#14 - Little Girl Lost

Written by Christopher Golden & Tom Sniegoski - Pencilled by Erik Powell - First released on December 13, 2000
Synopsis - Creature Feature - Cool Quotes - References - Continuity - Goofs - Trivia - The Morgue - Cast - Points Of View

Synopsis

The Short: What do a rash of deaths by spontaneous combustion, a teenage girl on the lam, and a demon spell caster all have in common? If Angel wants to prevent any more deaths by fire, he'd better figure it out. As Angel and crew investigate, he discovers that even he may have a connection to this case.

The Long: The issue opens with a dream sequence of Angel returning from the dead as a vampire and attacking his little sister. Angel wakes up screaming in his bed. He goes upstairs where he finds Cordelia and Wesley talking about a rash of deaths by immolation. Cordelia has a vision of a girl in trouble.

In an alley a little girl is running. A beat up bum tries to help and offers to get her to the police so they can take care of her, but she tries to keep him away. When he gets close his hand bursts into flame and he is burned alive. Later police investigate the crime scene. Detective Kate Lockley is trying to figure out what happened when she spots Angel in the crowd. A witness says a little girl caused the man to burst into flames. They agree to share any information they come across.

Elsewhere a vampire is chasing a woman in the streets. She rounds a corner and yells ''incoming'', causing Charles Gunn and three of his men, all carrying crossbows, to jump out and shoot the vamp, dusting him. Angel applauds them. He informs Gunn that he's looking for the girl. Angel doesn't want Gunn or his men approaching the girl, but if they see her to call him.

Two days later the girl sneaks into the back of a crack house where she is staying. Angel comes out of the shadows and talks to her. He calms her down and says he wants to talk. She says her name is Bethany. He asks how she makes people burn and she says someone did it to her. She then recounts how her abusive stepfather, who is also an amateur spell caster, got drunk and cursed her so that anyone she got near would burst into flames. Her mother was killed by this curse.

Angel breaks into her stepfather's, Philip Westford's home, followed by Cordelia and Wesley. Wesley recites an incantation that paralyzes Philip, then they let Bethany in. She threatens to touch him unless he removes the curse. He does so. Bethany touches her stepfather to test and discovers she can touch people again. Wesley takes several of the man's spell books. Wesley and Cordelia burn the books with Bethany as Angel asks to be alone with Philip for a few minutes. Later Angel comes out of the room and says he didn't touch Philip, but he did hurt him. Philip sits cowering in the corner as Angel, Bethany and the crew leave together.

Creature Feature

Philip Westford is a spell caster who somehow got access to some volumes of magic which allowed him to successfully cast a curse on his stepdaughter.

Cool Quotes

Unfinished.

References

Unfinished.

Continuity

The opening dream sequence happened in Galway Ireland, 1753. The death of Liam's sister took place off camera between two flashbacks in The Prodigal.
The main story of this issue is said to take place in season 1 of the television series. Because Angel knows Gunn it must happen after War Zone, and since Angel is still working out of Angel Investigations first building it must happen before To Shanshu In L.A.

Goofs

None.

Note: Although Angel seemed to break in uninvited to Philip's home, it is possible that Bethany was still considered to be living there and invited him in before he broke down the door.

Trivia

It would seem that Angel is invited into Philips house.

The Morgue

Bum: In an alley, burned to death by Bethany's curse.
Anonymous vampire: On the street, staked multiple times by Gunn and his men.
Bethany's mother: In her stepfather's home, burned to death by Bethany's curse. (In a flashback.)

Note: Angel's sister died after the scene we saw in his dreams. According to the newspapers three other people were killed by Bethany's curse, but it is uncertain if this includes her mother or not.

Cast

Starring:
Angel - Cordelia Chase - Wesley Wyndam-Price

Guest Starring:
Charles Gunn - Detective Kate Lockley

Co-Starring:
Bethany - Philip Westford - Bethany's Mother

Points Of View

Mathew:

Well, standing on it's own the plot is acceptable, but the bizarre similarity to the plot in Untouched cost it a few points. I have no idea which came first, but having a runaway with uncontrolled powers named Bethany is too similar to be an accident. The whole idea of the curse was a little far fetched. Making someone you hate kill anyone who they touch? Couldn't he think of anything besides that or was that all his big nasty books had in them? Why did Wesley burn the books?

Page by Webmaster Mathew - July, 2002

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