"If I Should Die Before I Wake"
by Gaius Petronius
DISCLAIMER:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all the characters that appear on
the show are the exclusive property of Joss Whedon, the WB, Fox
and Mutant Enemy, Inc. I only borrow them, mess with their heads,
make them cry and, every once in a while, torture them. I do lay
claim to the character of Johannes Martel since he is the central
character in an original novel I've been working on now for too
many years.
Spoilers: BtVS season two. Originally written in script format
during the spring of 1998, "If I should die before I wake"
is the sequel to my first Buffy novel, "Carpe Diem."
Rating: PG for violence and language."
* * * * * * * *
"But in the grey of the morning,
My mind becomes confused
Between the dead and the sleeping
And the road that I must choose."
The Moody Blues, "Question," 1970
* * * * * * * *
"Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take."
Anonymous child's prayer
* * * * * * * *
Chapter 10 - Willow Tough
Willow and Buffy strode casually under the street lamps down
the sidewalk towards Sunnydale High. Up the street in the distance,
what sounded like a crowd of drunken revelers echoed loudly between
the buildings. Buffy listened nervously to the sound as Willow
chattered away. The Slayer realized there was something wrong
in the tone of the voices. This wasn't just one of the UC Sunnydale
frat parties that had spilled into the street. Although she couldn't
make out the words, Buffy sensed the evil in the muffled shouts
and indistinct sentences.
"You know, I wish my mom was so cool about stuff,"
Willow prattled on, oblivious to her friend's growing unease,
"When I got my 'friend' for the first time, she just gave
me a book to read and ran out of the room."
"Willow, be quiet," the Slayer said apprehensively
as she gripped Willow's arm.
Both halted and stared up the street. In a second, the crowd
slipped into view as they paraded around a corner and walked down
the middle of the street as if they owned it. One was clearly
rolling in a wheelchair. The nearest street lamp reflected a flash
of heavily moused platinum hair.
"What is it, Buffy?" Willow asked.
"I don't like the looks of this," the Slayer muttered.
A Cadillac deVille with dark tinted windows suddenly swept
by Buffy and Willow. The vehicle headed towards the approaching
crowd standing in the middle of the street. As it converged on
the revelers, the driver blew the horn. Just as quickly, a woman
with long dark locks of hair, strode out of the front of the group
and swung both her hands up into the air. Instantly, the car careened
out of control as if it had been shoved aside by an invisible
and impermeable barrier. The Cadillac flipped over bursting into
flames with a tremendous crash of tearing metal and shattering
glass. Buffy yanked Willow down to a crouching position and they
slipped into the shadow of the bushes.
"Oh My God!" Willow exclaimed.
"It's Drusilla and Spike!" Buffy answered, "She's
managed to channel Jonathan's powers!"
"I don't see Angelus anywhere," Willow said as she
squirmed in the Slayer's grasp to get a better view.
"Willow, you've got to get to the Library and warn Giles
and Xander!" Buffy said with a hushed urgency, "Have
them wait for me! I'm going to find out where Drusilla's heading
although I think I already know."
"The Hellmouth? The Master's Chamber?" Willow asked,
her terror building.
"Go! Run! Now!" Buffy exclaimed as she pushed her
friend in the direction of the concealing bushes.
Understanding, Willow took off through the shadows towards
the school. Buffy took a deep breath and advanced out onto the
sidewalk to see more clearly. Immediately she was spotted by Spike.
"Isn't that the Slayer over there?" he said as he poked
Drusilla and pointed towards the sidewalk down the street.
She nodded without emotion as if Spike were merely bringing
a tree or a rock to her attention.
"What say we see just how far our Wizard's power extends?"
Spike suggested with a wicked playfulness.
Drusilla nodded again. As she prepared to release another wall
of invisible force, Buffy instantly realized what was about to
happen. The Slayer broke into a sprint as she silently prayed
she could quickly put as much distance as possible between her
and the telekinetic forces Drusilla now wielded.
Drusilla threw up both arms and the rush of the telekinetic
force roared down the street like an invisible tsunami of twisting
air and warped light waves towards Buffy. The Slayer couldn't
out run or dodge it. It caught her, picked her up and tossed her
wildly over a group of shrubs into the dark.
"Strike, Luv!" Spike exclaimed as he prepared to
wheel over and collect the body, "Shall I do the honors?"
Drusilla held up her hand in a gesture of Command. Spike froze,
his wheelchair suddenly immobile, the wheels unresponsive in his
hands.
"Leave her be. I just sent the Slayer a warning,"
Drusilla answered coldly, "Now she will carry that message
to the rest and lead them to me."
"Your call," Spike shrugged his shoulders.
The vampires, laughing as they passed the wreckage of the flaming
Cadillac, moved down the street towards the entrance to the cemetery.
They paid no attention to Buffy who lay still where she had fallen.
* * * * *
Willow burst in through the Sunnydale High main entrance. The
perky and energetic sounds of cheerleading practice echoed down
the ill lit hallway. Just outside the double doorway to the gym
on a bench under cover of the dark wall of lockers, Xander and
Cordelia were making out, oblivious to everything around them.
Willow spotted them by the sighs and indistinct slurping noises
that both grossed her out and made her extremely angry. Immediately
she put on her best "Willow Tough" expression, stormed
over and gave both a swat across their heads.
"OWW!" Xander squalled in surprise.
"Knock it off your two!" Willow snapped, "We
got big trouble!"
"Willow! What the hell are you . . ." Cordelia protested
as she struggled to master her snottiest tone of voice and straighten
her rumpled cheerleader's outfit at the same time. She was no
match for the diminutive but furious red haired computer geek
now looming over them like the Colossus of Sunnydale.
"Shut up, pom pom brain!" Willow snarled, "We
gotta find Giles! Both of you to the Library . . . NOW!"
Willow ran off towards the lights shining out into the hallway
from the Library. Xander and Cordelia reluctantly abandoned their
necking and followed.
* * * * * *
|
|
|
|
Rave
Barbie Girl (Becca)
biscuit07
Filmtheory (Jim)
Malice (Jess)
MebbtheScribe (MichaelB)
Reset (Allie)
Shay (Marrisa)
somnambulist29 (Shea)
Stephanie Loss
Wendyness (Wendy)
Questions?Contact Us
|
|
All stories on this site have been archived with the authors' consent. Do not copy these stories for your own uses without the express consent of the author themselves. Buffy the Vampire Slayer TM and Angel TM are © UPN, WB, Fox and its related entities. All photos on the site are © UPN, Fox, Warner Bros, and/or their respective owners. No profits are being made by use of these images.
Powered with the assitance of eFiction.
|
|
|
