Willow Rosenberg smiled and settled down on her bed. She pulled the warm covers over her slender body and closed her eyes. Sleep enveloped her. Sunnydale fell away and she swirled about in a world of dreamy colors: soft blues and gentle pinks. She found herself dancing in a lush green meadow. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and flowers bloomed under her feet. Sweet, lilting music poured out of the nearby forest and filled her ears. In this world, it felt wonderful to simply exist.
Suddenly a mist fell over the meadow and the dancing stopped.
"Why do you come here?" a soft, feminine voice asked. The voice had no body and seemed to come from the heart of the meadow.
Willow's smile faded.
"Why do you come here?" the voice asked again. "You're ruining everything."
"I'm not — I didn't. I'm not . . ."
"You're hurting us," a male voice whispered. This voice sounded oddly familiar, but it, like its female counterpart, had no body.
"I didn't mean to, I . . . I don't want to hurt anybody. I — I'm sorry!" Willow exclaimed, worried.
"Why do you come here?" the female voice asked once more. Something about her voice soothed Willow. She felt completely in control of herself and of everything around her.
"I feel at home here. It's so beautiful, so calm."
"You expose yourself here. All these flowers. They tell of your life. They tell me what you are feeling. When you were dancing, all the different flowers came to life under your feet. So much confusion lies within your mind, Willow. I can help you. Will you let me?"
Willow smiled. "Help me."
The voice didn't respond, but Willow could feel it guiding her. She knelt on the soft grass and let her hand fall slowly to the ground before her. A yellow rose blossomed under her fingers. "Look," the redhead breathed. "It's beautiful."
"Jealousy dwells there, Willow. This jealousy is something you seek to forget."
Willow swallowed. She did feel jealous. She did want to ignore it, but she could not help but to feel it. "Help me," Willow whispered.
"Love is waning, but a dear friendship will come together again and leave you in high spirits."
Willow laughed. "You sound like those phony horoscopes in the newspaper. You don't know me. You can't tell all that from a flower anyway," she exclaimed, though she didn't altogether believe that. The rose before her wilted.
"I'm scared of you, Willow. I don't feel like I can trust you anymore. You're too strong. That's why I did it. That's why I left you," the male voice said. Suddenly Willow realized who this was. It was Oz! Oz didn't trust her anymore? She was too strong?
Slowly Oz appeared in front of Willow. "You're too strong, Willow. I'm scared of you. You're too strong now. You're losing control." Oz turned from her and walked into the forest through the mist.
"Oz!" Willow called after him, tears forming in her eyes. "Oz, come back! I need you!" She was crying now. "I need you! Come back! Oz . . ." she sobbed. "Please . . ."
Like Oz, the woman who had been speaking to Willow slowly appeared. She sat down beside Willow and held the sobbing redhead. She stroked Willow's hair and tried to console her.
Gradually Willow stopped crying. "Help me," she whispered.
The woman took Willow's hand and smiled. "I'll help you," she whispered back. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on Willow's forehead. "I'll always help you, as long as you know where to find me."
Suddenly a mist fell over the meadow and the dancing stopped.
"Why do you come here?" a soft, feminine voice asked. The voice had no body and seemed to come from the heart of the meadow.
Willow's smile faded.
"Why do you come here?" the voice asked again. "You're ruining everything."
"I'm not — I didn't. I'm not . . ."
"You're hurting us," a male voice whispered. This voice sounded oddly familiar, but it, like its female counterpart, had no body.
"I didn't mean to, I . . . I don't want to hurt anybody. I — I'm sorry!" Willow exclaimed, worried.
"Why do you come here?" the female voice asked once more. Something about her voice soothed Willow. She felt completely in control of herself and of everything around her.
"I feel at home here. It's so beautiful, so calm."
"You expose yourself here. All these flowers. They tell of your life. They tell me what you are feeling. When you were dancing, all the different flowers came to life under your feet. So much confusion lies within your mind, Willow. I can help you. Will you let me?"
Willow smiled. "Help me."
The voice didn't respond, but Willow could feel it guiding her. She knelt on the soft grass and let her hand fall slowly to the ground before her. A yellow rose blossomed under her fingers. "Look," the redhead breathed. "It's beautiful."
"Jealousy dwells there, Willow. This jealousy is something you seek to forget."
Willow swallowed. She did feel jealous. She did want to ignore it, but she could not help but to feel it. "Help me," Willow whispered.
"Love is waning, but a dear friendship will come together again and leave you in high spirits."
Willow laughed. "You sound like those phony horoscopes in the newspaper. You don't know me. You can't tell all that from a flower anyway," she exclaimed, though she didn't altogether believe that. The rose before her wilted.
"I'm scared of you, Willow. I don't feel like I can trust you anymore. You're too strong. That's why I did it. That's why I left you," the male voice said. Suddenly Willow realized who this was. It was Oz! Oz didn't trust her anymore? She was too strong?
Slowly Oz appeared in front of Willow. "You're too strong, Willow. I'm scared of you. You're too strong now. You're losing control." Oz turned from her and walked into the forest through the mist.
"Oz!" Willow called after him, tears forming in her eyes. "Oz, come back! I need you!" She was crying now. "I need you! Come back! Oz . . ." she sobbed. "Please . . ."
Like Oz, the woman who had been speaking to Willow slowly appeared. She sat down beside Willow and held the sobbing redhead. She stroked Willow's hair and tried to console her.
Gradually Willow stopped crying. "Help me," she whispered.
The woman took Willow's hand and smiled. "I'll help you," she whispered back. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on Willow's forehead. "I'll always help you, as long as you know where to find me."