together long enough to help us. Can you do that?
She looks up at Giles.
Yeah. I think I can.
Thank you.
Well, we better hurry... 'cause I'm getting hungry.
That is a joke, right?
Are you sure everything will go back once he's awake?
Oh, positive.
Well, how do we wake Billy up? What if we can't?
Willow, do shut up.
Pandemonium reigns. They group runs down the hall toward Billy's room. The doctor is there staggering in shock.
Doctor! Is the boy Billy still here?
My hands!
The doctor's hands are severely crippled. He staggers away, mumbling incoherently. They run into Billy's room.
The boy is lying in bed, sleeping deep in a coma, an island of serenity in this madhouse.
What now?
Giles bends down so that his face is level with Billy's.
Billy! Billy?
That won't work.
Giles looks up and sees Billy's astral body standing by the curtains across the room.
Billy, you have to wake up.
No. I told her. I have to hide.
Why? From what?
From him!
Buffy turns to see the Ugly Man loping down the hall toward her.
Aw, man, what do we do?
I think I know.
She takes off her jacket. Willow hears an ominous droning buzz outside and peeks through the blinds to see giant black wasps flying over the town.
Whatever it is, it better be soon!
The Ugly Man is making his way toward Buffy.
Glad you showed up! You see, I'm having a really bad day.
Lucky nineteen!
Scary. I'll tell you something, though. There are a lot scarier things than you. And I'm one of them.
The Ugly Man stops in his tracks and looks at her, puzzled. With a roar and a snarl, the Buffy the vampire launches an attack. The two of them fight viciously with each other, trading punches and kicks that would kill an average man. He slams her into the wall and she reciprocates, the battle making its way into Billy's room.
He swings at her with his club arm and she grabs it, smashing it down across her knee, shattering the bone. As he keens in pain, she throws him into the wall, where he slumps to the floor, unconscious.
Is he dead?
Come here, Billy.
I don't...
You have to do the rest.
Billy slowly comes around the bed and over to the Ugly Man.
What are they doing?
Giles gestures for her to be quiet.
I get it.
Buffy takes Billy's hand. He looks up at her.
No more hiding.
Billy looks down at the Ugly Man. Buffy lets go of his hand as he reaches for the Ugly Man's neck. He peels back the man's face and a bright light streams out. In the next instant, everything is back to normal. The Ugly Man is gone, Buffy is herself again, Xander and Willow are in their normal school clothes and the hospital is functioning as usual. Buffy smiles and feels her face which smooth and human again. Willow breathes a sigh of relief as Billy wakes up.
Hey, he's waking up!
I had the strangest dream. And you were in it, and you... Who are you people?
Let's get a doctor.
Billy's Coach enters as Giles and Xander are about to fetch the doctor.
Oh, Billy's got company. I'm his Kiddie League coach. I come by here every day, just hoping against hope that he's gonna wake up soon. He's my lucky nineteen.
Giles and Buffy exchange a look.
So how is he?
Buffy steps aside to show him that Billy's awake.
He's awake.
What?
You blamed him for losing the game. So you caught up with him afterwards, didn't you?
What are you talking about?
You said that it was my fault that we lost.
The coach realizes he's been found out and makes a dash for the door. Xander grabs him by the jacket and stops him.
It wasn't my fault. There's eight other players on the team. You know that.
Nice going!
She gives Billy a big smile and he smiles back.
Willow, Buffy and Xander are leaving school for the weekend.
I just can't believe a Kiddie League coach would do something like that.
Well, you obviously haven't played Kiddie League. I'm surprised it wasn't one of the parents.
I'm just glad he's behind bars where he belongs.
But that was kinda heroic, Xander, grabbing him and all.
Well, I just did what anyone else would've. I mean, if you wanna label it heroic...
Hank Summers pulls up, honks, gets out of the car and waves.
Hi!
Have a killer weekend, guys!
Xander bows his head to her. Buffy runs to her dad. Hank opens his arms and hugs his daughter warmly.
Hi, sweetheart! Oh, it's so good to see you. How was your day?
Fine. You know, usual.
Personal question?
Yeah, shoot.
When Buffy was a vampire, you weren't still like attracted to her, were you?
Willow, how can you... I mean, that's really bent! She was... grotesque!
Still dug her, huh?
I'm sick. I need help.
Don't I know it.