CHAPTER 3:
"Pieces of the Puzzle"
Whack! Spike's chamber door bursts open. He puts the lighter down from the cigarette he was about to light. The bud limps up and down from his lips as he comments on the Slayer's action.
"You know these doors don't come cheap sweet. I'm going to have to charge you double for the low down the next few times."
She paces quickly toward him and smacks him against a wall, holding him there. The cigarette falls out of his mouth.
"Now hold up."
She bangs him against the wall again.
"Don't talk. I will ask the questions and you will answer. Get it?"
"Got it pet."
"Good. Did you kill those three kids?"
"What three kids?"
"I'm warning you, I am not in the mood. Fess up dirt devil."
"I did no such thing, or have you forgotten it's all Chips Ahoy up here," and he points to his head. She lets go and backs off.
"Then who was it? Have I missed one?"
"There aren't many left, what few you killed scared most of them off. Willie's has been deader than usual."
"Spike, I need serious answers from you. It's unusual to suck them all dry and not turn at least one. You have to be a real mean one to. Do you believe any of them would do this? These kids were just teens."
"No. We would have at least turned one. It doesn't make any sense not too. Especially in a town where out population is scarce."
"I'm sorry I bothered you. Goodnight Spike."
"Sorry enough to fix my door?"
"Keep pushing it.
"Right then. I'll just keep my ear to the floor."
Willow and Buffy patrol a cemetery. Buffy's coat sways in the breeze. Willow holds a stake up in waiting.
"So quiet tonight. You really cleaned up this town stranger."
"This cow poke got lucky, punk."
"So, no leas from Spike at all?"
"Nadda, let's not talk about Spike."
"Oh, okay. What was that you were saying about you and Ben on a date, before we left the house?"
"Ah . not the date thing. I don't even know for sure if I want to go anymore. Typical hormone driven teenage angst."
"You can't back out now. What would he think? You made a promise to go out and have fun and dang nabbit, you will."
"Ewe, such foul language. I know I should, but . but. Why am I torturing myself like this? I am going to do it. Me, Buffy Summers, go out with a guy and darnit, make this one work."
"There's the spirit. Now lets make sure nothing sneaks up here and tries to kill us."
An owl hoots and she jumps. She scurries closer to Buffy and looks around.
O'Malley exits the Haunted House and turns off the exterior lights. He heads for his trailer with a broom in hand from cleaning up. He meets up with Frederick.
"Did you save some for me?" O'Malley asks.
"She's in the trailer. I left you half."
"How much we reap today?"
"Nearly 200.00 dollars," Frederick answers.
"Two-hundred? One more day of picking and we are set for the week. Frederick, I am proud. You did good today. It's these successive successes that show you will have the skills necessary to take my place. So."
He stops and smells the air. He turns around looking out into the darkness.
"What is it?" Frederick asks curiously.
"Shhh," O'Malley presses a finger to his lips.
"Come on, just tell me."
"Button that yap . someone was out there. Got awful close."
"You think they caught on already?"
"No, it was one of us. Who ever he was, he's gone now. Come on, lets go inside. Sun rise is in a few hours."
Frederick climbs up a couple of cheap retractable metal steps, up to the trailer's door. He goes in. O'Malley follows only after taking one last glance around for certainty.
On a plastic sheet on the floor is a teenage girl. Her skin is blue and a surprise look is on her face. Dry bloodstains running down her neck from the puncture marks.
"It's a crying shame, some of these are so beautiful. Wish we could take them wit5h us. Why can't we, I know I've only been here a few weeks, but I still can't understand why."
"If we kill them and leave them," he runs his fingers over the dead girls neck, "we don't have an obvious connection, but if we start bringing 'Missing Persons' with us, we're going to bring the law apon us. And you're right," his face shifts to a vampire's face, "this one looks sweet."
He sucks her dry and her blue skin wrinkles and sags a bit. Her dead gray eyes crying out for help.
O'Malley adds, "And tasty too."
"Pieces of the Puzzle"
Whack! Spike's chamber door bursts open. He puts the lighter down from the cigarette he was about to light. The bud limps up and down from his lips as he comments on the Slayer's action.
"You know these doors don't come cheap sweet. I'm going to have to charge you double for the low down the next few times."
She paces quickly toward him and smacks him against a wall, holding him there. The cigarette falls out of his mouth.
"Now hold up."
She bangs him against the wall again.
"Don't talk. I will ask the questions and you will answer. Get it?"
"Got it pet."
"Good. Did you kill those three kids?"
"What three kids?"
"I'm warning you, I am not in the mood. Fess up dirt devil."
"I did no such thing, or have you forgotten it's all Chips Ahoy up here," and he points to his head. She lets go and backs off.
"Then who was it? Have I missed one?"
"There aren't many left, what few you killed scared most of them off. Willie's has been deader than usual."
"Spike, I need serious answers from you. It's unusual to suck them all dry and not turn at least one. You have to be a real mean one to. Do you believe any of them would do this? These kids were just teens."
"No. We would have at least turned one. It doesn't make any sense not too. Especially in a town where out population is scarce."
"I'm sorry I bothered you. Goodnight Spike."
"Sorry enough to fix my door?"
"Keep pushing it.
"Right then. I'll just keep my ear to the floor."
Willow and Buffy patrol a cemetery. Buffy's coat sways in the breeze. Willow holds a stake up in waiting.
"So quiet tonight. You really cleaned up this town stranger."
"This cow poke got lucky, punk."
"So, no leas from Spike at all?"
"Nadda, let's not talk about Spike."
"Oh, okay. What was that you were saying about you and Ben on a date, before we left the house?"
"Ah . not the date thing. I don't even know for sure if I want to go anymore. Typical hormone driven teenage angst."
"You can't back out now. What would he think? You made a promise to go out and have fun and dang nabbit, you will."
"Ewe, such foul language. I know I should, but . but. Why am I torturing myself like this? I am going to do it. Me, Buffy Summers, go out with a guy and darnit, make this one work."
"There's the spirit. Now lets make sure nothing sneaks up here and tries to kill us."
An owl hoots and she jumps. She scurries closer to Buffy and looks around.
O'Malley exits the Haunted House and turns off the exterior lights. He heads for his trailer with a broom in hand from cleaning up. He meets up with Frederick.
"Did you save some for me?" O'Malley asks.
"She's in the trailer. I left you half."
"How much we reap today?"
"Nearly 200.00 dollars," Frederick answers.
"Two-hundred? One more day of picking and we are set for the week. Frederick, I am proud. You did good today. It's these successive successes that show you will have the skills necessary to take my place. So."
He stops and smells the air. He turns around looking out into the darkness.
"What is it?" Frederick asks curiously.
"Shhh," O'Malley presses a finger to his lips.
"Come on, just tell me."
"Button that yap . someone was out there. Got awful close."
"You think they caught on already?"
"No, it was one of us. Who ever he was, he's gone now. Come on, lets go inside. Sun rise is in a few hours."
Frederick climbs up a couple of cheap retractable metal steps, up to the trailer's door. He goes in. O'Malley follows only after taking one last glance around for certainty.
On a plastic sheet on the floor is a teenage girl. Her skin is blue and a surprise look is on her face. Dry bloodstains running down her neck from the puncture marks.
"It's a crying shame, some of these are so beautiful. Wish we could take them wit5h us. Why can't we, I know I've only been here a few weeks, but I still can't understand why."
"If we kill them and leave them," he runs his fingers over the dead girls neck, "we don't have an obvious connection, but if we start bringing 'Missing Persons' with us, we're going to bring the law apon us. And you're right," his face shifts to a vampire's face, "this one looks sweet."
He sucks her dry and her blue skin wrinkles and sags a bit. Her dead gray eyes crying out for help.
O'Malley adds, "And tasty too."
