(Flash back to when Bridget came. Murdoch talking)

Dr. Murdoch – The sudden arrival of the rogue vampire, Bridget, has put the Mansbridge experiment in jeopardy… she has seduced (flashback to when Karl sucked Bridget’s blood) one of our own… and turned him into the very thing we had hoped to prevent. (Flashback to Karl in library with Dillan) A soul-less predator.

Dillan – Ahhhh! Aaaaah!

Essie – Oh my God Karl!

(Present)

Dr. Murdoch – His fate (Shows Karl in cage) now in the hands of the Elders, is uncertain… as is the life (Dillan on coffin bed tossing) of one of my day-school students, Dillan.

Dillan – (coughing)

Dr. Murdoch – It’s okay.

(Karl in cage banging around. Merrill at Dillan’s bedside. Drew standing around)

Merrill – It’s been 2 hours… time to remove the healing cloth. (Takes the cloth off of Dillan’s neck)

Drew – The bleeding finally stopped.

Merrill – For now… (Takes out this jar of blue stuff and puts on Dillan’s neck)

Drew – What’s that gonna do?

Merrill – Draw out Karl’s saliva, and hopefully it’ll stop the internal infection.

Drew – If it can’t?

Merrill – Then I’ve tried every remedy I know. (She leaves)

Dillan – (softly) Where am I? (Drew gets down beside her. She speaks louder) Where am I?

Drew – Sshh ssh ssh sshh… take it easy. You’re gonna be alright. (Murdoch enters) Ssh ssh ssh ssh…

Dr. Murdoch – Is there any improvement?

Drew – Yeah, she came to for a second there.

Dr. Murdoch – You didn’t tell her anything?

Drew – No. I can’t believe I was so wrong about Karl. Any sign of Bridget?

Dr. Murdoch – She got away… I’ve contacted the Elders. I’m sure Vakaal is on his way now. (Karl banging around)

Drew – Mmm. What’ll happen to him? 9they look at Karl)

Dr. Murdoch – It’s for the Elder’s to decide. (Goes to Dillan’s wrist to take her pulse)

Dillan - (panting)

Dr. Murdoch – Her pulse is getting weaker.

Drew – Shouldn’t we be contacting her family or something like that?

Dr. Murdoch – And tell them what? That their daughter’s been attacked by a vampire? There’s nothing they can do anyway. (Feels her forehead)

Karl – (laughing)

(Essie is around the caged Karl. Karl’s back is turned way from Essie)

Karl – What are you looking at?! (She walks over to cage)

Essie – Someone I thought I knew.

Karl – Well… (Lunges at her) surprise!! Ha, ha,ha, ha… (Growls)

Dr. Murdoch – We’re losing her Drew! (Essie goes over to Murdoch and Drew)

Drew – What?

Dr. Murdoch – We’re losing her.

Essie – (runs to them) What?

(Murdoch is taking her pulse and Drew is doing CPR)

Drew – Come on!

Dr. Murdoch – I’m not getting a pulse.

Drew – COME ON!!!

Dr. Murdoch – Dillan… DILLAN…! Dillan! Damit, don’t let go!

Drew – Come on.

Dr. Murdoch – DILLAN!!

Drew – C’mon.

Dr. Murdoch - Damit, don’t let go!!

Drew – Come on…

Dr. Murdoch – Hey, I’m getting a pulse… I’m feeling something.

Drew – Come on… come on… come on - - (Essie holds on to Drew’s shoulders to get him to stop)

Dr. Mudoch – Drew, ease off! (Pulls him off of her) Drew, that’s enough. Drew, ease off!

Dillan (coughing)

Dr. Mudoch – She-she’s breathing… (They are all standing above Dillan)

Marty – What the hell’s going on?

Dr. Murdoch – She’s alright. (Goes back to Dillan)

Drew – (panting) W-we almost lost her.

Marty – Yeah, well don’t get too chummy with her pal!

Drew – What!?

Marty – You shoulda let her die, Drew.

Drew – What!?

Marty – Think it though… she’s been bitten by a vampire. That means 2 things… she either dies like all good mortals should - -

Drew – It’s not gonna happen. (Drew starts to go to Dillan but Marty grabs him by the shirt)

Marty – or she survives alright… and becomes one of us! Is that what you want, huh? Huh…?! (Lets him go and leaves)

(Drew is at Dillan’s side again. He is feeling her forehead. Murdoch still walking around the room)

Drew – When will we know?

Dr. Murdoch – If she hasn’t turned by dawn, she’ll be alright. (Wind sound and Vakaal arrives. Murdoch bows) Lord Vakaal…

Vakaal – The rogue vampire who seduced Karl, what did she see?

Dr. Murdoch – Everything…

Vakaal – I’ve dispatched a search party to find her. Let’s hope that she’s not headed straight to the Fury. And the girl? Will she survive? (Murdoch looks back at Dillan)

Dr. Murdoch – She’s stable.

Vakaal – Has the turning begun?

Dr. Murdoch – there are no signs yet, my Lord.

Vakaal – If she does turn and becomes a vampire, this experiment is terminated.

(Essie around caged Karl. She walks in front of the cage passing back and forth)

Karl – (laughing with fang teeth) Coming back for more?

Essie – (stops) I hope you’re satisfied with your handiwork.

Karl – Back off, Essie. (Kicks off on the cage bars and growls)

Essie – What you did to her was obscene.

Karl – Look who’s talking. You killed how many mortals? 100? 200? 1000…?

Essie – That was a long time ago.

Karl – So mine was 6 hours ago… what’s the difference?

Essie – I’ve changed.

Karl – No you haven’t. None of us have because we can’t. Killing is in our blood; it’s who we are! (Turns his back to her)

Essie – How did we lose you, Karl? (She leaves and Karl has a flashback)

Bridget – One notch for every kill.

Karl – Really?

Bridget – It’s no big deal!

(Back to Present. Dillan in bed. Drew still beside her, she awakes.)

Dillan – You… (Laughs and coughs) The mystery man.

Drew – Yeah. (Laughs)

Dillan – Mm-mm-mm. (sighs) Last time I saw you, you were ready to pack it in.

Drew – I would’ve… if not for you.

Dillan – (coughs) Where am I?

Drew – You’re at Mansbridge. In the basement.

Dillan – (looks at coffin bed) Coffins?

Drew – Sshh ssh… please, you need to rest.

Dillan – What happened to me? What happened to me?! I’m getting out of here. (Sits up to leave but can’t. She has a coughing fit)

Drew – Sshh. You’re not well, Dillan.

Dillan – Am I your prisoner?! Is that what’s going on?

Drew – Please, no…

Dillan – Did you drug me?

Drew – You’ve got to relax… Okay…

Dillan – Are you some kind of sick pervert?

Drew – Please… just calm down.

Dillan – (cries) I can’t!! (Tries to get up) What’s happened to me?!!! (Lies back down)

Drew – I can’t, I can’t tell you…

Dillan – P-please…

Drew – I want you to try to remember.

Dillan – I can’t - -

Drew – Listen to me! You have to. (She closes her eyes and flashes back to when she was sitting on the table in library. She comes back to present))

Dillan – I…I-I was in the library.

Drew – What else? (Flashes back to when Karl jumps down and when he attacks her)

Dillan – Oh… Aaahh! (Back to present she touches her neck) I think I was bitten… how can that be? (Flashes to when Karl bit her in the neck. Back to present) I’m scared.

Drew – I know. (Holds her hand) But I’m here, nobody’s gonna hurt you now.

(In office: Merrill is ironing the robes. Marty enters room)

Marty – What are you doing, Merrill? (She stops and moves the robe over and begins again)

Merrill – Ironing our convocation robes.

Marty – Ha… don’t kid yourself. There ain’t gonna be a pledge tonight. (Picks up the pledge paper and reads) We pledge to battle darkness in others and ourselves. (Crumples up paper and throws it down. He walks over to Merrill) …and only make occasional vampire so we don’t lose our edge. We shoulda let her die.

Merrill – How can you say that?

Marty – What we did to her is curl, Merrill. There ain’t one of us that doesn’t wish that we really died instead of living this life. (Looks at his hand and sighs. He then turns his back on Merrill and slowly walks away) First 24 hours, after being made… I just… lay there… half-conscious. Somewhere between life and death… there was no pain, just this dull ache and this… crazy thirst. This crazy thirst for blood. (Stops walking) I-I lived by the canal in Mansbr - - Manchester. (Merrill walks slowly up to him as he speaks) It was a roughed-up neighbourhood with a lot of homeless people who… who’d open up to strangers. I started at Midnight… (She stops behind him) and it lasted for 6 or 7 hours. By the time the sun came up, I’d - - (She goes to touch his shoulder but doesn’t) I’d killed 19 people. The last one was this; um… it was a little boy… I couldn’t stop myself… after he just lay in my arms, drained of his life and… I killed him Merrill… I killed him.

Merrill – What have we done?

Marty – Yeah. (Merrill goes to touch his shoulder again but he leaves)

(In Cellar: Dillan on the coffin bed tossing a little. Drew standing there. Vakaal comes up behind Drew. Drew turns around)

Drew – My Lord. (Bows)

Vakaal – Her fate is out of your hands. She is not one of us.

Drew – Yes, my Lord. But she could become one of us and, I believe she needs to know the whole truth.

Vakaal – Do you dare defy me?

Drew – No, my Lord but it… it-it would seem to be the humane thing to do.

Vakaal – This girl could ruin the entire experiment and endanger your lives and the lives of countless millions… if we fail.

Drew – Yes, but are we not being taught to value life, to hold it sacred?

Vakaal – (angry) The survival of our race is sacred. And anyone who threatens that… is expendable. Is that clear?

Drew – Yes, my Lord. (Looks back at Dillan) So if she turns?

Vakaal – She will die.

(Dawn is approaching: Merrill walks in the room where Dillan is lying. Drew is holding Dillan’s hand)

Merrill – Hey…

Drew – Hey.

Merrill – It’s only an hour till sunrise. Looks like she’s gonna make it.

Drew – Yeah. (She crouches down to Drew)

Merrill – Murdoch has resumed the preparations for the pledge ceremony. Why don’t you go upstairs and join the others, take a breather. I’ll take over.

Drew – No, I’ll, uh, I’ll stay with her.

Merrill – (Says angry) Suit yourself. (Gets up and leaves. Drew looks back and Dillan wakes up)

Dillan – Hm. You’re still here…

Drew – Mm-hm.

Dillan – No one’s ever stayed with me when I was sick. I keep having that horrible dream…

(Flashback. Karl shows his fangs in Flashback)

Dillan - What the - - ? (Screams)

Drew – No!! (Bridget look up)

(Back to present)

Dillan – (panic) I remember it now. I was in the library… hoping to meet my mystery writer…

Drew – You were waiting for me!!

Dillan - … when I saw him. His eyes (Karl sitting in cage listing) were red! And his teeth… and then he was biting deep into my neck… sucking my blood! Sucking my BLOOD!… SUCKING MY BLOOD!!! Tell me it was a dream! Tell me it didn’t really happen…! (Sobs, coughing)

Drew – It did. (Karl listen even more) You were attacked by a vampire. (She grabs her hand away)

Dillan – Was it you?!

Drew – No… no, another.

Dillan – “We are all vampires. Driven by dark desires, afraid of the light…” You wrote that. It wasn’t a metaphor!

Drew – No… It was real.

Dillan – Are you gonna feed on me!

Drew – Nooo… we don’t all live in darkness. Sometimes we find the light.

Dillan – When?

Drew – When we love. (She goes all crazy. Tossing and turning as Drew holds her down) Dillan!… Dillan! Dillan! Dillan! Dillan!

Dillan – What’s happening to me?! (Karl stands up)

Drew – Dillan, listen to me! IT’S STARTING!

Dillan – What!

Drew – You’re becoming a vampire.

Dillan – Aahhh! Raaaahhh! Aaaahhh!! Nnnooo! Nooooooooo!

Drew – She’s turning!!!

Dillan – Aaahh! Nooo! Nooo! Noooo! (She stops. It’s like she’s dead or something. Karl slumps down.)

Drew – Dillan? Dillan? Dillan? (Gets really close to her face. All of a sudden she wakens, with red eyes and fangs. Drew backs away but she grabs him around the neck)

Karl – DREW!!! (She stands up and Karl tries to get out of cage) LET HIM GO!!! (She has Drew in a lock as she walks forward) MURDOCH!!! MARTYYY!!! ESSIE!! MURDOCH!!! (Kicks the cage lots) MURDOOOCH!!

(Karl kicks the door open and Dillan looks at him and tosses Drew down. Karl charges at Dillan. They are locked together in a bear hug. Karl cracks Dillan’s back twice. She goes unconscious and he takes her back to the coffin bed.)

Karl – I’m sorry… I’m so sorry. (Drew gets up and goes to them) Drew, are you alright?

Drew – Yeah.

Karl – (Dillan opens eyes kind of) Her eyes have turned back.

Dillan – Where am I ? (Drew looks into her eye and look at her teeth)

Karl – I think she’s gonna be alright!

(Later. Dillan is sitting on coffin bed. Murdoch is taking her pulse. Then he holds her hand.)

Dillan – So I guess I didn’t “turn” after all.

Dr. Murdoch – No I guess you didn’t. You look just fine!

Dillan – Too bad, I’ve always been a night person. (They laugh)

Dr. Murdoch – (gets up and goes over to Drew) I think it’s time to say goodbye.

Drew – Yeah!

Dillan – Goodbye?

Drew – It’s um… it’s time for you to return to your world.

Dillan – No, we can still see each other, can’t we? You know, some late night thing…

Drew – Yeah, sure.

Dillan – Then why are you so sad?

Drew – I hate goodbyes. (Leaves to the side and behind him is Essie)

Dillan – Who are you? Drew?!

Essie – (puts finger to lips) Shhh… look at me, (echo in Essie voice) Tonight you got very ill with food poisoning… Dr. Murdoch stayed with you and nursed you back to health whatever you heard, or saw… (Waves her fingers in her face) you never heard, you never saw… (Dillan closes her eyes)

(In Cellar: Moon roof opens up to see the moon. The vampires are in their robes excepted for Karl. Vakaal is at the front.)

Vakaal – You are all welcome at this pledge ceremony, with the exception of Karl who showed himself… unworthy. However, I here by assign him to probationary status within the experiment… for his choices were born of inexperience, not malice. But for those who would threaten our experiment… (Holds up Bridget’s necklace) let this be a lesson. (Karl touches his neck and has a flash back)

Bridget – You know it’s welded on. I’d have to cut off my head to get it.

Vakaal – For we must succeed at any cost… or all perish. (Throws down necklace and it spins a bit) Now, Drew will speak on your behalf. (Drew puts down his hood)

Dr. Murdoch – We pledge to battle darkness in ourselves and others… So goes the initiate’s pledge. But the battle is never won, only fought by the choices we make. (The mortals are in the lobby getting ready to leave) whether vampire or mortal, the fight is the same.

(Mimi hugs Malcolm then goes over to Dillan and some girls)

Mimi – Hey girls. (To Dillan) Ooooow… (Hugs Dillan) I’m gonna miss you so much!

Dillan – You too…

Mimi – See you next year! (Dillan looks at Mimi’s neck and her eyes go red)

Malcolm – (her eyes turn back to normal) Hey, Dillan… (Dillan touches neck) see ya next term. (He kiss’s her on the check)

(The kids all get their stuff and head out of school. Dillan is left alone thinking for a while about why she looked at Mimi like that.)