TWENTY-FOUR
It didn't seem like any place at all.
There was nothing but space stretching for an eternity. Buffy tapped the
floor with her feet , just to make sure there was a floor. She felt like she
was floating hopelessly, even though she was quite certain she was on solid
ground.
Typically, the gate behind her had disappeared.
Buffy looked ahead, and saw nothing. There was some mist hovering around
her, but she felt quite sure that there wasn't going to be anything behind
it.
"You came back," sounded a voice.
Buffy looked around for Karakos, but she couldn't see him. "Glad you
noticed."
"I was tempted not to."
"Why don't you come out where I can see you?" said Buffy tiredly.
"Where's the fun in that?"
"You know," started Buffy, "They say hiding is for cowards."
"They say a lot of things," said Karakos. "And usually I don't care."
"I want you out," said Buffy.
"Or what?"
"I'm not going to ask you again."
"If memory serves me right," said Karakos, "You've already asked me a lot
of times. And each time the answer has been the same. Do you want to guess
what it's going to be this time?"
"Why are you doing this?"
"It's fun," said Karakos. "And since you have so kindly disposed of my
earthly body, I have no choice but to have my little romp in your friend's
mind. Not that I'm not enjoying it, of course."
"Visible or not, I'm so going to kick your butt now."
"I'd like to see you try."
Buffy wandered around cautiously, looking out for any sign of danger. "You
know, this is getting pretty tiring."
"I agree."
"So quit it with the games and face me."
"You don't quite get it, do you?"
"BUFFY!" Buffy turned around as she heard Xander calling her.
"Xander?" she asked.
The mists parted and Xander ran towards her.
"You have to get out of here," he told her.
"No…" said Buffy stubbornly. "He's here. I can beat him."
"You can't," Xander insisted. "Please…"
"He's right, you know," came Karakos' voice from behind Buffy. "You can't."
Xander's eyes widened as he watched Karakos' figure materialize from the
mist behind an unsuspecting Buffy. Buffy, looking at Xander, turned around,
coming face to face with Karakos. She froze for a moment as she stared into
his glowing red eyes.
The next few seconds seemed to unfold in slow-motion.
Karakos whipped out a long blade from his side, and thrust it forward,
impaling Buffy. Buffy gave a short gasp, her eyes widening in fear and pain.
The vampire pulled out his blade and took a step back. Buffy put her hand to
her wound, but there was little she could do. Xander screamed, as Buffy
slowly crashed to the ground.
*
*
*
It didn't seem like any place at all.
There was nothing but space stretching for an eternity. Buffy tapped the
floor with her feet , just to make sure there was a floor. She felt like she
was floating hopelessly, even though she was quite certain she was on solid
ground.
Typically, the gate behind her had disappeared.
Buffy looked ahead, and saw nothing. There was some mist hovering around
her, but she felt quite sure that there wasn't going to be anything behind
it.
"You came back," sounded a voice.
Buffy looked around for Karakos, but she couldn't see him. "Glad you
noticed."
"I was tempted not to."
"Why don't you come out where I can see you?" said Buffy tiredly.
"Where's the fun in that?"
"You know," started Buffy, "They say hiding is for cowards."
"They say a lot of things," said Karakos. "And usually I don't care."
"I want you out," said Buffy.
"Or what?"
"I'm not going to ask you again."
"If memory serves me right," said Karakos, "You've already asked me a lot
of times. And each time the answer has been the same. Do you want to guess
what it's going to be this time?"
"Why are you doing this?"
"It's fun," said Karakos. "And since you have so kindly disposed of my
earthly body, I have no choice but to have my little romp in your friend's
mind. Not that I'm not enjoying it, of course."
"Visible or not, I'm so going to kick your butt now."
"I'd like to see you try."
Buffy wandered around cautiously, looking out for any sign of danger. "You
know, this is getting pretty tiring."
"I agree."
"So quit it with the games and face me."
"You don't quite get it, do you?"
"BUFFY!" Buffy turned around as she heard Xander calling her.
"Xander?" she asked.
The mists parted and Xander ran towards her.
"You have to get out of here," he told her.
"No…" said Buffy stubbornly. "He's here. I can beat him."
"You can't," Xander insisted. "Please…"
"He's right, you know," came Karakos' voice from behind Buffy. "You can't."
Xander's eyes widened as he watched Karakos' figure materialize from the
mist behind an unsuspecting Buffy. Buffy, looking at Xander, turned around,
coming face to face with Karakos. She froze for a moment as she stared into
his glowing red eyes.
The next few seconds seemed to unfold in slow-motion.
Karakos whipped out a long blade from his side, and thrust it forward,
impaling Buffy. Buffy gave a short gasp, her eyes widening in fear and pain.
The vampire pulled out his blade and took a step back. Buffy put her hand to
her wound, but there was little she could do. Xander screamed, as Buffy
slowly crashed to the ground.
*
*
*