"Here comes Buffy," Xander said, pulling open the bus doors for her. Buffy jumped into the bus and shook out her rain-drenched hair.
"Nice to have you back with us Giles," she smiled at her Watcher.
"Believe me, it's good to be out of that house of horrors," Giles replied.
"It was all Willow's doing," Xander said proudly. "She took quite a hit for the team."
Buffy raised her eyebrows questioningly as Giles' face flushed red.
"Yes, well, anyway," Giles coughed and cleared his throat
"Where's Tom?" Willow asked, a quiver to her voice.
"Willow, I'm sorry," Buffy said. "I spent the whole hour searching the house and seeing some very bizarre things -- but I couldn't find him anywhere."
"It's my fault," Willow said in a small voice and sank quietly into a seat.
"Willow, no," Buffy ran up and grabbed the girl's hands. "None of this is your fault."
"I shouldn't have gone off alone with him," Willow was saying, talking more to herself than anyone else. "I mean, I accepted his necklace, what was he supposed to think?"
"Hey, just because a guy gives you a gift doesn't mean he can do whatever he wants to you," Xander said.
"Buffy and Xander are right, Willow," Giles walked over and patted the girl's shoulder. "This had nothing to do with you. The Engravings made that boy do what he did."
"The what?" Buffy asked.
"While under the influence of that house I had -- well, for lack of a better word -- an addiction to reading. In Mr. Aruthian's library I happened upon some books he wrote himself," Giles said. "Not only did our friend Mr. Aruthian have an interest in literature of the occult, he was also an avid collector of mystical artifacts. As a matter of fact, the reason he chose this site to build his mansion was because he found a very powerful magic item here."
"Only it wasn't user friendly, right?" Xander said.
"According to his own writings, the artifact spoke to Mr. Aruthian," Giles said. "It promised to give him wealth beyond his wildest dreams. Apparently it fulfilled the promise. From his later writings it is also evident it drove him completely mad."
"So what are these 'Engravings' thingies, anyway?" Buffy asked.
"They are the writings of a major demon named Deviticus," Giles replied, picking up a heavy blue covered tome and flipping through the pages. "Deviticus rewarded his most loyal demon followers with the Engravings. The Engravings draw pure greed out of humans and transform it into energy demons can harness to grant their wishes."
"What if a human attempts to use it?" Buffy asked.
"Simply touching it would enable the tablets to possess a human with its inherently evil nature," Giles said. "Ah, here we are. Mr. Aruthian was kind enough to illustrate the Engravings for us."
"They're just some slabs of rock," Xander said, squinting at the picture.
"That means they can be broken," Buffy said, standing up. She gave Willow a worried glance. The girl was staring listlessly out the window, not paying the least attention to the conversation.
"Precisely," Giles said, snapping the book shut. "As the Slayer, you are apparently immune to the effects of the Engravings. It will be up to you to destroy them."
"But how are you going to find them?" Xander asked. "That place is huge."
"The tablets' power was already in effect when we entered the house," Buffy said. "That means there's only one person who could be using them."
"Of course, Mr. Hemley," Giles breathed. "Buffy, do be careful."
"A pair of stone tablets?" Buffy wrinkled her nose and smiled. She glanced back one last time before descending off the bus. "I think I can handle that, Giles."
* * *
Buffy sighed and pulled shut yet another bedroom door. Like every room she'd searched so far, it was pointedly devoid of both Mr. Hemley and the tablets. The wooden boards creaked beneath her feet as she continued down the corridor, disturbing the ominous silence that had fallen upon the hall.
Looking up ahead, Buffy realized the doorway that marked the end of the passage was partially open. Light streamed out from underneath the door itself. Buffy drew quietly up and peeked into the room.
"Looks like somebody threw a party," Buffy whispered as she surveyed the room. Glass mixed with bits of broken furniture littered the Persian carpeted floor. Silk drapes that had once swathed the luxurious bed on her left now lay piled in a tattered heap across an overturned night stand.
Buffy carefully pushed the door further open and stepped into the room. She immediately spotted the source of the room's light. A fire blazed in the square hearth to her right. A trail of sports jackets, dress shirts, and ties led to the rear of the room where Buffy observed a closet with its door open.
"Okay, Mr. Hemley, you obviously live here," Buffy said, seeing a picture of the man on the fireplace mantel. "So where are you?"
Buffy spun around as a the floor creaked behind her. Something slammed against her side and sent her hurtling into the center of the room.
"Where are my Engravings!" Mr. Hemley screamed into her ear as his hands searched for her neck. Buffy shifted out from underneath his weight and swung an elbow backwards into his face in reply. Mr. Hemley grunted and fell off of Buffy to the side.
"I was about to ask you the same question," Buffy said, rolling to her feet.
"They would have made me immortal! I want to be immortal!" Mr. Hemley raged and grabbed a broken post from his bed. Buffy dodged aside as he tried to pierce her with the make-shift weapon.
"Well this is a switch," Buffy said grimly as Mr. Hemley stabbed again with the wooden stake. "Look, Mr. Hemley, I don't want to hurt you. Just put the stake down and let's talk."
Mr. Hemley laughed gleefully, his wrinkles folding together to etch pure insanity in his face. Buffy rushed in and push-kicked the mansion caretaker backwards into an upholstered chair. The chair tipped over and spilled Mr. Hemley on to the floor. However, the man merely rolled with the fall and regained his feet.
"You're a spry old guy, aren't you?" Buffy said as Mr. Hemley lunged repeatedly at her. "Let's see how smart you are."
Buffy retreated farther into the room and out of range of the weapon.
"Come on, just a little more..." she said, crouched in a fighting position.
Seeing Buffy cornered, Mr. Hemley gave a howling cheer and rushed at her. Buffy waited until the last possible second before weaving past Mr. Hemley's stab. The caretaker pitched forward off balance. Buffy delivered a quick side kick to the disoriented Mr. Hemley. The insane caretaker stumbled sideways into the open closet.
Buffy grabbed the overturned chair in one hand and slammed the closet door with the other. She wedged the chair underneath the handle of the door so that the rear legs bit deep into the soft carpet.
"That ought to hold you for a little while," Buffy said. The door shuddered as Mr. Hemley threw his weight against it, but the chair held firm.
Buffy hurried from the room, casting quick glances over her shoulder.
"Who could have taken the tablets?" she wondered to herself as she half jogged back the way she had come. Missing a turn, she entered a room she had never seen before.
At one time it might have been a study room or meeting hall. Now, however, the heavy oak tables and chairs had been shoved haphazardly into the corner of the room. The carpet had also been pulled aside revealing the polished floorboards.
"Hut, hut, hut, hike!" a baritone voice shouted from across the room.
Buffy looked up in time to catch a spiraling vase an instant before it crashed into her head. Across from her she spotted four football players, identifiable by their purple and gold jerseys. She recognized the new quarterback Matt Callahan instantly. The other boys, whose muscles bulged out of their uniforms, she knew vaguley to be defensive linebackers.
With a simultaneous battle cry, the three linebackers launched themselves at Buffy. Their footsteps sent the floorboards shaking as they closed the distance.
Realizing she was still holding the vase, Buffy tossed it aside and waited to see their reaction. The boys continued straight for her.
"This is just not my day," Buffy said, swallowing to clear the dry taste from her mouth. She quickly spun around and sprinted out of the room.
Xander slept quietly on the bus seat, his chest rising and falling slowly with each breath. In his left hand he still gripped the pink crystal charm Tom had given Willow to protect her from evil.
Willow watched over him from across the aisle, her head held in her palms. Carefully, so as not to wake the sleeping teen, she stood up and took off the grey jacket Xander had lent her. She draped it like a blanket over his body and smiled as he curled in his sleep to pull the coat tighter around him.
Giles sat further in the back of the bus, once again reading the heavy book they had removed from the library. Thinking of the book, Willow winced and rubbed her ribs where Giles had tackled her. The man certainly was not as unathletic as he looked.
Willow looked out the window towards the mansion, hoping to see some sign of Tom or Buffy.
"Giles!" she gasped sharply.
"What! What’s wrong?" Giles jumped up, staring about in alarm.
"Someone just peeked out the front door," Willow said, pressing her face up against one of the windows. She wiped a hand over the glass to clear away the steam from her breath.
"Are you sure? I don’t see any--," Giles said, then cut himself off as the front door cracked open. "It’s Mrs. Morales!"
"How do you know?" Willow asked.
"Believe me, I’d recognize that atrocious wig in the dead of night," Giles said. "And you are not to tell anyone it’s a wig," he pointed a finger at Willow. She smiled innocently in reply.
"She’s coming out of the house on her own!" Willow exclaimed. She and Giles both hurried off the bus to meet the teacher.
"Mrs. Morales, are you all right?" Giles called to the teacher. Her peppered wig sat lopsided on her head, threatening to fall as she descended the front steps. Upon seeing them, the teacher grabbed her large wicker handbag with both hands and fled back up to the house, her tattered blue dress flapping around her body.
"Mrs. Morales, wait!" Giles called, running up the steps after her. Willow followed close behind. They both stopped outside the wide open front door. "Mrs. Morales?"
A hand snapped out and grabbed the lapel of Giles jacket, yanking him inside the house and hurling him across the entrance hall.
"Xan--" Willow turned and tried to scream when two hands wrapped around her throat.
"No you don’t, no calling for help," Mrs. Morales chuckled as her fingers squeezed into Willow’s neck.
Willow felt herself being dragged back inside the mansion. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Giles’ motionless form. Mrs. Morales carried her to the center of the room, right underneath the chandelier. Willow’s lungs exploded with pain as the teacher tightened her grip and lifted the girl off the floor.
* * *
Buffy clutched her side as she ran, the air seeming to sear her lungs with every breath. Risking a glance over her shoulder, she spotted the football players closing the distance on her rapidly.
Buffy swung her arms higher, trying to muster more speed. The second floor balcony came into view at the end of the hallway, along with the crystal chandelier beyond.
"I hope this works," she managed to wheeze.
Buffy barreled onto the balcony full speed with the football players close behind. Pushing off with her left foot, she jumped off the balcony railing and sailed through the air towards the crystal chandelier.
Buffy’s hands wrapped around the metal chandelier rim on either side of a candle. A splintering crash echoed around the hall as the football players sped right through the balcony railing and jumped after her.
Buffy tucked her legs to her chest. Her momentum carried the chandelier far out of reach of her pursuers. She looked down in time to see all three boys flail their arms in an impossible attempt to defy gravity. They crashed in unison on top of two people who had been standing in the center of the room.
"Willow!" Buffy cried out, seeing the girl slide across the floor. Mrs. Morales’ hand bag slid in the opposite direction, spilling cosmetics across the floor as it came to rest next to Giles’ prone form.
Buffy prepared to call to Willow again when suddenly she dropped two inches towards the floor. White plaster chips rained down on the crumpled bodies below.
"The chandelier is going to fall!" Buffy yelled in panic. Above her cracks traced spider web designs across the ceiling. "Get out of the way!"
Slowly, the pile of bodies began to untangle themselves. Still coughing and fighting for air, Willow managed to grab a football player with an injured ankle and help drag him away from the center of the room.
Buffy reversed her grip on the chandelier to face the balcony. Swinging her legs forward, she began to build momentum. The chandelier groaned in reply. Waiting until the swing reached its maximum height, Buffy released her hold and grabbed for what was left of the balcony.
Her breath caught in her throat as she floated in the air for a moment. Then both hands wrapped around a shattered piece of railing that was still miraculously attached to the balcony. An earsplitting crash sounded behind her, followed by a hollow ringing as thousands of glass shards splashed across the marble floor.
Buffy pulled herself over the railing an on to the balcony, allowing her heart a moment to stop racing. Glancing below she gave as sigh of relief. No one had been struck by the falling chandelier.
A groan sounded from the corner of the room near the door. Buffy watched as Giles stirred and picked himself off the floor.
"Giles, are you okay?" Buffy yelled. She ran quickly down the spiral staircase.
"I seem to have lost my glasses," Giles replied, "I can’t see a thing." His hands brushed the floor, knocking aside lipstick and eyeliner containers, and finally came to rest on Mrs. Morales’ wicker bag. "Ahh, here they --"
A bright flash lit the entire room just as Buffy stepped onto the marble floor.
"The knowledge is mine!" Giles voice screamed, his cackling laughter ringing around the chamber. Buffy rubbed her eyes, trying to make the dancing lights disappear from her vision. A chill wind flowed through the room.
"Giles? What’s happening?" Buffy yelled.
"Buffy, where are you?" Willow cried, trying to keep the hysteria from her voice.
"Right here," Buffy replied staggering over to her voice. Through her returning vision, she realized the front doors had both been pulled wide open. Giles was no where in sight. One of the football players lay nearby, rubbing his ankle.
"What was I thinking?" he moaned, looking at the remains of the balcony railing high above and shaking his head.
"My Engravings. My beautiful Engravings," Mrs. Morales was crying on the other side of the room. "Gone."
"Oh no, Giles --" Buffy began. Outside, the bus engine shuddered to life with a roar.
Willow and Buffy slipped over glass shards out on to the front steps. A mild drizzle stung their faces.
"Xander’s still on the bus," Willow exclaimed. The bus lurched down the driveway, spewing diesel fumes into the air.
"It’s okay, I’ll take care of it," Buffy said. Even as they watched, though, the bus disappeared around the hillside. Buffy looked about, sick with despair.
"The road -- it wraps around the entire hill," Willow said grabbing Buffy’s arm. "You can head them off at the opposite side!"
"Willow, make sure everyone inside is okay," Buffy said before turning to go. Despite the protest from her weary legs, Buffy sprinted around the side of the mansion and headed towards the gentle slope beyond the back yard.
Xander winced as his head bounced against the metal wall of the bus. He sat up and glanced out the window, watching as the grassy hillside sped past.
"Willow? Buffy?" Xander called quietly, peeking over the seat in front of him. Realizing the bus was deserted, Xander lifted himself into the aisle and walked towards the front.
"Didn’t the school pay you to take us all home?" Xander yelled to the driver. The bus lurched to the right, forcing Xander to grab a seat for balance. "Hey, this isn’t exactly a Formula One race car, you know."
Xander squinted at the rear view mirror, trying to get a better look at the driver.
"Giles, what are you doing?" Xander asked.
"Sit down and shut up!" Giles turned and snarled. Xander took one look at the sweat drenched, growling librarian and sank into a seat on his left. Two stone tablets lay in the aisle next to the driver’s seat.
"Oh no," Xander groaned and tightened Willow’s protective necklace around his wrist. "Uh, Giles, you wouldn’t by any chance be having an intense desire to stop this bus would you?" he asked hopefully.
Giles began to giggle softly, his head rocking from side to side. Then he began laughing, his body convulsing with each forced outburst. The bus leapt forward as Giles switched into a higher gear.
"I’m guessing that means no," Xander sighed and leaned his head against the damp window. A blur of motion on the hillside caught his eye. Someone was running down the hill to intercept the bus.
"Buffy," Xander said, then clapped a hand over his mouth and looked up towards Giles. He sighed in relief as he realized the librarian hadn’t heard him.
Xander turned back to look outside and noticed a small sign painted on the window sill just underneath the glass.
"Lift handle for emergency exit," Xander read. "Well, I think being abducted by an insane librarian qualifies as an emergency." Grabbing underneath the sill, Xander pulled with both hands. There was a loud pop as the entire window frame dropped away from the bus and fell to the road.
A chilling mix of wind and rain slapped against Xander’s face. Xander glanced out the opening in time to see Buffy leap off the hill towards the open window. Buffy’s body bounced against the side of the bus with a metallic thud.
"I gotcha," Xander yelled over the wind, grabbing Buffy’s arms before she slid back down towards the road. Bracing a foot against the wall, he squeezed his eyes shut and hauled Buffy over the edge of the window. The pair tumbled out into the aisle of the bus.
"Thanks Xander," Buffy said in between gasps for breath. Xander nodded dreamily in reply, squeezing Buffy close to him. His eyes widened suddenly as Giles appeared above them, foot raised into the air above their necks.
Buffy pushed off the floor with both hands and threw her body against Giles’ balancing leg. The pair bounced towards the front of the bus.
"Wait a sec, who’s driving?" Xander asked, pulling himself to his feet. Through the windshield he could make out a wall of pine trees straight ahead in the path of the accelerating bus. Xander began jumping over the seats towards the driver’s chair.
"Xander, whatever you do, don’t touch the tablets," Buffy warned as she and Giles locked hands, each trying to overpower the other.
"The Engravings give me all the power I need to defeat you," Giles hissed. With a shove he sent Buffy reeling backwards.
Xander edged his way around the stone tablets and grabbed the steering wheel. He swung it hard to the left as the trees loomed up before him. The axle squealed in protest and for a moment the bus threatened to tip over. Pine branches smacked against the windshield as Xander pulled the bus away from the approaching tree trunks.
"Xander, stop this bus!" Buffy yelled from the back. She ducked one of Giles’ hooking punches and retreated away from him.
Xander slammed a foot on to the brake petal. It gave way easily underneath the pressure and clinked against the floor. He stared down in horror at the torn wiring Giles had ripped from underneath the dashboard before going back to confront Buffy.
"No brakes!" Xander yelled back to Buffy, trying desperately to keep the bouncing bus on the rain slicked road.
Buffy caught one of Giles’ punches in her palm.
"Please, Giles, fight this thing," Buffy pleaded. Giles slammed his forehead against Buffy’s face in reply. Dazed, Buffy collapsed to the floor. Giles jumped after her with a wild laugh. At the last instant, Buffy tucked her legs to her chest and kicked outward, sending Giles flying away from her.
"Buffy, we’re not going to make this next turn," Xander yelled in panic as a metal guardrail rushed towards the bus grill. He jumped out of the driver’s seat and ran for the back of the bus, dodging aside as Giles slid past him on the floor.
"Now you both die!" Giles screamed, leaping to his feet. He grabbed a seat, however, as a screeching wail tore through the bus.
The bus plowed through the guardrail and plummeted down the steep hillside beyond. It bounced high over rocks and shrubs, tearing away tree limbs in its wild descent. Buffy, still lying on the floor, braced herself against the metal legs of the seat in front of her.
The bus was suddenly kicked into the air from below. The horrible bellow of metal peeling against rock reverberated through the bus as it stopped short.
Giles was thrown down the aisle by the violent deceleration. His head cracked against the dashboard.
Buffy lay quiet for a moment, swallowing her heart.
"Xander?" she called hesitantly.
"I’m okay. Just hit my head on the seat, that’s all," Xander replied, emerging into the aisle and rubbing his temple. The bus suddenly shuddered and leaned forward. Outside the windshield the view rolled away from the grey sky to reveal a hundred foot precipice.
"Xander, quick, get back here," Buffy hissed through dry lips. Xander scrambled back towards her. The bus leaned backwards and the cloudy sky drifted once more into view.
"What about Giles?" Xander whispered.
"I’ll get him," Buffy replied. "You open the emergency door in the back."
Buffy crawled on her belly towards the unmoving librarian. The bus rumbled and shook as it leaned forward, but maintained it’s position on the edge of the cliff. Buffy carefully avoided the Engravings as she grabbed Giles by his jacket. Taking a deep breath, she dragged the unconscious man towards the back of the bus.
"Buffy, hurry," Xander said through grinding teeth. He hung from the back of the bus, desperately trying to keep it from tipping over.
Reaching the halfway point, Buffy risked standing up. She threw Giles over her back in a fireman’s carry. Before she could take her first step, however, the bus dropped forward and began to rotate over the edge.
"Buffy!" Xander screamed and fell from the back of the bus to the ground. The bumper swung up into the air away from him.
Buffy’s pushed her burning thighs to the limit as she sprinted towards the open emergency door. She heard a screech as both metal and rock gave way beneath her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she jumped with all her remaining strength towards the emergency exit.
Air rushed around her body for an instant. She landed hard on the muddy hillside next to Xander, Giles’ weight momentarily knocking the wind from her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the bus perched precariously on an outcropping of rock. She weaseled her way out from underneath Giles.
Xander came and stood next to her as she stared up at the rear of the bus, high above their heads. They exchanged knowing glances, a smile crossing their lips.
"So long, Engravings!" Xander called. Together he and Buffy pushed the metal frame the remainder of the way over the edge of the cliff.
The rear of the bus flipped past them and disappeared over drop off. Peeking over the edge, Xander and Buffy watched in satisfaction as the bus tumbled down into the rock quarry far below. With a brilliant flash, what was left of the twisted frame smashed against a group of boulders at the bottom of the cliff and burst into flame.
* * *
"So what’s the word, Buffy?" Xander asked Buffy emerged from the principal’s office.
"You’re not expelled, are you?" Willow asked, cringing.
"No," Buffy breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the bulletin board next to the office door. "Thankfully, Giles covered for us when he woke up at the hospital. He made up a story about a radon leak underneath the mansion causing all the students to go temporarily insane. There won’t be any field trips for a while though. The bus company refuses to lend us another bus until we come up with enough cash to replace the one we wrecked."
"Gee, you have no idea how disappointed I am," Xander said flatly. "I, for one, am firmly convinced there is no place like home."
"Looks like football season isn’t going to be too promising," Willow said. "Most of our defense is out with injuries."
"Willow, I need to talk to you," a voice said from behind them. Tom walked up to the group, keeping a noticeable distance from Buffy.
"Maybe Willow doesn’t want to talk to you," Xander said, jutting his chin forward and stepping between Tom and Willow.
"It’s okay, Xander," Willow said, gently pulling him aside. Xander glared at Tom a moment, then stalked a short distance down the corridor.
"I think I ought to give this back to you," Willow said to Tom and held out the pink crystal charm. Tom took the necklace in his hands.
"Willow, I’m really sorry about the way I acted on the trip," Tom said. "I’ve never done anything like that before. Look, I gave you this necklace because I really appreciated how you helped me out with my homework. It would make me feel a lot better if you kept it."
He cupped the necklace in his hand and held it in front of her. Willow gently picked the necklace out of his palm.
"I really hope we can start our tutoring lessons again soon," Tom said. Willow cast a glance over her shoulder at Xander. He stood down the hall feigning disinterest, but furtively casting looks their way every few moments.
"Tom, what happened at the mansion... I forgive you," Willow said. "But I don’t think I can tutor you for a while. I’ll give you the number of some other people who might be able to help."
"I understand," Tom said, head bowed. Cordelia sidled up next to him.
"Come on, let’s go already," she complained. "I can’t believe you care what these three socially bankrupt misfits think of you," she said rolling her eyes.
"You seemed pretty interested in what we thought of you on the field trip," Buffy countered with a smirk.
"I was high on radon," Cordelia quipped back, then spun away from the group.
"See you around, Willow," Tom said as Cordelia dragged him away.
"Without that necklace, no one would have survived Aruthian manor," Buffy whispered to Willow as she laid a hand on the girl’s shoulder.
"It’s too bad the wrong person gave it to me," Willow said, looking down the hall towards Xander.
"Good news, everybody," Giles bounced down the hall to them, a white bandage wrapped several times around his head.
"Giles, you shouldn’t be out of the hospital yet!" Buffy said.
"I couldn’t rest in the hospital with the possibility of those Engravings still being intact," Giles shook his head. "I’ve just come from the bus crash site. The stone tablets were powdered in the explosion. They won’t be harming anyone ever again."
"Good riddance," Xander said, returning to the group. He poked his head between Buffy and Willow and wrapped his arms around them. "Who needs their heart’s desire anyway when we’ve got each other?"
Willow didn’t reply. Instead she hugged one arm around Xander’s back. The crystal pendant in her other hand bit into skin as she squeezed it tight, drawing blood.
THE END
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
