She found herself sitting on the branch of a large tree. She was wearing a flowing white dress and a crown of exotic flowers. She looked around. The tree she was in was the biggest she could see. It had a strange knot-work symbol carved in the trunk. The trees around her seemed to be floating in the creamy mist that filled the air. She gazed up at the canopy of branches. A few scattered shards of light fell upon her. It was the most peaceful place she'd ever been. She was lulled into a state near hypnosis. She lay back and closed her eyes. She lay there cradled by the branch hearing only the distant cry of a bird. She opened her eyes as she felt its putrid breath accosting her face. She saw its teeth, then nothing more. All was darkness.
* * *
"Giles, my dream-catcher sprung a leak last night," Buffy explained the next day.
"You had a nightmare?"
"Yes. I think that may be the first time we've understood each other without having to translate."
"Well, you were referring to mythology, which I happen to know about. But let's get back to this nightmare."
"Right, so I'm sitting in this big tree in a white dress, and this big ucky thing eats me."
"Can you describe this ‘ucky thing?'"
"No. I only saw its teeth which were really big, and did I mention it needed a few Altoids?"
"Can you remember anything else?"
"Well, there was this symbol on the tree. It was this knot-work thing. If I didn't know any better I'd say it was Celtic, but I was in the rainforest."
"Oh dear. . ." Giles seemed lost for a moment. "Of course!" he burst out suddenly. "It makes perfect sense now. ‘Mvem pulk chewack!' Why didn't I see it before?"
"Okay, Giles, I think you lost me at the on-ramp. What are you talking about?" He didn't say anything, he just ran into his office. He returned a moment later with a leather bound book. He showed the cover to her.
"Is this the symbol that was on the tree?"
"Yeah. That's it. What does it mean? What does ‘mvem pulk chewack' mean?"
"Roughly translated: ‘the time has come.' It's the calling of Tumunbeck."
"Still lost."
"It means ‘dead forest' in some language of the rainforest. This beast demands a sacrifice once a year or it will destroy the village."
"What kind of sacrifice, or do I not want to know?"
"Well, not to drudge anything up, but you are exempt. It requires a young virgin."
"What is up with monsters and gods and the like always wanting a virgin?!"
"That's not really the point here, Buffy."
"Then what is the point?"
"The point is that Tumunbeck is apparently here instead of in the rainforest and he still wants his offering."
"I say we give him Cordelia."
"Buffy!"
"I'm kidding! Won't he just pick someone himself, like Bugwoman?"
"He may. It's obvious that you are to have something to do with it though."
"But it won't eat me. I'm tainted goods. Why is it here anyway?"
"Well, I would assume that the destruction of the rainforest has driven it from its natural habitat and it was probably drawn . . ."
"Drawn to the Hellmouth along with everything else we don't want around us!" Buffy cut him off. "So how do we fight the big, bad Tannebaum?"
"Tumunbeck," Giles corrected. He was getting a little peeved by her inability to say anything right the first time.
"Right," she replied in an I-knew-that tone.
"I'm not quite sure anyone's ever tried. They just gave it what it wanted and then it left them alone for a year. I'll do some research."
"And I'll do some homework." Giles disappeared into his office. "I still say we give it Cordelia. He'd probably give her back and leave."
* * *
Druscilla, Spike, and Angel sat in their new home. Druscilla was playing in the dirt like a child being watched by the other two. Angel had a look of hungry desire in his eyes whenever he looked at her. Spike hated that. He was just waiting for Angel to make a move. Angel didn't know Spike was healed, and Spike was planning to kick his ass the next time he laid a hand on Dru. Dru was his now. Angel had gone through that whole "soul" business. He had left. Spike was not about to let him come back and steal Dru away.
Druscilla suddenly sat up. The other two knew what this meant.
"Here goes the Vision-o-matic, again," Angel grinned. "It's so cute when she does this."
"What do you see this time, pet?"
"Something's come to join us. Something from far away. It wants her. It's determined to have her." She started giggling.
"The Slayer?" Spike asked.
"No, not her. One of the other ones. It's going to take her as a sacrifice. This should be fun."
"Which other one?" Angel was suddenly very interested. Killing off Buffy's friends was his job. He wasn't going to let something else come and take that away from him. It would spoil his fun.
"I can't tell you. It's supposed to be a surprise." She paused. They all looked at each other for a long moment. "I'm hungry," Dru finally said.
"Okay, baby. Let's go get a snack," Angel declared. She shuffled over to him and he put his arm around her. They walked up the steps. Just before they disappeared, Angel turned back to Spike. "Don't wait up," he smirked.
Spike decided not to beat his brains out yet. He just watched them go. He was almost to the point of helping restore Angel's soul. He made a better enemy than a friend.
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