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Selena Mandrake - The Slayer

Selena Mandrake - *The* Slayer

[ Written by:Shlomi Fish. ]

[ Note: This is a tribute/parody of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” (both the movie and the show) and of other sources of inspiration such as the Star Trek franchise (primarily “Deep Space Nine”) as well as other sources. ]

[ Note: style note, when the vampires and demons in the story talk in a dramatic and phony tone it is placed in “ALL CAPS” (inspired by the talk of Death in the Discworld series). When they talk non-dramatically and honestly, it is placed in proper capitalisation. ]

Selena in History Class

[ Selena Mandrake is sitting in a classroom taking notes, the other students are paying attention, and taking notes too. Selena is an attractive (but not overly so) girl in her high school senior year, who has immigrated to California from England. ]

Selena’s Internal Dialogue: [In her native English accent] Wow! Why did I have to major in history. All we learn about is minutae of obscure political documents from modern times. Like that’s going to prepare me for being an Archaeologist . Maybe I should have majored in maths… or physics… or something.

Selena’s Internal Dialogue: Not to mention that U.S. Archaeology is a joke. Not that England is much better. Maybe I could study somewhere in the middle east. Turkey… Egypt… Israel… mmm…

In the hallway

[ The bell rings and many school kids are walking out of the classroom, including Selena. She has an empty hour. As she walks in the hallway, she is sometimes greeted by “Hi, Selena!”, “What’s new?”, etc. and answers briefly. She finds Jessica and Jonathan standing next to Jessica’s locker and approaches them. ]

Selena: Oh, there you are. Hi Jess, hi Jon.

Jessica: Selena! I see you’ve survived History class.

Selena: Yeah, I’ll take it one lesson at a time, I guess.

[ Jonathan hugs Selena from the side and eventually leaves. ]

Selena: So how are you two love-birds?

Jessica: Oh, this and that, discussing computers endlessly as usual.

Selena: [Sarcastically] Geeks!

Jessica: Heh, like you’re not a geek too.

Selena: I is!

Jessica: And we is too.

Selena: True.

Selena: This reminds me. I really should update my Mandriva system at home. I have not in several days, now. And to think I originally had my friend Aaron install Mandrake Linux for me, because I thought it was cool that it was called the same as my last name.

Jessica: Heh, maybe you should become Selena Mandriva now.

Jonathan: Or Selena Mageia.

[ Selena bursts out laughing. ]

Selena: That sounds like a name of a vampire slayer… or a vampire.

Jonathan: Or both.

Selena: Yeah. I told you about how I was nicknamed “Puffy” and then “Buffy” during one summer camp, right?

Jessica: Yes, many times.

Selena: Yeah, I found it amusing at the time. For a while afterwards, I insisted that my friends call me “Buffy” until I realised it was silly, and reverted back to “Selena”.

Jessica: Anyway, I’m off to gym.

Selena: Bye, love you.

[ Selena is reading a book and says to herself out loud ]

Selena: Selena “Buffy” Mandrake. The Slayer. I like the sound of it.

Selena at Home

[ Selena enters her house, she goes to her room and drops her backpack. Afterwards, she goes to the kitchen, opens the refrigerator’s door, and pours a glass of juice. She drinks some of it. ]

Selena: What a day!

[ After a few more arrangements, she goes to a desktop computer, turns on the screen, moves the mouse. It’s a screen of Linux with Pidgin running. Selena scrolls the Pidgin contact list a little, finds someone called “Mosheh Ben-Amram” and double clicks his icon. A window pops up. ]

Selena: [On pidgin] Hi Mosheh!

Mosheh: Good day, Selena.

Selena: Yes, it was pretty good. How was your day?

Mosheh: It was fine. Business is as usual.

Selena: That’s good.

Mosheh: Yours?

Selena: Well, the highlight is that my friend and mine decided that I should probably change my name to Selena Mandriva or even Selena Mageia, and become a mighty vampire slayer.

Mosheh: Hmmm… interesting.

Selena: Yes, “Selena ‘Buffy’ Mageia, *The* Slayer”. Don’t you like the sound of it?

Mosheh: Heh, maybe.

Selena: BTW, when are you going to finally come here to California?

Mosheh: In time. I like it here, in the meanwhile.

Selena: OK. Listen, I need to go and eat supper, so we’ll talk later.

Mosheh: Bye!

[ Selena turns off the computer screen. ]

Selena’s internal dialogue: OK, let’s see what there is to eat.

Meet the Guide

[ Selena is back at school, and is walking on a corridor, smiling. She opens a door and the corridor is empty except for “The Guide”, an attractive Goth-style man who looks in his mid-twenties and is standing there watching her with a grave facial expression. ]

[ Selena looks at him, smiles and walks towards him. As she passes him he says in a dramatic voice: ]

The Guide: MAGEIA!

[ Selena turns around hesitantly. ]

Selena: What?!

The Guide: BUFFY MAGEIA! THAT IS YOUR DESTINY. AND I SHALL BE YOUR GUIDE.

Selena: I don’t know how you heard of what happened the other day, but it’s just a joke. My name is Selena Mandrake.

The Guide: YOU KNOW YOU’RE REALLY BUFFY MAGEIA. AND BEING THE SLAYER IS YOUR DESTINY.

Selena: OK, I think you take Buffy way too seriously. I am not really a Vampire Slayer, and vampires and the other demons that you could see there don’t really exist.

The Guide: [Giggles] THE PORTRAYAL OF BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER IN THE TELEVISION SHOW WAS VERY EXAGGERATED. THE REAL BUFFY IN QUESTION IS AN INCOMPETENT SLAYER. EVEN I AM BETTER THAN HER.

The Guide: YOU, ON THE OTHER HAND, POSSESS FAR GREATER POWERS AND ARE THE SLAYER. [his eyes are lightened with fire.]

[ Selena is startled. ]

Selena: OK, how did you do that fire in your eyes thing.

The Guide: MAGIC. MAGIC PERMEATES THE UNIVERSE.

Selena: This must be some kind of trick. [She starts walking in the corridor . The Guide is following her.]

Selena: Please don’t follow me. [She opens a door to another corridor]

[ In the corridor there’s a scared and screaming high school girl to the left, and a blood thirsty vampire with his fangs out to the right. The blood thirsty vampire approaches the girl. ]

Selena: [She screams] Oh my God!

[ The Guide quickly moves her away, and quickly throws a small wooden stake at the vampire’s heart. The vampire shrieks and evaporates into dust. The girl looks at him and faints. ]

[ Selena is startled and looks around while holding her fingers to her mouth. The Guide moves towards the fainted girl, he makes a gesture around her eyes with his hand, grabs her hand and guides her through getting off the floor. The Girl wakes up. ]

Karen: [Looks at Selena] Oh hi! I remember you from History class…

Selena: [Uncomfortably] Yes, I’m there.

Karen: We’re also in the same French class, I think.

Selena: [Swallowing her speech] Oui…

Karen: Well, I’d better be going. [She looks at your guide] Wow! Your Goth friend is really cute. Bye, see you.

Selena: Bye!

[ Karen leaves. ]

Selena: Oh my God, oh my God. Magic.

Selena: OK, this cannot be happening. I must be dreaming that. [She pinches various parts of her body. The Guide hits her strongly on her arm.]

Selena: Ouch! OK, I’m not sleeping. Maybe I’m crazy. This seems like Schizophrenia. Maybe I’ve been unhappy lately, and too much stress or maybe it’s genetic…

The Guide: YOU ARE NOT CRAZY, MAGEIA!

Selena: OK, OK. Tell you what? I’ll play along… but even if I am The Slayer, I won’t be a good one. I’m not into martial arts, and I’m really clumsy. As much as I like playing Basketball (and I do), I royally suck at it…

The Guide: BUFFY, YOU WON’T NEED MY MEDIOCRE SLAYING SKILLS. YOU POSSESS FAR GREATER POWERS. THE DEMONS WHO ARE YOUR ENEMIES SHALL BE SLAIN BY YOU ONE BY ONE, CULMINATING IN NONE OTHER THAN THE MASTER, THE VAMPIRE WITH THE OLDEST SOUL.

Selena: Wasn’t he slain at the end of the first season.

[ The Guide looks at her unamused. ]

Selena: OK, got it - it wasn’t real.

Selena: OK now. I’ll guess I’ll just try to be mentally prepared for slaying such demons as the one we just saw and that you slew.

The Guide: NO. FAR MORE POWERFUL DEMONS THAN THAT INCOMPETENT ONE.

Selena: OK, that’s really comforting.

Selena: Well, I guess I’ll go and make the most out of the rest of this recess. Maybe I’ll go take a walk or just surf the Internet aimlessly.

The Guide: SOUNDS LIKE AN EXCELLENT WAY TO GET PREPARED FOR YOUR DESTINY, MAGEIA.

Selena: Well, slayer or not - I’m still just Selena Mandrake. Well, see you Mr. Guide.

The Guide: MAY THE LIGHT SIDE OF THE MAGICAL FORCES OF NATURE GUIDE YOU.

Selena’s Date at Night

[ Selena and a boy she’s on a date with (Matthew) are sitting on a bench in a park, and are finishing eating a pizza tray. Selena looks around thoughtfully. ]

Matthew: Selena, do you want the last slice?

[ Pause for a moment ]

Selena: What? [She turns to face Matthew.]

Matthew: The last slice, would you like to eat it?

Selena: Ah, no, that’s OK - I’m full.

Matthew: OK, I’ll eat it later.

Matthew: You seem distracted.

Selena: Yeah, I have a lot on my mind.

Matthew: Anything you’d like to share?

Selena: Nah, it’s not something I can actually share. [She looks around and turns back to face Matthew] I probably was an awful date tonight - so self-centred, so non-talkative. You probably think I’m always like that. And Matthew, frankly, you were really great tonight.

Matthew: I don’t think you have been a bad date, Selena. [Selena smiles. Matthew moves the pizza box to his other side, and gets closer to Selena.]

Selena: OK, let’s improve this date even more.

[ She closes her eyes and Matthew reaches to kiss her. Selena kisses him back. The Camera moves upwards. ]

John and Alan

[ Selena is sitting at a library doing her maths’ homework with many pencils scattered around the table, pages with equations, etc. . ]

Alan: [From the distance] Hey, where can we find Miss Selena Mandrake here?

Librarian: [From the distance] She’s right there.

Alan: Thank you, madame.

[ Alan and John approach. They are two young British men, dressed in cheap, commercial clothing. ]

Alan: Hello, Miss Mandrake. I’m Alan. [she shakes his hand.]

John: John. [shakes his hand.]

Alan: We’re mighty vampires.

Selena: [Amusingly] Selena Mandrake, mighty pirate.

John: Wow! You’ve played the Monkey Islands too? That’s so cool.

Selena: Yes, I have. How may I be of service?

Alan: Well, according to the Codex, we’re supposed to be slain by you.

Selena: Well, Codex or not, I have no intention of directly slaying vampires, because even if they are blood sucking parasites, I’m not too big into initiatory force and all.

John: Hey, we are completely non-violent vampires. We don’t suck blood.

Selena: I thought all vampires suck blood.

John: Bullocks, hen. Vampires come in all shapes and sizes.

Selena: Lovely, so I guess I’m not going to slay you.

John: Sounds good.

Selena: Anyway, I see you come from the old mother land.

John: Yes, we are British blokes, all right. Lots of vampires are Brits. I’m from Yorkshire and Alan here…

Alan: Yo!

John: Alan is from London.

Selena: Great. It’s too bad so many Americans are oblivious to all the great British culture. America is too culturally inbred.

Alan: Totally! Like many of the people we talked to have not watched all of the Monty Python skits.

[ Selena smiles. ]

John: Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

Alan: I know: suicide squad!

[ Selena is startled. Alan and John take two pencils and say, they put the pencils to their heart and say. ]

Alan: All dead! [gives John a high five.]

Selena: Wait! These pencils are made out of wood.

John and Alan: OH NO! WE HAVE BEEN SLAIN BY BUFFY MAGEIA, THE SLAYER.

[ They cry and evaporate into dust. ]

Selena: Oh, crap! [She touches the chairs where they sat with her finger.]

Selena: Dust!

[ She gets up. and moves out of the frame. ]

Selena’s Voice: Mrs. Chu, do you know where I can find a small broom?

Selena’s 18th Birthday Party

[ Selena is standing near a cake with 18 lit candles, and the number 18 on it, surrounded by many of her friends. ]

The crowd: Happy birthday, Selena!

[ Selena blows the candles in a few tries. ]

The crowd: Many returns of the day. [Selena is smiling, says “Thank you” and walks away.]

[ Matthew approaches Selena ]

Matthew: Birthday kiss? [Selena smiles and they kiss.]

Selena: Well, I'm gonna go to the kitchen for a while — feel free to cut the cake.

[ Selena walks away. ]

Selena Meets Mephiqoleth

[ Selena goes to the kitchen smiling, opens the refrigerator's door and takes out some refreshments and arranges them on the table and then she opens a cupboard's door only to discover a small human like demon inside. ]

Selena: Why, hello there! I guess you did not RSVP.

Mephiqoleth: MAGEIA!

Selena: Judging by the recent happenings, I guess that's me.

Selena: So what do you shall I write on your name tag?

Mephiqoleth: MY NAME IS MEPHIQOLETH.

Selena: Oh. Is it Emm, Ee, Pee...

Mephiqoleth: it is written in Leshon Haqodesh.

Selena: “Leshon Haqodesh”? The holy tongue? You mean:

Mephiqoleth: YES!!!… HEBREW! [Non-dramatically] I am Jewish.

Selena: Jewish? But you're not human.

Mephiqoleth: THERE ARE JEWS OF MANY SPECIES.

Selena: Really? That's great - can I have a Jewish lady cat? I want one so she can mother cute little Jewish kittens.

[ Cut to Mephiqoleth - he is not amused. ]

Selena: You are not amused, demons are never amused. I should have learned that by now.

Selena: Anyway, what is it you want from me?

Mephiqoleth: MAGEIA, YOU ARE NOW EIGHT AND TEN YEARS OLD - YOU ARE NOW A WOMAN.

Selena: So I've suddenly become a woman at 18? I'm only one day older than yesterday, and I had my period for many years now, and…

Mephiqoleth: YOU MUST TEST ME! I POSSESS POWERFUL MYSTICAL POWERS, AND YOU MUST SEE IF THEY ARE POWERFUL ENOUGH FOR YOU.

Selena: They are. I believe you.

Mephiqoleth: NOT SO QUICKLY. MY GREATEST MYSTICAL POWER, WHICH FEW OTHER DEMONS POSSESS, IS MY TELEPORTATION ABILITY. I CAN TELEPORT YOU ANYWHERE.

Selena: You can? Like where?

Mephiqoleth: ANYWHERE YOU WANT!

Selena: OK… well, I’m feeling adventurous, so I want the crème-de-la-crème, the cat’s whiskers, the face that launched a thousand ships…

Mephiqoleth: YOU DO NOT MEAN… THE AMBER!.

Selena: Yes, the Amber. The Amber being…

Mephiqoleth: …THE MYSTICAL CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE AND BEYOND.

Selena: Yes! Smashing!

Mephiqoleth: YOU WILL LIKELY NOT SURVIVE THE AMBER.

Selena: Oh try me.

Mephiqoleth: Very well.

Selena: Just one thing, can you please wait with teleporting me to the Amber until Spring break, so I can get ready and safely return back home.

Mephiqoleth: OF COURSE, I AM TIMELESS. FAREWALL, MAGEIA, I SHALL MEET YOU AGAIN DURING THIS SO-CALLED ”SPRING BREAK“ WHEN YOU ARE MORE PREPARED. UNTIL THEN, MAY YOU BE WELL.

[ Mephiqoleth fades away into thin air leaving Selena amused. ]

Selena: Well, I suppose a one way trip to the Amber is also a fine Birthday present. [She smiles]

Jessica’s voice from the main hall: Selena, is everything OK, why aren't you coming back? Don't you want some cake.

Selena: Yes, sorry, I'm coming, I'm coming. [She takes the trays and leaves the frame]

So what are you going to do in spring break?

[ Selena, Jessica and Jonathan are standing near their lockers arranging stuff. ]

Jessica: spring break at last!

Jonathan: yeah, thank God.

Selena: yes, I could use some rest too.

Jessica: so, Selena, what are your plans for the trip.

Selena: oh, I'm going on a trip.

Jonathan: really? A trip.

Selena: yep, a trip.

Jonathan: where?

Selena: oh, it shall be a surprise. [The bell rings] Home time, bye!!! [She walks away.]

[ Jessica and Jonathan look at each other ]

Jonathan: what an exit!

Jessica: yes… [she sighs].

Mephiqoleth does his magic

[ Selena is wearing a backpack full of various trip utilities and wears a pouch bag, and approaches the cupboard of Mephiqoleth. She opens it. Mephiqoleth is there. ]

Mephiqoleth: I SEE YOU ARE READY, MAGEIA.

Selena: yep! Got my traveller's checks, some dollars, my mobile, my passport, some water, some snacks. Not sure if they will help with surviving The Amber, but I can always hope.

Mephiqoleth: I COULD HAVE USED MY CONJURING SPELLS TO CONJURE IT FOR YOU.

Selena: well, as someone who saw enough of your demons' lot's shenanigans, and some episodes of Sabrina, there's no way I will trust such magically conjured goods.

Mephiqoleth: YOU MAY BE RIGHT. MAGIC CAN BE A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD.

Mephiqoleth: BUT BACK TO BUSINESS. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT ME TO TELEPORT YOU TO THE AMBER.

Selena: positive. Do your worst!

Mephiqoleth: fair enough.

[ Mephiqoleth raises his hands and says in Hebrew, as the Hebrew letters (in the modern Hebrew alphabet) appear on the highlighted floor, with a darkened room and the Hebrew letters of the spoken message expand outward. ]

Mephiqoleth: אלוהי אברהם, יצחק ויעקב, שגר את באפי מאגיה, הקוטלת, אל… [The god of Abraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov, please teleport Buffy Mageia, The Slayer, to…]

Selena: whoa.

Mephiqoleth: … האמבר. [The Amber]

[ Selena dissolves. ]

Selena in the Amber

[ Seen through Selena's Eyes, the scenery morphs into the untidy living room of, in midday, in a “villa" in Ramat Aviv Gimel, Tel Aviv. The birds are tweeting outside and there's a feeling of tranquility. ]

[ Cut to Selena inside the house. She looks around ]

Selena: that's the Amber? It's pretty nice here. Hope I'm not trespassing.

[ The door gets unlocked and opens. Mrs Mendelssohn enters. ]

Mrs. Mendelssohn: [startled] why hello there. Who might you be?

Selena: oh, Selena Mandrake. At your service! Nice to meet you [she approaches her and extends her hands.]

Mrs. Mendelssohn: nice to meet you: Mrs. Catherine Mendelssohn.

Selena: nice to meet you. Just a question: [she looks around] where am I?

Mrs. Mendelssohn: in the Mendelssohn residence.

Selena: which is in?

Mrs. Mendelssohn: Tel Aviv?

Selena: Tel Aviv, Israel?

Mrs. Mendelssohn: indeed.

Selena: oh cool! [ She wears her cap hat. ]

Selena: I heard Israel looks the best in the spring.

Mrs. Mendelssohn: yes, it does.

Selena: well, good bye. I'm going to go. Farewell.

Mrs. Mendelssohn: good bye.

[ Selena exits ]

Mrs. Mendelssohn: [to herself] what a strange girl. Better have a talk with Yaron about inviting his friends over.

Selena’s impressions from Israel

[ Selena is standing in the living room holding a remote control to the television showing photos from her trip to Israel. ]

Selena meets Mosheh and Aharon

The Essence of Being a Dispeller

[ Selena is walking in a nice park. ]

[ Selena's internal dialogue: Matthew and I got accepted into different universities, so we parted ways. Jessica, Jonathan and I are still chatting over the Internet and stuff. Meanwhile, I started studying Near East Archaeology in a different university in California, and now have to learn Sumerian, Akkadian, Phoenician, and Aramaic, at least for now.

Cuneiform is driving me mad, so I'm looking for a pastoral place to study it. This park is really lovely. ]

[ Mosheh and Aharon, who resemble Moses and Aaron from the Bible approach Selena from a different pathway. They are wearing backpacks. ]

Mosheh: oh, there she is. [they approach her].

Mosheh: hi, Miss Mandrake? Nice to meet you. I am Mosheh Ben-Amram - this is my brother, Aharon. [they extend their hands.]

[ Selena looks angry. Cut to a long shot of the trees. ]

Selena’s Voice: [in a loud and angry tone] you bloody fucks!!!

[ Cut to Selena standing next to Mosheh and Aharon. ]

Selena: I can't believe you people… you… vampires.

Selena: I want to kill you, I so am, but it will probably be futile, because if you survived since now, there’s no way I can hurt you at all.

Mosheh: well, not physically, but you certainly can mentally.

Selena: Mr. Mosheh - this is not the time to make such silly jokes.

Selena: tell me one thing: why me? wha - hy me? Why was I chosen to be The Slayer and then, the… the…

Aharon: the dispeller!

Selena: exactly. Was it destiny? [starts crying] Was it fate? Did I want to?

[ Mosheh and Ahraon drag Selena to a bench, where she sits down and wheeps. ]

Selena: and what kind of slayer cries like a baby?

Mosheh: here - have a handkerchief.

Selena: thank you. [Weeps into the handerkerchief.]

Mosheh: and don't worry, Selena, some of our most admired and toughest male warrior vampires, had cried in less aggravating conditions than yours. We are all humans.

Selena: [cries some more] OK, I'm the Dispeller, now what do we do?

Mosheh: whatever you want.

Selena: should I dispel stuff?

Mosheh: you already did, but it was done by vampires, both human and non-human, since the beginning of the universe.

Selena: then why do they need me?

Mosheh: well, how should I start. I gather you've watched Star Trek: Deep Space Nine?

Selena: I did, great show. Hold it, hold it! Not their prophets and the Vadeks and Kai Win, and...

Mosheh: yep, they are all real to an extent (minus some Hollywood deviations, and exaggerations).

Selena: oh God… who is probably Don Knuth, right. I know the “Knuth is not God” meme.

Mosheh: well, according to the prophets he is “The God” and “The Neo-Tech God”.

Selena: why Neo-Tech?

Mosheh: because we are part of “The Neo-Tech conspiracy for establish the Semitic culture”.

Selena: wasn't it established thousands of years ago?

Aharon: well, like the prophets would say “Before? After?”.

Selena: got it.

Selena: OK, so people dispelled in the past, and they needed me as some kind of role model to look up to, in order to dispel. How lame!

Selena: But what were these slaying tests, with The Guide, and these weird demons, and… God, they made me feel so helpless, and mad, and sad, and… all for becoming a silly Bajorean God?

Selena: [she stands up] Couldn't you have given me a written examination?

Mosheh: that would not be adequate for us. See, as vampires, we constantly have to deal with a lot of emotions and frustrations in our personal and professional lives. Dispelling is not always easy, and you are going to encounter many obstacles along the way from envious people, who are threatened by what you say, or stubborn people, or sycophants, or even people who care about what you say or have important ammendements.

Mosheh: dispelling is not just fun and games, you know.

Selena: I see. [Selena giggles.]

Mosheh: I should also tell you about the Q continuum.

Selena: yes, I gather it existed, only it seems that the Qs cannot be omnipotent, because it's a logical impossibility.

Mosheh: they are not. They are regular humanoids, or other aliens, who have ascended to be vampires and Qs, and who possess extremely powerful (but not omnipotent or “supernatural”) technology.

Selena: I see. Did they provide the special effects?

Mosheh: you guessed it.

Selena: OK, I’m still mad at you. But since I still find all this fascinating (I have to as an Archaeologist-wannabe and stuff), I’m going to continue talking to you, despite being mad.

Mosheh: sure. You may wish to know that the Bajoran scholars considered dispelling as the next logical level after slaying.

Selena: and The Slayer was Buffy from the show?

Mosheh: no. The fictional Buffy Anne Summers was a mighty slayer, but she was just The Vampire Slayer. The Slayer and the concept of slaying predates her.

Selena: I see. So whom do I have the dubious honour to succeed?

Mosheh: this is a complicated story, but let me ask you: have you read The Three Muskeeters?

Selena: by Dumas? Of course! … What?! Milady de-Winter?! She?!

Mosheh: the more accurate story is a bit more complicated, but maybe you’d like to hear it from a more authoritative source.

Selena: who?

Mosheh: look behind you.

[ Selena turns around and notices a black-haired attractive white woman, looking in her twenties or thirties. ]

Selena: [sheepishly] hi, who might you be?

Stranger Woman: [excited] oh Selena, I feel like I've known you all my life. [she runs to hug Selena. Selena anxiously lets her hug her.]

Selena: OK, OK, but who are you Ms.…

Stranger Woman: oh sorry, [lets herself go of Selena] I am Kate.

Selena: nice to meet you, Ms. Kate.

Kate: well, I've been known by various last names in previous lives, but Kate always stayed the same.

Selena: previous lives? Oh, I suppose you remained young…

Mosheh: …or became younger.

Selena: yes, yes, OK, which life are we talking about?

Kate tells her story

Kate: my first. Well, I was actually born Kate Hampshire, a young Anglican baby born to English parents on French soil. I grew up among French children, who welcomed me as their own, but when my parents and I returned back to England when I was 5 years old, I was ridiculed for my French, and so wanted to hear nothing of it, until I was older and had to relearn French much more painfully.

Selena: but you still had a trace of a French accent…

Kate: precisely.

Kate: anyway, as opposed to Dumas’s description, I was a brunette, for which some no-goodnicks from my whereabouts, ridiculed me of being of Jewish heritage, but eventually, I knew not to care. There were plenty of other brunette girls among my friends, anyway.

Kate: so, my father wanted me to learn the proper Christian law and ethics, so he taught me how to read English, and told me to read the Bible. I grew to love it, and consider the various characters there as my friends.

Kate: Moreover, I organised various shows by children at the local parish of the Bible, often with a lot of humour thrown in, in order to captivate the crowd. Our minister believed that this was blasphemous, so he summoned the local Bishop to see, who not only enjoyed our shows, but told the priest that we were making the Bible something living and dynamic, and so it was to be encouraged.

Kate: As a result, I quickly became notorious for my shows, which also captured the attention of the local nobility, the Lords of Canterson. The older brother, who liked me so much, became infatuated with me, courted me, and eventually we got married.

Kate: we led a happy marriage, but it was terminated shortly by the Lord, my husband, becoming sick, and then dying. It wasn't my fault, but I was devastated from it, and after recovering, told the Lord’s younger brother, the now honourable Lord George Canterson, that I was going to relocate to Paris, France, for a change of scenery. He agreed.

Kate: As a result, I, as Milady Canterson arrived at Paris to try my luck in finding a new life. I was able to make a small profit teaching English and the English bible to many students who were eager to learn, but my social life took a turn, to the worse, at first. You see, I kept telling the various people at parties and other social events of my previous life as an entertainer and also reciting some of my takes on Biblical things with improvisations. Many men and women found it amusing and liked me, but a minority of the women started spreading rumours that I killed my husband, and was actually glad he died, and they were trying to put me down.

Kate: At one point, I could not take it anymore, and I went to a corner couch, sat down, and started crying. I was joined by d’Artagnan, a young (about my age), promising guard at the des Essarts' company of guards, who was a big fan of me and my stories about what happened in the bible, and he asked me,

[ Showing the couch ]

d’Artagnan: Milady, que se passe-t-il? [ = “Milady, what's the matter?” ]

Milady Kate: Rien [ = “nothing”. She is crying.].

d’Artagnan: Il y a évidemment quelque chose qui ne va pas. Pourquoi pleurez-vous? [ = “something is obviously the matter. Why are you crying?”]

Milady Kate: D’accord. Comme je ne porte plus le deuil et que je semble heureuse, les autres femmes croient que j'ai tué mon mari. [ = “OK. The other women think I killed my husband because I'm now no longer grieving and seems happy.”]

d'Artagnan: Sottises! On peut à la fois être triste et heureux pour des raisons différentes. [ = “nonsense. You can be sad and happy at the same time, for two different things.” ]

Milady Kate: Oui, oui. [ = “yes. yes.”]

d'Artagnan: Laissez-moi vous dire ceci [takes her hands]. Je comprends que vous soyez offensée, mais sachez que ces personnes ne vous veulent que du tort et vous ne devriez pas laisser les paroles grossières ou méprisantes vous affecter. Vous valez mieux que ça. [= “let me tell you this . It’s OK to receive insults, it's OK to be offended, but you need to know that ultimately the other person is just does not mean well, and that you should not get them to hurt you. You're better than that.]

Milady Kate: M. d’Artagnan, vous êtes très sage pour votre âge. [= “M. d’Artagnan, you are quite wise for your age.”]

d’Artagnan: Merci, Milady. Je tâcherai que ça ne me monte pas à la tête. [= “thank you, Milady. I will not let it go to my head.”]

[ They both smile. ]

Kate’s voice: d’Artagnan and I became good friends: I taught him English and the Bible, and he told me of some of the things he learned as a noble, and what happened at the Guards. We ended up falling in love and having an affair, and while we did not go public about it, we did not really hide it and pretty soon everyone knew, and many single people and couples were jealous or envious of us. But we didn’t care.

Kate’s voice: another thing I should tell you about is the Queen. She was a beautiful woman, but needy and jealous and wanted the King, Louis XIII, to love her, without her doing anything to deserve it. The King and his prime minister, Cardinal Richelieu, despised her for her incompetence, which made her feel even more deprived of love that she supposedly deserved. I sometimes had to provide support for some of her maids, who were offended by her abuse, and ended up giving them d’Artagnan’s advice, which I noticed had made them quickly lose their job, and then meeting me and telling me how relieved they were.

Kate’s voice: anyway, I was expecting D’Artagnan to propose soon after all that, when it was announced that the conquest of La Rochelle was about to take place, and that d’Artagnan will relocate their. I was somewhat worried for his future, and thought we would have to part soon.

Kate’s voice: nothing prepared me for the time when my maid woke me up in the middle of the night and informed me that there were two of the King’s Musketeers at the door. I wondered why. The Musketeers told me the king asked to see me, so I wore a plain dress, and the Musketeers took me in a carriage to the palace. They escorted me to a room where I saw the King sitting at an armchair, as well as D’Artagnan and his friend and mentor Athos standing at a corner.

[ Showing the scene at the Palace. ]

Louis XIII: [in English with a French accent] hello, Milady. You know M. d’Artagnan and M. Athos.

Milady Kate: [a little worried] I do, nice to meet you again.

Louis XIII: please meet his eminence.

[ Cardinal Richelieu turns to face them. ]

Milady Kate: his eminence! Oh no, oh no… if it’s about my relationship with M. d’Artagnan, then - it was all my fault - I can return to England, and…

Cardinal Richelieu: Milady Canterson, we have known about your affair with d’Artagnan for a long time, and do not disapprove of it, but that’s not why you are here. In fact, we brought you here, in order to slay Lord Buckingham, so he won’t interfere with our planned attack of La Rochelle.

Milady Kate: kill him?

Cardinal Richelieu: I said slay - not kill. There is a difference as you shall see.

Cardinal Richelieu: we have failed at convincing Lord Buckingham that he should refrain from attacking us, which will cause many innocent lives to be killed and so we have to result to take him out of the equation.

Louis XIII: here’s the deal: you will carry these three letters signed by his eminence, by the King of England and by me, that will instruct whoever reads them to do everything within reason to assist you in your mission. M. Athos and M. d’Artagnan will escort you and they will protect you with your lives if necessary.

Louis XIII: The plan is: go to your house and take the belongings you care about; take a fast carriage to Calais and cross the channel; once in England, find some people you know to help you find a body similar to Lord Buckingham, find someone who will take the blame for it (your King will make sure nothing bad happens to him), slay Lord Buckingham, and take a carriage with him to Plymouth where you will board a ship to America, and both start a new life. Is that clear?

Milady Kate: yes, your majesty.

[ Milady Kate, Athos and d’Artagnan leave. ]

Kate’s voice: so we did it all, despite some minor setbacks, in part due to me bitching about the entire situation. We contacted Lord Canterson, who volunteered one of his trusted soldiers for the job. And travelled to Portsmouth where Lord Buckingham was about to leave.

[ Showing the cabin of Lord Buckingham. He is standing there. Adam enters with a gun and points it at Lord Buckingham. ]

Adam: Hello, melord! I can kill you now, but I won't.

Lord Buckingham: I believe you. What is it that you want.

[ Milady Kate enters, followed by Athos, d’Artagnan and Lord Canterson who are carrying a body. ]

Milady Kate: greetings melord - we shall travel together to Plymouth, in order to catch a ship to the New World, where we will be a couple at least until our arrival. Consider yourself slain and reborn.

[ Turns to face d’Artagnan ]

Milady Kate: I guess we part now.

d’Artagnan: yes.

Milady Kate: I loved you.

d’Artagnan: I did too.

[ They hug. ]

Milady Kate: [to Lord Buckingam] shall we? [She puts her hand in his.]

Kate’s voice: we boarded the ship and started a new life at what became the United States of America. I kept touch with Mr. George Smith, as he was now called for a while until he no longer needed me, and became indoctrinated as a vampire, for whom the fact that I once slayed the 1st Duke of Buckingham was merely an anecdote.

Kate’s voice: but this changed shortly after the publication of The Three Musketeers in the 1840s. Having dismissed Alexandre Dumas as a second-rate writer of popular books, I was surprised that many people approached me in my new life as Mrs. Kate Black requesting that I shall slay them. Eventually I found out about the novel, sent a letter to M. Dumas that I was coming to visit him, and travelled by ship to France to meet him at his home in Paris. This is what happened.

[ Cut to Alexandre Dumas’s Home ]

Dumas: Good morning Madame Black, I have heard so much about you, but don’t know why you would like to meet me.

Kate: M. Dumas… I am going to kill you. Physically! For what you have done to me.

Dumas: but, Madame, why?

Kate: how shall I put it? For your information, I was was Lady Kate Canterson and…

Dumas: [interrupts her] oh, non! C’est un impossible. You are the… Real Milady de-Winter.

Dumas: oh, this is a great honour. Where are my manners? Milady, do you want some cake, some biscuits, some tea? I have excellent wine too. Please sit down [Kate reluctantly sits down. Dumas is busy doing arrangement for taking care of his guest.]

Dumas: please, tell me all about it.

[ Later on this evening. ]

Kate: [drunk] M. Dumas, you treated me really well today, but now what do we do… about… about… about the people who ask me to slay them.

M. Dumas: [not drunk] Madame, just tell him that you no longer will slay. That you quit being a slayer, and they should deal with their troubled life themselves.

Kate: Mr. Dumas, sounds like a good idea. You are a very wise man for your age. [She falls asleep.]

[ Cut to the morning. Kate is sleeping on a bed in Alexandre Dumas’s house. birds are twittering outside and everything is pastoral. ]

Kate: [wakes up] hmm.... [hangover] ow, ow, oh! [She rises up and washes her face.]

[ Cut to a different room in Dumas’s house, he is sitting there drinking tea. ]

Alexandre Dumas: bonjour, Madame Black. I see you slept well.

Kate: I did, thank you.

Alexandre Dumas: I enjoyed hearing your story last night.

Kate: and I was happy to tell it. [She pours some water and drinks it.] Thanks for the hospitality. And for the useful piece of advice which I now recall.

Alexandre Dumas: you are welcome, Madame.

From Slayer to Dispeler

[ Cut to the bench with Selena, Kate, Mosheh and Aharon. ]

Kate: well, I quit slaying, but still maintained the status of being The Slayer in the real world. While neither France nor England wanted to consider Milady de-Winter as their own, they both wanted to claim me.

[ Cut to Selena: she has tears of excitement. ]

Selena: beautiful story.

Kate: yes, well, that was how The Slayer came to be, but now we started a new age where dispelling is preferred. So I pass the baton for you and finally have some peace.

[ Selena hugs Kate and bursts into tears. ]

Mosheh: vampirellas are cute - are they not.

Aharon: and they make the best slayers - and apparently dispelers too.

[ After a while ]

Selena: I’m OK, I’m OK.