The Blood & Moone Files – Episode 9: Ash to Ash, Dust to Dust (Final Edit) Written by Justin Evans | Final Showrunner Edit S1 - E9 - ASH TO ASH DOG BOY DAN Welcome back my babies! It’s time for another episode from the Blood and Moone files. Last time the fellas managed to trap an Ifrit in a genie’s bottle and at the same time freed the Djinn that was disguising himself as a herself and kinda dating the Chan man. Well our boy Chandler wasn’t real enthused about this revelation but I think he’ll come to grips with it in short order. The poor guys just got his hopes up is all and everyone needs a little time to deal with the recoil of having their hopes dashed. John finally heroed up and showed chandler what kind of magic ability he had at his disposal, including knowing enough latin to recite an incantation that would trap that mean old fire bug. Today John and Chandler are helping with the clean up and search efforts in the wreckage left behind by the fires Ajim set while chasing them through town. Now, let’s see how the aftermath of being put to sleep magically and half the town being singed treats the boys as they deal with things on this episode titled, Ash to Ash, Dust to Dust. EXT - MAIN STREET BURNT BUILDING We hear the sound of hand tools and rubble being moved, debris being cleared. Chandler and John work to help clean up the destruction of the Ifrit. DEPUTY JENNINGS Anybody need water? CIVIL SERVANT 1 I’ll take one. CIVIL SERVANT 2 Yeah, thanks. CIVIL SERVANT 3 Just in time, I’m so thirsty. DEPUTY JENNINGS Here ya go. Mhm. You’re very welcome. JOHN MOONE Can I get one? DEPUTY JENNINGS Sure, thanks for all your help. Have we met? JOHN MOONE I think we have, been a while though. CHANDLER BLOOD Is there still some water bottles left? DEPUTY JENNINGS (lies) Just ran out. Jennings walks away, throwing the rest of the case of water bottles back in his vehicle and driving off CHANDLER BLOOD Prick. JOHN MOONE Yup. CHANDLER BLOOD You guys seemed chummy, why wasn’t he an asshole to you? JOHN MOONE Doesn’t remember me. CHANDLER BLOOD How? That fucker gave us hell all the way through high school. JOHN MOONE It’s kind of a side effect, I think. CHANDLER BLOOD So *that’s* what’s happening? Your magic liquor made it so no one in town can recognize you anymore? JOHN MOONE Kinda, more like a mental thing than a vision thing, they don’t remember me because I wasn’t important to them. It’s like it waters down their memories of me and makes me kinda blend into the background. CHANDLER BLOOD Magic shit. JOHN MOONE Magic shit. CHANDLER BLOOD Alright mister Magus, share your water, I’d damn near drink from a puddle right now. JOHN MOONE Get your own. CHANDLER BLOOD Oh, you have got to be kidding me. JOHN MOONE I am. Here bud. Chandler drinks and the 2 join the others and get back to work. CIVIL SERVANT 1 Hey, ya’ll get over here I need a hand with this. CIVIL SERVANT 2 Coming. CHANDLER BLOOD On the way. They can be heard straining to lift a heavy object. It breaks free and they move it away revealing an old stone room. CIVIL SERVANT 2 Hello? Anybody down there? CHANDLER BLOOD Looks like an old basement. CIVIL SERVANT 1 Right? JOHN MOONE I’ll go down and check it out. CIVIL SERVANT 1 Wait, it could be dangerous. Let me get someone from the rescue squad. I’ll be back. CIVIL SERVANT 2 I’ll go with you. I’m still dying of thirst, they probably have more water over there. The 2 depart leaving john and chan at the opening to the stone basement. CHANDLER BLOOD Looks old. Like way older than the building that was here. JOHN MOONE That’s why I’m going down there. CHANDLER BLOOD Are you kidding me? That thing could collapse on you. JOHN MOONE You don’t have to come with me. CHANDLER BLOOD Seriously, dude? John! John climbs down the short way into the ancient stone basement. He calls back to chandler from inside. JOHN MOONE I’ll be right back! CHANDLER BLOOD John! Come on man, just come back up here. John! Sonofabitch damnit. CAYM THE DEMON It will not collapse my host. CHANDLER BLOOD What the fuck?! Where are you? You sneak up and start scaring me in real life too and I swear I’ll get Catherine to shut your shit down again, Kermit. CAYM THE DEMON I am merely attempting to ease your fear. CHANDLER BLOOD Well ease up off my head, creepy fucker. CAYM THE DEMON As you wish. CHANDLER BLOOD Gah! I hate this. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Chandler chides himself as he enters the basement. INT - ANCIENT SUBTERRANEAN STRUCTURE Footsteps echo as chandler enters the basement. He calls for John but is having trouble seeing in the dark. We hear dripping water in the distance. It sounds like a cave. CHANDLER BLOOD John?! You ok?! I can’t see shit down here. THE DEMON CAYM Would you like my assistance, my host? CHANDLER BLOOD Shit-fuck! No, stop that! THE DEMON CAYM As you~ CHANDLER BLOOD Wait. *sigh* What assistance? We hear a faint magic sound. CHANDLER BLOOD (CONT) Holy shit. I can see. CAYM THE DEMON Yes. CHANDLER BLOOD Uh, thanks? CAYM THE DEMON You are most welcome, my host. Your attention may be best focussed on the far room. CHANDLER BLOOD Ok... More footsteps as Chandler approaches the spot that Caym brought to his attention. CHANDLER BLOOD (CONT) John? JOHN MOONE Over here. CHANDLER BLOOD There you are. What the hell are you doing? JOHN MOONE How the hell can you see down here? CHANDLER BLOOD How the hell can YOU see down here? JOHN MOONE I can’t, well, it’s like I know where everything is in the dark. I... understand shadows, like solar in murky waters letting you see shapes. CHANDLER BLOOD Murk powers? JOHN MOONE Yeah, I guess. How are you seeing? Where’s your flashlight? CHANDLER BLOOD I was just gonna use my phone light but uh, suddenly I could just see. JOHN MOONE Demon powers? CHANDLER BLOOD uh... I guess? JOHN MOONE Be careful, Chan. Don’t make deals. That’s a slippery slope. CHANDLER BLOOD I didn’t. JOHN MOONE It was offered without a bargain? CHANDLER BLOOD He just did it, really. JOHN MOONE Really? CHANDLER BLOOD Really. JOHN MOONE Hmm. Ok, anyway, do you see that kinda glowy thing over there? CHANDLER BLOOD Nothing glowing. I’m kinda seeing black and white right now though. JOHN MOONE Well, I felt something coming from this room. It seems like it’s right there. Felt like it might glow. A cloth is removed from something and John picks up a book/tome. CHANDLER BLOOD Looks like an old leather book or something. There’s a lock. JOHN MOONE I see that. CHANDLER BLOOD You can like “see” see it? JOHN MOONE Yeah, clear as day. It’s the only thing that clear. CHANDLER BLOOD And what’s that mean? JOHN MOONE No fucking clue. Fade out to silence. DOG BOY DAN Looks like the Chan man got himself some super powers of his own. I sure hope there’s not a steep cost for that kinda thing. By the time the volunteers came back with help the Blood and Moone boys had returned to the daylight. Seemed no one really knew about the old buried structure, the crew they brought back went in with all their gear and came up with bupkis. They marked the old basement as being clear of any survivors and moved on, and so did the boys. They kept that old tome they found out of sight and then made themselves scarce, heading back up to Hooper Lane to visit that lovely Catherine Moone in the holler. Let’s check back in with them at Cathy’s place. INT - CATHERINE MOONE'S HOME We fade into the warm inviting home of Catherine Moone. She, Chan, and John sit around the living room as she inspects the book that the boys found in the ruins of the burnt building. CATHERINE MOONE Boys, this is some kinda find. It’s old, REALLY old, and there’s a lot of power locked in it. CHANDLER BLOOD I looked like it had been down there for like a hundred years. CATHERINE MOONE Less century, more millennium. Maybe not in that place but it’s that old. CHANDLER BLOOD Holy shit. JOHN MOONE I don’t know about *holy* but this spellbook sure smells like shit. It’s like rot and rust. Something's not right about it. CATHERINE MOONE That ain’t smell, sugar. That’s history. Aura. And that ain’t rust you’re sensing, it’s blood. This thing’s older than the woods outside, but it’s not a spellbook. It’s a ritual codex. CHANDLER BLOOD What kind of ritual? CATHERINE MOONE One for waking something up that oughtta stay dreamin’. JOHN MOONE So someone really is trying to bring her back. CATHERINE MOONE Bring her *through*, not back, she never left. CHANDLER BLOOD Ok, hold up a sec. All this scooby-doo shit aside. Who is this *her* ya’ll are talking about? I’m getting the feeling this codex thing is a one way ticket to fuckaroo city. JOHN MOONE Yeah, I’m getting that feeling too. We say *her* because we got a real voldemort type situation here. You shouldn’t say her name. Attention gives her power. CATHERINE MOONE And this isn’t something that can just be found by anyone unless it wants to be. CHANDLER BLOOD Ok, so the wand chooses the wizard type thing. JOHN MOONE Yeah, but this is something that has always wanted to stay hidden. If it’s what I think it is then the last recorded account of anyone putting hands on it was back in the 5th century in Rome. CHANDLER BLOOD You mean like the fall of Rome? JOHN MOONE I mean what secretly caused the fall of Rome. CHANDLER BLOOD Shit... DOG BOY DAN Looks like the boys are getting a reminder that some things ought to just stay buried where they are. Let’s give that witchy aunt of John’s some time to work her mojo on this new predicament and as always feed the boys in the meantime. You’re good friend Dan could really go for some of Ms. Catherine’s good home cookin’ right about now, what a woman. Anyway, let’s catch up on what she cooked up for John and the Chan man, both in the kitchen and at her altar. Dishes clink as they are cleaned up from the table. CATHERINE MOONE Chandler baby did you get enough to eat? CHANDLER BLOOD Yes ma’am. It’s been too long since I had pork chops, pintos, and cornbread. I gotta learn how to cook this good stuff at home. JOHN MOONE I wish you would. CATHERINE MOONE If you do that then what’s gonna bring ya’ll back up here to see me? JOHN MOONE Speaking of why we’re here. CATHERINE MOONE I know. I picked up something the other night that I think might help. A plastic bracelet is dropped on the table. CHANDLER BLOOD Annie?... oh, no... That-that’s- CATHERINE MOONE From the ritual performed outside town. Yeah. Poor girl. *sigh* Being part of that ritual, the blood part, she’s got a strong tie to the ones that did it to her. I think that night they called the book. That bracelet should be able to show you who placed that call. CHANDLER BLOOD Yeah, *69 their asses. JOHN MOONE Like a spirit compass. Wait, you were there? CATHERINE MOONE Yes, much later. I saw where you boys were too, and looks like you tore ass out of there in a hurry. I s’pose you didn’t see who they were? JOHN MOONE No, ma’am. CATHERINE MOONE Good, then that’ll help add another link to this chain. JOHN MOONE And then tie that chain around these asshole’s necks! CHANDLER BLOOD Yeah! Fade out INT - CAR - NIGHT The car drives up and stops at a stop light, the tick tick of the blinker is heard. CHANDLER BLOOD Here, I’m gonna put Annie’s bracelet on the rear view. We can see if anything happens while we’re out and about. JOHN MOONE Good idea... They’re patrolling tonight. Must be looking for someone. CHANDLER BLOOD Yeah. That’s Sheriff Cooke's patrol car. JOHN MOONE Why’s he going so slow? CHANDLER BLOOD Probably spotted my car. I’m sure he’s still pissed. JOHN MOONE He LOOKS pissed. The plastic from Annie’s bracelet begins tapping at the the window as the sheriff passes. CHANDLER BLOOD Hard to tell, that’s kinda just the way he looks-John, look at the bracelet. JOHN AND CHANDLER Son. of. A. bitch. DOG BOY DAN Well, I guess that answers one question the boys had. Seems like that mean old Sheriff Cooke didn’t just know everything that happens in *his* town, he was the cause of some of the worst of it. Annie’s bracelet ratted out that pig, er wolf, welllll, I think that’s maybe yet to be seen for sure. What we do know is that he definitely had something to do with the ritual that spilled the blood of a young lady named Annie. A ritual that the lovely Cathy Moone seems to think called out to that old book they found that mornin’. The fires may be out, but things are just starting to heat up in our small town, babies. Tune in next time to see what John and the Chan man plan to do about it.