Written by: Joss Whedon

Directed by: Charles Martin Smith

Transcribed by: AleXander Thompson for Psyche's Transcripts

Copyright (c) 1997 Alexander Thompson

Disclaimer

I do not own the characters in this story, nor do I own any rights to the television show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". They were created by Joss Whedon and belong to him, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar Television, Kuzui Enterprises, 20th Century Fox Television and the WB Television Network.

This is not a novelization or a script. It is a straightforward and dry transcript of the episode "Welcome to the Hellmouth". It also includes descriptions of the settings, action scenes and camera movements where I felt they were needed.

I made every effort to accurately transcribe the dialogue from this episode. If you notice anything that is transcribed incorrectly, please let me know and I will post an update. rev 99.06.23

This episode was originally broadcast on March 10, 1997

Teaser

In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.

Sunnydale High School at night. The camera pans around from the side of the building to the main entrance. Cut to a hall. The camera moves down the hall past the trophy case and at the library turns to the right down another hall. Cut to a science classroom. The camera pans low along a row of desks. Cut to the windows. The counter in front of them is full of various things: a skeleton, some vertebrae, jars of things in formaldehyde, a skull and a microscope. A fist punches through a windowpane and reaches in to undo the clasp. It's a boy and a girl, sneaking into the school.

Darla: Are you sure this is a good idea?

Boy: It's a great idea, now come on.

They crawl in. Cut to the hall. They come out of the classroom and walk down the hall.

Darla: Do you go to school here?

Boy: I used to. On top of the gym it's so cool. You can see the whole town.

He continues down the hall, but she stops him close to the intersection.

Darla: I, I, I, I don't wanna go up there.

Boy: Aw, you can't wait, huh?

Darla: We're just gonna get in trouble.

Boy: Yeah, you can count on it.

They almost kiss when Darla startles, draws a quick breath and turns her head around to look down the hall.

Darla: What was that?

Boy: What was what?

Darla: I heard a noise.

Boy: It's nothing!

Darla: Uh, uh, maybe it's something.

Boy: Or maybe it's some *thing*!

Darla: That's not funny.

He looks down the other hall.

Boy: Hellooooo! (to Darla) There's nobody here.

Darla: Are you sure? (looks away)

Boy: Yes, I'm sure.

Darla: Okay.

She turns back to him all vamped out. She growls and bites him. He grunts in pain as they sink to the floor.

Opening credits roll. Buffy's theme plays.

Act One

Buffy's room. The camera shows a shot from above of her in bed. She's having the nightmares, with visions of the Master's lair, the cemetery, the Master, of vampires and other demons, various events and artifacts. She wakes with a start.

Joyce: (off camera) Buffy?

Buffy: (sitting up) I'm up, Mom!

Joyce: (off camera) Don't wanna be late for your first day!

Buffy: (to herself) No... Wouldn't want that.

Cut to the school. The camera pans from the street to the main building. Cut to Joyce pulling up to the school in her Jeep to drop off Buffy.

Joyce: Okay!

Buffy gets out.

Joyce: Have a good time. I know you're gonna make friends right away, just think positive. (gives a thumbs up)

Buffy looks through the open car door and gives her mother a quick nod. She turns to go and closes the door behind her.

Joyce: And honey?

Buffy looks back at her mom again.

Joyce: Try not to get kicked out?

Buffy: I promise.

Joyce: Okay.

Buffy faces the school and lets out a deep breath. Joyce drives off. Cut to Xander, doing his usual bob and weave through the crowd on his skateboard.

Xander: 'Scuse me, comin' through, pardon me, 'scuse me, whoa! 'Scuse me, not sure how to stop! Please move, whoa, 'scuse me... (notices Buffy) Whoa!

He stares at her and doesn't notice that he's headed right for the stair railing. He crashes into it and falls beneath it, grunting in pain. Willow walks up and has to step high to avoid tripping over his legs.

Xander: I'm Okay. I feel good.

She looks down at him, smiling and pulling her hair behind her ear.

Xander: (sees her) Willow! You're so very much the person that I wanted to see! (gets up)

Willow: Oh, really?

They start walking toward the school.

Xander: Yeah. You know, I kinda had a problem with the math.

Willow: Uh, which part?

Xander: The math. Can you help me out tonight, pleeeease, be my study buddy?

Willow: Well, what's in it for me?

Xander: A shiny nickel!

Willow: Okay. Do you have 'Theories in Trig'? You should check it out.

Xander: Check it out?

Willow: From the library? Where the books live.

Xander: Right, I'm there! See, I wanna change...

Cut to the hall just inside the door.

Jesse: Hey, hey!

Xander: Hey, Jesse, what's what?

Jesse: New Girl!

Xander: That's right, I saw her. Pretty much a hottie!

Willow: I heard someone was transferring...

Xander: So tell!

Jesse: Tell what?

Xander: What's the sitch, what do ya know about her?

Jesse: New girl!

Xander: Well, you're certainly a font of nothing!

Cut to Principal Flutie's office. Buffy is seated. He has her school records and walks around the desk to his chair as he looks them over.

Mr. Flutie: Buffy Summers, sophomore, late of Hemery High in Los Angeles. Interesting record, quite a career...

He sits, takes the sheet he's reading and tears it into four pieces.

Mr. Flutie: Welcome to Sunnydale! A clean slate, Buffy, that's what you get here. What's past is past. We're not interested in what it says on a piece of paper, even if it says... (reads) Whoa.

Buffy: Mr. Flutie...

Mr. Flutie: All the kids here are free to call me Bob.

Buffy: Bob...

Mr. Flutie: But they don't.

He begins reassembling the torn sheet.

Buffy: I know my transcripts are a little... colorful.

Mr. Flutie: Heeey... We're not caring about that. Do you think, uh, 'colorful' is the word? (tapes the paper) Not, uh, 'dismal'?

Buffy: Wasn't *that* bad!

Mr. Flutie: You burned down the gym.

Buffy: (exhales) I did, I really did, but... You're not seeing the big picture here, I mean, that gym was full of vampi... asbestos.

Mr. Flutie: Buffy, don't worry. Any other school they might say 'watch your step', or 'we'll be watching you'... But, that's just not the way *here*. We want to service your needs, and help you to respect our needs. And if your needs and our needs don't mesh...

He puts the poorly repaired sheet back into her file and slaps it shut. She gives him a thin, nervous smile.

Cut to the hall. Buffy comes out of Mr. Flutie's office. She opens her bag and rummages through it as she walks into the hall right in front of a girl and a boy. The girl bumps into her, making her lose her grip on the bag and spill its contents.

Buffy: Oh! Sorry!

Girl: That's okay.

Buffy: (looks down at the mess) Oh...

Xander hears the noise, looks back, quickly comes over and squats down next to her to help her gather her things.

Xander: Can I have you?

She gives him a confused look.

Xander: Duh... (chuckles) Can I help you?

Buffy: (smiles) Thanks.

Xander: I don't know you, do I?

Buffy: I'm Buffy. I'm new.

Xander: Xander. Is, is me. Hi. (smiles)

Buffy: Um, thanks.

They finish gathering up everything.

Xander: Well, uh, maybe I'll see you around... maybe at school... since we... both... go there.

Buffy: Great! (they stand up) It was nice to meet you.

She starts down the hall.

Xander: (unimpressed with himself) We both go to school. Very suave. Very not pathetic.

He notices a stake still on the floor.

Xander: Oh, hey! (picks it up) Hey, you forgot your... stake!

Buffy doesn't hear him and continues down the hall. Xander holds on to the stake.

Cut to a classroom. The teacher writes "The Black Death" on the board and then turns to the class.

Teacher: It's estimated that about twenty-five million people died in that one four-year span. But the fun part of the Black Plague is that it originated in Europe how?

Cordelia is taking notes. So is Buffy, seated next to her.

Teacher: As an early form of germ warfare. If you'll look at the map on page sixty-three you can trace the spread of the disease into Rome, and then north...

Buffy doesn't have a book and looks around for help. Cordelia notices and shares her book.

Buffy: (to Cordelia) Thanks.

Teacher: And this popular plague led to what social changes? Steve?

The bell rings and the students get up to leave.

Cordelia: Hi! I'm Cordelia. (offers her hand)

Buffy: (accepts it) I'm Buffy.

Cordelia: If you're looking for a textbook of your very own there's probably a few in the library.

Buffy: Oh, great, thanks. (they get up) Where would that be?

Cordelia: I'll show you, come on. (they start out of the classroom) So you're from Hemery, right? In L.A.?

Buffy: Uh, yeah.

Cordelia: Oh, I would *kill* to live in L.A. That close to that many shoes?

Buffy has to laugh as they go into the hall.

Cut to the two of them walking down another part of the hall.

Cordelia: Well, you'll be okay here. If you hang with me and mine, you'll be accepted in no time. Of course, we do have to test your coolness factor. You're from L.A., so you can skip the written, but let's see. Vamp nail polish.

Buffy: Um, over?

Cordelia: So over. James Spader.

Buffy: He needs to call me!

Cordelia: Frappaccinos.

Buffy: Trendy, but tasty.

Cordelia: John Tesh.

Buffy: The Devil.

Cordelia: That was pretty much a gimme, but... you passed!

Buffy: Oh, goody!

They turn toward a drinking fountain. Willow is there. She straightens up and sees them coming.

Cordelia: Willow! Nice dress! Good to know you've seen the softer side of Sears.

Willow: Uh, oh, well, my mom picked it out.

Cordelia: No wonder you're such a guy magnet. Are you done?

Willow looks at the fountain, then back at Cordelia.

Willow: Oh!

She turns and leaves. Buffy watches her go for a moment, then looks back at Cordelia after she starts talking again.

Cordelia: You wanna fit in here, the first rule is: know your losers. Once you can identify them all by sight (glances after Willow) they're a lot easier to avoid.

Buffy lets out a nervous laugh and nods. She looks at Willow again, who has gone through the door at the end of the hall. Willow looks back at them before she continues.

Cut to another area in the halls. The two of them continue their walk to the library.

Cordelia: And if you're not too swamped with catching up you should come by the Bronze tonight.

Buffy: The who?

Cordelia: The Bronze. It's the only club worth going to around here. They let anybody in, but it's still the scene. It's in the bad part of town.

Buffy: Where's that? (stops outside the library doors)

Cordelia: About a half a block from the good part of town. (laughing) We don't have a whole lot of town here. But, um, you should show!

Buffy: Well, I'll try. (looks toward the library) Uh, thanks.

Cordelia: Good. So, um, I'll see you in gym, and you can tell me absolutely everything there is to know about you. (waves and goes)

Buffy: (waves back) Great! (to herself) Oh, that sounds like fun.

She goes into the library. Cut inside. She comes in and looks around. It looks deserted.

Buffy: Hello? (continues in) Is anybody here?

She looks at the book checkout counter and sees a newspaper. A picture has been circled. The caption above it reads "Local Boys Still Missing." Giles comes up behind her and taps her on the shoulder. She spins around, startled.

Buffy: Ooo! (exhales) Anybody's here!

Giles: Can I help you?

Buffy: I was looking for some, well, books. I'm new.

Giles: Miss Summers?

Buffy: Good call! Guess I'm the only new kid, huh?

Giles: I'm Mr. Giles. The librarian. I was told you were coming.

He heads around behind the counter.

Buffy: Great! So, um, I'm gonna need 'Perspectives on 20th Century...'

Giles: (interrupting) I know what you're after!

With a big grin on his face he pulls out a large old book with the word "VAMPYR" written in gold leaf on the front cover. Buffy looks up at him with an uneasy gaze.

Buffy: That's not what I'm looking for.

Giles: Are you sure?

Buffy: I'm *way* sure.

Giles: (confused) My mistake.

He puts the book back behind the counter. Buffy quickly leaves.

Giles: (straightening back up) So, what is it you said...

He sees her go out of the library. Their first encounter leaves him puzzled.

Cut to the girls' locker room. Two girls are discussing Buffy.

Aphrodisia: The new kid? She seems kind of weird to me. What kind of name is Buffy?

Girl: Hey, Aphrodisia!

Aphrodisia: Oh, Hey!

Aura: Well, the chatter in the caf is that she got kicked out, and that's why her mom had to get a new job.

The girls work the combinations to their gym lockers.

Aphrodisia: Neg!

Aura: Pos! She was starting fights!

Aphrodisia: Neg-ly!

Aura: (opening her locker) Well I heard from Blue, and she said that...

The dead boy falls out of the locker onto Aura's arm. She screams and lets the body fall.

Act Two

The quad at school. Willow is sitting on a bench in front of a wall taking out her lunch. Buffy approaches her.

Buffy: Uh, Hi! Willow, right?

Willow: (looks up) Why? I-I mean, hi! Uh, did you want me to move?

Buffy: Why don't we start with, 'Hi, I'm Buffy,' and, uh, then let's segue directly into me asking you for a favor. (sits next to her) It doesn't involve moving, but it does involve hanging out with me for a while.

Willow: But aren't you hanging out with Cordelia?

Buffy: I can't do both?

Willow: Not legally.

Buffy: (exhales) Look, I really wanna get by here, new school, and... Cordelia's been really nice... to me... anyway, but, um, I kinda have this burning desire not to flunk all my classes, and I heard a rumor that you were the person to talk to if I wanted to get caught up.

Willow: Oh, I could *totally* help you out! Uh, if you have sixth period free we could meet in the library?

Buffy: Or not. Or we could meet someplace quieter. Louder. Uh, that place just kinda gives me the wiggins.

Willow: Oh, it has that effect on most kids. I love it, though, it's a great collection, and the new librarian is really cool.

Buffy: He's new?

Willow: Yeah, he just started. He was a curator at some British museum, or, or The British Museum, I'm not sure. But he knows everything, and he brought all these historical volumes and biographies, and am I the single dullest person alive?

Buffy: Not at all.

Xander hops up onto the wall behind the girls and sits on it between them. Jesse stands in front of them and drops his bag.

Jesse: Hey!

Xander: You guys busy? Are we interrupting? We're interrupting.

He tosses his bag to Jesse.

Buffy: Hey!

Willow: Hey!

Jesse: Hey there!

He drops Xander's bag next to his own.

Willow: Buffy, this is Jesse and that's Xander.

Xander: Oh, me and Buffy go waaay back, old friends, very close. Then there's that period of estrangement where I think we were both growing as people, but now here we are, like old times, I'm quite moved.

Jesse: Is it me, or are you turning into a bibbling idiot?

Xander: No, it's, uh, it's not you.

Buffy: Well, it's nice to meet you guys, I think.

Xander jumps down to retrieve the stake from his bag.

Jesse: Well, you know, we wanted to welcome ya, make ya feel at home, unless you have a scary home...

Xander: And to return this. (holds up the stake) The only thing I can think is that you're building a really little fence. (hands it to her)

Buffy: (takes it) Hah, no, um, a-a-actually it was for self-defense. Everyone has them in L.A. Pepper spray is just so pass½.

Xander: So what do you do for fun, what do you like, what do you look for in a man, let's hear it.

Jesse: If you have any dark, painful secrets you'd like us to publish?

Buffy: Gee, everyone wants to know about me. How keen.

Xander: Well, not much goes on in a one Starbucks town like Sunnydale. You're pretty big news.

Buffy: I'm not. Really.

Cordelia: (interrupts) Are these guys bothering you?

Buffy: Uh, no!

Willow: She's not hanging out with us.

Jesse: (stands next to her) Hey! Cordelia!

Cordelia: (to Jesse) Oh, please! (to Buffy) I don't mean to interrupt your downward mobility, but I just wanted to tell you that you won't be meeting Coach Foster, the woman with the chest hair, because gym was canceled due to the *extreme* dead guy in the locker.

Buffy: What?

Willow: What are you talking about?

Cordelia: Some guy was stuffed in Aura's locker!

Buffy: Dead.

Cordelia: Totally dead. Way dead.

Xander: It's not just a little dead, then?

Cordelia: Don't you have an elsewhere to be?

Jesse: Y'know, if you need a shoulder to cry on, or just to nibble on...

Buffy: How did he die?

Cordelia: I don't know.

Buffy: Well, were there any marks?

Cordelia: Morbid much! I didn't ask!

Buffy: (looks at everyone) Um, I gotta book. I'll, I'll see you guys later.

She grabs her things and leaves. Cordelia stares after her.

Cordelia: What's her deal?

Cut to outside the gym. Buffy sneaks up to an outside entrance. It's locked. She uses her strength to break the door and goes in, looking around to make sure no one sees her. Cut to the locker room. Buffy finds the body and pulls back the sheet. She sees the vampire bite.

Buffy: Oh, great!

Cut to the library. Buffy barges in.

Buffy: Okay, what's the sitch?

Giles: (in the stacks) Sorry?

Buffy: You heard about the dead guy, right? The dead guy in the locker?

Giles: (steps into the light) Yes.

She drops her bag on the study table and heads up the stairs.

Buffy: 'Cause, it's the weirdest thing. He's got two little, little holes in his neck, and all his blood's been drained. (meets him) Isn't that bizarre? Aren't you just going, ooo?

Giles: I was afraid of this.

Buffy: Well, *I* wasn't! It's my first day! I was afraid that I was gonna be behind in all my classes, that I wouldn't make any friends, that I would have last month's hair. I didn't think there'd be vampires on campus. And I don't care.

Giles: Then why are you here?

Buffy: To tell you that... I don't care, which... I don't, and... have now told you, so... bye. (turns away to go)

Giles: Is he, w-will he... rise again?

Buffy: (turns back) Who?

Giles: The boy.

Buffy: No. He's just dead.

Giles: Can you be sure?

Buffy: To make you a vampire they have to suck your blood. And then you have to suck their blood. It's like a whole big sucking thing. Mostly they're just gonna kill you. Why am I still talking to you?

Buffy turns and goes down the stairs. Giles moves over to the railing.

Giles: You really have no idea what's going on, do you? You think it's coincidence, your being here? That boy was just the beginning.

Buffy: Oh, why can't you people just leave me alone?

Giles: Because you are the Slayer. (comes down the stairs) Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires...

Buffy: (interrupts and joins in) ...with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires, to stop the spread of their evil blah, blah, blah... I've heard it, okay?

Giles: I really don't understand this attitude. You, you've accepted your duty, you, you've slain vampires before...

Buffy: Yeah, and I've both been there and done that, and I'm moving on.

Giles: What do you know about this town? (goes into his office)

Buffy: It's two hours on the freeway from Neiman Marcus?

Giles: Dig a bit in the history of this place. You'll find a, a steady stream of fairly odd occurrences. Now, I believe this whole area is a center of mystical energy, (comes back with four books) that things gravitate towards it that, that, that you might not find elsewhere. (sets them on the table)

Buffy: Like vampires.

He puts the volumes into Buffy's arms one by one as he lists off various monsters and demons.

Giles: Like zombies, werewolves, incubi, succubi, everything you've ever dreaded was under your bed, but told yourself couldn't be by the light of day. They're all real!

Buffy: What? You, like, sent away for the Time-Life series?

Giles: Ah, w-w-w-yes.

Buffy: Did you get the free phone?

Giles: Um, the calendar.

Buffy: Cool! But, okay, (gives back the books) first of all, I'm a Vampire Slayer. And secondly, I'm retired. Hey, I know! Why don't you kill 'em?

Giles: I-I'm a Watcher, I-I haven't the skill...

Buffy: Oh, come on, stake through the heart, a little sunlight... It's like falling off a log.

Giles: A, a Slayer slays, a Watcher...

Buffy: ...watches?

Giles: Yes. No! (sets down the books) He, he trains her, he, he, he prepares her...

Buffy: Prepares me for what? For getting kicked out of school? For losing all of my friends? For having to spend all of my time fighting for my life and never getting to tell anyone because I might endanger them? Go ahead! Prepare me.

They just look at each other for a moment. Buffy exhales, turns and leaves the library in disgust. Giles hesitates for an instant.

Giles: (to himself) Damn!

He runs after Buffy. Xander walks out from behind the stacks.

Xander: What?

Cut to the hall. Giles catches up with Buffy.

Giles: It's getting worse!

Buffy: What's getting worse?

He guides her over to the wall and speaks with her in a low voice.

Giles: The influx of the undead, the... supernatural occurrences, it's been building for years. There's a reason why you're here and a reason why it's now!

Buffy: Because now is the time my mom moved here.

She tries to evade him, but he puts his arm out to stop her.

Giles: Something's coming, something, something... something is, is gonna happen here. Soon!

Buffy: Gee, can you vague that up for me?

Giles: The signs, as far as I can tell, point to a crucial mystical upheaval, very soon. Days. Possibly less.

Buffy: Oh, come on! This is Sunnydale! How bad an evil can there be here?

Cut to outside the school. The camera descends behind some bushes and sinks through the ground into the lair of the Master. There are candles everywhere. Vampires bearing torches are gathering. The camera moves around the lair as Luke chants and eventually comes to rest on him.

Luke: The sleeper will wake. The sleeper will wake. The sleeper will wake. The sleeper will wake, and the world will bleed. Amen!

Part Two