New Beginnings: Sunnydale Denial
by Javian
Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

Summary: A very, very brief look at what's happening in Sunnydale right now.


A week had passed since the opening of the new Sunnydale High, but the abrupt disappearance of five Sunnydale students, followed by the deaths of two more the next day had left Sunnydale residents tense and anxious. The Sunnydale PD was being called at the sight of anything faintly suspicious that the police soon began ignoring a percentage of their calls.

However, the scramble for security would end within the following week, as it always did. Mysterious occurrences were not uncommon in Sunnydale, and its inhabitants were quick to forget these incidents, and would deny ever hearing of those dead people found in the park, drained of blood with holes in their necks…

Willow and Xander always stayed together on the walk from school or anywhere else. It wasn’t their parents that suggested it; Willow’s parents hardly ever noticed her and Xander’s parents were always too busy fighting eachother to care. Really, it was because Willow and Xander both believed that the strange deaths in Sunnydale were actually caused by something, and they were one of the few who weren’t in the grasp of the ‘Sunnydale Denial Syndrome’ as Xander dubbed it.

Willow had done some advanced Google-ing on the subject and refused to believe the disappearances were rebellious teens running away and freak suicidal accidents involving barbecue forks, as the harassed policemen repeatedly reported.

Xander trusted Willow’s judgement, and often joked that Sunnydale must have its own special species of vampire bats that flew around, targeting the loners at SH.

* * *

This night was no different than any other. Xander and Willow were walking home from the movie theatre, and it was nearly 9 at night.

Xander stopped as they reached the park, and pointed towards a narrow path heading through the woods surrounding the park.

“Hey Willow, let’s cut through there, it should get us to your house faster”

Willow eyed the path nervously. “Umm Xander, I don’t know about that, I think maybe we should stick the sidewalk. I’m getting a not-so-good feeling about entering a never-before-seen-pitch-black-trail through the woods…”
Xander gave Willow his usual goofy grin and winked, saying loudly “Don’t worry Willsy, the Xan-Man will protect you from the Sunnydale vamp---“
Suddenly a bat flew over Xander’s head, emitting a series of high-pitched squeaks.
“Eek!” Xander gave a loud squeak himself and grabbed onto Willow. “Ah! I jinxed us! I have called down the wrath of the bloodthirsty bats of Sunnyd—!“
“Oh stop Xander, you’ve been reading too many comics again,” interrupted Willow, giggling as Xander let go of her.

“Well, sidewalk it is then” said Xander, straightening up.

Before they were able to walk three more steps though, a loud scream pierced the air.

Xander jumped in fright, then spun around, looking towards where the scream had come from. Willow was already staring in that direction, her face pale and shocked.

“Oh god” said Xander softly. Only a few yards away a pale man with yellow eyes glanced up at them, dropping the limp body of a woman to the ground. Growling, the man took a threatening step towards them.

Willow gave a sharp tug to Xander’s arm, too afraid to speak. The two turned and immediately began running as fast as they could away from what they had just witnessed, not stopping until they reached Willow’s house. When they looked back, there was nobody in sight.


This story archived at: The Slayer\'s Fanfic Archive
The Slayer\\\\\\\\'s FanFic Archive - http://www.slayerfanfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=14270