CHAPTER FOUR

As he walked down the centre of one of the many roads, axe held down his side, he repeated movements he had made for decades.

It was night and the eternal stars where out to watch him perform his nightly ritual, his blood shot eyes darted back and forth ever vigilant for any sign of danger, despite there being none for some time, occasionally though, he would look up at the stars.

He started to look at the stars in a different light, he wondered from time to time if these stars where pin holes in the curtain of night, if they where gateways for the souls in heaven to look down on the earth and watch there loved ones, he remembered how drucilla had looked at the stars, she would ponder and wonder at them giving them names as if they where people or conscious or someone who could understand her insanity, and now it was his turn to look at the stars, he thought maybe he was insane like dru, but when does an insane person know there insane, don't insane people think there sane and don't sane people think them selves sane and not insane, he wasn't sure what frame of mind he had but sane people know themselves sane enough to be able to judge sane people from insane and now, he wasn't sure he could make that distinction anymore.

He just walked his long walk, sane or insane he did what he did and in his deepest heart he supposed it was out of love. He would keep doing what he now does forever.

He turned onto main street, it was here that most of the demon corpses lay, a lot of sand blew in this way, main street was also the street that looked most defeated, walking down this street was almost like walking into his future, soon all of sunnydale would look like this, the street looked like Dante's inferno had passed through just to party.

As he walked the long road that would eventually lead to the cemetery he saw a figure of a man standing there in the middle of the street exactly opposite himself, spike was taken a little affront by this and he stopped walking, a little startled, he stood opposite for a time taking in that someone was here, he new what he was going to do that much was certain, he was just taking in that not for some years had he seen another person and now here a person was and his first intentions towards who or what ever it was, was butchery and carnage, it wasn't his natural desire that called this feeling forth, he was more like a machine now, see someone kill it.

This person looked male but in these things you could never tell, demon, human, whatever. Anyway it was dressed familiar yet strange, it wore a hat that looked like the hats gangsters wore in the 1930's and it was dressed in clothes that where reminiscing of the last century, cloths that where of the same period as spikes.

Spike sized the figure up before him, he looked human `great a history buff, who maybe thinks I cant harm him' he thought.

A shot of excitement ran through him as he walked towards the figure, he made clear to the figure that he had an axe in his hand, spike walked tenderly taking his time walking towards the figure "you should not have come here, I told all of you to stay away, you don't belong here, its not your place, its not your time, your not meant to be hear, I thought you all knew that now, no one comes here not anymore, not human not demon, GO AWAY NOW" the last three words spike bellowed had a deep meaning, he wanted to be left alone, he didn't want this person here, he was used to himself and his three friends, why this person was here didn't interest spike in the slightest it was all the same any way, they came to open the hell mouth, destroy the world etc, etc.

The figure didn't move, spike didn't care, in moments if this guy didn't budge he was going to be flayed in to several different parts.

Spike was now walking faster, if he would have had a beating heart it would be going a thousand miles per hour, adrenaline would be rushing up and down his spine, his lungs would beg to be fed oxygen, but he didn't have a beating heart, so all he could feel was nothingness and a void, this figure would be in a long list of corpses soon enough.

He swung his axe around, and just as he was about to enter swinging distance the figure spoke "you don't have much of English accent anymore"

Spike stopped and his vampire visage became apparent, he lifted his nose to the wind and breathed in the scent of the thing that stood before him "hm...demon, although unfamiliar, I've never smelt anything like you...this is your last chance, I'm sure you know who I am so I'm telling you now to leave, believe it or not this is the longest conversation I've had in a very long time, and that's why I haven't cleaved you in half right now, but make no mistake if you stay here I will end you existence"

"my name is whistler, I know your not going to be much on the old talk front, and to tell you the truth I respect your decision to do what it is you do, even if you cant keep it up forever" spike looked at him unfazed "another thing I don't want to be here" spike raised his axe.

"you where warned, I told you to leave, you wouldn't listen. I warned you, I told everyone not to come here, this is my home, its my territory, you leave or die..your stayin so you die"

"whoa there, please" spike was about to swing "ITS ABOUT BUFFY MAN"

Spike swung the axe and just as about the axe was about to touch whistlers neck, he swung the axe away and grabbed a whole of whistler with both hands "I'm so hungry, that I could eat demon blood you know, do you have any idea how bad demon blood tastes to a vampire...let me tell you that any vampire who drains a demon is considered insane, that's how bad it tastes and right now I could really go for some demon blood"

He focused in on whistlers eyes, he wasn't going to drain whistler but he wanted this person to be frightened just in case he decided to let him go.

"sh...she's comin back"