Title: Schism
Author: Frawley
Date: 1st September 2001.

Category: Script Format, Post-Resurrection, Season Six.
Spoilers: Minor, but up till and including "The Gift".

Summary: When a former victim comes after Spike looking for vengeance, Buffy is forced to make some tough decisions. "Schism" is set sometime in season six, after the return of Buffy and (presumably) once everything is back to as normal as Sunnydale ever gets.

Comments: Written as the script of a possible Buffy episode (and thus approaching one hour in length). Forgive my butchering of Romanian, Latin, and German in this one. Inspired by the work of the REAL Mutant Enemy staff, and the thoughtful posting of shooting scripts by the team at The Buffy Shooting Script Site (http://www.mustreadtv.com/buffyscripts/). May that site rest in peace.

Disclaimer: Joss owns most of it, I lay claim to the scraps. FOX can sod off

*** FANFICTION.NET UPDATE: "Schism" was originally scripted over the summer (of 2001) and finished up in September... at which time it was posted on my website (http://frawley.cjb.net). It was written before the season ever started, but meant to be a standalone episode (although the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger). It doesn't really contradict anything thus far... Buffy and Spike relationship stuff is kept to a minimum, but there is something between them (no mention of "the sex")... Willow & Tara are together... which is maybe the main thing that is off. Giles is still around in this one... so I consider it set before "Tabula Rasa", except the ending might make it a little AU. I was simply yearning for some standalone stories, as the end of season five (and thus far most of season six) has been pretty linear.

In a very minor way, it links to "Maleficium", another fic I've done in script format, which is available on my webpage (and hopefully on fanfiction.net soon).


SCHISM – by Frawley

TEASER

EXT. GRAVEYARD – NIGHT

The scene opens from above as two figures eloquently dressed in dark colors face each other from opposite sides of a FRESH, UNMARKED GRAVE. The dirt is heaped, creating a low, curved mound. One – EMILY – is clearly a middle-aged female, the other – GREGOR – a twenty-something male with an air of innocence about him. Both are kneeling and are surrounded by several flickering CANDLES, while a larger candle rests between them. Emily is preparing some form of ceremony, sprinkling several unknown, colorful powders over the grave.

ON GREGOR who is fidgeting nervously.

GREGOR
What exactly is it I'm to do, Emily?
I mean… when do I…

ON EMILY who is somewhat distracted by her task.

EMILY
Quiet. Wait. You'll Know.
(Pause, then softly)
I'll let you know.

WIDEN and pull back to the foot of the grave, capturing both of them.

GREGOR
(Quietly, but obviously stressed)
But Em

Emily silences him with a glance, then returns to her preparations.

EMILY
A face nu a permite art.hot. mort a umbla,
Lini'te
(Romanian, roughly, "Let not the dead wander forever,
unheard")

A WIND with no apparent source rises with these words, and EXTINGUISHES the candles save the one centered in the grave. From a LEATHER POUCH beside her, Emily withdraws a ceremonial DAGGER with an ornamental hilt, and waves it twice through the flame.

EMILY
Gregor. Your time to shine, cousin.

GREGOR
She'd be pleased?

EMILY
Oh Yes. Most Certainly. She'd be pleased.

With this both rise, and Gregor comes to the foot of the grave, where he again kneels. Emily stands above him, one hand grasping something around her neck – a NECKLACE, only the chain of which is seen. Whatever hangs from it is hidden by Emily's hand. The other hand clutches the dagger tight. The horrific act that is about to unfold is obvious.

EMILY
înãuntru ei memorie.
(Romanian; "In her memory")

Her hand glides across his throat in a swift motion, and the former Gregor falls face first lifelessly on top of the fresh grave. After a moment, his body begins SINKING INTO THE DIRT, until nothing can be seen of him. Seconds later, the ground lets loose a low tremble, and it is apparent that something else is now ARISING from the grave.

EXT. GRAVEYARD – NIGHT

CLOSE ON

Emily's legs as she walks briskly towards SPIKE'S CRYPT. Her gown flows about her, almost as thin as air. TRACKING HER, We see Emily from the P.O.V. of whatever was raised from the grave, as it follows her. It's about knee-high from the look of things.

WIDEN to see the exterior of Spike's Crypt. Emily raises her hand, and with a slight PUSHING MOTION, palm forward, the door opens – yet she's still ten feet away.

INT. – SPIKE'S CRYPT – NIGHT

TIGHT ON Spike's face, looking somewhat more pissed off than usual.

WIDEN to see him climbing up through the trap door to the tomb beneath his crypt, holding something – a BROOM and DUST PAN. Apparently, Vampires do clean now and then. He pitches both off to the side.

To SPIKE'S P.O.V.

SPIKE
Bah.
(Coughs)

SPIKE
(To himself, seeing the door to the crypt open)
Now I don't recall leaving the bloody door--

Suddenly he's TACKLED from the side and his body is flung off-screen. When the camera finds him, something is straddling him – and it's not the form of an undead Gregor or anything close. It's a SPIDER of some sort, only it's the size of a large dog, and its legs are busy maneuvering Spike as it wraps him in webbing despite the Vampire's struggles and screams.

REVERSE ANGLE. From the doorway, Emily watches approvingly.

CLOSE ON Spike. The Spider now has him pinned in the corner with webbing. It backs of into the darkness of the Crypt. For once, the Vamp has an honest look of terror on his face.

WIDEN and focus on Emily. We now see that on her necklace hangs a SILVER AMULET in the shape of an ARACHNID. This she strokes briefly as she approaches Spike.

EMILY
(With a grim smile)
So wonderful to see you again, William. A pleasant
surprise that I might find you haunting this quaint little
village. I've sought after you for a long time.

SPIKE
Do I know you?
(Thinks about it)
I know you.

EMILY
You remember. How touching.

SPIKE
Look, about-

EMILY
(Cutting him off)

This world's just full of marvels, isn't it William?
You're one of them, Nosferatu. So is my pet. A marvel
to rival even your bloody reign.

SPIKE
Pet?
Interesting choice of pets love. Myself, I'd prefer
something in the way of a fish. No so needy.
Or nasty.

EMILY
Not at all. They're both concerned with one thing.
(beat)
Being fed.

BLACK OUT.

END OF TEASER