Buffy awoke to a coldness that was unrecognizable to her. At first, she wondered if she was in Spike's crypt; then her vision cleared and she realized that she was lying on the floor of the Magic Box, in the front of the store. She moved to get up and failed, restrained by whatever bound her hands and feet together. Trying to move and avoid the pain in her head where she had been struck, she tried to piece together the events which resulted in this very painful captivity.
She remembered coming home, putting her purse on the counter and walking upstairs. She remembered going into her room and seeing one of the demons she and Liz had encountered. This time, it didn't run; it attacked her and fought, her kicks and punches doing almost no damage to it. It was able to do plenty of damage to her however; and her house.
That's going to cost soo much to fix, she thought grimly. She must have been knocked out, because the last thing she remembered was running into the kitchen.
Twisting her head, she was able to see Willow and Giles on her left, propped against the display case. Willow seemed to still be unconscious; Giles was awake and alert however, but barely moving. Buffy could see an ugly gash on his head. She didn't know where Anya and Xander were; she presumed they were on the other side of her, but she didn't get a chance to see; at that moment one of many demons walked past her. She could hear voices in the back, but she didn't recognize any of them. She heard the door slam, and when there were no footsteps she took a chance to speak.
"Giles?" she said tentatively. Giles, looking startled, gave a small leap and looked in her direction.
"Can you get free?" he asked her.
Buffy tried to nod, but couldn't. Instead, she began working at her bonds; while the demons may have been able to fight well, their knot-making skills left something to be desired.
Like the movie Signs, she thought wryly as she freed one of her hands. Those aliens could take over Earth in days but couldn't figure out how to work a pantry door. . .
Freeing her other foot, she slowly brought her body into a crouch, and stood up, carefully listening to the sounds going on behind the door. She walked over to Giles and bent to untie him.
"Don't." he said, shaking his head. Buffy looked at him, shocked and puzzled.
"Why?" she said. Giles shook his head again. Buffy glanced hurriedly at the door, and then continued her work. He shook her away.
"Buffy, you need to get out of here." His eyes stared into hers, an immense pain behind them.
"We can't take them on. And you don't have time to free everyone." He looked at her, and what he said next made her heart leap in her throat.
"Dawn is still out there. And they are looking for her." He saw Buffy sink a little in her position. "You must find her; find her, and Spike, and Liz. You need Spike for this Buffy."
Buffy shook her head, tears in her eyes. She knew that if she left, the chances of them hurting her friends at the sight of her escape was a great one. She heard another voice behind her.
"Buff- get out of here." She turned and saw Xander, propped the same way as Giles and Willow, Anya on the ground beside him. She realized then that Kyle and Adam weren't in the room with them.
"Elizabeth - isn't what she seems" Giles said, continuing. "She can help, I think."
The sounds from behind the door were getting louder; there were shouts and sounds of things being thrown.
Buffy reached for Giles, but pulled her hand back at the last moment. Standing up, she turned to look upon her Watcher and surrogate father and her friends for one last time. Then she ran for the door, barely stopping to turn the handle.
Giles sighed and he and Xander shared a tired and frightened look with one another.
The noises behind the door had stopped.
They had all heard the bell in the front of the door jingle.
She remembered coming home, putting her purse on the counter and walking upstairs. She remembered going into her room and seeing one of the demons she and Liz had encountered. This time, it didn't run; it attacked her and fought, her kicks and punches doing almost no damage to it. It was able to do plenty of damage to her however; and her house.
That's going to cost soo much to fix, she thought grimly. She must have been knocked out, because the last thing she remembered was running into the kitchen.
Twisting her head, she was able to see Willow and Giles on her left, propped against the display case. Willow seemed to still be unconscious; Giles was awake and alert however, but barely moving. Buffy could see an ugly gash on his head. She didn't know where Anya and Xander were; she presumed they were on the other side of her, but she didn't get a chance to see; at that moment one of many demons walked past her. She could hear voices in the back, but she didn't recognize any of them. She heard the door slam, and when there were no footsteps she took a chance to speak.
"Giles?" she said tentatively. Giles, looking startled, gave a small leap and looked in her direction.
"Can you get free?" he asked her.
Buffy tried to nod, but couldn't. Instead, she began working at her bonds; while the demons may have been able to fight well, their knot-making skills left something to be desired.
Like the movie Signs, she thought wryly as she freed one of her hands. Those aliens could take over Earth in days but couldn't figure out how to work a pantry door. . .
Freeing her other foot, she slowly brought her body into a crouch, and stood up, carefully listening to the sounds going on behind the door. She walked over to Giles and bent to untie him.
"Don't." he said, shaking his head. Buffy looked at him, shocked and puzzled.
"Why?" she said. Giles shook his head again. Buffy glanced hurriedly at the door, and then continued her work. He shook her away.
"Buffy, you need to get out of here." His eyes stared into hers, an immense pain behind them.
"We can't take them on. And you don't have time to free everyone." He looked at her, and what he said next made her heart leap in her throat.
"Dawn is still out there. And they are looking for her." He saw Buffy sink a little in her position. "You must find her; find her, and Spike, and Liz. You need Spike for this Buffy."
Buffy shook her head, tears in her eyes. She knew that if she left, the chances of them hurting her friends at the sight of her escape was a great one. She heard another voice behind her.
"Buff- get out of here." She turned and saw Xander, propped the same way as Giles and Willow, Anya on the ground beside him. She realized then that Kyle and Adam weren't in the room with them.
"Elizabeth - isn't what she seems" Giles said, continuing. "She can help, I think."
The sounds from behind the door were getting louder; there were shouts and sounds of things being thrown.
Buffy reached for Giles, but pulled her hand back at the last moment. Standing up, she turned to look upon her Watcher and surrogate father and her friends for one last time. Then she ran for the door, barely stopping to turn the handle.
Giles sighed and he and Xander shared a tired and frightened look with one another.
The noises behind the door had stopped.
They had all heard the bell in the front of the door jingle.