"EPISODE 1.5 - Halloween Rescue"

Written and produced By Alex Gregg. Copyrighted 2003.
Originally Aired October 27th 2003

The camera pans down on the Skater Park. Ashley is back in action, on the ramps. Maria is sitting on the bench. Ashley finishes and comes over.

Maria:  I see you've not lost your touch.

Ashley:  Nope! (sits next to Maria). Ah, its good to be back!

Ling comes up behind them.

Ling:  Hey, guys.

Ashley:  Hey. 

Ling:  What you guys up to?

Maria:  Nothing much, really...

Ling:  Still on for pumpkin carving at mine tonight?

Ashley:  Yup, I'm there!

Maria:  Me too! At Seven, right?

Ling:  Uh huh. I've got the pumpkins, you guys bring the snacks.

Ashley:  (laughs) Sure!

Maria:  Ooh! We need a movie. A Halloween movie, horror movie!

Ling:  We do?

Maria:  Yeah! I'll pick one up on my way. "R" rated some good?

Ashley:  Well, yeah. But how are you gonna get an "R" rated movie?

Maria:  (smiles) I have my ways...

The Credits

Special Guest Stars: Dylan Matthews, Abby Tumbrigde
Guest Staring: Lok Lee, Holly Adams, Chris Martin, Jack, Brooke

 
Ashley Voice Over:  Now my wrist has totally healed, its sure good to be back on the ramps! So Halloween! I like Halloween, its cool. Its a good chance to have fun and to dress up, what's the saying "Come as you aren't? There's a Halloween Dance at school tomorrow night, it should be a blast.

Later. Cut to Ling's house. There's a knock at the door. Ling answers it. Its Ashley and Maria. Fade to later, Ling's kitchen. The girls are all siting round the kitchen table, Carving out their pumpkins, eating snacks and chatting.

Maria:  So, tomorrow night should be a blast, huh?

Ashley:  And it officially marks the our first high school dance!

Ling/Maria:  Yup!

Ling:  Lok's band is playing too.

Maria:  Really? (Ling nods) Cool!

Ashley:  So, (turns her pumpkin to the others) What do you think?

Cut to the next day at school. Ashley and Ling are walking down the hall towards the Sports Hall. Maria catches up with them.

Maria:  Hey! Happy Halloween!

Ashley/Ling:  Hey.

Maria:  So you got your Halloween costumes for tonight?

Ashley/Ling:  Yup!

Maria:  I was just speaking to Holly Adams. She asked if we wanna go with her and few others, Trick Of Treating tonight, before the dance?

They round the corner.

Ashley:  I donno... Trick Of Treating? Isn't that kinda lame?

Maria:  No! A Lot of us are doing it this year... Come on, it'll be fun!

Ling:  Yeah, I'm with Maria on this one. It'll be fun. Plus, Candy!

Ashley:  Okay, Okay. So what's the plan?

They walk though the Sports Hall doors and head for the girls Locker Room to get changed for gym class.

Maria:  We meet up at mine, then meet up with Holly and the others at the Arcades, head out Trick-Or-Treating and then end up here for the dance.

Dissolve to Maria with dyed back hair, wearing a short black skirt, a black short top over a black denim jacket and black boots. She comes down the stairs and answers the door to reveal Ashley and Ling.

Ling:  Woah! Check out queen of the damned! I like the heir!

Maria looks at her costume. She's in a Solders out fit.

Ling:  Thanks! (points to her costume) A Solder?

Ashley:  Nu uh! Not *just* a solder. (stands up straight and salutes) X5 452! Ready to protect and kick some ass!

Maria:  Max, Dark Angel. Clever.

Maria Looks at Ashley's costume. She's wearing normal clothes. There doesn't seem anything Halloween-ish about her. 

Maria:  ... And you are? (Ashley pulls out a piece of wood in the shape of a stake from her jacket) Buffy?!

Ling:  Hey, put it this way, if a weird force hits town and we all turn into our costumes, at least I'll have some idea what's going on!

Maria:  Uh huh. (gives her a look) On the other hand, you could turn into some dumb blond chick. Who doesn't know how to do anything except build really small fences...

Ashley:  (fake laughs) Ha ha ha. Your funny. Shall we go?

Maria closes the door behind her and they walk down the street heading out to meet the others. Cut to an hour later, its now getting dark. The girls are with some of their class mates. There's two girls and two boys. They're heading out of Beach way, each carrying bag of candy.

Holly:  What shall we do now cause, (checks watch) we've still got thirty five minutes until the dance starts...

Jack:  (to everyone) We could hit the beach for a while?

The whole group agrees, so they make their way along the cliffs.

Ling:  How much Candy did you guys get?

Maria:  Uh... About half a bag...

Ashley:  Same... So, Is Dylan gonna be at the dance?

Maria:  Oh yeah! We're making it our third official date!

Ling:  Third?

Ashley:  Yeah, why don't you guys just date already?

Cut to Jack. He's looking over at part of the cliffs that have been cornered off for safety reasons with rope and signs.

Jack:  I dare some one to go over to those rocks! (goes over to the other boy) Chris, how about you, man? You up for it?

The whole group stops.

Chris:  (goes over to the safety rope and crawls under it) Why not!

The rest of the group goes over to the safety rope.

Holly:  Come on Chris, don't be a idiot... You'll brake your neck..

Jack:  Hey! If he's up for a dare, let him...

With that he crawls under the safety rope too, and he and Chris make their way down the cliffs, leaving the five girls behind.

Holly:  Isn't someone gonna go after them?

Brooke:  Well... it doesn't look that safe...

Maria:  (sarcastically) Um, yeah, hence the rope... Let them brake their necks on their own...

Ling:  Come on, guys. We can't leave them...

Ashley:  Are you saying go down their too?!

Ling:  No, I'm saying, lets talk them of out it...

The five girls crawl under the safety rope and head after the boys. Cut to a little later, they've caught up with them.

Ashley:  Okay, so I think you guys have gone far enough, you know... proved the point...

Jack:  Nah, just a little further...

Maria:  (moves in front of him) Jack, don't be a moron!

Jack:  (laughs, then walks round her) Come on Harris, since when have you not gone for this stuff and become a little girly-girl?

Maria:  Hey, you wanna say that to my face?!

Ling:  Maria...

Ashley and Ling pull their friend back as Jack goes further down the cliffs after Chris and out of sight of the girls.

Ashley:  Okay, Maria, lets not....

Maria:  He's *so* not gonna get away with that!

Ashley:  (pulls her friend back again) Yes, but, Maria, you can beat him up *after* we get Chris and go to the Dance, Okay?

Jack:  (calls) Guys, get over here! Quick!

Everyone looks at each other and quickly heads towards Jack's voice. Cut to Chris laying still on a ledge about five meters down the cliffs. The Camera pans up to show the others looking down.

Ling:  Oh my god! What happened!

Jack:  H-he slipped and fell...

Brooke:  Is he---

Holly:  No! He's not dead! (calls) Chris! Chris!

Ashley:  Guys, what are we gonna do?!

Maria:  (thinks) Um... Holly, Brooke, you guys go to the nearest pay phone, call 911. (they just look at her) Now! (they go).

From the ledge below Chris begins to stir.

Jack:  Look, He's awake! (calls) Chris! Man, are you okay?!

Chris:  (calls up) Yeah, I think so! (he goes to stand, but can't) Ahhh! (calls up) My leg, I can't move it!

Ling:  (to the others) His Leg. From the height, I reckon its broken.

Ashley:  If he can't climb up, we'll have to wait for help...

Ling:  (looks at the waves crashing in) We can't. Be time they get here, the waves will be reaching us... We've gotta get him up now!

Maria:  (thinks) I've got an idea! Ash, got your Swiss Army knife?

Ashley:  Yeah. (hands it to her).

Maria:  (gets up) I'll be back! (she heads back the way they came).

Ashley Voice Over:  My Swiss Army knife! Why does she want my Swiss Army knife! God, what are we gonna do... Jack is such an idiot for making up that dare! You know, they say scary things are supposed to happen on Halloween, but this?! This isn't scary... its... its... okay its scary! But not in *that* way, you know? Come on Maria!

Cut to Maria at the Safety Rope. She cuts one end with the knife, and begins to  reel it in. Cut to the high school, the dance has started. The camera pans up to the stage. Lok is playing lead guitar and singing, with him on stage is also a drummer, another guitarist and a bass guitar player. The camera pans over to Dylan sitting at a table, he's wearing a Vampire costume. Abby who's wearing an Indian Princess type costume, approaches him.

Lyrics:  The way you look / the way you smile

Abby:  Hey Dylan! Look at you here all alone...

Lyrics:  It leaves me in complete denial / oh

Dylan:  Hey Abby. I'm waitin' for Maria.

Lyrics:  Standin' here / just me and you

Abby:  Oh, she's late, huh? (he nods) So, wanna dance?

Lyrics:  Cause when I look at you now / With your dark brown eyes

Dylan:  No, I'm still waitin' for Maria...

Lyrics:  And your jet back hair / do you know how much I care

Abby:  (pissed he's being loyal to Maria) Well, if you wanna dance with some actually worth dancing with, I'll be around... (walks off).

Cut back to the cliffs. By now its dark. Ashley, Ling and Jack are waiting for Maria to come back. They look down at Chris as the waves continue to rise.

Jack:  I shouldn't have done that dare! God, I'm such an idiot!

Ashley:  Yeah, you know what Jack? You're right! You are!

Ling:  Yeah, I second that!

Cut to a shot of Chris on the ledge. The waves begin to crash up and over on the ledge. They splash him as they get higher.

Chris:  (panicking) Guys! Help!

Ling:  (looking over the edge, see the waves) Oh god... (calls to Chris) Hang on Chris, Maria's gone for help.

Jack:  (to the girls) What if she doesn't get back in time?

Ling:  She will, Okay?

Jack:  Yeah, but what if her idea doesn't---

Ashley:  (interrupts, harshly) She get back and it will!

Ling:  Jack, go and see what's keeping her. (he goes).

Ashley:  (to Ling, worried) What if she doesn't get back in time?

Ling doesn't respond. But by the look on her face Ashley knows she doesn't have the answer. Well, she does, Chris will be swept out to sea. Suddenly, Jack comes back, followed by Maria, with as much rope as she could get.

Ashley:  Hey, great thinking.

Maria makes a loop and ties it with a double knot and throws down. She tries the other end around herself, also in a double knot.

Maria:  Yup! (calls to Chris) Put this around you!

Down below Chris grabs the rope and puts it over his head and round, under his arms, As the waves begin to crash in around him. As Chris cant stand up, the water is almost up to his waist. Cut to the others.

Maria:  Okay Guys, on three. (Ashley, Ling and Jack grab the rope). One... Two... Three.... Pull! (they all do).

Cut to them Pulling Chris up. He helps as much as he can, he's in a lot of pain as his injured leg touches the cliffs. He reaches the top and they all pull him up onto their level. Cut to the road. The ambulance lights flash as they put Chris onto the back. Ashley, Ling and Maria are standing together. Holly, Brooke and Jack are standing little way off.

Ashley:  You where great Maria!

Maria:  Ah, you know... It was nothing...

The ambulance takes off to get Chris to the hospital. 

Ling:  No, Maria! It was! If it wasn't for your idea with the rope, Chris would have probably drowned down there... You should be proud!

Ashley:  Totally!

Maria:  (smiles) Yeah, yeah... 

Ashley:  So, are we still Dance-bound? 

Ling:  Oh, yeah! (to Maria) Cause, Dylan's there. Your date...

Maria:  Lets go!

Cut to the dance, the girls wall into the hall.

Ling:  Well, we made it.

Maria:  Yup. (points at the stage) Your Bro's really good.

Ling:  Not if you hear it 24/7... Nah, your right. He is good.

Ashley:  (spots Dylan) Ooh! (points to the table where he's sitting). There's Dylan (waves her stick-made-stake in front of Maria) You, know, I might have to attack your boyfriend...

Maria:  What?

Ashley:  Well, you know, Me a Slayer. Him a Vampire...

Maria:  Oh no. The only one who'll be attacking Dylan Matthews is me, okay? - And He's not my boyfriend, yet.

Ling:  Well, he might as well be... 

Just then, Dylan sees Maria and goes over to meet her.

Dylan:  Hey, uh... You're--

Maria:  (finishes) Late....

Dylan:  Really late...

Maria:  Yeah, sorry.... Big drama down at the beach...

Ashley:  Yeah! Maria just saved Chris Martin's life!

Ling:  Uh huh!

Dylan:  (interested) What?! How?

Maria:  Oh, long story... (leads him away) Well, you see...

Cut to Later. There's a slow song playing. Dylan and Maria are having slow, romantic dance. Ashley and Ling are sitting at one of the tables chatting. Cut to a little later, the song ends Maria come over to he friends.

Maria:  Hey. Me and Dylan are gonna head out...

Ling:  Out? Out where?

Maria:  You know, some where more....

Ashley:  Make out-y?

Maria:  (smiles) Yeah. (grabs Ashley stake that's laying on the table, grins) Can I borrow this? I might have to attack my, almost boyfriend.

Ashley:  (laughs) Sure.

Maria heads back towards Dylan, stake in hand.

Ling:  (calls after her) Don't do anything I wouldn't do.

Cut to Maria walks up to Dylan.

Maria:  Ready to go?

Dylan:  Yup (sees stake) What's that?

They head towards the exit.

Maria:  My weapon. I might have to attack you. (Dylan gives her a confused look) Long story. I'll explain on the way.

Ling and Ashley smile as Maria and Dylan head out of the doors.

Ashley:  Punch?

Ling:  (as they head to the punch table) Yup!

Ashley Voice Over:  Well. What a night! Its gonna be one I'll never forget. It turns out that Chris did brake his leg, in three places... Ow! So he's gonna be on crutches for a while... We all got totally busted for going beyond the Safety Rope. But Maria got a certificate from the Mayor of Chestaville (who happens to be Abby's Dad - so she wasn't very happy) for helping out Chris, so that was cool. Well the only thing left to say is: Happy Halloween!