The sounds of Sunnydale were different than the ones in Toronto. She
hadn't noticed it at first, but the difference was distinct. Toronto night
music came from sirens and car alarms. The occasional train, babies
crying, dogs barking, revving engines, people talking too loud. In
Sunnydale the dark soundtrack was pure blackness, of screams you had to
learn to ignore, of small animals squealing in pain.
She'd nearly learned to ignore it, but every once in a while they still scared her. They were worse tonight, she'd been scared twice and it was only 8:00. Molly made fun of her every time she jumped from a sound. All the other girls seemed so much stronger than her, not to mention she was one of the youngest. She'd turned 15 a month ago, while she was still with her mother in Toronto. The only other potentials younger than her were Kiia, who was 14, Amanda who shared her birthday, and Alicia who was 12.
She'd gone into Dawn's room to take refuge. Thought she'd be safe from everyone watching her change, maybe have enough time alone to collect her thoughts. She'd hardly thought of home since she came, couldn't bear it. It wasn't that she didn't like the United States. She'd actually been born in San Francisco, technically making her an American. But then her and her Mom had moved to Canada when she was five, when her Dad had left. She missed it so much, everything about it. For two countries that seemed so much alike, they were, in reality, completely different.
Chloe put on her pajamas, her Tigger stuffed animal falling from it's hiding place inside her bath robe. She picked him up and placed him on the bed. An old friend from early childhood, it'd been a good six years since she'd slept with him by her side. But when Mr. Giles had come and told her she had to leave and to take only a few things, he'd just been sitting there on the shelf. So she'd picked him up and brought him. Molly made fun of her for that too.
As she changed, a cold breeze wafted through the bed room. And a shiver ran up across her back. She turned. The window was closed, she known that anyway though. She'd closed it when she came in. But the breeze was still there. She shivered, pulled on her robe and wrapped it closer around her body. Why is it so cold? she thought This is California for god's sake. She wondered if houses in California even had thermostats you could turn up, probably not. She turned her back to the window and picked up Tigger. She paused and then brought him in close to her with her bath robe too, keeping her only friend warm too. She started to the door.
All of a sudden, her whole body seemed to cease up for a moment. She teetered back on her feet for a moment, caught her balanced and tried to focus on breathing. What the hell was that? Letting Tigger fall she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Chloe" she looked up, the door stood in front of her, nothing else. "Behind you, Honey." Chloe forgot to breathe. She knew that voice. But it couldn't be. She knew that. Slowly, she turned. And the remaining air in her lungs shot out of her, making her gasp. "Hello, Chloe."
She'd nearly learned to ignore it, but every once in a while they still scared her. They were worse tonight, she'd been scared twice and it was only 8:00. Molly made fun of her every time she jumped from a sound. All the other girls seemed so much stronger than her, not to mention she was one of the youngest. She'd turned 15 a month ago, while she was still with her mother in Toronto. The only other potentials younger than her were Kiia, who was 14, Amanda who shared her birthday, and Alicia who was 12.
She'd gone into Dawn's room to take refuge. Thought she'd be safe from everyone watching her change, maybe have enough time alone to collect her thoughts. She'd hardly thought of home since she came, couldn't bear it. It wasn't that she didn't like the United States. She'd actually been born in San Francisco, technically making her an American. But then her and her Mom had moved to Canada when she was five, when her Dad had left. She missed it so much, everything about it. For two countries that seemed so much alike, they were, in reality, completely different.
Chloe put on her pajamas, her Tigger stuffed animal falling from it's hiding place inside her bath robe. She picked him up and placed him on the bed. An old friend from early childhood, it'd been a good six years since she'd slept with him by her side. But when Mr. Giles had come and told her she had to leave and to take only a few things, he'd just been sitting there on the shelf. So she'd picked him up and brought him. Molly made fun of her for that too.
As she changed, a cold breeze wafted through the bed room. And a shiver ran up across her back. She turned. The window was closed, she known that anyway though. She'd closed it when she came in. But the breeze was still there. She shivered, pulled on her robe and wrapped it closer around her body. Why is it so cold? she thought This is California for god's sake. She wondered if houses in California even had thermostats you could turn up, probably not. She turned her back to the window and picked up Tigger. She paused and then brought him in close to her with her bath robe too, keeping her only friend warm too. She started to the door.
All of a sudden, her whole body seemed to cease up for a moment. She teetered back on her feet for a moment, caught her balanced and tried to focus on breathing. What the hell was that? Letting Tigger fall she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Chloe" she looked up, the door stood in front of her, nothing else. "Behind you, Honey." Chloe forgot to breathe. She knew that voice. But it couldn't be. She knew that. Slowly, she turned. And the remaining air in her lungs shot out of her, making her gasp. "Hello, Chloe."