Chapter 4: Fright Night
(Bats, spiders, heads, and disappearing friends. Oh my.)
Buffy
Gazing at the ceiling, I pretended to be utterly zoned. I just didn't feel like talking but listening I still felt capable of. I'd set my mind on observe mode, noting everything but nothing really getting absorbed. 'I don't know why Xander insisted we come over to his place to carve pumpkins. That's way too much a happy thing to do when you're not happy and.I'm not happy.'
"I don't know, I was going for ferocious, scary, but it's coming out more dryly sardonic." Xander sounded disappointed but I thought it fit. Dryly sardonic pretty much defines him.
"It does appear to be mocking you with its eye holes." Willow sounded bemused.
"The nose hole seems sad and full of self-loathing." Oz sounded like his usual deadpan self.
I heard cloth rustle. 'Uh oh, I think he's going to talk to me.' "What do you think, Buff?" 'Yep.'
Well maybe for bothering me I'll bore him with my thoughts. Seems like justice to me. "I was just thinking about the life of a pumpkin. Grow up in the sun--happily entwined with others, then someone comes along, cuts you open and rips your guts out."
Xander hesitated, obviously having no idea what to say to that, as I intended, then decided to change the subject. "Okay, and on that happy note, I've got a treat for tomorrow night's second annual Halloween screening. People--prepare to have your spines tingled, your gooses bumped by the terrifying--" I heard him rummaging around. "Phantasm. We can laugh at the scary parts." Xander ended triumphantly.
"What's scary is that we actually do that," Oz put in.
"Yeah well, if they'd consult professionals A.K.A us, scary movies would be scarier. We could make good money." Xander sounded angry at the world. Since I was saddened with the world at the moment I couldn't dredge up the need to empathize.
"I thought we were doing the Alpha Delta thing." Now Willow sounded confused.
"What thing?" There was hurt in Xander's voice.
"The scary house? Sounds kinda lame." I put in my opinion. Don't want to spend Halloween pretending to enjoy it. I don't want to feel good right now.
"It actually borders on fun. You have to go through the scary house maze to get to the party. Which is usually worth getting to. Those guys go all out," Oz defended.
"As witnessed last Friday," Willow pointed out.
I could practically see Oz nodding. "Very true."
"There is a party?" Xander's tone had become kind of resigned, I noted.
"We didn't tell you?" Willow sounded confused.
Xander sighed. "No, it's cool. I'll find something to do."
"You can come."
"Okay, but just so you know I'm inviting my demony girlfriend."
Oz and Willow shared a look. Finally Oz said. "A blast will be had by all."
'That's my cue to leave.' Already their conversation was fading away. "I'm gonna get going."
"Now? Tonight's still...." Xander looked at his watch. "Okay, it's a little mature, but still."
I didn't want to stick around. You guys will continue to try and cheer me up. "I'm sleepy," I lied. "You guys have fun."
"You want me to come with?" Willow asked, sounding worried.
"No, I'm fine." 'Liar.' I left. I could feel their eyes on my back as I did but I ignored their concern.
Riley
I watched as the Professor chewed Buffy out. The strain of whatever her problem was showed on her face. Things weren't going well for her. Usually I was happy when someone was kicked out of class, one less paper to grade, but I felt for Buffy.
"She means it, you know."
Buffy frowned. "Yeah. I got the impression she wasn't saying it to make me laugh."
"You've got to be aware your work's taken a little down turn lately. I can't remember the last time I've seen your hand up." Come on, work with me, girl.
"Does stretching count?"
I sighed. Appealing to her work ethic wasn't going to work. Time to be sympathetic. "Look, things get pretty intense freshmen year, as I dimly recall. Too much fun or not enough?"
Buffy hesitated. "Both actually." 'There's the trouble.'
I gave her the assignments. "Yeah, well, you just got to keep your priorities. Prof. Walsh is worth your time."
She took them with a little too much enthusiasm. "Thanks, I'll get this done tonight."
'Not good.' "Tonight. It's Halloween! What, you're not going to dress up and go party?"
She tapped the notebooks and assignments I'd just given her. "I have a lot of work to do."
I had to say something. She must be having a really rough time of it. "I may be out of line here, and it's not really my business, but you seem like the kind of person that makes things really hard on themselves. Halloween isn't a night for responsibility. It's when the ghosts and goblins come out."
I saw something flash across her face. "That's actually a misnomer."
'What a strange thing to say. Wonder what she means by that.' "Well, I didn't mean real ones."
'For all I know the real ones hate this holiday because it pokes fun at them. Then again they could be using it as a cover to feed without people noticing.' Buffy smiled and looked down. "But, hey, there is some good scary fun to be had on campus tonight." 'That I won't be enjoying.'
"Yeah? What are you doing?" She'd perked up a little. Good.
"Well, I'm going to sit here and grade papers." 'I hate lying.'
Buffy turned to go. "Scary." At least I cheered her up.
I grinned at her. "Very." 'Not as scary as what I'll really be doing.'
"Well, thanks for the pep talk, coach." Did her grin just get bigger?
"Don't make fun. I worked long and hard to get this pompous." All's fair in teasing and teaching, as I say.
"No, I mean it." Suddenly Buffy was somber again.
Now I hesitated. The thought that she was so unhappy upset me. "You're welcome."
Buffy smiled and walked out the door while I stood looking at her retreating back. When she was completely gone I shook it off. I had to get ready for my real job.
Xander
I think one of the most annoying sounds ever in existence is the ringing of the telephone. Only thing worse is my great aunt Edna's voice and maybe the sound of a Thraisk demon, damn those things can wail. So when I was woken by my ringing phone to say I wasn't happy was understatement. Picking up the receiver I mumbled groggily, "Uhn.."
A rich sensual recorded woman's voice answered me. "Home alone on a Friday night?" her voice drawled. "Lonely? In need of some companionship? Press one to talk to a woman. Two to talk to a man. Three to--" I slammed the phone down on the hook.
"In this town three's probably for a demon." Rubbing my face, I looked at the clock. "Okay you know you need a life when you're asleep alone in your parent's basement by 9:00 p.m. on a Friday and you're talking to yourself." 'Maybe I should take her up on the offer.' I threw off the afghan I'd grabbed before crashing and looked around at my life. A leaky, moldy, bare walled, cement hole. A damn couch to sleep on when the bed gets soaked from the leak in the ceiling. A chair with a broken arm, a coffee table covered with last year's worth of magazines, and a rusty sink. The old-as-dirt washer and dryer set sitting against the wall were silent testimony to how much this sucked yet how little I could change things since this was not my house. My hunting clothes locked in a trunk with my weapons in case my dad ever sobered up enough to look for anything worth selling like he did from time to time. 'I should have done what Adam wanted me to and faked my death.' Even as I thought it there wasn't much enthusiasm in the thought. 'Who am I kidding? Definitely not me.'
A thud reverberated from the ceiling above me. Then a crash. Then feminine giggling echoed hollowly and wetly through my chamber of horrors. Fury built inside me then disgust took way. 'Damn that bastard. I can't stay here for sure.' I used to wonder when I was younger how come my father retained his fantastical looks after years of hitting the bottle and harder substances. It all fell into place when I found out about the Hellmouth. I figured it supported the local evil.
Still what can I do? I don't want to leave Sunny-D but I have no skills that I can legitimize. Oh, sure these days I swap theoretical math equations with professors over the Internet and I'm part of an anonymous group of military personnel that get together to plot the destruction of corrupt secret op's but how the heck do you get paid for those sorts of things? And how would I be able to explain it to the Scoobs? For that matter I don't really need to work. Mallory the twisted s.o.b. that he was had been a genius who knew how to play the markets and how to save up for a rainy day. There is a couple mill stashed around the globe in accounts along with a house in Borneo and in the Bahamas and in India and in New Hampshire for some strange reason. I need to do some major redecorating in those places before I ever set foot in any of them though, since blood and skulls aren't really my style.
'I don't know why I'm even worrying. They probably wouldn't even notice.' I knew I was being uncharitable but Wills and Buffster hadn't paid much attention to me for a long while. They didn't even notice that I gained a sudden dose of fashion sense after all their years of harping on my style. Cautiously at first I started replacing my wardrobe, taking a chance that they wouldn't notice that my clothes had become a lot more expensive and was disappointed when I was proven right. While I was glad I didn't have to defend my--ah--"outfits" anymore I wished they weren't so wrapped up in their own little worlds. 'After all, they are the reason I'm sticking around in this crummy excuse for a life.' I am glad I don't have to cruise the Salivation Army for my clothes but they haven't been paying any attention whatsoever to me or they would have noticed I no longer look like a Technicolor rainbow. That hurt. It broke the semi-hope that was at odds with the whole idea of hiding. The stupid hope that they'd detect the differences in me and would force the truth out of me.
Along with all the physical remnants of the demented Quinn Mallory there still was the mental mess. Now his memories joined the Praying Mantis Lady, the Mayor, Nam, and my father in my nightmares. The man had serious issues, which I inherited, upon his death. 'Not like I didn't have enough before.' Resting my elbows on my knees, I put my face in my hands. They say there's a fine line between genius and insanity--well Mallory crossed it so many times he zigzagged. Sometimes I find myself scribbling down equations that, before taking his head, would have made as much sense to me as a Korean sonnet in Korean. That's why I joined the chat group. It releases frustrations and I have fun kicking some old fogies' butts. The internet has become my lifeline. I bought a laptop cause it was easy to store. Another gift from the ghosts that haunt me. Colonel Dean Liu was extremely skilled in computers. I would have called him tech support except he was the leader of his black op unit. I enjoy most of the things I got from the Colonel. He had a nice life till it ended. He had a happy childhood and good friends. Though waking up reliving his nightmares is no treat. Catching up on the eleven years of computer advances that had occurred after his death was hard work but it was worth it. The internet is anonymous, the perfect escape.
There was a nagging feeling trying to drag me out of my funk. 'There is something I'm supposed to be doing..' I sat up and snapped my fingers. "The haunted house party at Alpha Delta." After our failed attempt to drag Buffy out of her depression I found out about the party. I felt another pang at the proof of my friends' disregard of me. I remembered our last few words about Parker and my game face slipped on. That bastard needed to learn a lesson. A smile twisted my features as I remembered the satisfaction I'd felt when I'd slipped Ripper--not Giles--Parker's address. I had a feeling vengeance was going to be coming a-calling for the player. I shook off my vampire side, balancing the immortal and vampire again, and put the thought aside. 'Later.'
I'd helped Oz set up the stereo at their place and I asked Anya to come with. 'How could I have forgotten?' Panting and moaning reverberated around me. 'Oh yeah.' So what am I going to wear? If this year is a rerun.I'd better keep my weapons handy. Now what goes with a 9mm handgun? I could practically see the light shining above my head. A slow smile spread across my face as I reached for the phone. Hopefully the Tuxedo rentals were still open.
Willow
I know this is going to be fun. After all, I spent the last Halloween as a ghost. Can't get much worse than dead. I snuggled up against Oz as we walked. Buffy's dressed as Little Red Riding Hood. It's funny. I just don't think it suits her. I look down at my costume and smile. Oz's idea was cuter than I thought it'd be. It was cheap and easy for him and it gave me an excuse to use my scrounging skills. Finding knitted cloth that looked just like chain mail on short notice is like.like finding a real looking Eskimo suit. I like the challenge of making everything look authentic. 'Mom never notices the extra charges to her credit card anyway.' I look at Buffy again. She's looking out of place. 'Hey, she looks lost just like Little Red Riding Hood.' I cheered up at my analogy then felt a little sad because it wasn't really a good thing.
'Hey there's Xander!' I happily diverted my chain of thought to feeling joy at his arrival. After the initial confusion about his costume I looked him over again. 'The persona actually seems.right. It's funny I just never thought of him as the James Bond type before. There's nothing mysterious or dangerous about Xander. Is there?' I felt confused and a little scared because I realized I didn't know the answer to that. We didn't just sit and talk anymore or call each other in the middle of the night. 'He hasn't changed, though. Of course not. This is Xander.' Yet my thoughts lacked conviction. My doubts made me take another look at him. The suit fit him like a glove; he made it look classy even though it was clearly from Tux R Us. The way he moved, the way he walked.. I pushed observations aside. 'We've drifted so far apart I'm seeing him like a stranger. I miss him. I need to talk to Xander more.'
I looked up at the Alpha Delta house. It looked like the usual frat house, rundown and cheaply made, but I felt a tremor run down my spine at the sight. I ignored it, thinking it was just gloom at finally grasping that I had been losing my friend without even realizing it. I pressed closer to Oz, trying to draw his warmth into my suddenly cold body.
Buffy
'Here I go. Fifth wheel again. God, even Xander has a date. So what if it is with Anya the ex-demon? He's not alone and I am.' I sighed and looked down at my basket full of weapons. I felt so ridiculous tagging along to this thing. I don't even know why I'm doing this. 'Probably because your friends bugged you until you agreed. Heck, even Giles told you to have fun.' I swatted my conscience away. I shouldn't have come. I'll just be a party pooper.
Suddenly a group dressed as commandos burst through the hedges directly into our path, interrupting my mope fest. 'How rude.' I glared at their retreating backs.
Xander
No use borrowing trouble, as my grandmother used to say. Still, as I stepped into the foyer, unease settled in my heart. 'Bats. I hear bats.' Looking up, I strained my senses. 'There's something else too. But it's muffled.'
"Ugh! Get if off!" I was distracted from my thoughts by Willow. She danced around for a bit, swiping at her shoulders. Then she stopped shuddering. "I hate spiders." She gave us a weak grin. Oz checked her over to make sure the pesky critter was gone. He gave her a nod. She tried to detach her head and see her back side. "Are you sure it's off?"
"Yeah." At Willow's doubting look Oz gave her another nod to show he was really sure.
"At least it wasn't a frog, huh Wills?" She glared at me. Then she glanced around.
"Uh Buffy? Where is everyone?" Buffy and Wills began searching around the hall, Oz following tamely behind but I was no longer paying attention. I had already begun eyeing the severed head sitting as a centerpiece in front of the sheet draped stairs. I couldn't help but marvel at how realistic it looked. It reminded me of the poor fellow whose head my sword got stuck in during my fight with Drusilla. I shied away from the memories and took a deep breath to calm myself. 'Tonight was supposed to be a fun night. No worries. No flashbacks.' Then my mind registered what my nose already had. 'I smell blood. Real blood.'
I walked up to get a closer look at the head sitting on the stand in a punch bowl. I took another couple sniffs to confirm it. 'Yeah, it smells of blood. In fact the air seems full of it.' My heart took up residence in my stomach as I realized that not only was it real blood but a real head. The eyes were still round and clear, not filmy and flat, so he'd been killed less than five minutes ago. A death like his would have been messy and loud. Someone should have heard it. Unless.. I finally identified the muffled sounds I'd been hearing: screams. 'What's one more in a crowd?' Inwardly I groaned. "Guys. I have a bad feeling about this. 'Cause unless these guys are going all out for accuracy--and I mean all out--" I turned around and found I was talking to myself. "We're in big trouble.." Doing a full circle, I checked and saw no sign of my friends. They'd completely disappeared without me even hearing them leave. I sighed. "And it's getting bigger by the second."
"RELEASE ME." It wasn't a shout but the voice rumbled throughout the entire house. I could feel the vibrations in my bones. I glanced around, trying to determine the source. Nothing magically presented itself as I had halfway expected.
"Much bigger."
Willow
One second Xander was there then I turned around and he was gone. "Umm Buffy.." I tapped her on the shoulder. She was looking up and down another hall trying to figure out where everyone was just like I'd been doing a moment ago.
"What?!" she said impatiently, not stopping her searching.
"We seem to be short one Scooby." I said pointing to the empty space where Xander had been.
Oz turned and looked also. "Huh." Buffy was a little more vocal.
"Where has he gone now?" Her tone was full of annoyance and I couldn't help but feel a little bit uncomfortable about it, especially because of my earlier thoughts. 'She makes it sound as if this is all Xander's fault.' I glanced at Oz. He raised an eyebrow in return. Buffy was so focused I don't think she even noticed. She marched over to a closet I was sure hadn't been there a second ago. Now that I saw it, I noticed it was shaking and there was a slight hissing noise coming from it. Buffy ripped the door open to reveal a terrified man clutching a basket like a child would clutch a doll. He looked scared and he was shaking hard enough that the walls of the closet shook with him. He was so pale he was almost translucent with red blotches under his eyes. Before I had been feeling uneasy, not uncommon in my life, now I felt a growing sense of dread, also not uncommon. I groaned. Halloween must be cursed.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I'm sorry," the boy mumbled as he rocked back and forth.
Oz crouched down in front of him. "Chaz."
"I didn't know," Chaz whispered, clutching the basket closer.
"What's happening?" Oz asked.
Chaz began rocking harder. "It ah...."
Buffy got impatient and demanded, "What is it?"
"It's alive. It's alive," Chaz began repeating, scared by the harsh tone Buffy used. I felt really sorry for him. He looked about ready to die of fright.
"What's alive?" she asked again, more gently this time. "Chaz, what happened here?" Chaz looked up and screamed. I whirled around just as a skeleton stabbed Buffy from behind. Buffy turned, knocked its head aside and then kicked it in the middle. It laid back on the ground, once again plastic. Buffy stared at it then checked her shoulder. There was only a thin red line on her shoulder blade. I pressed my hand against my heart, trying to keep it where it belonged.
Buffy
'Ok-ay. That was a new one. Never been attacked by a plastic skeleton before.' A girl's scream reverberated throughout the hall. I swallowed my shock. Chaz crawled back into the closet and closed the door.
"Cowering in a closet is starting to seem like a reasonable plan," Oz observed. I wanted to agree with him but then I noticed that there was no closet.
"What closet?" Oz and Willow did a double take but the closet didn't reappear. I turned from the now harmless decoration and the disappearing closet to my friends. 'I need to get them out of here to safety.' "I'm gonna make my way upstairs and see if there are any people up there. You guys find a way out of the house and use it. You guys go get Giles. We'll need his help to figure out what's going on. I'll look for Xander." 'And try to kill whatever's doing this while they're out of danger. God, where is Xander? He's always getting into trouble. Now I have to find him first.' I turned to head deeper into the house.
"No." Willow's firm response made me stop in my tracks.
I whirled back around. "What?! Will, I'm telling you.."
"You're telling me? You're telling me?!?"
"I can't do my job if I have to worry about each of your safety!" Gritting my teeth, I tried to keep my anger from my voice.
"It's not your decision!" she yelled in my face.
'The heck with it.' I bit out, "Got to disagree with you there."
"Oh, of course you do. Being the Slayer doesn't automatically make you boss. You're as lost as the rest of us." Willow crossed her arms over her chest, clearly saying she'd made up her mind.
"What are we talking about?" 'Thank you Oz.' I knew he would stop her from doing anything foolish.
"It's a simple incantation, a guiding spell for travelers when they become lost or disoriented. I can find him and anyone else trapped in here. You don't have to play guess and check. It will take us straight to them."
It sounded like a reasonable idea but I didn't like it. "And how does it work?"
"It conjures an emissary from the beyond that--lights the way." She tried to sound completely confident but I knew I had her.
"Conjuring. Will, let's be realistic here. Okay, your basic spells are usually only fifty-fifty." 'Back me up Oz. You don't want her doing heavy magic either.' He stayed silent. Then I remembered the promise he'd made Willow to stand by her. 'Damn. I'm not going to get any help on that front.'
Flustered, Willow stuttered out, "Oh yeah? Well, so is your face!" Then she stalked off. Confused, I tried to make out what she'd meant.
"What?!" I went after her. "What does that mean?"
Willow turned around. "I'm not your sidekick!" She whirled back around and resumed her frontal retreat.
I tried one last appeal "Willow.." She didn't even turn around.
Oz gave me one final look then turned and ran after her. I shook my head. 'When her spell doesn't work they'll go and find Giles. Willow is smart, she'll come to her senses.'
Giles
I got dressed up in this stupid costume and pretended to be all bloody cheerful specifically so I wouldn't be bored for this bloody holiday and what do I find myself doing? Sitting on my bloody couch holding a bloody bowl of candy. I should have bloody known better. Little kiddies don't live in this neighborhood. I sighed. Where's a demon when you need one?
A pounding started at my door. 'Demons don't knock.' I winced, as the pounding got more incessant. 'Even like that.' Must be trick-or-treaters, finally. "Coming!" Gathering up my bowl, I plastered a smile on my face then swung open the door. "Happy Hall.." I was surprised when Anya, dressed in a giant bunny suit, brushed past me.
"Xander is in trouble. We've got to do something, right now!"
I stared at her, my mouth hanging open. "Anya." I felt the need to confirm her actual presence in my apartment.
"Are you listening? Xander is trapped!" I shook off my shock. She most definitely was really here. Though her distress over Xander was.anomalous.
"Uh, ah, where are Buffy and the others?" Concern for my charges overrode my curiosity.
Anya rolled her eyes like she was talking to an idiot. "They're trapped, too, but we've got to save Xander!"
I took off my ridiculous sombrero and sat down. 'I got what I asked for I guess. She was a demon and this situation has the potential to contain another one. Be careful what you wish for indeed.' "Slow down. I need you to be more specific." I tried being patient, seeing as how confused wasn't working.
"Uhm, ah, we were supposed to meet at this house, and I got there and there was no door where a door should be. And then I see this girl standing in a window, and then poof! She's gone."
"She vanished from the window?" This is quite a bit of alarm for just that. I kept that to myself though.
"No, the window vanished from the house." Now that worried me. I hadn't known whether to take this girl seriously, she did after all have a rather stained past, but what she described had a ring of truth.
"Hmm. Matter and reality distortion." I got up and retrieved a book from a shelf. "Like a summoning spell's temporal flux."
"What?"
I looked up from the pages. "Hmm? Oh, never mind. I just need to get some- -supplies together." I bustled over to my supply cabinet then paused and looked over at her. Anya certainly looked worried. I wasn't sure why she was or even if it really was genuine but I felt the need to say something comforting. "I wouldn't worry about Xander. At least he's amongst friends."
Oz
"She thinks I'm not ready to be a full blown witch! I can handle the dark forces as good as anyone else. It's not that hard. I-It's just a guiding spell and I'm careful and all." I watched as Willow raged, not saying that I thought Buffy's fears had merit, that I didn't really want her reaching into that darkness. I'd promised her I'd stand by her decisions and I would. Looking around at the room we'd found ourselves in, I felt uneasy.
"This floor used to have windows."
Willow ignored me as she focused on something else. "Look. We found the stairs." She started walking up them. "Buffy didn't find the stairs, no sir!" 'She's still venting.' I shook my head and started following her up the stairs.
Then suddenly I felt it. The shudder of the change. 'No. It can't be.' Another ripple swept through me. 'It's not possible! It's not a full moon!' I bit my tongue to keep from crying out. Fear gripped my insides and turned them to solid blocks of ice. Slowly I brought my hands up. I almost lost it when I saw the lengthened hair and sharpening nails. I bit the inside of my check and realized that my canines had also been affected as I drew blood. I started backing away from Willow down the stairs. Willow turned, a surprised expression on her face. Willow, my beautiful Willow. I have to get away before I change. I can't hurt her. 'It'll kill me.' "Stay away from me," I managed to get out around my mouth full of teeth. I felt the change coming faster. I turned and ran from my love. 'Don't change. Don't change. Don't change.'
I heard her voice echoing after me. "Don't leave me.."
Xander
'I know I've only been in the Alpha Delta building once but I'm pretty damn sure that it wasn't nearly this big.' After wandering through room after room I found myself completely lost. 'This is doing me no good. There's magic a foot.' Sighing, I surveyed the current room I was in. One entire wall was covered in a solid mirror. 'Why would a bunch of jocks have a mirror like this? Well, one that isn't on the ceiling? Oh, who cares? I have to find the girls, not marvel at the Alpha Delta's decorating.' I turned back to the door I came through only to find it was no longer there. 'What the....' I spun back around. A check of the other two walls revealed that I hadn't just gotten turned around, but that there were no exits. 'Oh boy.'
Willow
After Oz inexplicably started changing I became more determined than ever to perform the guiding spell. Xander and Oz were the two most important people in my life. I wasn't going to leave them trapped in this horrific, haunted house. Concentrating, I put all my power into the spell, ignoring the sliver of doubt I myself felt about my abilities. I was allowed to feel hesitant. Buffy was supposed to be supportive and reassure me that I could do it. As the small green sprite appeared before my eyes I felt proud and excited. 'It worked.'
On the high of my success I joyfully asked the tiny sprite to lead me. I was puzzled when it instead whipped around my head then split into two. Fear unfurled in my heart. 'I must have done it wrong.' They quickly split into two again and again. 'If I have no control, who knows what they're going to do?' All I could do was watch, terrified, as they multiplied. Soon there was a green cloud of tiny sprites surrounding my head. As one they descended like angry bees, stinging and burning me with every touch. I tumbled off the table, swatting at them. "Oz--hel--" I was cut off by the swarm. I had to get away. Rising to my feet I ran, trying to out run the horde I'd conjured as they attacked me from all sides.
Buffy
"Oz--hel--" 'That sounds like Willow.' I spun around and tried to locate the source.
'Why didn't she leave like I told her to?'
"Willow," I called. 'I think it came from in here.' It was an empty corridor with a door at the end. I tried the knob but it was locked. 'Oh well, I'll have to do it the old fashioned way.' Backing up, I got a running start and rammed into the door. It burst into a shower of splinters as I expected. My momentum carried me into the room. Where I promptly found there was no floor. All I had a chance to think was, 'Great,' before I hit the ground.
Laying on my back trying to get breath back into my lungs, I watched the door swing slowly shut above me. 'Ow.' "Basement. I must be in the basement," I voiced, vexed.
"All alone." The voice was hollow and echoed. It sent shivers down my spine. That was what I'd been thinking. How I felt so alone.
I pushed myself up. Better to face whatever on my feet than lying helpless on the floor. "Who said--that?"
A guy walked around the corner. His head was tilted at a sickening angle. I'd seen that before. Vampires have a peculiar fondness for breaking necks. The guy was dead but not a vampire. He was already starting to smell. "They all ran away from you. They always will. Open your heart to someone and.." He smiled at me, a strange pantomime of a smile on his bloated lips. "But don't fret, little girl, you're not alone--" Suddenly the ground burst open beneath me. Hands grabbed me, their flesh slipping loosely, unconnected to muscle--like that of the deceased. I couldn't help it, I screamed.
"Anymore."
I fought, but there were too many; they were dragging me down.
Broken neck guy continued to talk as I struggled. "No matter how hard you fight, you just end up in the same place." I managed to break free. Gasping for breath, I crawled along the floor on my hands and knees, kicking at the dead hands reaching for me. "I don't see why you bother." 'Because, you bastard, I don't give up.' I reached a small door. 'Was that there before? Never mind.' Went through and slammed it behind me. I took a deep breath then looked around. I was in a big room with a pentagram on the floor.
A memory poked at me. "I'm upstairs. The goat room." I thought that it was in the attic. How'd I go from the basement to the attic? My stomach doing flip-flops, I walked slowly into the room. There were college kids in costumes cowering all along the walls, whimpering. 'Damn.'
Anya
'When I get my hands on him I'm gonna.oh I don't know what I'm going to do but.oooh he'll pay for making me so worried.' I bounced up and down impatiently. Giles was taking an inordinate amount of time examining the place where the door used to be. 'Who cares! We need to find Xander!' "Well?" I put all my worry and impatience into my voice, trying to get him to move along.
"We're gonna have to create a door." 'Well we obviously can't use the old one.' He snapped his book shut and walked over to his bag.
'Wait..' "Create a door. You can do that?" It takes a lot of power to change reality. I should know. I didn't know he had it in him.
Giles got up with a chainsaw in his hands. "I can." 'Not what I was expecting but if it saves Xander who cares?'
Xander
I was searching the wall for the exit for the hundredth time when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I turned and ended up laughing at myself. I'd just been seeing my reflection. My laughter died in my throat when my reflection smiled at me. A vicious, predatory smile. One I wasn't wearing. I swallowed, hard, as mirror me walked closer till he looked as if he was going to run into the glass. Like inside the mirror was another dimension and he'd just walked to the separating wall. Unconsciously I moved closer as well. I reached out to touch the glass and was once again disturbed by the fact that my reflection didn't mirror me.
"BOO!" my reflection shouted. I jerked back, dropping my hand. His chuckle made me shiver. It didn't sound like me. Yet it was my voice.
"Who are you?" I hoarsely whispered around my choked up throat.
My reflection's smile became evil and taunting. "I'm the you that you keep locked inside. You know me." His face shifted, revealing his demonic visage. "You can't ignore me forever. Sooner or later you won't even want to. You already want to let go. Why save people too weak to help themselves? They're idiots that bury their heads in the sand. Not worth the effort. Your 'friends'?" He practically spat out the word. "What kind of friends are they? They push you aside. They think you're a weak nothing. Show them how weak you are! The world will bow at your feet. Take power! Revel in their blood!" Suddenly my lips were covered in blood, as were my hands. I could smell it. I could taste it. My face started shifting to match the one in the mirror. I heard a growl rising from deep inside. It was taking all my will power not to lick my lips. 'No,' I silently ordered myself. Then the image changed, as if sensing my weakness and trying to press the advantage by attacking on a new front.
I was wearing Quinn Mallory's 18th century get up and an insane grin. I was holding Mallory's head by the hair in one hand and my bloody katana in the other. "You're a murderer." I felt a shiver run down my spine. When he spoke it was through Mallory's severed head while my/his head just kept smiling, no emotion in his eyes. "It's so easy. Power is meant to be used. Why not have fun with it? You know you want to." The other me started talking now with the head creating a creepy dual echo. "Quinn wasn't so different. You just like to pretend he was." Mallory's memories assaulted me--all the delight and ecstasy he had derived from death and suffering. They began merging with my own. With growing horror, I realized I no longer could discern between them. My face took the place of Quinn's in all the scenes. I was the one who laughed as I drove a knife into a man's guts. I was the one kissing Cordelia. I no longer knew where I ended and my acquired memories began. Then there was a snap and Mallory was as alien as before but I could still remember feeling as if it was me taking joy in those things. I felt like I'd rolled in a garbage dumpster.
I blinked, shaking. The image had distorted once more. I suddenly looked like my father. His curly blond hair, sharp nose, and chilling blue eyes replaced my own features. The only way I knew that this was supposed to be me was his height and build. My father was a good four inches taller and a great deal bulkier. Somehow when this incarnation blew out at me, I smelled cheap bourbon. The bastard's drink of choice. "Talk about pretending. How long do you think you'll last before you walk into the bottle? Forget it all. Beat those you love. Anya is always saying the wrong thing. A few good whacks will teach her to keep her yap shut. Worked on you, didn't it? Can't even open it when you want to. Go ahead, give in." My mind became fogged with alcohol. I felt like throwing up. 'Not my father. ANYTHING but my father.' I hazily made out the me in the mirror smiling drunkenly at me then I was on my knees throwing up the contents of my stomach along with the lining. When I had nothing left I still shook with dry heaves. The world swam and I collapsed next to the mess. Even then I couldn't turn away from the mirror. My distorted reflection kneeled down and laughed mockingly at me. He kept on laughing but soon the laughter turned into the sound that haunted my dreams.
I passed out or I just got lost in the alcohol, which ever it was, when my eyes focused on the mirror again--the blond hair and other features that had made me look like the bastard had melted away. He looked like me until he smiled once more. This smile was feral, full of teeth and meant for ripping flesh from bones. Somehow my features became more rugged, shaggy looking. His eyes flashed green and in them I saw no thought. No worries about friends. No feelings of pity, only anger and the hunger for food. Something stirred inside me, responding to the thing in the mirror. Something I had tried very hard to suppress for years. I quickly regretted my earlier thoughts. He was much worse.
A cold voice whispered, 'Others are weak. No good to the pack. Prey. Nothing but the pack. Weakness is death.' Images of the hunt flooded me. The taste of raw flesh filled my mouth. Slowly I rose from the floor. I stared at the mirror, uncomprehending. 'Threat?' I took a deep breath through my nose. 'No scent. No threat.' I looked around. 'Pack gone.' I could smell their scents faintly but only on me. A pushy strawberry-blond flashed through my mind. 'Mate gone. Find pack.' I took another breath and scented blood. 'Hunt first.' I laughed mockingly at the foolish prey that was so weak to wound themselves, making themselves easy kills. I tried to move off to hunt but I could not leave the shiny thing. I growled at it, trying to get it to release me. I bristled when instead more figures joined the unscented one. 'Reflections.'
That word broke the hyena's control. I came back to myself with an echoing howl ringing inside my head. I broke into a cold sweat as I realized what had happened. I had been totally subverted just like the first time. I could practically feel the hyena prowling around with frustration behind my eyes.
The four incarnations of me just grinned as I shook, each flashing their own distinct one. As one they spoke, "You try and lock us up but you know we're here. We're reflections of what you really are but pretend you aren't. You wrap yourself in morals like a cloak but they don't apply to us." They reached through the glass. I wanted to run but I couldn't move. All I could do was stand there as their hands went right through me. I shook and shut my eyes. Their touches left icy tendrils spreading through me. And they laughed. Their laughter filled the air around me. I tried to block it out but the sounds passed right through my hands. I was all that I hated. Who was I kidding? The proof was right before my eyes. 'No. No. It can't be. I don't want to be them. Please no.' I sank to my knees, softly crying out as they whispered and laughed. 'Noooo..'
Jill
I'd been sitting in this corner for an hour, unable to move. My back was broken once more and I was immobilized. No one would help me. They were all too much in the grip of whatever-it-was that was terrifying us. All I knew was at regular intervals it'd shout RELEASE ME loud enough to shake the walls and it was doing this to us. My fear I could manage, barely. I'd lived with it for months. The horrible feeling of nothing below my neck, not knowing if I'd ever feel anything again. I was scared but I wasn't catatonic like half the people around me. The survivors. The room only held about half the people who'd been at the party when I had found my way to the goat room. I hadn't moved from this spot since it had started, I couldn't, but everyone that could scattered. Some running, some crawling, some by walking off in a haze as if seeing something no one else did. One by one they ended up back here, in worse states than they left in. Those that did return, anyway. Unable to move, I was in no more position to help them than they were to help me. No one new had shown up for several minutes and I was hopeful that no one else had gotten pulled into this horror flick we seemed to be living through when they showed up.
First there was a short, red haired guy I thought I'd seen performing with a band once. I blinked my eyes and there he was rocking back and forth mumbling something to himself. It happened sometimes, the suddenly there thing. Chaz, the last one before this, had done that. The new guy was too far away for me to hear what he was saying so I couldn't guess what his fear was. Figuring out other people kept my mind off what was happening to me just like it had the first time. My hope that no one else would be drafted into this was dashed.
Next a dark haired guy in a tux appeared, kneeling in another corner. He had his hands clasped over his ears. His eyes were tightly shut. He just seemed to be trying to block something out. 'Noise maybe? Could be.' I noticed the blood on his face but it wasn't unusual. The girl to my right was as covered in it as Carrie on Homecoming night. I figured she was afraid of blood. One of the jocks had blood pouring from a head wound about two feet from me. He was out cold on the floor. Another girl had cuts opening and closing on her arms. I hadn't looked at Thomas' body since the first time; some invisible assailant had beaten him bloody to the ground. He was either dead or unconscious. I didn't know which. His face was such a gory mess that after the first look I couldn't bare to look again. No blood definitely wasn't unusual.
Then someone else appeared. She was blonde, dressed in a checkered outfit. The tiny door she'd entered through reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. The slightly shocked look on her face helped the association. 'Alice certainly fell down the rabbit hole this time.' I didn't entirely understand what was happening but I knew it was real, too damn frightening to not be. Blondie peered into the corner with the redheaded guy and called, "Oz?"
A petite redhead, running through one of the doors that mysteriously appeared then disappeared, crashed in next. She was swatting at the air, spinning in circles trying to brush invisible somethings off. 'Bugs. She's afraid of bugs.' I'd seen a guy--that one over there in the blue and green shirt--doing the same thing, shouting the whole time to get them off just like her. I waited for them to end up like the rest, mumbling to themselves, rocking back and forth, or staring blankly into the air. Instead I saw movement in the corner. The short, red haired guy had stopped mumbling. He looked at his hands in astonishment then rushed over to Bug Girl.
He grabbed her. "Willow, Willow, Willow, what's wrong?"
She stopped screaming and started shaking in his arms. "Couldn't get them off." She whispered hoarsely.
"It's okay. It's okay." The guy, Oz I guess, pulled the girl, Willow, into his arms. "We're okay." 'They must be a couple.'
Blondie shook her head. "We're not okay. We need to get out of here." I totally agreed with that assessment but the trick was getting out. The doors and windows had a strange tendency to disappear when you went to go through them.
"Buffy." I looked to the other corner where Mr. Tuxedo was rising shakily to his feet. I noted analytically that the blood had been wiped off his face. He glanced quickly around then took a deep breath. "Guys." They must have come in together. They know each other.
"The house separated us. It wanted to scare us," Oz said, taking in the attic and still holding the girl, Willow, in his arms.
"But--we got away," she said plaintively, like she was trying to convince herself.
"No. We were brought here. We all got so scared that we ended up here. Why?" Blondie seemed to know what she was talking about.
I saw something click in tall dark and handsom's face. I was slightly annoyed that I still didn't know his name. He pointed to the creepy pentagram that was painted in the middle of the room. "I saw them painting that. They were copying it out of--" He searched around. Apparently finding whatever, he picked it up. "That!" It was a book. 'A book? What the?'
Willow hastily made her way to him and took it from him. "I think it's Gaelic."
"Can you translate?" Blondie asked.
"RELEASE ME!" 'Great, the voice is back.' The group looked around but I knew from experience there was nothing to see other than cowering college students. "RELEASE ME!"
"Will, give me something." Blondie pleaded to Willow. She certainly looked like a willow--tall, willowy and everything. I didn't know what they thought they were doing but if they knew how to get out of this I was going to give them my first born.
Willow looked around nervously then said, "Okay, uhm, uhm, the icon's called the-the Mark of Gachnar. I-I think this is a summoning spell for something called...."
"Gachnar?" I could practically feel the smirk in Mr. Tuxedo's voice. 'Wait, they're talking like witch craft is real.you know that would sure as hell explain this.'
Willow nodded. "Well, yes. Somehow the beginning of the spell must have been triggered. Uhm, Gachnar is trying to manifest itself, to-to come into being."
Blondie, okay so I knew her name, but what kind of name is Buffy? I liked Blondie better. "How?"
Willow looked appalled. "I-it feeds on fear."
'Eww. Now I'm appalled. It's eating off me!'
Blondie just looked business like. 'Doesn't anything faze her?' "Our fears are manifesting it. We're feeding it. We need to stop."
"If we close our eyes and say it's a dream it'll stab us to death! These things are real."
'Very good point, Tux boy.'
"RELEASE ME!" I wonder if the rumbling is because he feels inadequate in some area? Oh, who am I kidding, I'm scared out of my mind.
"Okay, so our fears are feeding it, if we get everyone out of here--" Blondie was interrupted when the walls started knocking and shaking.
"I don't think Gachnar likes the idea of its free meal walking out the door." I had to agree with him. It sounded like the whole building was going to collapse. Then the door burst open to reveal a rough looking guy with a chainsaw running in his hands. The only thing off about his image was the pair of glasses perched on his nose. He turned off the saw. "Giles? Everyone, it's Giles! With a *chainsaw*." Tux boy sounded shocked at the idea. Then a girl in a ridiculous looking bunny outfit rushed past Giles and hugged mystery man. "Omph. Glad you could make it." He got out as she tried her best to squeeze him to death. I sighed. 'Girlfriend.'
"The walls closed up behind us," this Giles character said, stunning me with his sexy British accent. I never would have figured him for a Brit. Maybe it was the chainsaw. He walked over and took the book from Willow's hands. He peered down at it then claimed, "Gachnar, of course. Its presence infects the reality of the house, but it's not managed to achieve full manifestation. We can not allow this to come into being." 'Why do I suddenly see him as a librarian?'
"But if it does I can fight it, right?" Blondie looked pretty eager for the possibility.
He walked over to her and showed her something in the book. "Buffy, this is Gachnar."
She paled slightly. "I *don't* want to fight that." 'That doesn't sound good.' "So, we break the spell."
"Whatever we do, let's do it fast." Blondie glared at Tux but I was in total agreement, again. I'd had enough of this as well.
Giles began flipping pages. "I have it, I have it. Uhm, 'the summoning spell for Gachnar can be shut down in one of two ways. Destroying the mark of Gachnar--" Blondie walked over to the mark. She put her fist through it, ripping up the floorboards. 'Wow. No wonder she was eager to fight it. Still that was a little bit of overkill. All you'd really need is a wash cloth.' She got up and looked over at Giles with a proud smile. "--is *not* one of them and will in fact immediately bring forth the fear demon itself." 'Oh, great going.' Blondie made a face. I was startled when the mark actually started to glow. I'd sort of accepted that magic was real. But now I was seeing it. Seeing now that I knew it was magic anyway. I'd been seeing magic for hours now if I wanted to get technical about it.
"Look!" Willow shouted.
The floor rumbled as we all stared in horror. Gachnar showed up and he was one ugly dude, but.. 'God, he is tiny, maybe a half a foot tall, if that.'
Blondie looked like she could barely hold in her giggles. "This is Gachnar?"
Tux boy joked, "Big overture. Little show."
Gachnar screamed. "I am the dark lord of nightmares!" His voice was high pitched like a mouse. "The bringer of terror! Tremble before me. Fear me!"
Willow started laughing. "He--he's so cute!"
'I guess she didn't see the damage he did first hand.' I hated the little creature.
Gachnar said, "Tremble!"
Tux bent down. "Who's a little fear demon? Come on! Who's a little fear demon!" Well at least the little bastard was getting his. The sadistic side of me was finding a lot of pleasure in Tux's fun.
Giles grimaced. "Don't taunt the fear demon." 'Demon huh? Well if witchcraft is real, why not demons?'
"Why, can he hurt me?" Tux got back up and raised an eyebrow inquisitively. I noticed he didn't look particularly worried.
"No, it's just.tacky." Hey, I happened to like the taunting. "Be that as it may, Buffy, when it comes to slaying...." 'Slaying? As in killing? Good.'
Blondie smirked. "Size doesn't matter?"
Gachnar looked afraid. "They're all going to abandon you, you know." He said in his tinny voice.
"Yeah, Yeah." Blondie raised her foot real high and stomped. I heard a satisfying squish.
'Oh god, I can feel my bits again.' Joy spread through me as I moved for the first time in hours. I was stiff all over but I could move. I started massaging my legs to get the feeling back. I heard the other partygoers moving around in shock. When I finally got to my feet our rescuers were gone. 'Damn, I can't even thank them. Or find out what the hell that guy's name was. That's going to bug me forever.' I sighed and went to check on the wounded. At least I could help the others now.
Philip
I slid down the porch steps. I let out a scream of pain as I hit the dirt. It took a lot of effort but I flipped myself over and stared at the sky. It never looked so beautiful. 'Oh, thank you, God.' I rolled over again, this time stopping when the agony reduced me to panting in pain. When I regained my breath I started forward once more, ignoring the pain from my shredded legs dragging behind me. Grabbing tufts of grass, rocks, and just plain digging my already bruised and bleeding fingers into the ground, I pulled myself farther away. Inch by torturous inch away from the horror. 'This was supposed to be a night to relax. To have fun.' I felt hysterical laughter building up in me. I quickly suppressed it. If I started really thinking I didn't think I'd be able to go on. I centered my attention on moving forward, not thinking back. My focus was broken abruptly when directly ahead of me a pair of green lights blinked into existence. 'What is that?' There was a low rumbling noise then something flashed in front of me. Before I could blink I felt something wet and warm on the back of my head then everything went dark.
Ryconis
If Jennifer Lowery had lived past its calling she would not have recognized the beast that tore into the poor departed Phillip Marcum's flesh. It no longer looked like the half starved black dog pup she had called in her innocence to scare her stepmother away. Its talon like paws and three-inch incisors she would have recognized. Along with the green slime that even now it was spreading along the ground near its meal. All else had changed. It was twice the size it had been when it tore her and her stepmother to pieces and its fur now shone luxuriously. A third eye was growing in the center of its forehead. Barbs had started to sprout along its backbone. The Hellmouth had agreed well with the beast. For it the town was a veritable feast. Especially since it didn't mind leftovers.
Buffy
I actually felt better. Nothing like stomping an itty-bitty fear demon to lift your spirits. Besides there was chocolate. I grabbed another Milky Way.
Oz was munching on some Malt balls. "Some quality treats here, Giles."
Giles looked green. "*Please*, finish them."
I smiled at him. "Uhm, this is much better. There is no problem that can not be solved with chocolate."
Willow leaned back, crossing her arms over her stomach. "I think I'm going to barf."
'Uh oh. Candy overload.' "Except that."
I saw Xander staring at Anya while he was eating his candy. "What?!" I guess Anya finally had enough. I still don't know why they're together. Xander is a real demon magnet, I guess.
He tilted his head at her. "That's your scary costume?" I almost choked on my Milky Way. I thought she was just wearing that thing because of last minute costume finding problems.
Anya looked calmly at Xander and said, "Bunnies frighten me."
"Oh, bloody hell. The inscription!" Giles yelled. He looked like he wanted to hit himself.
"What's the matter?" It's not often I see Giles look so sheepish--without my help, that is.
Giles came over to show me the book full of words that had no meaning to me. "I should have translated the Gaelic inscription under the illustration of Gachnar."
I looked at it. But had no idea what it said. "What's it say?"
"Actual size."
'So goes my life.' I shrugged and closed the book.
Buffy
Gazing at the ceiling, I pretended to be utterly zoned. I just didn't feel like talking but listening I still felt capable of. I'd set my mind on observe mode, noting everything but nothing really getting absorbed. 'I don't know why Xander insisted we come over to his place to carve pumpkins. That's way too much a happy thing to do when you're not happy and.I'm not happy.'
"I don't know, I was going for ferocious, scary, but it's coming out more dryly sardonic." Xander sounded disappointed but I thought it fit. Dryly sardonic pretty much defines him.
"It does appear to be mocking you with its eye holes." Willow sounded bemused.
"The nose hole seems sad and full of self-loathing." Oz sounded like his usual deadpan self.
I heard cloth rustle. 'Uh oh, I think he's going to talk to me.' "What do you think, Buff?" 'Yep.'
Well maybe for bothering me I'll bore him with my thoughts. Seems like justice to me. "I was just thinking about the life of a pumpkin. Grow up in the sun--happily entwined with others, then someone comes along, cuts you open and rips your guts out."
Xander hesitated, obviously having no idea what to say to that, as I intended, then decided to change the subject. "Okay, and on that happy note, I've got a treat for tomorrow night's second annual Halloween screening. People--prepare to have your spines tingled, your gooses bumped by the terrifying--" I heard him rummaging around. "Phantasm. We can laugh at the scary parts." Xander ended triumphantly.
"What's scary is that we actually do that," Oz put in.
"Yeah well, if they'd consult professionals A.K.A us, scary movies would be scarier. We could make good money." Xander sounded angry at the world. Since I was saddened with the world at the moment I couldn't dredge up the need to empathize.
"I thought we were doing the Alpha Delta thing." Now Willow sounded confused.
"What thing?" There was hurt in Xander's voice.
"The scary house? Sounds kinda lame." I put in my opinion. Don't want to spend Halloween pretending to enjoy it. I don't want to feel good right now.
"It actually borders on fun. You have to go through the scary house maze to get to the party. Which is usually worth getting to. Those guys go all out," Oz defended.
"As witnessed last Friday," Willow pointed out.
I could practically see Oz nodding. "Very true."
"There is a party?" Xander's tone had become kind of resigned, I noted.
"We didn't tell you?" Willow sounded confused.
Xander sighed. "No, it's cool. I'll find something to do."
"You can come."
"Okay, but just so you know I'm inviting my demony girlfriend."
Oz and Willow shared a look. Finally Oz said. "A blast will be had by all."
'That's my cue to leave.' Already their conversation was fading away. "I'm gonna get going."
"Now? Tonight's still...." Xander looked at his watch. "Okay, it's a little mature, but still."
I didn't want to stick around. You guys will continue to try and cheer me up. "I'm sleepy," I lied. "You guys have fun."
"You want me to come with?" Willow asked, sounding worried.
"No, I'm fine." 'Liar.' I left. I could feel their eyes on my back as I did but I ignored their concern.
Riley
I watched as the Professor chewed Buffy out. The strain of whatever her problem was showed on her face. Things weren't going well for her. Usually I was happy when someone was kicked out of class, one less paper to grade, but I felt for Buffy.
"She means it, you know."
Buffy frowned. "Yeah. I got the impression she wasn't saying it to make me laugh."
"You've got to be aware your work's taken a little down turn lately. I can't remember the last time I've seen your hand up." Come on, work with me, girl.
"Does stretching count?"
I sighed. Appealing to her work ethic wasn't going to work. Time to be sympathetic. "Look, things get pretty intense freshmen year, as I dimly recall. Too much fun or not enough?"
Buffy hesitated. "Both actually." 'There's the trouble.'
I gave her the assignments. "Yeah, well, you just got to keep your priorities. Prof. Walsh is worth your time."
She took them with a little too much enthusiasm. "Thanks, I'll get this done tonight."
'Not good.' "Tonight. It's Halloween! What, you're not going to dress up and go party?"
She tapped the notebooks and assignments I'd just given her. "I have a lot of work to do."
I had to say something. She must be having a really rough time of it. "I may be out of line here, and it's not really my business, but you seem like the kind of person that makes things really hard on themselves. Halloween isn't a night for responsibility. It's when the ghosts and goblins come out."
I saw something flash across her face. "That's actually a misnomer."
'What a strange thing to say. Wonder what she means by that.' "Well, I didn't mean real ones."
'For all I know the real ones hate this holiday because it pokes fun at them. Then again they could be using it as a cover to feed without people noticing.' Buffy smiled and looked down. "But, hey, there is some good scary fun to be had on campus tonight." 'That I won't be enjoying.'
"Yeah? What are you doing?" She'd perked up a little. Good.
"Well, I'm going to sit here and grade papers." 'I hate lying.'
Buffy turned to go. "Scary." At least I cheered her up.
I grinned at her. "Very." 'Not as scary as what I'll really be doing.'
"Well, thanks for the pep talk, coach." Did her grin just get bigger?
"Don't make fun. I worked long and hard to get this pompous." All's fair in teasing and teaching, as I say.
"No, I mean it." Suddenly Buffy was somber again.
Now I hesitated. The thought that she was so unhappy upset me. "You're welcome."
Buffy smiled and walked out the door while I stood looking at her retreating back. When she was completely gone I shook it off. I had to get ready for my real job.
Xander
I think one of the most annoying sounds ever in existence is the ringing of the telephone. Only thing worse is my great aunt Edna's voice and maybe the sound of a Thraisk demon, damn those things can wail. So when I was woken by my ringing phone to say I wasn't happy was understatement. Picking up the receiver I mumbled groggily, "Uhn.."
A rich sensual recorded woman's voice answered me. "Home alone on a Friday night?" her voice drawled. "Lonely? In need of some companionship? Press one to talk to a woman. Two to talk to a man. Three to--" I slammed the phone down on the hook.
"In this town three's probably for a demon." Rubbing my face, I looked at the clock. "Okay you know you need a life when you're asleep alone in your parent's basement by 9:00 p.m. on a Friday and you're talking to yourself." 'Maybe I should take her up on the offer.' I threw off the afghan I'd grabbed before crashing and looked around at my life. A leaky, moldy, bare walled, cement hole. A damn couch to sleep on when the bed gets soaked from the leak in the ceiling. A chair with a broken arm, a coffee table covered with last year's worth of magazines, and a rusty sink. The old-as-dirt washer and dryer set sitting against the wall were silent testimony to how much this sucked yet how little I could change things since this was not my house. My hunting clothes locked in a trunk with my weapons in case my dad ever sobered up enough to look for anything worth selling like he did from time to time. 'I should have done what Adam wanted me to and faked my death.' Even as I thought it there wasn't much enthusiasm in the thought. 'Who am I kidding? Definitely not me.'
A thud reverberated from the ceiling above me. Then a crash. Then feminine giggling echoed hollowly and wetly through my chamber of horrors. Fury built inside me then disgust took way. 'Damn that bastard. I can't stay here for sure.' I used to wonder when I was younger how come my father retained his fantastical looks after years of hitting the bottle and harder substances. It all fell into place when I found out about the Hellmouth. I figured it supported the local evil.
Still what can I do? I don't want to leave Sunny-D but I have no skills that I can legitimize. Oh, sure these days I swap theoretical math equations with professors over the Internet and I'm part of an anonymous group of military personnel that get together to plot the destruction of corrupt secret op's but how the heck do you get paid for those sorts of things? And how would I be able to explain it to the Scoobs? For that matter I don't really need to work. Mallory the twisted s.o.b. that he was had been a genius who knew how to play the markets and how to save up for a rainy day. There is a couple mill stashed around the globe in accounts along with a house in Borneo and in the Bahamas and in India and in New Hampshire for some strange reason. I need to do some major redecorating in those places before I ever set foot in any of them though, since blood and skulls aren't really my style.
'I don't know why I'm even worrying. They probably wouldn't even notice.' I knew I was being uncharitable but Wills and Buffster hadn't paid much attention to me for a long while. They didn't even notice that I gained a sudden dose of fashion sense after all their years of harping on my style. Cautiously at first I started replacing my wardrobe, taking a chance that they wouldn't notice that my clothes had become a lot more expensive and was disappointed when I was proven right. While I was glad I didn't have to defend my--ah--"outfits" anymore I wished they weren't so wrapped up in their own little worlds. 'After all, they are the reason I'm sticking around in this crummy excuse for a life.' I am glad I don't have to cruise the Salivation Army for my clothes but they haven't been paying any attention whatsoever to me or they would have noticed I no longer look like a Technicolor rainbow. That hurt. It broke the semi-hope that was at odds with the whole idea of hiding. The stupid hope that they'd detect the differences in me and would force the truth out of me.
Along with all the physical remnants of the demented Quinn Mallory there still was the mental mess. Now his memories joined the Praying Mantis Lady, the Mayor, Nam, and my father in my nightmares. The man had serious issues, which I inherited, upon his death. 'Not like I didn't have enough before.' Resting my elbows on my knees, I put my face in my hands. They say there's a fine line between genius and insanity--well Mallory crossed it so many times he zigzagged. Sometimes I find myself scribbling down equations that, before taking his head, would have made as much sense to me as a Korean sonnet in Korean. That's why I joined the chat group. It releases frustrations and I have fun kicking some old fogies' butts. The internet has become my lifeline. I bought a laptop cause it was easy to store. Another gift from the ghosts that haunt me. Colonel Dean Liu was extremely skilled in computers. I would have called him tech support except he was the leader of his black op unit. I enjoy most of the things I got from the Colonel. He had a nice life till it ended. He had a happy childhood and good friends. Though waking up reliving his nightmares is no treat. Catching up on the eleven years of computer advances that had occurred after his death was hard work but it was worth it. The internet is anonymous, the perfect escape.
There was a nagging feeling trying to drag me out of my funk. 'There is something I'm supposed to be doing..' I sat up and snapped my fingers. "The haunted house party at Alpha Delta." After our failed attempt to drag Buffy out of her depression I found out about the party. I felt another pang at the proof of my friends' disregard of me. I remembered our last few words about Parker and my game face slipped on. That bastard needed to learn a lesson. A smile twisted my features as I remembered the satisfaction I'd felt when I'd slipped Ripper--not Giles--Parker's address. I had a feeling vengeance was going to be coming a-calling for the player. I shook off my vampire side, balancing the immortal and vampire again, and put the thought aside. 'Later.'
I'd helped Oz set up the stereo at their place and I asked Anya to come with. 'How could I have forgotten?' Panting and moaning reverberated around me. 'Oh yeah.' So what am I going to wear? If this year is a rerun.I'd better keep my weapons handy. Now what goes with a 9mm handgun? I could practically see the light shining above my head. A slow smile spread across my face as I reached for the phone. Hopefully the Tuxedo rentals were still open.
Willow
I know this is going to be fun. After all, I spent the last Halloween as a ghost. Can't get much worse than dead. I snuggled up against Oz as we walked. Buffy's dressed as Little Red Riding Hood. It's funny. I just don't think it suits her. I look down at my costume and smile. Oz's idea was cuter than I thought it'd be. It was cheap and easy for him and it gave me an excuse to use my scrounging skills. Finding knitted cloth that looked just like chain mail on short notice is like.like finding a real looking Eskimo suit. I like the challenge of making everything look authentic. 'Mom never notices the extra charges to her credit card anyway.' I look at Buffy again. She's looking out of place. 'Hey, she looks lost just like Little Red Riding Hood.' I cheered up at my analogy then felt a little sad because it wasn't really a good thing.
'Hey there's Xander!' I happily diverted my chain of thought to feeling joy at his arrival. After the initial confusion about his costume I looked him over again. 'The persona actually seems.right. It's funny I just never thought of him as the James Bond type before. There's nothing mysterious or dangerous about Xander. Is there?' I felt confused and a little scared because I realized I didn't know the answer to that. We didn't just sit and talk anymore or call each other in the middle of the night. 'He hasn't changed, though. Of course not. This is Xander.' Yet my thoughts lacked conviction. My doubts made me take another look at him. The suit fit him like a glove; he made it look classy even though it was clearly from Tux R Us. The way he moved, the way he walked.. I pushed observations aside. 'We've drifted so far apart I'm seeing him like a stranger. I miss him. I need to talk to Xander more.'
I looked up at the Alpha Delta house. It looked like the usual frat house, rundown and cheaply made, but I felt a tremor run down my spine at the sight. I ignored it, thinking it was just gloom at finally grasping that I had been losing my friend without even realizing it. I pressed closer to Oz, trying to draw his warmth into my suddenly cold body.
Buffy
'Here I go. Fifth wheel again. God, even Xander has a date. So what if it is with Anya the ex-demon? He's not alone and I am.' I sighed and looked down at my basket full of weapons. I felt so ridiculous tagging along to this thing. I don't even know why I'm doing this. 'Probably because your friends bugged you until you agreed. Heck, even Giles told you to have fun.' I swatted my conscience away. I shouldn't have come. I'll just be a party pooper.
Suddenly a group dressed as commandos burst through the hedges directly into our path, interrupting my mope fest. 'How rude.' I glared at their retreating backs.
Xander
No use borrowing trouble, as my grandmother used to say. Still, as I stepped into the foyer, unease settled in my heart. 'Bats. I hear bats.' Looking up, I strained my senses. 'There's something else too. But it's muffled.'
"Ugh! Get if off!" I was distracted from my thoughts by Willow. She danced around for a bit, swiping at her shoulders. Then she stopped shuddering. "I hate spiders." She gave us a weak grin. Oz checked her over to make sure the pesky critter was gone. He gave her a nod. She tried to detach her head and see her back side. "Are you sure it's off?"
"Yeah." At Willow's doubting look Oz gave her another nod to show he was really sure.
"At least it wasn't a frog, huh Wills?" She glared at me. Then she glanced around.
"Uh Buffy? Where is everyone?" Buffy and Wills began searching around the hall, Oz following tamely behind but I was no longer paying attention. I had already begun eyeing the severed head sitting as a centerpiece in front of the sheet draped stairs. I couldn't help but marvel at how realistic it looked. It reminded me of the poor fellow whose head my sword got stuck in during my fight with Drusilla. I shied away from the memories and took a deep breath to calm myself. 'Tonight was supposed to be a fun night. No worries. No flashbacks.' Then my mind registered what my nose already had. 'I smell blood. Real blood.'
I walked up to get a closer look at the head sitting on the stand in a punch bowl. I took another couple sniffs to confirm it. 'Yeah, it smells of blood. In fact the air seems full of it.' My heart took up residence in my stomach as I realized that not only was it real blood but a real head. The eyes were still round and clear, not filmy and flat, so he'd been killed less than five minutes ago. A death like his would have been messy and loud. Someone should have heard it. Unless.. I finally identified the muffled sounds I'd been hearing: screams. 'What's one more in a crowd?' Inwardly I groaned. "Guys. I have a bad feeling about this. 'Cause unless these guys are going all out for accuracy--and I mean all out--" I turned around and found I was talking to myself. "We're in big trouble.." Doing a full circle, I checked and saw no sign of my friends. They'd completely disappeared without me even hearing them leave. I sighed. "And it's getting bigger by the second."
"RELEASE ME." It wasn't a shout but the voice rumbled throughout the entire house. I could feel the vibrations in my bones. I glanced around, trying to determine the source. Nothing magically presented itself as I had halfway expected.
"Much bigger."
Willow
One second Xander was there then I turned around and he was gone. "Umm Buffy.." I tapped her on the shoulder. She was looking up and down another hall trying to figure out where everyone was just like I'd been doing a moment ago.
"What?!" she said impatiently, not stopping her searching.
"We seem to be short one Scooby." I said pointing to the empty space where Xander had been.
Oz turned and looked also. "Huh." Buffy was a little more vocal.
"Where has he gone now?" Her tone was full of annoyance and I couldn't help but feel a little bit uncomfortable about it, especially because of my earlier thoughts. 'She makes it sound as if this is all Xander's fault.' I glanced at Oz. He raised an eyebrow in return. Buffy was so focused I don't think she even noticed. She marched over to a closet I was sure hadn't been there a second ago. Now that I saw it, I noticed it was shaking and there was a slight hissing noise coming from it. Buffy ripped the door open to reveal a terrified man clutching a basket like a child would clutch a doll. He looked scared and he was shaking hard enough that the walls of the closet shook with him. He was so pale he was almost translucent with red blotches under his eyes. Before I had been feeling uneasy, not uncommon in my life, now I felt a growing sense of dread, also not uncommon. I groaned. Halloween must be cursed.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I'm sorry," the boy mumbled as he rocked back and forth.
Oz crouched down in front of him. "Chaz."
"I didn't know," Chaz whispered, clutching the basket closer.
"What's happening?" Oz asked.
Chaz began rocking harder. "It ah...."
Buffy got impatient and demanded, "What is it?"
"It's alive. It's alive," Chaz began repeating, scared by the harsh tone Buffy used. I felt really sorry for him. He looked about ready to die of fright.
"What's alive?" she asked again, more gently this time. "Chaz, what happened here?" Chaz looked up and screamed. I whirled around just as a skeleton stabbed Buffy from behind. Buffy turned, knocked its head aside and then kicked it in the middle. It laid back on the ground, once again plastic. Buffy stared at it then checked her shoulder. There was only a thin red line on her shoulder blade. I pressed my hand against my heart, trying to keep it where it belonged.
Buffy
'Ok-ay. That was a new one. Never been attacked by a plastic skeleton before.' A girl's scream reverberated throughout the hall. I swallowed my shock. Chaz crawled back into the closet and closed the door.
"Cowering in a closet is starting to seem like a reasonable plan," Oz observed. I wanted to agree with him but then I noticed that there was no closet.
"What closet?" Oz and Willow did a double take but the closet didn't reappear. I turned from the now harmless decoration and the disappearing closet to my friends. 'I need to get them out of here to safety.' "I'm gonna make my way upstairs and see if there are any people up there. You guys find a way out of the house and use it. You guys go get Giles. We'll need his help to figure out what's going on. I'll look for Xander." 'And try to kill whatever's doing this while they're out of danger. God, where is Xander? He's always getting into trouble. Now I have to find him first.' I turned to head deeper into the house.
"No." Willow's firm response made me stop in my tracks.
I whirled back around. "What?! Will, I'm telling you.."
"You're telling me? You're telling me?!?"
"I can't do my job if I have to worry about each of your safety!" Gritting my teeth, I tried to keep my anger from my voice.
"It's not your decision!" she yelled in my face.
'The heck with it.' I bit out, "Got to disagree with you there."
"Oh, of course you do. Being the Slayer doesn't automatically make you boss. You're as lost as the rest of us." Willow crossed her arms over her chest, clearly saying she'd made up her mind.
"What are we talking about?" 'Thank you Oz.' I knew he would stop her from doing anything foolish.
"It's a simple incantation, a guiding spell for travelers when they become lost or disoriented. I can find him and anyone else trapped in here. You don't have to play guess and check. It will take us straight to them."
It sounded like a reasonable idea but I didn't like it. "And how does it work?"
"It conjures an emissary from the beyond that--lights the way." She tried to sound completely confident but I knew I had her.
"Conjuring. Will, let's be realistic here. Okay, your basic spells are usually only fifty-fifty." 'Back me up Oz. You don't want her doing heavy magic either.' He stayed silent. Then I remembered the promise he'd made Willow to stand by her. 'Damn. I'm not going to get any help on that front.'
Flustered, Willow stuttered out, "Oh yeah? Well, so is your face!" Then she stalked off. Confused, I tried to make out what she'd meant.
"What?!" I went after her. "What does that mean?"
Willow turned around. "I'm not your sidekick!" She whirled back around and resumed her frontal retreat.
I tried one last appeal "Willow.." She didn't even turn around.
Oz gave me one final look then turned and ran after her. I shook my head. 'When her spell doesn't work they'll go and find Giles. Willow is smart, she'll come to her senses.'
Giles
I got dressed up in this stupid costume and pretended to be all bloody cheerful specifically so I wouldn't be bored for this bloody holiday and what do I find myself doing? Sitting on my bloody couch holding a bloody bowl of candy. I should have bloody known better. Little kiddies don't live in this neighborhood. I sighed. Where's a demon when you need one?
A pounding started at my door. 'Demons don't knock.' I winced, as the pounding got more incessant. 'Even like that.' Must be trick-or-treaters, finally. "Coming!" Gathering up my bowl, I plastered a smile on my face then swung open the door. "Happy Hall.." I was surprised when Anya, dressed in a giant bunny suit, brushed past me.
"Xander is in trouble. We've got to do something, right now!"
I stared at her, my mouth hanging open. "Anya." I felt the need to confirm her actual presence in my apartment.
"Are you listening? Xander is trapped!" I shook off my shock. She most definitely was really here. Though her distress over Xander was.anomalous.
"Uh, ah, where are Buffy and the others?" Concern for my charges overrode my curiosity.
Anya rolled her eyes like she was talking to an idiot. "They're trapped, too, but we've got to save Xander!"
I took off my ridiculous sombrero and sat down. 'I got what I asked for I guess. She was a demon and this situation has the potential to contain another one. Be careful what you wish for indeed.' "Slow down. I need you to be more specific." I tried being patient, seeing as how confused wasn't working.
"Uhm, ah, we were supposed to meet at this house, and I got there and there was no door where a door should be. And then I see this girl standing in a window, and then poof! She's gone."
"She vanished from the window?" This is quite a bit of alarm for just that. I kept that to myself though.
"No, the window vanished from the house." Now that worried me. I hadn't known whether to take this girl seriously, she did after all have a rather stained past, but what she described had a ring of truth.
"Hmm. Matter and reality distortion." I got up and retrieved a book from a shelf. "Like a summoning spell's temporal flux."
"What?"
I looked up from the pages. "Hmm? Oh, never mind. I just need to get some- -supplies together." I bustled over to my supply cabinet then paused and looked over at her. Anya certainly looked worried. I wasn't sure why she was or even if it really was genuine but I felt the need to say something comforting. "I wouldn't worry about Xander. At least he's amongst friends."
Oz
"She thinks I'm not ready to be a full blown witch! I can handle the dark forces as good as anyone else. It's not that hard. I-It's just a guiding spell and I'm careful and all." I watched as Willow raged, not saying that I thought Buffy's fears had merit, that I didn't really want her reaching into that darkness. I'd promised her I'd stand by her decisions and I would. Looking around at the room we'd found ourselves in, I felt uneasy.
"This floor used to have windows."
Willow ignored me as she focused on something else. "Look. We found the stairs." She started walking up them. "Buffy didn't find the stairs, no sir!" 'She's still venting.' I shook my head and started following her up the stairs.
Then suddenly I felt it. The shudder of the change. 'No. It can't be.' Another ripple swept through me. 'It's not possible! It's not a full moon!' I bit my tongue to keep from crying out. Fear gripped my insides and turned them to solid blocks of ice. Slowly I brought my hands up. I almost lost it when I saw the lengthened hair and sharpening nails. I bit the inside of my check and realized that my canines had also been affected as I drew blood. I started backing away from Willow down the stairs. Willow turned, a surprised expression on her face. Willow, my beautiful Willow. I have to get away before I change. I can't hurt her. 'It'll kill me.' "Stay away from me," I managed to get out around my mouth full of teeth. I felt the change coming faster. I turned and ran from my love. 'Don't change. Don't change. Don't change.'
I heard her voice echoing after me. "Don't leave me.."
Xander
'I know I've only been in the Alpha Delta building once but I'm pretty damn sure that it wasn't nearly this big.' After wandering through room after room I found myself completely lost. 'This is doing me no good. There's magic a foot.' Sighing, I surveyed the current room I was in. One entire wall was covered in a solid mirror. 'Why would a bunch of jocks have a mirror like this? Well, one that isn't on the ceiling? Oh, who cares? I have to find the girls, not marvel at the Alpha Delta's decorating.' I turned back to the door I came through only to find it was no longer there. 'What the....' I spun back around. A check of the other two walls revealed that I hadn't just gotten turned around, but that there were no exits. 'Oh boy.'
Willow
After Oz inexplicably started changing I became more determined than ever to perform the guiding spell. Xander and Oz were the two most important people in my life. I wasn't going to leave them trapped in this horrific, haunted house. Concentrating, I put all my power into the spell, ignoring the sliver of doubt I myself felt about my abilities. I was allowed to feel hesitant. Buffy was supposed to be supportive and reassure me that I could do it. As the small green sprite appeared before my eyes I felt proud and excited. 'It worked.'
On the high of my success I joyfully asked the tiny sprite to lead me. I was puzzled when it instead whipped around my head then split into two. Fear unfurled in my heart. 'I must have done it wrong.' They quickly split into two again and again. 'If I have no control, who knows what they're going to do?' All I could do was watch, terrified, as they multiplied. Soon there was a green cloud of tiny sprites surrounding my head. As one they descended like angry bees, stinging and burning me with every touch. I tumbled off the table, swatting at them. "Oz--hel--" I was cut off by the swarm. I had to get away. Rising to my feet I ran, trying to out run the horde I'd conjured as they attacked me from all sides.
Buffy
"Oz--hel--" 'That sounds like Willow.' I spun around and tried to locate the source.
'Why didn't she leave like I told her to?'
"Willow," I called. 'I think it came from in here.' It was an empty corridor with a door at the end. I tried the knob but it was locked. 'Oh well, I'll have to do it the old fashioned way.' Backing up, I got a running start and rammed into the door. It burst into a shower of splinters as I expected. My momentum carried me into the room. Where I promptly found there was no floor. All I had a chance to think was, 'Great,' before I hit the ground.
Laying on my back trying to get breath back into my lungs, I watched the door swing slowly shut above me. 'Ow.' "Basement. I must be in the basement," I voiced, vexed.
"All alone." The voice was hollow and echoed. It sent shivers down my spine. That was what I'd been thinking. How I felt so alone.
I pushed myself up. Better to face whatever on my feet than lying helpless on the floor. "Who said--that?"
A guy walked around the corner. His head was tilted at a sickening angle. I'd seen that before. Vampires have a peculiar fondness for breaking necks. The guy was dead but not a vampire. He was already starting to smell. "They all ran away from you. They always will. Open your heart to someone and.." He smiled at me, a strange pantomime of a smile on his bloated lips. "But don't fret, little girl, you're not alone--" Suddenly the ground burst open beneath me. Hands grabbed me, their flesh slipping loosely, unconnected to muscle--like that of the deceased. I couldn't help it, I screamed.
"Anymore."
I fought, but there were too many; they were dragging me down.
Broken neck guy continued to talk as I struggled. "No matter how hard you fight, you just end up in the same place." I managed to break free. Gasping for breath, I crawled along the floor on my hands and knees, kicking at the dead hands reaching for me. "I don't see why you bother." 'Because, you bastard, I don't give up.' I reached a small door. 'Was that there before? Never mind.' Went through and slammed it behind me. I took a deep breath then looked around. I was in a big room with a pentagram on the floor.
A memory poked at me. "I'm upstairs. The goat room." I thought that it was in the attic. How'd I go from the basement to the attic? My stomach doing flip-flops, I walked slowly into the room. There were college kids in costumes cowering all along the walls, whimpering. 'Damn.'
Anya
'When I get my hands on him I'm gonna.oh I don't know what I'm going to do but.oooh he'll pay for making me so worried.' I bounced up and down impatiently. Giles was taking an inordinate amount of time examining the place where the door used to be. 'Who cares! We need to find Xander!' "Well?" I put all my worry and impatience into my voice, trying to get him to move along.
"We're gonna have to create a door." 'Well we obviously can't use the old one.' He snapped his book shut and walked over to his bag.
'Wait..' "Create a door. You can do that?" It takes a lot of power to change reality. I should know. I didn't know he had it in him.
Giles got up with a chainsaw in his hands. "I can." 'Not what I was expecting but if it saves Xander who cares?'
Xander
I was searching the wall for the exit for the hundredth time when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I turned and ended up laughing at myself. I'd just been seeing my reflection. My laughter died in my throat when my reflection smiled at me. A vicious, predatory smile. One I wasn't wearing. I swallowed, hard, as mirror me walked closer till he looked as if he was going to run into the glass. Like inside the mirror was another dimension and he'd just walked to the separating wall. Unconsciously I moved closer as well. I reached out to touch the glass and was once again disturbed by the fact that my reflection didn't mirror me.
"BOO!" my reflection shouted. I jerked back, dropping my hand. His chuckle made me shiver. It didn't sound like me. Yet it was my voice.
"Who are you?" I hoarsely whispered around my choked up throat.
My reflection's smile became evil and taunting. "I'm the you that you keep locked inside. You know me." His face shifted, revealing his demonic visage. "You can't ignore me forever. Sooner or later you won't even want to. You already want to let go. Why save people too weak to help themselves? They're idiots that bury their heads in the sand. Not worth the effort. Your 'friends'?" He practically spat out the word. "What kind of friends are they? They push you aside. They think you're a weak nothing. Show them how weak you are! The world will bow at your feet. Take power! Revel in their blood!" Suddenly my lips were covered in blood, as were my hands. I could smell it. I could taste it. My face started shifting to match the one in the mirror. I heard a growl rising from deep inside. It was taking all my will power not to lick my lips. 'No,' I silently ordered myself. Then the image changed, as if sensing my weakness and trying to press the advantage by attacking on a new front.
I was wearing Quinn Mallory's 18th century get up and an insane grin. I was holding Mallory's head by the hair in one hand and my bloody katana in the other. "You're a murderer." I felt a shiver run down my spine. When he spoke it was through Mallory's severed head while my/his head just kept smiling, no emotion in his eyes. "It's so easy. Power is meant to be used. Why not have fun with it? You know you want to." The other me started talking now with the head creating a creepy dual echo. "Quinn wasn't so different. You just like to pretend he was." Mallory's memories assaulted me--all the delight and ecstasy he had derived from death and suffering. They began merging with my own. With growing horror, I realized I no longer could discern between them. My face took the place of Quinn's in all the scenes. I was the one who laughed as I drove a knife into a man's guts. I was the one kissing Cordelia. I no longer knew where I ended and my acquired memories began. Then there was a snap and Mallory was as alien as before but I could still remember feeling as if it was me taking joy in those things. I felt like I'd rolled in a garbage dumpster.
I blinked, shaking. The image had distorted once more. I suddenly looked like my father. His curly blond hair, sharp nose, and chilling blue eyes replaced my own features. The only way I knew that this was supposed to be me was his height and build. My father was a good four inches taller and a great deal bulkier. Somehow when this incarnation blew out at me, I smelled cheap bourbon. The bastard's drink of choice. "Talk about pretending. How long do you think you'll last before you walk into the bottle? Forget it all. Beat those you love. Anya is always saying the wrong thing. A few good whacks will teach her to keep her yap shut. Worked on you, didn't it? Can't even open it when you want to. Go ahead, give in." My mind became fogged with alcohol. I felt like throwing up. 'Not my father. ANYTHING but my father.' I hazily made out the me in the mirror smiling drunkenly at me then I was on my knees throwing up the contents of my stomach along with the lining. When I had nothing left I still shook with dry heaves. The world swam and I collapsed next to the mess. Even then I couldn't turn away from the mirror. My distorted reflection kneeled down and laughed mockingly at me. He kept on laughing but soon the laughter turned into the sound that haunted my dreams.
I passed out or I just got lost in the alcohol, which ever it was, when my eyes focused on the mirror again--the blond hair and other features that had made me look like the bastard had melted away. He looked like me until he smiled once more. This smile was feral, full of teeth and meant for ripping flesh from bones. Somehow my features became more rugged, shaggy looking. His eyes flashed green and in them I saw no thought. No worries about friends. No feelings of pity, only anger and the hunger for food. Something stirred inside me, responding to the thing in the mirror. Something I had tried very hard to suppress for years. I quickly regretted my earlier thoughts. He was much worse.
A cold voice whispered, 'Others are weak. No good to the pack. Prey. Nothing but the pack. Weakness is death.' Images of the hunt flooded me. The taste of raw flesh filled my mouth. Slowly I rose from the floor. I stared at the mirror, uncomprehending. 'Threat?' I took a deep breath through my nose. 'No scent. No threat.' I looked around. 'Pack gone.' I could smell their scents faintly but only on me. A pushy strawberry-blond flashed through my mind. 'Mate gone. Find pack.' I took another breath and scented blood. 'Hunt first.' I laughed mockingly at the foolish prey that was so weak to wound themselves, making themselves easy kills. I tried to move off to hunt but I could not leave the shiny thing. I growled at it, trying to get it to release me. I bristled when instead more figures joined the unscented one. 'Reflections.'
That word broke the hyena's control. I came back to myself with an echoing howl ringing inside my head. I broke into a cold sweat as I realized what had happened. I had been totally subverted just like the first time. I could practically feel the hyena prowling around with frustration behind my eyes.
The four incarnations of me just grinned as I shook, each flashing their own distinct one. As one they spoke, "You try and lock us up but you know we're here. We're reflections of what you really are but pretend you aren't. You wrap yourself in morals like a cloak but they don't apply to us." They reached through the glass. I wanted to run but I couldn't move. All I could do was stand there as their hands went right through me. I shook and shut my eyes. Their touches left icy tendrils spreading through me. And they laughed. Their laughter filled the air around me. I tried to block it out but the sounds passed right through my hands. I was all that I hated. Who was I kidding? The proof was right before my eyes. 'No. No. It can't be. I don't want to be them. Please no.' I sank to my knees, softly crying out as they whispered and laughed. 'Noooo..'
Jill
I'd been sitting in this corner for an hour, unable to move. My back was broken once more and I was immobilized. No one would help me. They were all too much in the grip of whatever-it-was that was terrifying us. All I knew was at regular intervals it'd shout RELEASE ME loud enough to shake the walls and it was doing this to us. My fear I could manage, barely. I'd lived with it for months. The horrible feeling of nothing below my neck, not knowing if I'd ever feel anything again. I was scared but I wasn't catatonic like half the people around me. The survivors. The room only held about half the people who'd been at the party when I had found my way to the goat room. I hadn't moved from this spot since it had started, I couldn't, but everyone that could scattered. Some running, some crawling, some by walking off in a haze as if seeing something no one else did. One by one they ended up back here, in worse states than they left in. Those that did return, anyway. Unable to move, I was in no more position to help them than they were to help me. No one new had shown up for several minutes and I was hopeful that no one else had gotten pulled into this horror flick we seemed to be living through when they showed up.
First there was a short, red haired guy I thought I'd seen performing with a band once. I blinked my eyes and there he was rocking back and forth mumbling something to himself. It happened sometimes, the suddenly there thing. Chaz, the last one before this, had done that. The new guy was too far away for me to hear what he was saying so I couldn't guess what his fear was. Figuring out other people kept my mind off what was happening to me just like it had the first time. My hope that no one else would be drafted into this was dashed.
Next a dark haired guy in a tux appeared, kneeling in another corner. He had his hands clasped over his ears. His eyes were tightly shut. He just seemed to be trying to block something out. 'Noise maybe? Could be.' I noticed the blood on his face but it wasn't unusual. The girl to my right was as covered in it as Carrie on Homecoming night. I figured she was afraid of blood. One of the jocks had blood pouring from a head wound about two feet from me. He was out cold on the floor. Another girl had cuts opening and closing on her arms. I hadn't looked at Thomas' body since the first time; some invisible assailant had beaten him bloody to the ground. He was either dead or unconscious. I didn't know which. His face was such a gory mess that after the first look I couldn't bare to look again. No blood definitely wasn't unusual.
Then someone else appeared. She was blonde, dressed in a checkered outfit. The tiny door she'd entered through reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. The slightly shocked look on her face helped the association. 'Alice certainly fell down the rabbit hole this time.' I didn't entirely understand what was happening but I knew it was real, too damn frightening to not be. Blondie peered into the corner with the redheaded guy and called, "Oz?"
A petite redhead, running through one of the doors that mysteriously appeared then disappeared, crashed in next. She was swatting at the air, spinning in circles trying to brush invisible somethings off. 'Bugs. She's afraid of bugs.' I'd seen a guy--that one over there in the blue and green shirt--doing the same thing, shouting the whole time to get them off just like her. I waited for them to end up like the rest, mumbling to themselves, rocking back and forth, or staring blankly into the air. Instead I saw movement in the corner. The short, red haired guy had stopped mumbling. He looked at his hands in astonishment then rushed over to Bug Girl.
He grabbed her. "Willow, Willow, Willow, what's wrong?"
She stopped screaming and started shaking in his arms. "Couldn't get them off." She whispered hoarsely.
"It's okay. It's okay." The guy, Oz I guess, pulled the girl, Willow, into his arms. "We're okay." 'They must be a couple.'
Blondie shook her head. "We're not okay. We need to get out of here." I totally agreed with that assessment but the trick was getting out. The doors and windows had a strange tendency to disappear when you went to go through them.
"Buffy." I looked to the other corner where Mr. Tuxedo was rising shakily to his feet. I noted analytically that the blood had been wiped off his face. He glanced quickly around then took a deep breath. "Guys." They must have come in together. They know each other.
"The house separated us. It wanted to scare us," Oz said, taking in the attic and still holding the girl, Willow, in his arms.
"But--we got away," she said plaintively, like she was trying to convince herself.
"No. We were brought here. We all got so scared that we ended up here. Why?" Blondie seemed to know what she was talking about.
I saw something click in tall dark and handsom's face. I was slightly annoyed that I still didn't know his name. He pointed to the creepy pentagram that was painted in the middle of the room. "I saw them painting that. They were copying it out of--" He searched around. Apparently finding whatever, he picked it up. "That!" It was a book. 'A book? What the?'
Willow hastily made her way to him and took it from him. "I think it's Gaelic."
"Can you translate?" Blondie asked.
"RELEASE ME!" 'Great, the voice is back.' The group looked around but I knew from experience there was nothing to see other than cowering college students. "RELEASE ME!"
"Will, give me something." Blondie pleaded to Willow. She certainly looked like a willow--tall, willowy and everything. I didn't know what they thought they were doing but if they knew how to get out of this I was going to give them my first born.
Willow looked around nervously then said, "Okay, uhm, uhm, the icon's called the-the Mark of Gachnar. I-I think this is a summoning spell for something called...."
"Gachnar?" I could practically feel the smirk in Mr. Tuxedo's voice. 'Wait, they're talking like witch craft is real.you know that would sure as hell explain this.'
Willow nodded. "Well, yes. Somehow the beginning of the spell must have been triggered. Uhm, Gachnar is trying to manifest itself, to-to come into being."
Blondie, okay so I knew her name, but what kind of name is Buffy? I liked Blondie better. "How?"
Willow looked appalled. "I-it feeds on fear."
'Eww. Now I'm appalled. It's eating off me!'
Blondie just looked business like. 'Doesn't anything faze her?' "Our fears are manifesting it. We're feeding it. We need to stop."
"If we close our eyes and say it's a dream it'll stab us to death! These things are real."
'Very good point, Tux boy.'
"RELEASE ME!" I wonder if the rumbling is because he feels inadequate in some area? Oh, who am I kidding, I'm scared out of my mind.
"Okay, so our fears are feeding it, if we get everyone out of here--" Blondie was interrupted when the walls started knocking and shaking.
"I don't think Gachnar likes the idea of its free meal walking out the door." I had to agree with him. It sounded like the whole building was going to collapse. Then the door burst open to reveal a rough looking guy with a chainsaw running in his hands. The only thing off about his image was the pair of glasses perched on his nose. He turned off the saw. "Giles? Everyone, it's Giles! With a *chainsaw*." Tux boy sounded shocked at the idea. Then a girl in a ridiculous looking bunny outfit rushed past Giles and hugged mystery man. "Omph. Glad you could make it." He got out as she tried her best to squeeze him to death. I sighed. 'Girlfriend.'
"The walls closed up behind us," this Giles character said, stunning me with his sexy British accent. I never would have figured him for a Brit. Maybe it was the chainsaw. He walked over and took the book from Willow's hands. He peered down at it then claimed, "Gachnar, of course. Its presence infects the reality of the house, but it's not managed to achieve full manifestation. We can not allow this to come into being." 'Why do I suddenly see him as a librarian?'
"But if it does I can fight it, right?" Blondie looked pretty eager for the possibility.
He walked over to her and showed her something in the book. "Buffy, this is Gachnar."
She paled slightly. "I *don't* want to fight that." 'That doesn't sound good.' "So, we break the spell."
"Whatever we do, let's do it fast." Blondie glared at Tux but I was in total agreement, again. I'd had enough of this as well.
Giles began flipping pages. "I have it, I have it. Uhm, 'the summoning spell for Gachnar can be shut down in one of two ways. Destroying the mark of Gachnar--" Blondie walked over to the mark. She put her fist through it, ripping up the floorboards. 'Wow. No wonder she was eager to fight it. Still that was a little bit of overkill. All you'd really need is a wash cloth.' She got up and looked over at Giles with a proud smile. "--is *not* one of them and will in fact immediately bring forth the fear demon itself." 'Oh, great going.' Blondie made a face. I was startled when the mark actually started to glow. I'd sort of accepted that magic was real. But now I was seeing it. Seeing now that I knew it was magic anyway. I'd been seeing magic for hours now if I wanted to get technical about it.
"Look!" Willow shouted.
The floor rumbled as we all stared in horror. Gachnar showed up and he was one ugly dude, but.. 'God, he is tiny, maybe a half a foot tall, if that.'
Blondie looked like she could barely hold in her giggles. "This is Gachnar?"
Tux boy joked, "Big overture. Little show."
Gachnar screamed. "I am the dark lord of nightmares!" His voice was high pitched like a mouse. "The bringer of terror! Tremble before me. Fear me!"
Willow started laughing. "He--he's so cute!"
'I guess she didn't see the damage he did first hand.' I hated the little creature.
Gachnar said, "Tremble!"
Tux bent down. "Who's a little fear demon? Come on! Who's a little fear demon!" Well at least the little bastard was getting his. The sadistic side of me was finding a lot of pleasure in Tux's fun.
Giles grimaced. "Don't taunt the fear demon." 'Demon huh? Well if witchcraft is real, why not demons?'
"Why, can he hurt me?" Tux got back up and raised an eyebrow inquisitively. I noticed he didn't look particularly worried.
"No, it's just.tacky." Hey, I happened to like the taunting. "Be that as it may, Buffy, when it comes to slaying...." 'Slaying? As in killing? Good.'
Blondie smirked. "Size doesn't matter?"
Gachnar looked afraid. "They're all going to abandon you, you know." He said in his tinny voice.
"Yeah, Yeah." Blondie raised her foot real high and stomped. I heard a satisfying squish.
'Oh god, I can feel my bits again.' Joy spread through me as I moved for the first time in hours. I was stiff all over but I could move. I started massaging my legs to get the feeling back. I heard the other partygoers moving around in shock. When I finally got to my feet our rescuers were gone. 'Damn, I can't even thank them. Or find out what the hell that guy's name was. That's going to bug me forever.' I sighed and went to check on the wounded. At least I could help the others now.
Philip
I slid down the porch steps. I let out a scream of pain as I hit the dirt. It took a lot of effort but I flipped myself over and stared at the sky. It never looked so beautiful. 'Oh, thank you, God.' I rolled over again, this time stopping when the agony reduced me to panting in pain. When I regained my breath I started forward once more, ignoring the pain from my shredded legs dragging behind me. Grabbing tufts of grass, rocks, and just plain digging my already bruised and bleeding fingers into the ground, I pulled myself farther away. Inch by torturous inch away from the horror. 'This was supposed to be a night to relax. To have fun.' I felt hysterical laughter building up in me. I quickly suppressed it. If I started really thinking I didn't think I'd be able to go on. I centered my attention on moving forward, not thinking back. My focus was broken abruptly when directly ahead of me a pair of green lights blinked into existence. 'What is that?' There was a low rumbling noise then something flashed in front of me. Before I could blink I felt something wet and warm on the back of my head then everything went dark.
Ryconis
If Jennifer Lowery had lived past its calling she would not have recognized the beast that tore into the poor departed Phillip Marcum's flesh. It no longer looked like the half starved black dog pup she had called in her innocence to scare her stepmother away. Its talon like paws and three-inch incisors she would have recognized. Along with the green slime that even now it was spreading along the ground near its meal. All else had changed. It was twice the size it had been when it tore her and her stepmother to pieces and its fur now shone luxuriously. A third eye was growing in the center of its forehead. Barbs had started to sprout along its backbone. The Hellmouth had agreed well with the beast. For it the town was a veritable feast. Especially since it didn't mind leftovers.
Buffy
I actually felt better. Nothing like stomping an itty-bitty fear demon to lift your spirits. Besides there was chocolate. I grabbed another Milky Way.
Oz was munching on some Malt balls. "Some quality treats here, Giles."
Giles looked green. "*Please*, finish them."
I smiled at him. "Uhm, this is much better. There is no problem that can not be solved with chocolate."
Willow leaned back, crossing her arms over her stomach. "I think I'm going to barf."
'Uh oh. Candy overload.' "Except that."
I saw Xander staring at Anya while he was eating his candy. "What?!" I guess Anya finally had enough. I still don't know why they're together. Xander is a real demon magnet, I guess.
He tilted his head at her. "That's your scary costume?" I almost choked on my Milky Way. I thought she was just wearing that thing because of last minute costume finding problems.
Anya looked calmly at Xander and said, "Bunnies frighten me."
"Oh, bloody hell. The inscription!" Giles yelled. He looked like he wanted to hit himself.
"What's the matter?" It's not often I see Giles look so sheepish--without my help, that is.
Giles came over to show me the book full of words that had no meaning to me. "I should have translated the Gaelic inscription under the illustration of Gachnar."
I looked at it. But had no idea what it said. "What's it say?"
"Actual size."
'So goes my life.' I shrugged and closed the book.