Lost

Portalkeeper87

A/N: Feedback, please! Drop off some ideas in the review box or e-mail me at portalkeeper87@hotmail.com

Chapter 3—The Library

It was morning once again, and I awoke at an ungodly hour to head back to Sunnydale High…the same school Buffy and her friends apparently blew up. We arrived before the sun had fully arose.

While Buffy, Willow, Xander, and a rather air-headed snob named Cordelia went to classes, I was stuck in the library, trying to find something to read while the British watcher searched for some clue about inter-dimensional portals.

I wasn't thrilled to find that there were actually very few books not dealing with ancient prophecies and whatnot. There wasn't much fiction, no Stephen King, Anne Rice, or even R. L. Stine. Just a lot of really old books written in weird languages.

"So are you suggesting that in this…this alternate reality you come from, there is a television show about us?" Mr. Giles looked up from his book.

"Yeah. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Featuring a group of rather pathetic-looking supernatural beings who somehow can't get past stakes, holy water, and crosses."

"Demonic entities naturally cannot stand the presence of holy artifacts," he explained.

"But that's what I don't get. I'm assuming that in this reality, vampires were around a lot longer than Christianity. And things such as crosses and stakes evolved from that religion, meaning after vampires existed. Just wondering how the 'slaying' went before the tools were invented."

"Hmm," the watcher pondered with a slight frown. I could tell he was finally stumped. "I'm sure I can think of a plausible explanation. In time."

"Okay, fine. Another thing. Why do you people feel that killing people is wrong, but killing demons is okay?" There was nothing else to do here. Might as well ask questions.

"Vampires may appear human, but they are demons. Meaning they have no souls. And it's not 'killing'. It's slaying."

I rolled my eyes. This guy in tweed needed his reality checked. Or maybe I did. "I don't know, Mr. Giles, but in the world where I come from, a 'soul' is defined as an essence, basically the 'self' part of a person. The part that is sentient, conscious. Am I right?"

The watcher nodded over his glasses. "Yes, that's correct."

"So basically any creature that can think has a soul. Any creature able to function with the slightest freedom from instinct has a soul. I mean, dolphins and whales are allowed to have souls. Why not cute little vampires?"

"That's different. Demons are demons. Supernatural, not natural. And vampires are just ruthless predators, caring only about hunting."

"That's not true and you know it. Vampires have lifestyles. They talk and love and drive and swim and have parties and whatnot. Just like mortal humans do."

"Vampires are DEAD. They're dead creatures refusing to simply stay put. They are monstrous, sub-human beasts—" he was starting to get agitated.

"Hey! Vampires are people too!" I yelled back.

That's when the girl called Willow entered. Carrying a stack of books, she backed away slowly. "Um, am I interrupting something?"

"No, not at all. Come sit down, Willow. We were just getting into the research."

I sat there, bored out of my mind for about another two hours. During that time, Willow had left, only to come back with Xander. The group of friends had worked on trying to find some anti-spell to seal up a portal and send me back. As usual, with fruitless efforts.

"Guys, I don't think this is going to work," I interrupted. "There hasn't been much of a fight between 'good and evil' so far. Usually on the...on the show, the conflict is resolved in the last five minutes, always while Buffy's beating up her enemies and everyone else is off to the side or knocked out."

"You know," Xander said, appearing to give some serious thought to the subject, "that does seem to be true. During the showdown, Buffy is always fighting alone. And we're always just standing on the sidelines." He turned to look at me. "You could be telling the truth. You could be from a different universe!"

I bit back a 'duh'. And then, the bell rang.

Lunchtime.