Charmed 9
[Scene: Occult shop. Nikki and Natalie are there.]
Tanjella: Excuse me, but I'm getting ready to close now.
Nikki: Oh, I'm sorry. I thought that you were open until 1:00.
Tanjella: Normally I am, but not on the evil Friday the 13th. In fact, I kinda wanna be closed by midnight.
Nikki: Alright, well, we won't be much longer will we, Nats?
Natalie: Okay, okay. So, input?
(She holds up a necklace.)
Nikki: Nice. Let's go.
Natalie: It's nice? That's it? Maybe I should look for another one.
Nikki: Natalie, the woman wants to close.
Natalie: I know, I know, but choosing the right good luck charm is a very big decision.
Nikki: If they all bring good luck, what's the worse that can happen if you pick the wrong one?
Natalie: Alright, you know, this is why I like shopping with Nina.
(They walk up to the counter and hands the necklace to Tanjella.)
Tanjella: Okay, you want me to put this on Nina's order?
Natalie: Uh, no, I'll pay separately.
Tanjella: Cash or charge?
Natalie: (to Nikki) Uh, will you put it on a credit card for me? I will pay you back. And tomorrow I have a job interview and...
Nikki: And the good luck charm is going to help you get the job. How much?
Tanjella: $25.50 plus tax.
Nikki: Okay.
Tanjella: Oh, but you get 10% off if you sign the mailing list.
Natalie: See? Good luck already.
(Natalie writes down their names.)
Tanjella: If you're interested, we're having a Wicca gathering for the spring equinox.
Nikki: What makes you think that we would be interested?
Tanjella: Most witches are.
Nikki: We never said that we were witches.
Natalie: (to Nikki under her breath) Do you think she knows?
Nikki: (under her breath) How could she?
(The clock strikes twelve.)
Tanjella: Could you please hurry?
Natalie: Is there a problem?
Tanjella: I told you I just, I want to be closed by midnight.
Nikki: Wow, you really take this Friday the 13th stuff seriously.
Tanjella: Yeah, you should too. Especially this one.
Natalie: And why is that?
Tanjella: Because once every thirteen hundred years, there's a universal convergence of negative energy on Friday the 13th and this is the year.
Nikki: Of course it is.
Tanjella: Did you hear that? The clock struck thirteen. It's starting already.
Natalie: Good night, Tanjella.
(They grab the necklace and leave.)
[Cut to outside. Nikki and Natalie get in the car and drive off. Smoke rises out of the sewer and
Barbas appears.]
[Cut back inside. Tanjella is blowing out the candles. She turns off the light. Barbas knocks on the
door.]
Tanjella: Sorry, we're closed. (Barbas knocks on the door again.) I said we're closed.
(Barbas walks through the door like a ghost.)
Barbas: Not to me, witch.
Tanjella: Oh my God.
(Tanjella picks up an amulet.)
Barbas: Amulet's don't work with this demon. (He passes his hand in front of her face.) Your greatest fear is being buried alive in an earthquake. (The room starts shaking and things fall off the shelves. Tanjella screams. Shelves fall down around her.) Yes. You can't run, you're frozen in fear.
(Tanjella stops screaming and she falls on the floor. She is dead and her hair has turned white. Barbas walks over to the mailing list. He passes his hand above it and half of the names disappear.)
[Scene: Manor. Nina walks in the solarium holding a small box. She pulls out some necklaces and looks at them. She chooses one.]
[Time lapse. Nina and Natalie walk out of the kitchen into the solarium.]
[Scene: Manor. Nina walks in the solarium holding a small box. She pulls out some necklaces and looks at them. She chooses one.]
[Time lapse. Nina and Natalie walk out of the kitchen into the solarium.]
Natalie: Think about it. When has she ever said it to you?
Nina: I don't remember exactly but I'm sure she must of.
Natalie: Yeah, okay, try to think of a time, just one. Whenever I say it to her, she says something like, 'oh me too' or 'same here'.
Nina: You know, you're right.
Natalie: Yeah. The girl cannot say the words 'I love you'. It's like some weird...
(Nikki walks in.)
Nikki: Morning.
Natalie: Oh, good morning.
(Nikki and Natalie sit down.)
Nikki: Oh, that outfit looks great on you.
Natalie: Thank you for giving it to me.
Nina: Wait, you gave her that outfit?
Nikki: Yeah, it was an early birthday present.
Natalie: For the next three years.
Nina: I didn't even know you owned a buisness outfit like that.
Nikki: Grams gave it to me. Said it was mums. Though I never used it. So I gave it to Nats.
Nina: Are you feeling okay?
(She touches Nikki's forehead.)
Nikki: I am fine. In fact, I had a wonderful dream about mum.
Nina: Oh, how great. What about?
Nikki: Um, I was a little kid like four or five and I was reaching up holding her hand and she was taking me some place. I don't know where but it felt so safe.
Natalie: I wish I had dreams like that.
Nina: Mum would have to knock before she came into your dreams.
Natalie: Ooh!
(Nikki yawns and Nina covers her mouth.)
Nikki: What are you doing?
Nina: You have to cover your mouth when you yawn or you might let the Devil in. (Natalie and Nikki laugh.) Especially on Friday the 13th.
Nikki: Is that amulet one of the things we picked up for you last night?
Nina: Yes. And this (she holds up a stone) and these. (She holds up the other necklaces.) They're doing a superstition themed fund raiser at FOAM and I thought I'd help out. And I'll need all the luck I can get.
Nikki: Don't you think that you're over doing it just a little bit?
Nina: With all the warlocks and demons we've seen. I don't think so.
Nikki: Nina, those things are real. Okay, superstitions are like old wives tales invented to explain somebody's misfortune.
Nina: Statistics show more bad things happen on Friday the 13th than any other day. Nikki met Jeremy on Friday the 13th.
Natalie: Really?
Nina: Yeah, and he tried to kill us.
Nikki: More bad things happen on Friday the 13th because people put energy in believing bad things will happen.
Nina: Nats.
Natalie: Actually, I prefer the upside of superstition. Good fortune, which is what I hope this (she holds up a coin) little honey brings me in my job interview with the real estate agency. Will you give me a lift? I'm running late.
Nina: Okay. (They start heading towards the doorway.)
Natalie: Okay, well, have a great day, Nikki. I love you.
Nikki: Yeah, me too.
(Natalie and Nina stop and look back at her. They look at each other and continue walking.)
[Scene: VIP. Val, Kay, Nikki, Tasha, Johnny, and Quick are there. Relic comes in.]
Relic: Hey, Nikki can I talk to you?
Nikki: Uh, sure what about?
Relic: I'm helping some friends out with a really weird case. We've had three suspicious deaths since midnight. All single females, all under thirty, one was a book store owner. Credit card company records show you were her last customer.
Nikki: Oh my God.
Relic: You remember anything out of the ordinary? Suspicious characters hanging around?
Nikki: No, Natalie and I were the only ones in there. In fact, she was locking up when we left.
Relic: Was the place in order?
Nikki: Yeah, why?
Relic: When we found her, her body was half buried in debris. But the coroner said it wasn't her injuries that killed her, it was a heart attack.
Nikki: A heart attack?
Relic: Yeah, her hair had turned chalk white, her face was contorted in terror just like all the others. If I didn't know any better, I'd say literally scared to death. Do you visit occult book stores at midnight often?
Nikki: No, of course not. Natalie needed a good luck charm for her job interview today. It was very last minute.
Relic: His killings look like some weird ritualistic thing. The victims all had ties with the occult. You might consider shopping somewhere else.
Nikki: Meaning?
Relic: Just be careful. (He leaves)
Val: Wow…
Nikki: (Standing up) I have to go. I'll call you guys later.
[Scene: Later on in the attic. Nikki opens the Book Of Shadows.]
Nikki: Friday the 13th. Friday the 13th. (She finds a page.) "The Demon of Fear appears once every thirteen hundred years on Friday the 13th. He feeds on the fears of young witches for his survival." Mum's handwriting.
[Scene: FOAM. Nina's standing there staring at Lucas. Nikki stands behind her.]
Nikki: Who's the guy?
(Nina turns to face Nikki.)
Nina: Lucas Devane. He's chairing the fundraiser for the children's hospital.
Nikki: Oh, right, I saw his picture in the magazine. Wasn't he named the Bay Area's most eligible bachelor?
Nina: Don't rub it in.
Nikki: Hey, you're the one who's letting a silly superstition run her life.
Nina: Is he still looking over here?
Nikki: Yeah. He's undressing you with his mind. (They start walking.) And he's down to white cotton.
Nina: I haven't worn white cotton since high school. (They approach a ladder.) Whoa! (They walk around it.) Sorry, I had to rush off the phone. What's with the demon of fear?
Nikki: Well, I found a page about him in the Book Of Shadows in mum's handwriting.
Nina: Mum's, are you sure?
Nikki: Yeah, I'm sure. I checked it against the handwriting on the back of the spirit board.
(They sit down at the bar.)
Nina: Wow, this is the first time we've found anything mum's written in the book.
Nikki: Well, she must have known that this demon would appear in our lifetime and she wanted to warn us against him.
Nina: I don't like the sound of that.
Nikki: Well, if he can kill thirteen unmarried witches by midnight, he'll be free from the underworld to wreck his terror every single day.
Nina: Unmarried. Like being single doesn't have enough problems. So how can we stop him?
Nikki: I don't know but he does kill by turning a witch's greatest fear against her.
Nina: Meaning?
Nikki: The book doesn't say. But mum wrote that in the face of our greatest fear, our powers are paralised.
Nina: Wait a minute, we're on the most wanted list and we're defenseless? Didn't mum say anything about how to get rid of him?
Nikki: Just to release our fear.
Nina: How do we do that?
Nikki: I don't know. That's all she wrote. Look, I know that you're afraid of flying.
Nina: That's not really a fear, I just prefer buses.
Nikki: Well, as long as you stay in a crowded restaurant you'll be fine. And since Natalie's afraid of being trapped in an elevator, I'll tell her to take the stairs.
Nina: And you'll stay away from pools. Ever since mum died you've been terrified of the water. That's why you never took swimming lessons. We've always known that was the reason, it's okay.
Nikki: Yeah, well, don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I've gotta go.
Nina: Call me when you get to Bucklands.
Nikki: I'm not going to Bucklands. Mum warned us but there are others.
Nina: We don't know any other witches.
Nikki: No, see, Tanjella gave me this flier for a wicca gathering and there's a woman named Zoe listed as a contact, I'm hoping that she can help. So just call Nats and let her know what's up, okay.
Nina: Okay. (Nikki starts to walk away.) I love you.
Nikki: Yep.
(Nikki walks under the ladder.)
[Scene: Zoe's apartment. Barbas appears.]
Zoe: I thought you might come. But I have nothing for you here.
Barbas: Oh, you couldn't be more wrong, witch. You're all alone, that's all I need.
Zoe: You have no power over me. I have evolved powers to release all mortal fears. My inner strength will destroy you. (Barbas passes his hand across her face. Barbas makes the flame from a candle fall on the carpet. She tries to stamp it out with her foot.)
Barbas: You didn't release your fear of fire, you only repressed it.
(The fire spreads and flames surround her.)
Zoe: No, please.
Barbas: Save it for another life time. You're frozen in fear.
[Cut to outside. Nikki knocks on the door.]
Nikki: Hello? (Zoe screams and Nikki kicks down the door. She walks inside and sees Zoe dead on the floor with white hair.)
[Time Lapse: Zoe's apartment. Police and photographer's are there. Relic walks up to Morris.]
Relic: Sorry I'm late. So what do we have?
Morris: The coroner said there are no burn marks on the body. She didn't die of smoke
inhalation, her heart gave up just like the others.
Relic: This is the fifth woman with ties of the occult that's been found dead since midnight. Now tell me it's not the work of some serial nutcase.
Morris: I can't but it still doesn't mean those shoes aren't embarrassing.
Cop: (to Morris) Inspector, would you have a look at this?
(Morris goes to talk to the cop. Relic looks under the sheet that's covering the body. Morris comes back.)
Morris: Doorman, he says there was a signing log. Wanna guess who the last person was to see the victim?
Relic: I'm gonna guess the killer.
Morris: Nikki.
Relic: Why does her name always seem to pop up on the weird cases.
[Scene: FOAM. Nikki, Natalie and Nina are sitting at a table.]
Nina: What did you tell Relic?
Nikki: I didn't talk to Relic. I didn't want him to know I was anywhere near there so I called 911 and I left.
Natalie: Are you sure you're okay?
Nikki: Yeah, it's just, uh, I can't get her face out of my mind, you know. There was so much fear and her hair was pure white, the terror that she must of felt. It's just...
Natalie: Okay, I'm scared enough, thank you. So now what?
Nina: We avoid any place he can use to terrorise us.
Natalie: And what about all the other witches?
Nikki: Well, I took Zoe's day runner. Some of the names in there have got to be witches. I'll start making phone calls.
(Nikki reaches for the salt and knocks the jar over spilling some salt.)
Nina: Oh, oh, quick. Throw some over your shoulder.
Nikki: Don't be ridiculous.
Nina: It's bad luck. You could be attacked by evil spirits.
Nikki: Nina, we have been attacked by plenty of evil spirits and they had nothing to do with salt.
And considering our powers, I can't believe that you want to rely on this for our protection.
Nina: My feeling is, you can never be too rich or too safe.
(Natalie sees a ladybug on the plant on the table.)
Natalie: Oh, look, a ladybug.
Nikki: Is that bad luck?
(Nina pulls a face.)
Natalie: No, actually Grams once told me that whatever direction it flies in, you can find your ideal mate. We've gotta try it.
(Natalie flicks the ladybug and it flies across the room and lands on Lucas.)
Nina: Oh.
Nikki: So does a positive superstition cancel out a negative one?
Nina: I don't know.
Natalie: Wait, what's going on?
Nikki: That guy has been trying to talk to Nina all day and she has been avoiding him because she...
(A waiter trips and spills drinks all over Nikki. Natalie and Nina wipe her with napkins.)
Nina: You should've thrown the...
Nikki: You know what? Nina, don't even say it. I'm going home to change.
Natalie: Be careful, I love you.
Nikki: Yeah.
(She leaves.)
Nina: Okay, she can't say it. Maybe she's afraid it'll make her look too vulnerable.
Natalie: Maybe. Hey, I gotta get back to work.
Nina: How's the new job?
Natalie: Great, except my new boss wants me to lie to her husband about an affair that she's been having.
Nina: Oh, how nice. What are you gonna do?
Natalie: I don't know. I'm just hoping it never comes up. Hey good luck.
(Natalie leaves and Lucas walks up to Nina.)
Lucas: How's it going?
Nina: Oh, good.
Lucas: Listen, um, we've been working so well together on the fundraiser, I was, uh, wondering if you want to get dinner after it's over.
Nina: Uh, I should probably... I should probably check my schedule.
Lucas: You, uh, don't know if you're free tonight?
Nina: Well, um... (she notices the ladybug on his shoulder) dinner would be great.
Lucas: Great.
[Scene: VIP. Kay, Val, Tasha, Johnny, and Quick are there. Relic and Morris enter.]
Relic: Do you know where Nikki is?
Johnny: She went home, why?
Morris: There was another murder. Guess who was the last person to see the victim.
Quick: Nikki.
Tasha: Wait. You suspect her?
Relic: Not really. But from what I've seen her name seems to show up a lot in the unsolved ones.
Morris: Don't forget to mention the creepy aspect of these cases.
Relic: That too. I guess we go to Nikki's place to see what she knows.
Johnny: I'll come with you.
[Scene: SWA Properties. Natalie's sitting at a desk holding a coin.]
Natalie: Okay, heads - I tell him the truth, tails - I lie. (She flicks the coin in the air and it lands on its edge.) Oh, that helped a lot. (She picks the coin up. The phone rings. She reaches for it and knocks over a bottle of water.) Oh! Hold on please. (She picks up the bottle and has a premonition that water has filled up in the shower and Nikki's stuck inside.) Nikki. (in the phone) Uh, no one's in, call back later. (She hangs up and then dials another number.)
[Cut to the bathroom in the manor. Nikki gets in and turns on the water. The phone rings and the answering machine picks it up.]
Natalie's voice: Nikki, it's Natalie. Are you there? Pick up. Hello? Nikki, I just had a premonition, you could be in trouble. Are you there? Nikki, are you there?
[Cut to where the answering machine is. Barbas appears and passes his hand in front of it and the message disappears.]
[Cut back in the bathroom. Barbas appears. He passes his hand in front of the shower. Nikki notices Barbas standing there.]
Barbas: Your greatest fear is drowning. Thank you for making it so easy. (The shower starts filling up quickly.) That's right. (Nikki starts panicking and hitting on the glass. The water rises up near her neck. She turns off the water. She tries to use her power but it doesn't work.) You powers are frozen by your fear. (The water continues to rise over her head.)
[Cut to outside the manor. Relic, Johnny and Morris are walking up to the door.]
Relic: I wish I could think of a logical reason to explain why Nikki's involved in this.
Morris: You mean this time or every other time?
Johnny: I wish I could think of a logical reason why she does anything anymore.
(They ring the door bell. They hear Nikki scream. Morris gets out his gun and Relic kicks open the door. They run inside.)
Relic: Nikki?
[Cut to the bathroom. Barbas disappears. The door flies open and Morris and Relic run in pointing their guns. The water has disappeared.]
Johnny: Nikki? You okay?
Nikki: I don't know.
(Morris and Relic walks outside.)
Johnny: I'll wait for you downstairs.
(Nikki grabs a towel and wraps it around her. She opens the door and water that was sitting in the bottom of the shower runs out onto the floor.)
[Scene: Manor. Living room. Relic, Nikki, Johnny and Morris are there. Nikki's wearing a dressing gown and has a towel wrapped around her head.]
Nikki: I told you I had soap in my eyes.
Relic: You had soap in your eyes? That's why you were screaming?
Nikki: Yes.
Morris: You wanna tell us what you were doing at that woman's apartment?
Nikki: I was, um, Zoe was a collector of occult items and Natalie was looking for a specific item and I was going to see if she may have had it.
Morris: When you got there was she alive or already dead?
Nikki: Dead.
Relic: So you called 911? Why didn't you leave your name? Why did you just duck out?
Nikki: Because I wanted to avoid this. I knew that you'd suspect me of being involved and I'm not.
Relic: Nikki, don't you think it's a little coincidental you being one step ahead of death twice in one day?
Nikki: What exactly are you implying?
Relic: Nikki, if you were in my shoes, what would you think?
(She looks at his sneakers.)
Nikki: First of all, nobody should be in those shoes.
Morris: Told you.
Nikki: But if I were, I would never think that you had anything to do with these deaths.
Relic: Nikki, five women your age have been scared to death since midnight and we show up, we hear you screaming, we break in, find you terrified in the shower.
Nikki: I told you, I had soap in my eyes.
Johnny: That wasn't pain on your face, that was fear.
(You hear the front door open.)
Natalie: Nikki? (She runs in the living room.) Hi.
Relic, Johnny, Morris: Hi.
Natalie: Is everything okay?
Nikki: Yeah, everything's fine. So, are we done?
Morris: Yeah, we're done.
(Relic and Morris leave.)
Nikki: You will not believe what happened to me.
Natalie: Yes, I would, I saw it. (Nikki takes the towel off her head and she has a streak of white hair.) Nikki, he came really close didn't he? You've got some white in you hair.
(Nikki looks in the mirror.)
[Time lapse. Nikki and Natalie walk in the attic.]
Natalie: There's gotta be something in the Book about releasing fears. Maybe it's just not obvious.
(She walks over to the Book Of Shadows.)
Nikki: Natalie, do you smell that?
Natalie: What?
Nikki: It's like Sandalwood.
Natalie: No, I don't smell anything.
Nikki: Mum used to wear a fragrance like that.
Natalie: I was too young to remember. (Natalie looks in the Book.) Wait, I thought you said there was nothing in here about releasing your fear. (Nikki looks at the page,) "To let go of your fear, trust in the greatest of all powers."
Nikki: That wasn't there this morning.
Natalie: Well, maybe because of all the stress...
Nikki: No, Natalie, it wasn't there alright. It's in mum's handwriting, I would of remembered.
Natalie: Okay, uh, what do you think the greatest of all powers is? Do you think that's the power of three?
Nikki: I don't know.
Natalie: What is it?
Nikki: It's like I can feel her presence.
Natalie: Okay, maybe you should get dressed and go to VIP.
Nikki: No, um, I don't really think I'm up for that.
Natalie: Look, Nikki, you said he disappeared once Relic got there. So maybe he only attacks when you're alone. When your fear is greatest.
Nikki: Yeah, you're right.
Natalie: Of course I am. Whatever you do, stay away from water, any water, don't even drink it.
Nikki: Don't worry.
Natalie: I love you.
Nikki: You too.
Natalie: Why do you do that?
Nikki: What?
Natalie: You never say 'I love you' to me.
Nikki: I just did.
Natalie: No, you just said 'me too' and you never say it to Nina either. Have you ever said 'I love you' to anybody?
Nikki: Yeah, I said it to mum and it was the last thing I said to her right before she died.
(Natalie hugs Nikki.)
[Scene: SWA Properties. Natalie's sitting at a desk. A man walks in.]
Natalie: Hi, may I help you?
Man: Hi, I was looking for Susan.
Natalie: Oh, she's not here but I can tell her you came by. What's your name?
Richard: Richard Warner.
Natalie: Oh, you're Susan's husband.
Richard: Unless she's got one I don't know about.
(Natalie laughs.)
Natalie: No, no. She doesn't have another husband.
Richard: I thought I'd surprise her and take her to dinner. Do you know where she is?
Natalie: Uh, she went out.
Richard: Okay, well, I think we established that. Do you know where?
Natalie: Uh, well, she... that's actually interesting, she, uh... I can't do this.
Richard: I don't understand.
Natalie: I'm sorry, Mr. Warner, but I can't be the assistant your wife wants without compromising my beliefs and I just won't do that.
Richard: Wait a minute, slow down.
Natalie: Don't worry about the office, I will lock up.
(She writes a note.)
Richard: Thank you.
Natalie: For what?
Richard: For not lying to me about Susan's affair.
Natalie: You knew?
Richard: I've tried denying it for some time now but I guess there comes a time when you have to face the truth.
Natalie: I'm so sorry.
Richard: Don't be, you mustn't. Don't quit on my behalf.
Natalie: I'm not. (He leaves. The phone rings.) SWA Property.
Woman on phone: Hello, may I speak to Susan?
Natalie: Uh, no, she's not in right now. Can I take a message?
Woman on phone: I'm outside a house she was supposed to show me and she's not here.
Natalie: Uh, well, I'm sorry but she must of forgotten. She's out for the rest of the day.
Woman on phone: Can anybody help me? I flew in from L.A. just to see this house. I'm under a terrible deadline to move from my other house.
Natalie: Uh, no one's here. But you know, since you flew in and all, I guess I can show you the property. What's the address?
[Scene: At the property. Natalie walks in the yard.]
Natalie: Mrs. Juffy? Hello? Mrs. Juffy? SWA Properties.
(She hears a voice behind her.)
Woman: Hello, dear. (Natalie turns around and it's Barbas imitating a woman's voice. Thanks so (his voice changes back) much for coming out.
(He grabs her.)
Natalie: Let go or I'll scream.
Barbas: I could use the fix.
(He passes his hand in front of her face.)
Natalie: I know how you kill. There are no elevators around here.
Barbas: Elevators? That's what you think your greatest fear is? You mortals need to look deeper. Down where the real truth lies. Your greatest fear is losing a sister and I get two for one.
[Scene: VIP. Nikki's at Kay's desk while Kay distracts the rest of the team so they don't over hear her conversation. She's on the phone.]
Nikki: He's only a threat till midnight, okay. Alright, well, take care and don't look in any closets till then. (Her cell rings.) Alright, look, I gotta go, someone's calling me. Bye. (She picks up the cell.) Hello?
Natalie: Nikki, it's Natalie. I got stuck at a house I was showing. Can you come and get me?
Nikki: Yeah, sure. Where are you?
[Cut to the property. Barbas is on the phone imitating Natalie's voice.]
Barbas/Natalie: I'm at 3112 Napper Street.
Nikki: Alright, I'm on my way.
(You see Natalie is tied up and with tape over her mouth.)
[Cut back to Nikki.]
Nikki: Okay, I'll be there in a little while. (She hangs up) I have to go. Natalie got stuck at a house she was showing and I have to pick her up.
Tasha: Try not to stumble across any more dead people.
Nikki: Very funny. (She leaves)
Johnny: I'm gonna follow her.
Kay: Are you sure that's a good idea?
Johnny: I want to know what's going on. And I'm gonna find out. (he leaves)
[Scene: At the property. Nikki walks to the gate.Johnny is following her.]
Nikki: Natalie?
(She opens the gate.)
Natalie: I'm in the backyard. You won't believe the view from here.
(Nikki walks in the yard.)
Nikki: Nats, where are you? (She walks near the swimming pool.) Natalie?
(Nikki turns around and sees Natalie tied up and Barbas standing there.)
Barbas: (imitating Natalie's voice) Isn't that a great view? (Barbas pushes Nikki in the pool.) That's right. (Nikki sinks to the bottom. She tries to swim back up to the top but can't.) Give me your fear.
(Nikki is running out of air but something seems to be pulling her down.)
Johnny: Nikki! (he grabs one of the long pool cleaners things and puts it in the water for her to grab it.) Nikki! Grab it.
(Nikki's starting to get really weak and can't grab onto it.)
Johnny: Nikki! (Starting to get hysterical) Nikki! Fight it! You have to hold on!
Barbas: That's enough interference from you! (He waves his hand and Johnny goes flying and lands next to Natalie)
(A bright light appears in the pool.)
A voice: Nikki, Nikki. You must face your fears, Nikki. You must trust in the greatest of all powers. Love.
Nikki: Mum?
A voice: Save yourself. Save your sister. Save Johnny.
Nikki: Johnny?
(Nikki's mum holds out her hand.)
A Voice: Don't be afraid. (Nikki reaches out and holds her mum's hand. Her mum pulls her up to the top.)
Nikki: (to Barbas) It's over. (She gets out of the pool.)
Barbas: Your fear.
Nikki: I'm not afraid anymore.
Barbas: Nooo! (Barbas burns and explodes. The rope disappears off Natalie. Nikki and Natalie hug.)
Natalie: Oh my God, I was so scared.
Nikki: I know. I'm just glad you're safe.
Natalie: I don't know what would happen if I ever lost you. I love you.
Nikki: I love you. (She turns to Johnny) What are you doing here anyways?
Johnny: Your alive!
Nikki: (She wipes some blood off of his forehead from when he got thrown) Your bleeding.
Johnny: Your alive.
Nikki: Yes, we've establshed that. (Johnny hugs her, she awkwardly pats his back comfortingly)
Johnny: I thought you were dead.
Nikki: I'm not dieing anytime soon.
Johnny: Don't ever do that again!
Nikki: I have no current plans to drown again.
(Johnny kisses her.)
(Natalie gets up to leave)
Natalie: Don't mind me. I'm just gonna go hurl.
(They part.)
Johnny: I love you.
Nikki: (quickly gets over the shock of the kiss and the confession then smiles) I love you too.
(They kiss again.)
[Scene: Manor. Living room. Nina's sitting on the floor in front of the fire place. Natalieand Nikki walk in.]
Natalie: Hey, what are you doing?
Nina: Kicking myself. I just lost probably the greatest catch in San Francisco.
Nikki: I don't think. Maybe like the second greatest. But definetly not the greatest. What happened?
Nina: He doesn't like women who rely on superstitions to make decisions. And I'm not so sure he's wrong.
Natalie: So, Nikki vanquished the demon of fear.
Nikki: Well, at least put him back in the bottle for another thirteen hundred years.
Nina: Wait, whoa, what? What happened?
Natalie: Well, he pushed her into a pool and then...
Nikki: And mum helped me out.
Nina: Mum?
Nikki: Okay, I know it sounds crazy but I saw her. It was just like my dream. She was this incredible vision, so peaceful and she took my hand and brought me to the surface.
Nina: That doesn't sound crazy. I wish I could've seen her.
Natalie: Me too.
Nina: I'm just glad you're alright.
(They hug.)
Nikki: I love you.
(Nina breaks the hug.)
Nina: What did you just say?
Nikki: I love you.
(Nina and Natalie smile.)
Nina: I think that's the first time you've said that to me.
Nikki: Yeah, I know, I wish I had of said it a long time ago. Ever since mum died I've been afraid to say it. I didn't want to lose anybody else.
Nina: Well, we're not going anywhere.
Natalie: Oh, and Nikki got her guy.
Nina: That's what she was going on about. So you and Johnny finally got together, how'd it happen?
Nikki: He followed me when I went to pick up who I thought was Natalie.
Natalie: He was hysterical when Nikki was in the pool.
Nina: But what about…?
Nikki: He understands and promises not to say anything. Though I think I forgot to mention that Kay knows…
Natalie: Oh well, should be interesting.
Nikki: Okay. I'm exhausted. I'll se you two in the morning.
(Nikki leaves the room.)
Nina: Uh, what happened to her in that pool?
Natalie: I don't know. But whatever is was, it must of been incredible.
[Cut to the attic. Nikki's sitting in a chair holding the Book Of Shadows. You see words magically appear on a page and their mother's voice saying: "Thanks for letting them in your heart."]
Nikki: I miss you, mum.