RAVEN Episode 4.07 "CWDP Vol 2"

[raynesnoir]

Episode 4.07 “Conversations with Dead People Vol. 2”

Teaser:

Blank Screen. Text: Sherri Mert, 8:25 pm, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

The outside of a run down motel, close in on Room 24.

Cut to:

Inside Room 24, a man is sitting at the end of the bed while a blonde hair, blue eyed woman is under the covers lying down on the other side.

Woman: Why don’t you come back and lay down, maybe we can go another round.

The man looks back at her with a somewhat sinking feeling look on his face.

Man: I – I can’t do this.

Woman: Well I’m sorry to break it to ya hun, but it’s a little too late for that.

Man: It shouldn’t have gone like this. I shouldn’t have come here.

Cut to:

Two hours earlier. Close up on a wallet. Inside the transparent card holder is an ID with the picture of the man from the motel room, his name read ‘Ryan H. Mert’. A hand comes up and picks up the wallet and places it in their back pocket, it’s Luke.

Ryan: Sherri, have you seen my watch? I can’t seem to find it.

His wife walks into the bedroom with a watch in hand and gives it to him.

Sherri: I swear, if you didn’t have me around, you would never be able to find anything.

Ryan gives her a kiss and smiles.

Ryan: That’s why I married you.

Sherri: Aw, I’m the most special wife of any Lawyer in existence.

She gives a little laugh and kisses him back.

Sherri: Are you sure you can’t come to the party with me? I really wanted you to come.

Ryan: You know I want to but I have a very important meeting I have to attend.

Sherri: Fine, I guess I’ll just have to tell everyone that my husband is a workaholic.

Ryan: If it pleases you.

Sherri: Alright well get going or you’ll be late! I have to rush to get ready now because I had to help you.

Ryan: Alright, alright. Have a fun time and try not to drink too much, I’d like to have conscious wife when I get home.

Sherri: Fine. But if they have Manhattans I can promise nothing.

Ryan: Just…be careful, okay?

Sherri: Alright.

Cut to:

Ryan is walking into a café and sits down at a table with the Woman from before.

Ryan: Good evening Mrs. Carter.

Mrs. Carter: Please, call me Amber.

Ryan: Right. Mrs. Carter, you are applying for the personal secretary job, am I correct?

Amber: Yes.

Ryan: Tell me, what sets you apart from all of the other candidates?

Amber gets a very seductive look on her face.

Amber: Well, there are certain…talents, which I have and am willing to do that I’m sure the others wouldn’t.

Ryan is sort of oblivious to her coming on to him.

Ryan: And those talents would include?

Amber lets out a smile and slides her foot very sneakily out of her show and up his chair and into his crotch. Ryan lets out a little yelp of shock; some people turn to look, he clears his throat as if it were just a cough. He then turns back to Amber.

Ryan: Excuse me!

Amber: Oh come on, you know you liked it.

Amber moves her foot back into his crotch and lets out a smile.

Amber: It sure feels like you enjoyed it.

Ryan scoots his chair back.

Ryan: This is not how the interview is supposed to go.

Amber: I have a place if you want, that we could meet, and discuss this more thoroughly.

Ryan looks at her for a moment thinking heavily on her proposition.

Ryan: Where?

Cut to:

Where we left off in the motel room, Ryan gets up off the bed and walks into the bathroom, he goes to the sink and turns on the water, he proceeds to lower his head cups his hand with water in them and splash it into his face.

Amber O/S: So, am I still getting the job?

Ryan grabs a towel from the towel rack and dries off his face and hands. He walks out of the bathroom and looks at Amber with a deadpan look.

Ryan: You start on Monday.

Amber: Told you I have talent.

Ryan: If you tell anyone of what happened, you will never find a job in this state or any I have contacts with ever again.

Amber: Ooh, I like my men all macho like.

Ryan gives her a look.

Amber: Listen, I know how this works, I just wanted the job alright?

Ryan continues to look at her as if he is examining her and then turns away.

Ryan: I’m leaving.

He picks up his coat off the chair next to the bed and puts it on then walks out of the door.

Cut to:

Ryan is driving down the road when he gets to the corner of 4th and Freemont where he sees about four cop cars with their lights on, surrounding a car accident. He begins to slow down the car to try and get a look at what is happening, when he recognizes the wrecked car. He quickly turns off his car and rushes out of it towards the accident, when a cop stops him.

Cop: Hey, hey, hey. No one is allowed over there.

Ryan: That’s my wife’s car!

Cop: Sir, I can’t let you over there.

Ryan: What happened, is she alright?!

Cop: Sir, please calm down.

Ryan: God Damn it! Tell me how she is!

He then sees a body bag on a stretcher being put into the ambulance. His face goes white and tears start coming down his face.

Ryan: Oh my God.

He falls to his knees and continues to sob. As he does a feint song can be heard coming from a nearby location, the song “Build God, Then We’ll Talk” copyrighted Panic! At the Disco. Death appears at the scene with Leora in tow.

Death: Car crashes are always the most annoying ones.

Leora: Why’s that?

Death: Everyone always slows down to look at them. Like they really wanna see a dead person, and then if they do they freak out about it.

Leora: Plus them slowing down usually results in more death.

Death: Yeah, I suppose.

Sherri appears next to the ambulance, Death and Leora walk over to her.

Leora: What happened?

Sherri: I don’t know. I was fixing my face in my compact because I was running late and then there was this terrible crash.

Death rolls her eyes.

Death: Figures.

Sherri sees her husband and begins to cry.

Sherri: I’m gonna miss him, my husband.

Death: Do you know what he was doing while you were on your way to die?

Sherri: He was at a meeting at a café.

Death: Yeah, a meeting with his new blonde secretary at a sleazy motel.

Sherri: What?

Death: Some great husband huh?

Sherri: I still would have stayed with him.

Leora: What?! After he lied and cheated on you like that?

Sherri: Well, moonlighting aside, I really need the money.

Death: Ladies and Gentlemen, our wonderful caricature of intimacy.

Leora: You don’t think that maybe we couldn’t do something about her husband, maybe tell him not to be a sleaze ball anymore?

Death: Leora, you know there are strict rules that I have to follow, I’m not allowed to interfere with anything of the mortal world. You and your friends were a special case; you helped the world on many occasions.

Leora: Yeah, I guess.

All three of them disappear; the song is still playing in the background.

End Teaser:

Theme Song: Animal I Have Become © Three Days Grace

Starring:
AJ Cook - Carmen White-Rayne
Tygh Runyan - Michael Duran
Laura Harris - Lily White
Drake Bell - Josh O’Malley
With Kyle Gallner as Hiero
And Michael Vartan as Arthur Rayne

Also Starring:
Teresa Cruz - Death of the Endless
Tilda Swinton - Scarlet
And Kate Beckinsale as Leora Byrne

Guest Starring:
Milla Jovovich - Feora Byrne
Peter Krause – Galen Byrne
Jason Bateman – Alex White

Created by:
Alexander Brown
And Travis Truant-Simpson

Executive Producers:
Alexander Brown
Joseph Sessumes
And Travis Truant-Simpson

Written by:
Alexander Brown
And Joseph Sessumes

Based on: Buffy the Vampire Slayer © Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox, and The Sandman graphic novels © Neil Gaiman and DC Comics. No profit is made from this fanfiction.

In Association With: SORCERESS OF CRIMSON FALLS created by Travis Truant-Simpson, BROKEN DESTINY created by Joseph Sessumes, CHOSEN created by Heather, ASTA created by Irene Isaac, ROGUE REDEMPTION created by Amber Rose, SEASONS 8/9/6 created by Alex Hart, SHADOW STALKER created by Lex, and BIRDS OF PARADISE created by Skitty.

[raynesnoir]

Act One:

Carmen is at the till helping a customer when Josh walks in, all signs point to his mood being peeved. He walks over to the counter and looks around the store; he sees Michael on the opposite side of the store cleaning and lets out a disgruntled sigh.

Carmen: Is there a reason you’re heavy breathing on me?

Josh: I thought he was off today.

Carmen bags the customers’ items and hands it to him.

Carmen: Have a nice day sir, and come again.

She turns back to Josh.

Carmen: Michael?

Josh: Yeah.

Carmen: We were getting kind of busy today so I asked him to come in.

Josh: Fun.

Carmen: Do you have a problem with Michael?

Josh: Just with power freaks.

Carmen: Excuse me?

Josh: Uh, male power freaks.

Carmen: Better. Now what are you talking about?

Josh: I’m talking about how when you were gone, Captain Druggie over there thought he had to capture every aspect of you.

Carmen: Well I did tell him to run the shop like I do.

Josh: Okay, well he didn’t have to drive me out of the shop.

Carmen: Oh Josh, stop whining, it’s annoying.

Josh: You know I put up with a lot working here, and I’m not gonna put up with him too.

Carmen: If you want to keep your job then you will.

Josh: All I’m saying is just talk to him. I worked here long before he did and I really don’t like that he think that he can just come in here and boss me around.

Carmen: Well, the person in charge is usually the one giving the orders Josh, so you may have to take them if I’m ever away.

Josh: Okay, but why does he get to be in charge?

Carmen: He pleases me.

Josh: What?!

Carmen: Oh God, don’t be such a little pervert. He watches my baby and keeps Lily out of my hair from time to time.

Josh: What does that have to do with running the shop?

Carmen: Well, me being the boss and owner, I’m thinking it means quite a bit.

Josh: Whatever, can I just get to work now?

Carmen: I’m not the one that came in breathing all over you.

Josh just stares at her.

Carmen: We got some shipment in that needs receiving, it’s in the back.

Josh walks to the back and goes through the door. Michael walks over to where Josh was at the counter.

Michael: What was that all about?

Carmen: Teen Angst.

Michael: Poor kid.

Michael turns around and goes back to cleaning. Carmen opens up the till and starts to count the money, she rolls her eyes.

Carmen: Things were so much easier when I ran this place alone.

Cut to:

Carmen standing in the middle of the Sacred Circle, boxes around her at the table. Her hair is cut very short, and she looks a few years younger. Customers wander around her, looking at scarce shelves. Carmen has an exacto knife in her hands, getting ready to open the next box. A woman comes to her holding a candle.

Woman: Excuse me?

Carmen’s hand slips and she cuts herself. She drops the knife and puts her hand to her mouth.

Carmen: Oh ****! I wish I had some help here.

Woman: Umm, miss…

Carmen: Yeah, what do you want?

Woman: How much is this?

Carmen grabs the candle from her and walks over to the front desk, only to discover there’s no cash register on it. She breathes a heavy sigh. She turns to the lady.

Carmen: You got five bucks?

Woman: Is it really worth five dollars?

Carmen: This is a special candle made from the wax of the beehive of the Giant Icopian Bee. My supplier may very well have lost his hearing and simple motor functions acquiring enough wax. 10% of the proceeds go to help finding him a cure!

Woman: I don’t know…

Carmen: Oh come on! He’s sitting in front of his television drooling at Pamela Anderson; except not the normal male drool. It’s more like this.

Carmen slants her head and opens her eyes and mouth. She makes a weird “blehhh” noise as she does it. The woman goes into her purse and takes out a coloured bill. She looks at it.

Carmen: What the hell? I didn’t move here for this shit! Where’s the green I so long for?

Voice: Excuse me, but why did you lie to that woman?

Carmen looks around. Leora stands not looking very amused.

Leora: What did you just lie to that woman for? She could have bought those at Lucky Loonies down the street.

Carmen looks at her, confused.

Carmen: Loo… loonie?

Leora: Canadian one dollar coins. Did they really let you in the country without knowing that?

Carmen: How do you know I’m not just from some rural place that uses one dollar bills?

Leora: Because we haven’t had those for years. And also I can hear your accent, you hick.

Carmen: Excuse me!

The Woman returns.

Woman: Excuse me, there’s blood on this. Can I get another?

Carmen: Read the receipt!

Woman: You didn’t give me one…

Carmen: Well no refunds!

Carmen walks away back to her boxes. Leora follows her.

Leora: That’s very irresponsible of a shop owner!

Carmen: Why do you keep following me? Why oh why?

Leora: Why did you sell her that fake?

Carmen: It wasn’t fake!

Leora: It had a sticker declaring its origin from China on the bottom!

Carmen pauses and puts her hand to her chin, thinking.

Carmen: So that explains why I felt like I was flying in the bathtub last night. Must have grabbed the wrong box while unpacking

Leora: Are you going after her?

Carmen: I think you should mind your own business!

Leora: Magic is my business.

Carmen: Oh, I’m sure.

Carmen walks to a shelf and picks up a magic eight ball.

Carmen: This what you want then?

Leora: They aren’t offered in real magic shops.

Carmen: God, this place is already worse than New Mexico!

Leora: New Mexico? I would have guessed Texas! At least that’s an improvement.

Carmen goes back to her boxes, dropping and shattering the ball on the floor. Leora waits a moment and follows her.

Leora: Do you have any krillion web swipes?

Carmen: Excuse me?

Leora: Krillion web swipes; I need one for a spell.

Carmen: Do you want to ruin the environment?

Leora: A green American? How interesting.

Carmen: Oh would you just get out?

Leora: I need those webs.

Carmen walks behind the shelter and picks up a bundle of stringy-material. She shoves it into Leora.

Carmen: $20, and make sure it’s green!

Leora takes out a green bill and gives it to her. Carmen looks at it.

Carmen: Why is there an old woman on this side?

Leora: That’s the Queen. I suggest you get to learn these things before immigration Canada comes and screws you over. Of course it might be a favour to us all if you’re kicked back to that hellhole of a state.

Carmen: Oh that is it!

Carmen goes behind the counter again and takes out a handgun. She fires it up at the ceiling. Fortunately the fight has already scared the customers off. Carmen looks around.

Carmen: Oh…

Leora: How typical… an American with a gun.

Carmen points it at Leora.

Carmen: Get the hell off of my property now!

Leora: Don’t expect me to come back.

Carmen: I don’t need your business here.

Leora: You won’t find any other serious business in this city.

Carmen: Then I’ll survive on magic eight balls.

Leora: Not if you treat them the way you treated the last one.

Carmen: I’m going to count to three. When I get there, you better be gone. One.

Leora: I’m sorry, what was that? A threat? I was going to overlook the fact that you’ve got a little gun pointed at me.

Carmen steps closer.

Leora: Thanks for the webs.

Carmen fires off gun just past Leora’s ear. Leora backs away and leaves, fingering Carmen on her way out.

Carmen: Jesus Christ people here are messed up.

She flips the sign over to show she is closed for business.

Carmen: I hate this place.

Cut to:

Carmen and Lily are sitting opposite of each other in a booth at a Diner; they each have drinks in front of them.

Carmen: She can’t really be coming, she never comes this unexpectedly.

Lily: She called me this morning to let me know.

Carmen: But, she always gives us fair warning.

Lily: Not this time.

Carmen: Great.

She bangs her fist on the table which causes others to turn and look at her and her drink to spill a little.

Carmen: Damn it!

Lily: We just have to look at the bright side.

Carmen: There’s no bright side to an eclipse Lily.

Lily: My God Carmen, can you be just a little more over dramatic?

Carmen: Says the Drama Queen.

Lily: Which goes to show you how dramatic you are being.

Carmen: Whatever.

One of the waitresses comes and places Carmen’s and Lily’s plates of food in front of them. Lily looks down at her plate, which is a fresh looking salad and then back at the waitress.

Lily: Um, ma’am? I remember asking, quite politely I might add, for croutons not to be added to my salad.

Waitress: Oh, I’m sorry; I guess I must have forgotten.

Lily: Which is funny seeing as when you took our orders without writing them down you said you would be able to remember them.

The waitress just continues to look at her.

Lily: And then when I asked you to write them down, you insisted that you never get orders wrong, which looking at my salad demonstrates how wrong you are.

The waitress is not looking at her with her mouth open.

Lily: Just standing there with your mouth open isn’t going to make me a fresh salad without croutons on it.

The waitress takes the salad and goes back into the kitchen with it.

Carmen looks over at Lily with a raised eyebrow.

Carmen: You never said that you didn’t want croutons.

Lily: I know, but I wasn’t ready for my food yet.

Carmen: And you couldn’t just get them to take it back for you until you were ready?

Lily: I am the Drama Queen aren’t I?

Carmen rolls her eyes.

Carmen: Your food is so getting spit in.

Cut to:

Carmen holding a shopping basket, things piled inside. She’s in a market place buying produce. The place is crowded as people buy products or protect themselves from the rain outside the cover.

Carmen: Never bloody rained this much in New Mexico.

Voice: You’re still on about that?

Carmen looks over. Leora, also holding a basket, smiles at Carmen.

Carmen: Oh dear God, kill me now.

Leora: If he was watching you’d already be gone.

Carmen walks away. Leora follows.

Carmen: I’m not talking to you.

Leora: It’s a free country. Or didn’t you know that, either?

Carmen: I’m not listening.

Leora: I guess you don’t know what freedom is like, especially freedom of expression.

Carmen: And I express my right not to associate with you.

Leora: This is the best produce store in the inner city. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave then.

Carmen: Do I have to shoot at you again?

Leora: More threats? I’m still alive, aren’t I?

Carmen: That can easily be changed.

Carmen takes a bag and begins to put oranges into it. Leora watches. Carmen keeps adding them.

Leora: Planning an ocean voyage? We’ve made advances with scurvy over the last two hundred years you know.

Carmen just ignores her. She puts the oranges into her basket and moves on to the bananas. One group of them is left. She grabs at it, only for it to be grabbed by Leora.

Carmen: Hey! Those are mine!

Leora: I thought you weren’t talking.

Carmen: I want these bananas!

Carmen tugs them toward her.

Leora: Then go next store!

She pulls them closer to her.

Carmen: No! I want these ones!

She pulls them closer. Leora pulls them back, this time Carmen can’t pull hard enough.

Leora: I’ll tell you what; I’ll give these to you if you let me back to your store to buy some things tonight.

Carmen: What? No, no, no!

Leora: Trust me; I don’t care for the idea either. But it’s the best place for it in case I need to suddenly toss in other ingredients.

Carmen: I’m sorry, but I can’t let you.

Leora pulls the bananas away from Carmen’s grasp.

Leora: Then you can’t have these.

Carmen glares at Leora.

Leora: No need to pout like that. I gave you a choice.

Carmen lets out a sigh.

Leora: Do you really need the bananas?

Carmen stays silent, looking at Leora. She thinks for a few moments.

Carmen: Damn it! Yes I do!

She snatches them from Leora.

Carmen: Be at the shop after closing.

Cut to:

Carmen flipping the sign of the Sacred Circle to show it is closed. She turns around while yawning. In a chair at the table Leora is seated. She smiles at Carmen. Carmen freezes.

End Act One.

[raynesnoir]

Act Two:

The door to an empty and dark houseboat is being unlocked, from outside steps in Michael. He turns on the light and then puts his keys in a dish that is on a table next to the door and then flops down onto the recliner. He looks at his surroundings and sees that there is a bag of chips lying on a coffee table, he grabs them and starts shoving chips into his mouth.

Voice O/S: So this is what you do now without me?

Michael drops the bag of chips instantly upon hearing the sound of the voice, his face turns a pale white and he jumps up. He spins around quickly to see whose voice it was, but no one is standing there. Michael closes his eyes takes a deep breath and turns back around. He opens up his eyes again and is confronted by Galen. Michael lets out a yelp and falls backwards onto his recliner.

Galen: Honestly Michael, must you yelp like that?

Michael begins to stutter.

Michael: B-b-b-but you’re dead.

Galen: Wow, you did become wiser. Yes Michael, I am dead. You made sure of that, didn’t you?

Michael: I had to stop you? I had to save my friends.

Galen lets out laughter.

Galen: Friends? Michael, the only person left is Carmen, and you don’t actually think she views you as a friend, do you.

Michael just looks at him with every sign of the answer pointing to ‘yes’.

Galen: Oh my God, you do!

Galen laughs in a mocking way yet again.

Galen: You’re not her friend Michael, you’re her slave. Haven’t you noticed that whenever she needs you it’s to either watch her brat or to work at the shop? God, you really are naïve, I would have thought you stabbing me would have meant you grew some balls.
Michael: I- I’ve changed.

Galen: What? This facade you have going on? A reformed druggie that lifts weights instead of shooting up, yeah, that’ll last.

Michael: I’m not going to go back to that, I’ve changed!

Galen: Sure you have Michael, and I’m really alive right now. You think you can just quit something like that so simply?

Michael: I can. And I have!

Galen: We’ll see about that.

Galen turns around and starts walking around the houseboat.

Galen: This is where you live now, a houseboat? It’s all so cliché sounding.

Michael starts to stand up.

Michael: What do you mean?

Galen: Oh you know; the man seeking redemption separates himself from everyone he cares about.

Michael: I’m not separating myself from anybody.

Galen: Michael, you’re a druggie and that’s all you ever will be. You can’t escape your true self.

Michael: This is me. You can’t shake me up into going back to my old self!

Galen: You poor boy, I don’t have to do anything, you’re already on the path.

Michael: What?

Galen: I was just here to hopefully speed up the process.

Michael is now almost yelling.

Michael: I am not that guy anymore!

Galen lets out a sinister chuckle.

Galen: All in good time dear boy. And when it happens, it’s going to send shockwaves.

Michael becomes forceful.

Michael: Get out.

Galen: There’s the attitude I wanted to see.

Michael: GET OUT!

Galen smiles at Michael and then begins to laugh with an echo. Galen shimmers out of the room but the laughter still echoes through the houseboat. Michael collapses into the recliner once again, but with his head in his hands.

Cut to:

Leora stands up from her chair in the Sacred Circle. Carmen eyes begin to water.

Leora: Oh don’t do that, you always cry when these moments happen.

Carmen wipes her eyes and smiles, sniffling.

Carmen: Leora?

Leora: Last I knew that was my name.

Carmen: Is it really you?

Leora: Yeah, I’m back.

Carmen: Oh Leora!

Carmen runs to Leora, grabbing at her to hug at her. Instead she phases through and hits the table. She freezes and then looks around. Leora is now at the other side of the store, smiling at Carmen once more.

Carmen: You’re not here permanently, are you?

Leora: I’m afraid not, Carmen. I’ve only come here to send you a message.

Carmen: I have something I want to say to you too. It’s something really important.

Leora: Carmen-

Carmen: I’ve been working on getting you back. I’ve been looking into spells and dealing with mystics and I’ve even narrowed what I need to down! I have someone helping me.

Leora: Carmen, you can’t do that.

Carmen stops. She looks at Leora, scared.

Carmen: Leora?

Leora: You shouldn’t have let me die!

Carmen begins to cry again.

Leora: Oh here we go again. Always with the tears. Can’t you just accept that you’re failing? That there isn’t hope?

Carmen falls to the floor.

Leora: Oh get up. What I need to tell you is very important.

Carmen just stays on the floor.

Leora: Your husband is dying.

Carmen looks up.

Carmen: Arthur-

Leora: The Lord of Dreams is keeping him. He’s in agony.

Carmen: What do I do?

Leora: I don’t know the answer to that.

Carmen gets up, desperate.

Carmen: What do I do?

Leora looks away.

Leora: I’m not sure.

Carmen: Leora, please!

Leora: You won’t like it.

Carmen: Anything.

Leora: You have to sacrifice your little boy to the Dream Lord.

Carmen just stares at her friend. She falls back into her chair.

Leora: It’s a fair price, isn’t it? Child for husband. You have that drug addict keeping watch on him anyways.

Carmen: I can’t do that.

Leora: I’ll take care of your baby, Carmen. Just give him up. You can always make another.

Carmen: I can’t do it, Leora.

Leora: Funny, the Carmen I knew would sacrifice anything for love.

Carmen: It’s my child, Leora! I spent months with him inside of me!

Leora: And you cursed every moment of it. Don’t you remember what you did when you found out you were pregnant?

Leora points to a window at the shop. A rocking chair is beside it.

Leora: For weeks you sat there looking into the fog, wishing you could go back a few weeks to get the proper procedures done to rid yourself of that… disease that was now inside of you.

Carmen: I didn’t think I was ready then.

Leora: And you aren’t now! You’re a shitty mother and you know that. How else does he get kidnapped every other day?

Carmen: Leora-

Leora: If you won’t take my help, then I may as well go.

Carmen: Leora, no!

Leora: I’m sorry Carmen, but I’m no longer the one to talk to you.

Carmen: Don’t go, Leora! Don’t go!

Leora turns around.

Leora: He hasn’t much time left. And nor do you.

Carmen completely breaks down.

Leora: Our deaths will inevitably cause yours. And then your son will be dead anyways. Drug addicts can’t care for children. Nor can that fluff of a sister of yours. Little Silas will get his hand into some toxic goop she puts on her face and that’s the end.

Leora walks out the door.

Cut to:

Leora entering the Sacred Circle with a cardboard box. Carmen is standing at the till with a martini in her hand. There’s a handgun in reach of her other. Leora gives a small smile as she comes in, Carmen tips her glass.

Carmen: Lock it please.

Leora puts the box down and goes to the door. She closes and locks it and flips the sign.

Carmen: Do you mind explaining to me what you intend to do in this little… show of yours?

Leora: Do you believe in real magic at all? Or is this store really just mostly for tricks.

Carmen: Watch it.

She moves her hand to her gun.

Leora: With all those drinks in you I think you’re more likely to hit me in the head when pointing it at you.

Carmen just looks at her.

Leora: Please, I can smell the gin from here.

Carmen takes back her martini and puts the glass down.

Carmen: You didn’t answer my question.

Leora takes out a smaller wooden box from her cardboard one. She also grabs a photo. She hands it to Carmen. On the photo is Leora as a child with a raven on her shoulder.

Leora: That was my friend Astro.

Carmen: Astro…

Leora: I was ten!

Carmen hands the photo back.

Carmen: What the hell is a ten year old doing with a pet raven?

Leora: My parents weren’t exactly… normal.

Carmen points her fingers up and down Leora.

Carmen: Evidently.

Leora: That’s why I wanted to bring him back.

Carmen: Bring him back. Here. In my store?

Leora: Pretty much.

Carmen: And why exactly?

Leora takes out a large black volume and flips to a particular page. She shows it to Carmen.

Leora: I need a lot of the webbing I bought earlier to complete the spell. If I run out it’ll all go to hell.

Carmen: Holy shit- you really are serious? I have this volume in the back! It’s almost on the verge of being banned by the wa-

She stops herself. Leora turns from unpacking her box.

Carmen: Weight watchers group. Lemme tell you, some nasty recipes in there. Tricking poor gals like me into thinking that the low fat brownies are actually low fat!

Leora: You just moved here. When did you join Weight Watchers?

Carmen tries to talk, but can’t think up an excuse. She takes the last of her martini down.

Leora: I know about them, you know. The council of Watchers.

Carmen: I’m sorry; I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Leora: My father was Kristopher Byrne. He was a higher member of the coven. He had some dealings with the council.

Carmen looks shocked.

Carmen: Kristopher Byrne? The Kristopher Byrne? You mean the man that recently-

Leora goes back to her boxes.

Carmen: I’m so-

She pauses.

Carmen: He-

She pauses again. Leora turns back to her.

Carmen: He was a good man.

Leora: Thank you, but I’m ok now.

Leora pulls out a cauldron. Carmen looks at the page in the book. There are a few moments of silence between the two.

Leora: So how did you end out here? Did they place you in this area for some reason?

Carmen: Oh- no. It’s… it’s…

She pauses and then thinks for a moment. She changes her tone back to the bitchy Carmen she was when she first met Leora.

Carmen: It’s private. All you need to know is I am fully qualified in ass kicking and magical defense.

She walks over to the till once more and slips as she goes, catching herself as she does.

Leora: Whatever you say.

Carmen ignores her.

Leora: And here I thought we were getting to be friends.

Carmen laughs.

Leora: Yeah, even that was a tad far for me to say.

Carmen: Get the spell going. I have some things to do.

Leora: Like finish the bottle?

Carmen freezes.

Leora: I’m starting.

Cut to:

Leora with a boiling orange liquid in the cauldron, not on top of any fire at all. She tosses in fistful of krillion web after fistful. She adds in a few dried leaves of some variety and some small black round balls. Carmen looks at these confused.

Carmen: Those aren’t from here.

Leora: They’re tapioca. They are the little pearls in bubble tea.

Carmen: In what?

Leora: I’m certain you don’t want to know.

Carmen: Alright…

Leora pulls the wooden box open. The skeleton of a bird and some dust are revealed inside.

Carmen: Holy crap! How long as this thing been dead?!

Leora: About five years.

Carmen: Are you sure you can… necromance it? Is that the right word?

Leora: This isn’t ordinary necromancy. You’ll see.

Leora throws in her last krillion web. Carmen puts her hand around her handgun, ready in case she needs it. Leora concentrates on the boiling of the cauldron.

Leora: Take my strength and bind my power. Take my blood and bind my soul.

She takes a long knife out and cuts her hand.

Leora: Take my strength and bind my power. Take my blood and bind my soul.

She puts the knife away and puts her hand into the orange. She cringes.

Leora: Take my strength and bind my power. Take my blood and bind my soul.

The cauldron begins to smoke. Leora removes her hand. A demonic growl comes from the cauldron. Carmen holds her gun up.

Carmen: Excuse me, Leora?

Leora: Take my strength and bind my power. Take my blood and bind my soul.

She takes he hand over the wooden box. Blood drips with flame around it onto the dead birds remains.

Carmen: Leora!

Leora: Take my strength and bind my power. Take my blood and bind my soul.

The cauldron sizzles and then begins to whistle; overheated. Carmen takes aim at the wooden box.

Leora: Take my strength and bind my power. Take my blood and bind my soul.

The noise rises.

Leora: Take my strength and bind my power. Take my blood and bind my soul.

The lights in the room go out, and the orange glow fills the room. Carmen begins to cough.

Carmen: Leora stop it!

Leora: Take my strength and bind my power. Take my blood and bind my soul.

The cauldron stops. Leora does as well. Suddenly it blows, sending Leora to the ground, the wooden box to the wall, and Carmen into the cabinet behind her. The table the cauldron was on is destroyed. From the glow left behind comes a large boar-headed demon with a giant spiked mace. His eyes are the flames orange and his skin a dark grey like the smoke. Leora looks up, dazed. The demon growls and lunges forward with his mace, swinging it at Leora. Carmen grabs her gun first, hitting it in the chest. He doesn’t phase but continues at Leora.

Carmen: Leora, get up.

Carmen fires three more times. The demon swings down as Leora snaps up. She rolls over just as the mace hits the wooden floor, causing the mace to stick for a moment.

Carmen: I’m getting tile after this.

Leora gets up and leaps to Carmen’s side, taking a broken piece of wood in her hand with her to use as a club.

Carmen: The spell didn’t work, hmm?

Leora: Umm… I think it did.

The demon gets his mace unstuck and charges at the two. Carmen fires a bullet between his eyes. He falls to the ground.

Leora: I think… I think he was some kind of consequence?

Carmen: A consequence? That implies you did something wrong.

Leora: Well… Astro didn’t die from unnatural causes.

Carmen: Oh no. You played God with the order of things.

The demon leaps up at Carmen, mace swinging right at her. Leora yells. Suddenly from the box a bird explodes out in flame. As it flaps its wings the fire subsides. It flies right to the demon, striking its sharp claws at its back. This freezes the monster for a moment as the tips of the spikes stop before Carmen. Leora’s eyes go black and flames shoot from her hands. They gather together above the demon and then engulf him in flame. He falls, screaming in pain. Carmen takes a shotgun from behind the counter and pumps it. She fires, hitting it in the head. Its head explodes and he falls down, disappearing in a poof of smoke and flame. Carmen turns to Leora.

Carmen: You… you saved me.

Leora: I returned the favor.

Astro lands on Leora’s outstretched arm.

Carmen: It worked I guess.

Leora: Yeah.

Pause.

Leora: I’ll get out of your hair I guess.

Carmen: Yeah… you should.

Leora goes to collect her things as they are scattered about the room. She bends down, Astro flying to a bookshelf to perch. Carmen shakes her head as she struggles words.

Carmen: No, you can stay.

Leora looks at her.

Carmen: I need help cleaning. And it’d be a nice thing to have someone to talk to after this whole ordeal.

Leora smiles at Carmen.

Carmen: I’ll get the martinis ready.

Cut to:

Lily’s hotel room, she is in her bathroom doing some final night time touches to her face. She is going the whole nine yards, moisturizer, breathe strip across the nose, the works. She is humming a tune to herself and dancing around a bit. She goes into the next room and sitting on the bed is a man with brown hair and eyes and closely resembles the Whites, Lily lets out a little shriek.

Lily: Oh my God! Alex!

Alex: Hey sis.

Lily: You – You’re dead.

Alex: Still as cunning as ever.

Lily: Did magic’s do this? Did someone bring you back? Oh my God, Carmen!

Alex laughs warmly at his sister.

Alex: No, no one brought me back. I just got an allowance to see you.

Lily smiles with tears in her eyes and rushes over to hug Alex but falls through him onto the bed.

Alex: But; I’m incorporeal.

Lily: Now you tell me.

Alex: Sorry, I was just so happy to see you.

Lily: I know how you feel. I’ve missed you so much.

Alex: I’ve missed you as well; your smile always brightened my days.

Lily helplessly lets out a hearty grin.

Alex: Just like that.

Lily’s smile slowly starts to fade.

Lily: Not that I’m not happy that you’re back or anything, but why? Why now?

Alex: I’ve come here to talk to you about something, or rather, someone

Lily: Um, no ones supposed to know about that Alex, there is a reason that –

Alex: Not that person. I’m talking about Carmen.

Lily: Is she in danger?

Alex: That’s just it. Or rather that’s not it.

Lily: What?!

Alex: First off though, you are letting her stomp all over you and you shouldn’t. You are not some doormat that she can just toss around and step on.

Lily: She’s been going through a lot Alex, you don’t understand. Her husband is in a coma and her best friend died.

Alex: So you should just let her treat you however she pleases? That is not the Lily White that I knew.

Lily: I’ve changed, for the better.

Alex: Not greatly. There are some aspects that you should have kept.

Lily looks at him, full of grief and sorrow. He moves closer to her on the bed.

Alex: That’s not why I came here though. Carmen is going to so something terribly wrong, something that goes beyond any cosmic law.

Lily looks up at her brother with confusion.

Lily: What?

Alex: I can’t tell you what, just that when she does do it, you can’t defend her, for she would betray you in a second to do what she is trying to do.

Lily: Alex, you have to tell me more. I have to know.

Alex: You will know when the time is right.

Alex stands up.

Alex: And now it’s my time to go.

Lily: No! Please, stay!

Alex: I wish I could, but I have to go, I have been allowed to tell you what was needed and that’s it.

Lily begins to sob.

Alex: I love you Lily. Remember that Carmen isn’t herself, and that she loves you deep down, but you cannot always trust her, or side with her.

He fades out and disappears. Lily is left alone crying.

End Act Two.

[raynesnoir]

Act Three:

Carmen has her head in her arms on the counter sobbing.

Voice O/S: What…a…bitch.

Carmen raises her head up.

Carmen: What?

Carmen sees Feora standing at the door, leaning against it. Carmen’s face fills with rage.

Carmen: You.

Feora: What? No warm welcomes?

Carmen: Get out of my shop, now!

Feora: Come on babe, you can’t be that mad at me.

Carmen shrieks at her.

Carmen: You killed my best friend!

Feora: Actually, your best friend killed me, and in the process killed herself.

Carmen: Shut up.

Feora: You even know it’s true.

Carmen grabs her shotgun from under the counter and fires it at Feora, but it just phases through her and blows a chunk out of the wall behind her.

Feora: Blowing up your shop isn’t going to change the fact that Leora is a selfish bitch that only took the easy way out.

Feora starts walking towards Carmen.

Feora: It kills you doesn’t it?

Carmen starts gritting her teeth.

Carmen: What?

Feora: That she would rather be dead than be here with you.

Carmen: That’s not how it is.

Feora: That’s exactly how it is. She could have done something else, but instead she just did the easiest thing she could do.

Carmen: She wouldn’t have done it unless she had too. If you hadn’t of –

Feora: Please. She’s a self satisfying person and you’re here defending her. How pathetic.

Carmen grips her shotgun again.

Feora: What’s even more pathetic is here you are wasting your time trying to fix it all.

Carmen: I will fix it.

Feora leans in closer to Carmen.

Feora: Let me let you in on a little secret hun.

Feora is now against Carmen’s ear, whispering in it.

Feora: Even if you do manage to do what you’re trying to achieve, I promise you, nothing will be as it was; nothing will ever be the same.

At that moment the door to the Sacred Circle slams open. Death is at the doorway.

Cut To:

Leora waking up on the floor of the shop, hair messed up. She looks around. Astro is beside her, peaking at her arm. Leora smiles at her bird. She looks around the store, confused. Suddenly a light comes on. Leora holds her head in pain and lets out a noise to accompany it. Carmen comes all fresh looking. A cup of coffee in her hand, she hands it to Leora.

Carmen: Good morning there.

Leora: What am I doing here?

Carmen: You passed out half the martini through. You really can’t take your alcohol well.

Leora sips her coffee and looks around, waking up. Something snaps.

Leora: I’m still here?

Carmen: Well we had an interesting chat last night, Ms. Byrne. I have ammo for black mail. I just thought it’d be nice to let you sleep on my broken floor.

Leora: What did I reveal?

Carmen: Spring break ‘90 and ’91.

Leora spits out her coffee.

Carmen: With a guest appearance by ’94.

Leora: Not the best things to know me by.

Carmen: Well, you also gave me something else weird.

Leora looks at her, a little hesitant and scared.

Carmen: You gave me a reason to almost like you.

Leora: Really?

She looks shocked, Carmen smiles.

Leora: What did I do?

Carmen: Something all friends do for other friends.

Leora pauses with this one.

Carmen: You held my hair back.

Carmen turns around and walks to the till. Leora sips on her coffee, Astro landing on her shoulder.

Cut to:

Feora turns around, Death steps inside the Sacred Circle. She waves her hand and Carmen freezes at the spot. Death turns back to Feora.

Death: You! Cease what you are doing, now!

Feora: What? I’m simply talking to an old friend.

Death: We both know damn well who you are and what you are up to.

Feora looks at Death and gives her a menacing grin, she begins to walk towards Death and her body morphs into Leora’s.

Leora: If you know who I am, then I suggest you go before you end up hurt.

Death: The First Evil cannot harm The Endless, we are above you.

Leora/The First: Sweetie, I am you.

Death glares at Leora/The First and backhands her. Leora/The First blanches at Death.

Leora/The First: You cannot hit me, I am The First Evil, and I’m incorporeal!

Death: Like I said, The Endless is above you.

Leora/The First grabs onto Death’s arm and pulls her towards her.

Leora/The First: I think I kinda enjoy touching.

Death: How about you enjoy my fist across your face?

Death goes to slug Leora/The First in the face, when Leora/The First catches Death’s fist and slams it back into Death’s chest.

Leora/The First: You do know what you are doing right now breaks every rule imaginable.

Death: Yeah, and you go about following all the guidelines.

Leora/The First: I’m evil you dumbass, we have a different rulebook.

Leora/The First grabs onto Death and flings her across the floor, causing Death to slide across it.

Death: And I’m neutral you twat, we all have different rules.

Leora/The First: But you, you’re an almighty Endless, you are not allowed to interfere with affairs on the mortal plane.

Death: There are special circumstances.

Leora/The First: Yeah, especially if you befriended one of them.

Death glares at Leora.

Leora/The First: Does it hurt that I am taking her image? The one that you have tried to protect over the years and now you know that there is nothing you can do to bring her back. It eats you up doesn’t it?

Death: Shut your mouth!

Leora/The First: I love it when I hit the sore spot. And you know the best part? You can beat me to a bloody pulp, but I will just keep coming back, I can’t be defeated, I’m everything, everywhere and everyone.

Death stands up, hate raging throughout her body.

Death: You’re not as powerful as you think.

Leora/The First laughs at Death.

Leora/The First: A collapsed Hellmouth couldn’t keep me down, what could you possibly do?

Death: We’ll see.

Death holds out her arm with her palm outstretched and facing upwards. A long scythe appears in her hand and she grips it tightly as she sprints towards Leora/The First with it, readying to attack. Death swings it at Leora/The First but Leora/The First quickly ducks, dodging it. Leora/The First swings her leg around while bent down to try and sweep Death off her feet but Death is too fast for her and jumps backwards.

Leora/The First: My God, what is it with you people and scythes? Are they slowing coming back into style?

Death: I’m Death; I’ve got to be somewhat cliché.

Leora/The First: It’s no matter. Your little toy cannot kill me.

Death: I never said I was going to kill you, merely banish you is all.

Leora/The First’s eyes widen.

Leora/The First: That is forbidden! You cannot seal away The First Evil.

Death rolls her eyes.

Death: I’m sure the second evil will gladly take your place.

Leora/The First: This is no joking matter, without me, there will be no evil, only good, it will offset the balance.

Death: Aw, seems like I found your sore spot. Without you there will only be one less annoyance. You have no use in this realm anymore, there is enough evil in this world to fuel itself without you.

Leora/The First: You’re insane!

Death: Yeah, and you’re finished.

Death brings up her scythe and slashes through Leora/The First right down the middle. A dark light starts flooding around Leora/The First’s body and she lets out a piercing shriek, the light then starts to collapse into itself until it is no longer there. Death snaps her fingers and the scythe disappears. She begins to walk out the door when she sees Leora standing at the doorway with her mouth open. Death waves her hand and Carmen begins moving again, she looks around and sees nothing, she begins to cry once again.

Leora steps closer to Carmen.

Leora: Why can’t she see us?

Death: I choose who sees us.

Leora stands beside her friend, hoping to comfort. She has tears in her eyes as well.

Leora: Well then let her see me!

Death has a calm voice.

Death: No.

Leora: Like hell! Let her see me!

Death: Leora, we have to go.

Leora tries to grab at Carmen, her hands phasing through.

Death: Leora.

Leora: No. No I can’t go. Look at her!

Death: Leora, it’s natural.

Leora: No, no it isn’t. Nothing is natural anymore.

Death: Leora-

Leora: Look at what you just did! You probably just completely screwed up the balance or something! You banished the First Evil. You can’t do that and get away!

Death: I just did.

Leora: And you made yourself a hypocrite.

Death: Would you rather your friends in pain?

Pause.

Death: Would you rather he flaunt around your body to torture him, Leora?

Leora: Put me back here with her.

Death: What?

Leora: I said put me back here with her. I’ve had enough of following you around so you can do what you want.

Death: I can’t bring you back. That’s against nature.

Leora: I told you that what you just did was against nature! We need evil!

Death: That’s a strange statement coming from somebody that spent her life fighting it.

Pause.

Death: Now let’s go Leora.

Leora kneels beside Carmen, crying.

Leora: Death, please! Please help her!

Death: Leora, I can’t.

Leora: I know you can.

Death pauses to think. The door swings open and Michael comes running in, soaking wet from the rain. He holds onto Carmen, tears in his own eyes.

Michael: Shh, it’s ok Carmen. It’s ok.

He rocks her back and forth. Leora stands up and steps back.

Death: She has her helpers.

Leora: But it isn’t enough. She needs me! She needs her husband!

The door opens again. Lily, looking as if she was just crying as well, comes in. Carmen looks up. Michael helps her get up. Lily hugs her sister.

Lily: I saw our brother. I saw Alex.

Leora steps away farther.

Death: They have it covered.

Song: Blue © Joss Whedon. Performed by Angie Hart. The music plays along with the loud rain.

Lyrics: Night falls, I fall, and where were you? And where were you? Warm skin, wolf grin, and where were you?

Leora makes it between her friends and Death. Leora looks back.

Lyrics: I fell into the moon and it covered you in blue.

Death: Let’s go, Leora.

Leora takes one last look at her friends.

Lyrics: I fell into the moon.

She takes Death’s hand.

Lyrics: Can I make it right? Can I spend the night?

Cut to:

Black.

Lyrics: Alone.

End Episode.

[raynesnoir]

Feedback here please

Trivia
-This episode was originally planned as Joe’s first solo episode, but due to Real Life, it ended up being another co-written one.
-This episode rivals 4.5 for the highest page count to date. Both reached 44 pages.
-Joe’s main motivation for keeping this episode? Death vs. The First.
-This is the start of the series of flashbacks we will be getting on Leora and Carmen’s friendship pre-Raven, aka Raven 0.
- The Song ‘Blue’ was in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode of ‘Conversations with Dead People’, it was thought fitting to instead play the song at the beginning of the episode, to rather play it at the end, signifying a difference.
-The Teaser was based off of the song “Build God, Then We’ll Talk” by Panic! At the Disco. Though the lyrics are never written, the song is playing in the background. This is the second time, a Panic! At the Disco song is used in Raven.