So This is Hell: Part Nine
by Alexandria
Buffy and the gang do not belong to me. I make no money in this.



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Part Nine

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Buffy and Angel were still arguing. The old man had just stepped out between the two.

"This is not working." He said to himself looking distracted. "You have got to go." He told Buffy. Angel smiled at her as if to say that proved his point. His smile faded as he heard Merric's voice.

"Its time to go Buffy." Merric told her. Buffy's eyes darted over to Angel.

Merric caught it. "So that's what this is all about. Your afraid Angel and you will not meet up after this is over." He concluded. "You need not worry. I promise you that you will. They know that Angel is not responsible for the things he did as a vampire."

Buffy glanced at the huge stacks of books.

"Those are merely for our records." Merric told her.

"That's true. All things must be accounted for. Rules are rules. Truely though, I usually know where people end up when they first come here. I can tell you now that you and Angel will be going to the same place. You two will be together for quite some time." The old man told her.

Merric took her hand in his. "The quicker we leave then Angel can sit through the list of his sins. Then he can move on with a clear conscience. You two can be together then." He squeezed her hand gently.

Buffy looked at Angel. Both of them looked releived.

Buffy started to follow Merric but got only a few feet away. Then she stopped.

"What did you mean be our records?" She asked.

Merric and the rest turned to her.

"What?" Asked Merric.

"You said our records. Why is that?" She asked.

The whining was getting worse. They all fought to stay conscious. Willow and Xander were about to run back to the safety of the waiting room. The blackness shifted menacingly. Giles whirled around.

"Stop! Don't go back! That's what it wants!" He yelled.

That stopped the two teenagers. Giles looked as if might collapse onto the floor. He started moving towards the blackness. The sound grew louder. They all winced as the sound flashed through their heads. Giles crept closer.

Merric didn't respond. "Well?" She asked in a tone not to messed around with.

"Don't speak to me like that young lady." Merric snapped.

"That didn't answer my question. And that is not going to scare me out of not wanting an answer." She told him. He didn't answer her. "Your not the real Merric are you?" She asked already knowing the answer.

He looked at her dubious. "Of course I am." She was shaking her head.

Merric still had her hand in his. He gave her a slight tug. "This is no time to play games." He warned.

"I'm not the one who is. Someone else is though and I seem to be a pawn." Buffy said angrily.

Merric gave her another tug. "I don't see why your fighting this. Yo and Angel will be together forever." He charstised her.

"No. Your not real. None of this is real." She told him. Merric pulled on her agian. "No!" She yelled trying to break free of him. For some reason she couldn't.

Angel rushed over to her and tried to get Merric away from her. Merric backhanded Angel with his free hand. Angel flew across the room and hit a stack of books. Buffy screamed.

Giles drew closer to the blackness. He was right next to it. It was darker than the shadows it hid in. It looked like it was wet. It had no form. It just...was. It was shifting violently. Giles eyes seemed like they couldn't focus on it. The whine grew to a tremendous pitch. Willow and Xander stood rooted in their spot forgotten. Giles took another step towards the thing. The blackness shook.

Giles heard Buffy scream, impossible above the screching. He heard it in his mind. It was a sudden blanket of familiarity. A flash of fear and concern. With a sudden certainty he knew all this wasn't real. They were alive. This was all some sort of an illusion. The people lying in the library were their real selves. Everything they had encountered was fake. This thing was real however and it was the cause for all of it.


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