DAWN: Is she awake yet?

BUFFY: Yeah. She's waiting for us.

DAWN: Can we take her home now?

BUFFY: We'll see. Go get your stuff.

(Dawn goes to gather her stuff. Buffy speaks quietly to the others.)

BUFFY: So, any monster reptile sightings?

GILES: None.

WILLOW: Tara and I did a mini-patrol earlier, but biggie snake was nowhere to be-

(Suddenly the snake creature bursts in through the display window. The snake moves toward Dawn, who screams continuously as it looms over her. Then it turns and slithers quickly back out the way it came in. Blackout and resume.)

XANDER: Dawn, you okay?

WILLOW: Why was the big snake afraid of Dawn?

BUFFY: (whispers) It knows!

(She turns and runs out. Buffy starts to run after the creature. Giles comes out of the magic shop, sees her running, and moves off in another direction. Giles' convertible comes around the corner and screeches to a stop beside her. She jumps in and Giles burns rubber after the creature.

BUFFY: I've gotta stop this monster before it gets back to Glory.

GILES: Glory?

BUFFY: That's what he called her. Giles, she's gonna know Dawn's the key if we don't-

GILES: We will.

(they keep chasing)

• Dawn as the Key

written by: David Fury; Transcribed by Joan the English Chick (pisces@englishchick.com).. Full transcript at:
http://www.studiesinwords.de/86shadow.html