The Slayer Chronicles:
Eva
I am alone.
I have no ties. No connections. I walk the streets of Madrid entirely devoid of companionship. That works fine with me. It keeps me from having to protect them because I can't always do that. Believe me, I know.
I used to have a family, have friends. But they are all dust now. They were killed by my own arrogance. You see I'm slightly different from the average.
I'm a Vampire Slayer. I kill vampires, demons, and other bad stuff. I try and keep the "forces of darkness" at bay. Emphasis on try. I couldn't protect my parents from being slaughtered by vampires. I couldn't stop a demon from slicing my Watcher's throat. I thought when I got my powers I was invincible. I now know better. Arrogance is not my problem anymore. Now I wander all by myself. I try not to think of the loneliness. I think of vampires and how to live another night.
I am only 15 and have been a Slayer for 6 months. Every generation has a Slayer born to it. The Slayer before me was 16 when she died. The Slayer before that was 17. I'm the third Slayer in three years. I pretty much have the life expectancy of a housefly. Maybe shorter. One day, a vampire will get too close and kill me. Then some other girl will become the Slayer. The scary part? Other than me dying of course? Is that if I die now, the next girl will only be 14. In our line, you become a Slayer young and die just as young. I want to live long. Not just for myself but to give the next Slayer a chance to experience life. To go to dances, have a boyfriend, do 'teenage stuff.' All the stuff I never got to do and will never have the chance to try. I try not to think of that.
There are a lot of things I try not to think of. I just want to survive another night. As I walk the night alone, I hear footsteps behind me. I whirl around me, stake at the ready. The vampire saunters into the light cast by a street light.
"Hello, Slayer." The vampire is tall, and I can smell the age off of him. I was always good at detecting a vampire's age. This one is pretty old.
"Vampire," I say by way of greeting. My heart is hammering pretty hard. I try not to let it show.
Before I know it the vampire lunges at me. I guess the small talk is over. I jump out of the way and bring my stake back up.
He grins at me. "You're young. Very young to die."
"I don't plan on dying."
"Of course you don't. But you will die. You will die young."
"I'm the Slayer. It comes with the territory. Now do you want to fight or what?"
"Don't you ever ask yourself: Why me? Why do I have to fight the scary things under the bed? Why do I have to miss out on life? Why, why, why?"
I stop. I do wonder that. I try not to but I can't help it. "I am what I am. I can't change that."
"But I can…"
A second vampire comes up behind me and grabs me. I drop my stake. I walked straight into a trap.
"You're going to be just another dead girl."
The second vampire tears into my throat. I feel the blood leave my body. I can't fight. I struggle but to no avail. This vampire is strong. I fight back tears. I won't cry and dishonor myself. I know I am dying. I send out a silent plea to the next Slayer and beg her forgiveness. Because of my error she will be a very young Slayer. She may not last very long. She may not be strong enough.
"I'm sorry Slayer," I whisper. "But I am what I am. And soon, too soon, you'll know what that means."
Blackness comes.
* * *
In Los Angeles, Buffy Summers wakes up in a cold sweat. She wonders why she woke up. She remembers dreaming about a city she has never seen but yet she knows it's in Argentina. Seeing a girl die a brutal death. The name of the girl is on the tip of her tongue but she can't quite remember it.
The dream flees her mind as she notices that her hand hurts slightly. She looks down at it and doesn't see why it should hurt. Slowly she looks up and sees a fist size hole in her wall.
"Wow. When did I get that strong?"