Play the song if you want to as you read along, though I think you'll need to pause in a few places in order to read it in time.
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire slayer, and I do not own the song "Carry on Wayward Son" by the band Kansas.
The graduates watched as Meru flipped two of switches on the control panel on the wall; the red lights of electrodes began to flicker, and the lights of the room dimmed, but not to the point of complete darkness. Not that they couldn't see in the darkness if need be. He held the tablet in his hand as he lowered his arm to his side.
Meru walked over to stand next to the group just as the monitor changed from light blue to black.
"This is the song that stimulated the subject's brain the most based on past experiences, feelings and thoughts," Meru explained.
With that he raised the tablet, looked at it, and tapped the start button.
The students twisted their heads around when the sudden chorus of men's voices filled the air, from hidden speakers.
Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done.
The monitor flickered to life as the image of a little boy, about two-years-old, appeared on screen. His hair was light brown, his eyes a bright green and a smile gracing his pink lips. It appeared as though the monitor was acting as a pair of eyes, as two feminine hands reached out in front and grabbed a hold of the toddler, who silently laughed on the screen.
Lay your weary head to rest.
The image flipped to an image of a white door in a yellow hallway, opened slightly to reveal a darken room. One of the feminine hands stretched out and pushed on the door, causing the hall light to leak into the room and lighten the sleeping child's face. The boy still seemed to be two years of age. In the dark room the only objects that could be seen were glow of the dark star wall stickers which lined one wall creating a long line of dim nightlights.
Don't you cry no more.
Suddenly the image of the sleeping child was gone as the visual was sent reeling backwards, door slamming and screen going white just as a heavy strum line of guitar began to play.
The screen went from white to the young boy to sudden flashes of a woman crying into a mirror. The boy was playing, eating, sleeping, smiling, doing normal child activities. But as the music played on, the child grew along with what he was doing, the images flew across the screen. Soon the boy was five, blowing out candles. Then eight throwing a ball with a man who smiled as the ball flew from the boy's hand and into the man's mitt. Another flash of the woman crying. Through a window view a twelve year old version of the boy was pushing a small girl on a swing set. Both laughed as the image zoomed out revealing the woman's hands as she held onto a red coffee cup. The view turned with her eyes towards the left and landed on the brown haired woman, holding a red mug with a smile on her face staring back at the monitor obviously through a mirror.
The image faded to black when the singing began once more.
Once I rose above the noise and confusion.
An image of two children appeared, the boy as a young teenager and the little girl, looking down at a black coffin, tears streaming down their faces. A priest stood opposite with a book open in his hands. The hand of the woman reached out in front of her, she hesitantly touched the black, polished wood of the casket with her fingertips.
Just to get glimpse beyond this illusion.
Flashes of each of the two children laughing and playing came on the screen.
I was soaring even higher.
The image of the children stayed as a man, most likely their father entered the picture, and scooped up the little girl and twelve-year-old boy, spinning them around in the green field they were in.
But I flew too high.
Suddenly the man was hit by a fast, dark figure, dropping the kids in a process, both of their mouths opened wide as though they were screaming and crying as they ran away from the now bloody fight commencing behind them. Suddenly the screen went black as the music went on for a few beats.
Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man.
The screen went from darkness to the image of a storming day of the backyard, the swing set from earlier swung with the wind, unoccupied, as the large drops fell from the sky.
Though my mind could think I still was a madman.
A downward image of stacks of books and papers, as if the group were reading them instead of the woman, one of the stacks' top book's title reading "Do Demons Exist?"
I hear the voices when I'm dreaming.
A flash of the woman crying flashed along with one of her touching the coffin.
I can hear them say…
Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done.
The kids playing in the yard along with their father, the woman joining them and the sun shining appeared in that order.
Lay your weary head to rest.
Don't you cry no more.
An image of the black coffin appeared along with a navy blue one, both of which had the little girl standing next to, but the boy was only in one of the pictures. The lyrics had broken for an instrumental pause but the image stayed of the girl and the coffins.
Masquerading as a man with a reason.
My charade is the event of the season.
The group recognized the woman's hands as she held a Sunnydale newspaper with the headline, "Fourth Case of Mysterious Bear Mauling Ends Tragically for Family."
And if I claim to be a wise man, well it surely means that I don't know.
Then the newspaper changed so the headline read, "Three Teens Killed in Freak Accident at High School." The gray paper grew darker in small spots as drops of water fell onto the print.
On a stormy sea of moving emotion.
The picture turned into the woman crying into the mirror.
Tossed about, I'm like a ship on the ocean.
I set a course for winds of fortune, but I hear the voices say…
The woman was still crying into the mirror as she held up one of the newspapers, which one was unknown to the observers, and began tearing it up, her mouth open. Even though they couldn't hear her they knew she was screaming.
The chorus rang out once more among the music as the images kept coming.
Flashes of the boy being young, the man smiling, the little girl laughing then suddenly crying, the different memories flew across the screen as the music picked up and the words stopped.
Then there was an image of the woman holding a knife in one hand about to cut into a carrot the other hand was holding. She twisted the knife in her hands, as if she were observing it.
Carry on!
You will always remember.
Suddenly the image was a view of looking out the window, seeing the image of the little girl looking sadly at the ground, unmoving in the swing.
Carry on!
Nothing equals the splendor.
The image switched to a close up view, as though she was standing next to the little girl, of the outside. The woman's hand reached out and touched the little pink covered shoulder of the girl's shoulder of her sweater. The girl swiftly turned around and gave a sad smile to the onlooker.
Now your life's no longer empty, surely Heaven waits for you.
The image of the boy, girl and man playing in the backyard came up once more.
Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done.
Lay you weary head to rest.
Don't you cry no more.
A picture of the little girl running up a flight of steps with other children, all wearing backpacks of purples, greens and yellows came on the screen. Suddenly the little girl turned around and waved, and through what appeared to be a car window the woman's hand waved back.
The music slowly ended the song and the screen went black.
Once it was completely silent the lights turned back on and Dr. Elee stepped forward.
"Now," he said with an encouraging smile on his face. "Can anyone tell me about the subject?"