Haasim Mahanaim
The Way Things Were
August 13, 2002
Introduction
There is a town called, Sunnydale. It is a place filled with mystical dangers and horrors that remain unseen to most of the outside world. In this place, demons and monsters are commonplace and remain unseen during the day waiting to move through the shadows of the night. In this place of magic and fantasy, there is such as thing as evil and it relentlessly attempts to strike fear and misery to the citizens of this town. It is difficult to imagine such a place could allow for happiness and friendship and all of the joys that this force tries to destroy.
For reasons unknown to the unsuspecting people of Sunnydale, there is a hero who's destiny is to protect others from those who threaten their way of life. But she's a tragic character. - A girl forced to deal with a burden that surpasses the responsibilities of any ordinary adult. After struggling with her destiny, she came to realize that her power is something that defines her in a way that she no longer regrets. Unfortunately, her struggle for personal happiness has left her feeling broken and jaded and her only comfort comes from her family. - A family of people who are not bonded by blood, but instead share a loyalty and trust that is never questioned, never failed, but certainly tested by the extraordinary circumstances of their lives.
There are times when battling the forces of evil is regarded as a trivial task, without much element of danger and even strangely exciting. - Instead of living ordinary lives without fear or concern, this group lives a life filled with adventure, bad guys and playful retorts.
But every year comes a point when they encounter a challenge that cannot be so easily confronted. It is a time when the playfulness ends and the reality of how dangerous the world is begins to reemerge. Yet, the past year has caused this family to encounter a challenge they have never faced before, real life. - In the past year they struggled with trying to maintain their happiness with each other, while trying to deal with the realities of adult life, including the responsibilities of raising a teenaged child, earning money and confronting the darkness within themselves.
And even though they faced all of these challenges together, they began to realize that at some point families must separate and some obstacles must be dealt wit on their own. In this past year, they also dealt with their worst fear an enemy they could not and would not want to defeat, their friend.
Willow was almost the embodiment of everything a person should be, but she had a dark secret, the kind of secret everyone knows about but quietly hopes will go away. The same supernatural forces that allowed for demons and monsters to go bump in the night were also present in this family's most relied upon member. - Unlike the hero who is responsible for this family's existence, Willow's destiny is not clear and it was her choice to tap into the mystic powers within her and use them for good in the fight against the evils the combat everyday.
Unfortunately, Willow was not perfect, she was a only human being who seemed like everything a person should be, but in fact had a past filled with the awkwardness and regret that most teenagers experience in life. But instead of learning to let go of that pain, she found a way to be the exciting and powerful person she had always desired to be. And with this power her thirst for more grew, until she was no longer the sweet natured girl that this family loved and relied upon. Instead she was a person possessed by the evils inherent in the excessive power she possessed, making her an enemy of the family she had no longer had a need for.
But despite the raw emotions and danger of this situation, this family wanted their friend back and they knew that their lives were worth risking if it meant they could find a way to bring back their friend.
Unlike other challenges, this was not a battle that was won over a single day nor did it have a clear moment of victory. In the end, it took the effort of this entire family and the unconditional love of Willow's childhood friend to save her, to bring her back from the brink of destruction.
It was a sad year for members of this family, not just for those who were apart of it, but also for those who were observing this. The forces that endowed a young teenager with the power to save the world also keep watch over this town, quietly deciding when and how much to help in dire situations where hope seems to be a fantasy.
These forces and their reluctance to interfere with our world are not easily understood. But they watch us, silently aware of our struggles and sacrifices. - However, one of these entities could no longer bare the sadness of a family filled with so much goodness and love. So it decided to make a decision that violates the sacred laws that dictate the use of his power. He decided that he would have to make the most blatant interference any of his kind had ever attempted. He had decided that he must change the course of time and reality itself to set things right and take time back to the way things were.
The Way Things Were
August 13, 2002
Introduction
There is a town called, Sunnydale. It is a place filled with mystical dangers and horrors that remain unseen to most of the outside world. In this place, demons and monsters are commonplace and remain unseen during the day waiting to move through the shadows of the night. In this place of magic and fantasy, there is such as thing as evil and it relentlessly attempts to strike fear and misery to the citizens of this town. It is difficult to imagine such a place could allow for happiness and friendship and all of the joys that this force tries to destroy.
For reasons unknown to the unsuspecting people of Sunnydale, there is a hero who's destiny is to protect others from those who threaten their way of life. But she's a tragic character. - A girl forced to deal with a burden that surpasses the responsibilities of any ordinary adult. After struggling with her destiny, she came to realize that her power is something that defines her in a way that she no longer regrets. Unfortunately, her struggle for personal happiness has left her feeling broken and jaded and her only comfort comes from her family. - A family of people who are not bonded by blood, but instead share a loyalty and trust that is never questioned, never failed, but certainly tested by the extraordinary circumstances of their lives.
There are times when battling the forces of evil is regarded as a trivial task, without much element of danger and even strangely exciting. - Instead of living ordinary lives without fear or concern, this group lives a life filled with adventure, bad guys and playful retorts.
But every year comes a point when they encounter a challenge that cannot be so easily confronted. It is a time when the playfulness ends and the reality of how dangerous the world is begins to reemerge. Yet, the past year has caused this family to encounter a challenge they have never faced before, real life. - In the past year they struggled with trying to maintain their happiness with each other, while trying to deal with the realities of adult life, including the responsibilities of raising a teenaged child, earning money and confronting the darkness within themselves.
And even though they faced all of these challenges together, they began to realize that at some point families must separate and some obstacles must be dealt wit on their own. In this past year, they also dealt with their worst fear an enemy they could not and would not want to defeat, their friend.
Willow was almost the embodiment of everything a person should be, but she had a dark secret, the kind of secret everyone knows about but quietly hopes will go away. The same supernatural forces that allowed for demons and monsters to go bump in the night were also present in this family's most relied upon member. - Unlike the hero who is responsible for this family's existence, Willow's destiny is not clear and it was her choice to tap into the mystic powers within her and use them for good in the fight against the evils the combat everyday.
Unfortunately, Willow was not perfect, she was a only human being who seemed like everything a person should be, but in fact had a past filled with the awkwardness and regret that most teenagers experience in life. But instead of learning to let go of that pain, she found a way to be the exciting and powerful person she had always desired to be. And with this power her thirst for more grew, until she was no longer the sweet natured girl that this family loved and relied upon. Instead she was a person possessed by the evils inherent in the excessive power she possessed, making her an enemy of the family she had no longer had a need for.
But despite the raw emotions and danger of this situation, this family wanted their friend back and they knew that their lives were worth risking if it meant they could find a way to bring back their friend.
Unlike other challenges, this was not a battle that was won over a single day nor did it have a clear moment of victory. In the end, it took the effort of this entire family and the unconditional love of Willow's childhood friend to save her, to bring her back from the brink of destruction.
It was a sad year for members of this family, not just for those who were apart of it, but also for those who were observing this. The forces that endowed a young teenager with the power to save the world also keep watch over this town, quietly deciding when and how much to help in dire situations where hope seems to be a fantasy.
These forces and their reluctance to interfere with our world are not easily understood. But they watch us, silently aware of our struggles and sacrifices. - However, one of these entities could no longer bare the sadness of a family filled with so much goodness and love. So it decided to make a decision that violates the sacred laws that dictate the use of his power. He decided that he would have to make the most blatant interference any of his kind had ever attempted. He had decided that he must change the course of time and reality itself to set things right and take time back to the way things were.