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A Chance To Change...

Part 7: Epilogue

I lay on the grass staring up at the clouds in the sunny sky. Each one I knew so well, they were all from my life, when I had played that game of seeing shapes in the clouds. That one over there, Dawn had said it looked like a bunch of grapes, I had said a cat. We had argued about it before mum had brought out some lemonade and told us that it was a house. I picked up a blade of grass and twisted it in my finger tips, listening to it crunch. Ants ran around through the dirt, I watched them for a while before looking back to the sky.
I heard gentle muffled footsteps moving towards me and sat up, looking around. I was sitting, like I had been for a long while I forget the amount of time, on a patch of fresh green grass. It spreads a little out around me and a patch of light blue sky above that, filled with clouds from my memory. Further away is just a swirling grey mist. Its like sitting in the eye of a tornado I guess.
Through the mist stepped Faith, she looked just as I remembered her. She walked almost like a vampire, predator, giant cat. Slinking as she did, with her whole body moving perfectly with each step. She stopped a few steps before me and rested one hand on her hip, the other travelling up to toy with a strand of hair. I watched her as she did so, one of my hands started toying with some of my hair as well.
Time to go back... Faith said softly, smiling, tugging on the strand of hair she was fingering before dropping it.
I asked dreamily, doing the same with my hair.
Faith nodded and walked closer to me, holding out a soft pink hand to me,
I looked at the hand, her finger nails were painted a light rose instead of the usual black. I reached my hand up towards hers, embarrassed at the imprints of grass on my palm, and the faint green tinge. Her hand wrapped around mine, delicate fingers curling either side of my wrist. Then she tugged with strength that I found supprising as I sprung to my feet. I swayed a little before gaining my balance, she slowly pulled her hand away from mine, her fingers brushing my palm and making my shiver.
How long has it been? I asked, brushing the grass blades and dirt off my legs.
Quite a while she replied, her hand moving off her hip and crossing her arms in front of her.
Surely its not time yet... I said quietly, not wanting to believe I had to go.
She nodded and uncrossed her arms, one hand gesturing to the way she had come through the mist and the other gently touching my arm. Coaxing me forward. I took one tentative step forwards then glanced at her.
She asked with a little amusement in her voice.
I frowned and started again, with more resolve towards the wall of mist. Her grip on my arm tightened slighty and I found a little comfort in that. She moved along side me, half a step behind before I stopped. My nose was almost brushing the mist as it swirled by. I glanced back at Faith for a second and she squeezed my arm again. Looking back toward the mist I nodded and stepped through it. It was hardly a magical experience, more like walking through wood smoke. When I walked out the other side I was coughing violently, one hand in front of my mouth as I doubled up, the coughs shaking my body and making my eyes water. Still bending over I turned to look for Faith, she stepped out of the mist at that moment. Faith looked as calm as ever, her eyes were dry and her only sign that the mist had effected her at all was that she was blowing it out of her mouth slowly. Like cigarette smoke. The mist curled up around her face and hair before drifting back to where it had come from. I straitened up, again embarrassed. She gestured for me to look behind me and I turned to examine my new surroundings. There wasn't any, as far as I could see there was nothing. Except for two what could be called doorways. Twisting rectangles of light, one a deep purple, the other shining gold. There were no doors but inside the rectangles the background colour faltered. The background colour, a dazzling white. Almost blinding my senses. It was like I was standing in that ball of energy. Faith draped her arm lightly around my waist and leaned her head on my shoulder, her hair falling down my back and making me shiver again.
Come on, lets go...
I asked, for the first time, wondering a second later why I hadn't asked that before.
She pulled me a little closer, .
Then she straitened up and let go of me, her hand brushing along my back as she moved it back to her side. I looked from doorway to doorway, wondering where to go, which to choose. Faith nudged me towards the purple one, while she started towards the golden one. I watched her pause before walking through it.
Come on she said, pointing towards the purple door with one long thin finger. I moved towards it, as I walked closer I heard it humming with power. I stopped. Faith placed a hand on my back and I jumped, supprised that she was able to move with so little noise.
You're not... You're not coming with me? I asked her gently.
She shook her head, No, I was never meant to be down there anyway she gestured to the golden door, That's where I belong, I was never meant to leave but... you know... I smiled and nodded,
Now come on. People are needing another slayer down there... and it ain't me
I looked at the doorway, faces seemed to flash before my vision, all people that I didn't know. Finally I opened my mouth,
And I will forget again? What I am... Why I am there...? I asked, remembering all I had learned when I had first come to this place, all the past lives I had had.
Faith nodded,
I pulled her into a warm hug, smiling at being able to supprise her this once.
I'll see you around I said as I pulled away from her, ignoring the slight redness in my cheeks. Looking at her I knew, and she knew that we would never meet again, but she nodded.
Yeah... see you around... She looked me over one last time, as if committing me to memory before smiling and stepping through the golden door. The rectangle shrunk and then popped, disappearing. I stared at where it had been for a while, ignoring the prickling at the corners of my eyes. At last I turned towards the purple frame and stared into the centre of it. Taking a deep breath I stepped forward...

Finis