Buffy the Vampire Slayer Page #14

Grey, dusty and long since abandoned. Sunlight pours in through

the large windows, practically caked with dust. Old crates

are stacked here and there, bits of manikins leaning on one or

two. Merrick sits on a crate, reading the newspaper.

Buffy enters hesitantly, puts down her bookbag next to a pile

of Merrick's stuff, including a rolled-up sleeping bag. This

is definitely not her turf. She runs her finger along a crate,

picks up a world of dust. She holds up her finger at Merrick.

BUFFY:

Fire the help. No kidding.

Merrick looks up at her.

MERRICK:

It's not pretty, but it does suit

our purposes.

BUFFY:

Our purposes.

She repeats it not with attitude, but a dull wonder at her

connection with this strange man. She crosses to him.

BUFFY:

(continuing)

What, um... What do we do?

MERRICK:

There's a great deal I have to show

you, I'm not even sure where to

start There's so little time.

BUFFY:

Why do you keep saying that?

MERRICK:

Do you know what a Vampire-King is?

BUFFY:

A Vampire-King? You mean like

Dracula?

MERRICK:

Oh, yes. And the man from your

dreams. Lothos.

BUFFY:

Oh, him.

MERRICK:

Yes. They travel about, usually

with one or two of their followers

to lay the groundwork. The vampires

find a community and they feed on

it, make it their own. You were

difficult to trace, and I think the

process has gone a lot further than

I'd anticipated. Usually this goads

a community into some kind of

paranoid frenzy. But for some

reason, nobody here seems to be

paying any attention.

BUFFY:

(not paying attention)

What?

MERRICK:

(annoyed)

We'll cover it later.

BUFFY:

I still don't get how they happened

to come to my town. I mean, was I

born here because... because they

were coming here? That Lothos guy,

and his buddies?

MERRICK:

In a way, yes. Your fate is

inexorably connected to them.

BUFFY:

Great. First I have a birthright,

now I've got a fate. Hey, do I

have to take notes on this?

MERRICK:

(put down his paper)

We're going to have the work hard.

You'll need some excuse for staying

out. For your parents.

Buffy laughs.

BUFFY:

Not a pressing issue.

MERRICK:

I tell you, the best thing I can do

right now is find out more about

you. What your strengths are, your

likes... Everything. What's your

best subject?

BUFFY:

Uh... gym.

MERRICK:

Yes, you used to do gymnastics.

But you stopped. Why?

BUFFY:

Well, everybody says... it's just

kind of dorky. I mean, have you

ever seen a gymnast's legs? They're

like --

(indicating huge)

-- the mighty oak. It's not a look.

MERRICK:

But you enjoyed it, yes?

BUFFY:

Well... I do cheerleading now.

It's way cooler.

MERRICK:

Cheerleading. For... sporting

events, yes?

BUFFY:

Sporting events, yeah.

MERRICK:

All right. Why don't you show me a

cheer?

BUFFY:

Here?

MERRICK:

Yes, yes. It would be interesting.

A nice cheer.

BUFFY:

Okay.

Buffy starts, a bit awkwardly, doing a cheer.

BUFFY:

(continuing)

Who we gonna beat?

MERRICK:

(pathetically following her

motion)

Who we gonna beat?

BUFFY:

(stops)

No -- you don't have to --

MERRICK:

Oh. I thought... you lead me --

BUFFY:

No. You don't do anything. I do

it.

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