Chapter Two: Children in the Hands of Toys_________________________________
Xander and Dawn didn't talk much on the ride to school that morning. The
radio blared some hot-for-a-minute poppy punk anthem as Dawn just stared at
the window, occasionally glancing at the back pack in her lap. Her long
hair draped and concealed her face from Xander. He placed his hand upon the
volume button and turned the song down.
"You ok, Dawn?"
"Yeah, sure, I'm fine."
"Ok. It's just, usually when you're feeling fine, you tend to look the
part, whereas now you're looking all Droopy and melancholy."
"It's just."
"School, I know. Believe me, I've worn that face many a time before
entering that place."
"No, it's not that. It's.Willow."
"Willow? Hey, listen, Dawn. She's."
"Rehabbed, I know. But, still, all that has happened, I can't.I can't
forget it. And, now, she's back living with us, it.it just feels weird."
Xander turned back to the road ahead and entered the newly built parking of
lot of the revamped Sunnydale. He pulled up to the front of the building
where others were dropping of their children. He put his foot on the brake
and put the car into PARK. He then turned to Dawn, and she in turn looked
at him, moving the long locks of brown hair away from her face.
"Dawn, Willow needs all of us right now, more than ever. This is a rough
patch for her, and regardless of what she's done, it's to us to forgive her
and try and move things forward. Ok?"
"Ok, Xander."
"Now, that's enough of me being an adult.You got your stake?"
"Yes."
"Holy water?"
"And cross, yes, Xander, I'll be alright."
Dawn opened the door and exited, putting the book bag over her shoulder as
she shut his door. Xander waved goodbye as he shifted gears and drove away.
Dawn watched him but did not move towards the entrance. She waited until
she knew he was gone. The North wind blew her hair from her face as she
stared suspiciously out into the parking lot and into the street. No sign
of him. She looked around for anyone of authority, anyone who could tattle.
She clutched her bag tight and walked steadily into the parking lot, away
from the school.
She walked faster and faster through the parking lot, heading towards the
wooded area of Sunnydale to one of its many, many cemeteries. She passed
by familiar students, all of which she suspected could tell a teacher or
Principal Wood. Or worse, Buffy! She finally made it out of the parking lot
and across the street. She was now standing on the cracked sidewalk, facing
the entrance to the wooded cemetery. She looked back at her school, which
seemed so far away now, and passed through the creaky iron gates.
She walked through the graveyard, but something was amiss. Usually, during the day, the cemetery was a place of peaceful serenity, a place where she could collect her thoughts and reflect. But the air was unsettling. As the sun shown down, the atmosphere was rank, full of a darkness unseen by the sun or Dawn. But she continued further into the cemetery, to an old, dilapidated church she frequented for meditative reasons.
She looked down, and saw that there were no butterflies today. Every other time she had been there, they fluttered fancy free until dusk. Was there a demon here today? There was only one way the curious young lady could find out.
She stepped up to the church door, which was shut. It was never shut. Her heart was racing and palms were sweaty, but why was she being drawn inside? She slowly pushed the ancient wooden door open, allowing a flush of sunlight to enter the darkness. The church looked as if a massacre had happened inside. The pews were all on their back and the altar up front was demolished and stained in blood. There were candle and idols in shambles and a pool of dried blood covered the floor at the altar. Dawn's eyes widened and she wanted to leave, but curiosity had other plans. She moved forward from the safety of the foreign sunlight into the shadows of pious destruction and decay. Something seemed to stand out in the shadows. It was sparkling, shimmering, like a golden beacon that called to her. It was a puzzle box, small and exquisite. Its surface was flawless in its golden intricacies. Dawn walked down the aisle, ignoring the pomegranate colored stains in the carpet. She kneels down and placed the Box in her hands. She sat in the center of the altar, ignoring the blood and slaughtered religious iconography. The shadows seemed to disappear around and the box she held in her hands. At first, she just stared at it, almost hypnotized by its beauty. She slowly placed her right index finger upon the circular design, touching the indented ring around it. It was as if something was making her finger the ring. She slowly did so, with captivated eyes. She was the place on the ring in which she started. Sweat began to trickle from her brow. Before she could reach the point of origin on the ring.
"Dawn!"
Dawn zipped her head up and saw a girl standing in the doorway. It was Lily. Dawn looked down at the box, puzzled, as if she'd been outside of herself and remembered very little. She stood up, dusting her butt off, suddenly grossed out by her surroundings.
"Dawn, what are you doing here?" Lily asked as she strolled down the aisle, gazing at the eerie décor.
"Oh, um.I just come here to, you know.think and stuff." "Well, let's go, this place has a weird Manson family vibe going on." "Yeah, alright."
Dawn slipped the golden box into her back pack and the pair exited back into the safety of sunlight.
"What was that you were messing with in there?" "Oh, some stupid box. I dunno, I think it's a puzzle or something. Anywho, what'd I miss in first period?" "First period? Dawn, you've been gone half the day!" "What?" "Yeah, it's already Lunch!" "Whoa."
Dawn's head began to dig within itself, trying to figure out what was going on. Why it seemed as if she'd only been there a few minutes. Why had it seemed so long?
"How'd you find me?" "Oh, when you didn't show up for class, I asked a few people. Clarissa told me she saw you go this way, towards the graveyard." "Oh." "Yeah, well, we should head back to school. Lunch is over in a few minutes."
The girls picked up the pace and rushed through the grassy, secluded graveyard, across the parking lot, and back to school. The images and thoughts still lingered in the back of Dawn's mind, gnawing at her all the way to school, and throughout the rest of the day.
She walked through the graveyard, but something was amiss. Usually, during the day, the cemetery was a place of peaceful serenity, a place where she could collect her thoughts and reflect. But the air was unsettling. As the sun shown down, the atmosphere was rank, full of a darkness unseen by the sun or Dawn. But she continued further into the cemetery, to an old, dilapidated church she frequented for meditative reasons.
She looked down, and saw that there were no butterflies today. Every other time she had been there, they fluttered fancy free until dusk. Was there a demon here today? There was only one way the curious young lady could find out.
She stepped up to the church door, which was shut. It was never shut. Her heart was racing and palms were sweaty, but why was she being drawn inside? She slowly pushed the ancient wooden door open, allowing a flush of sunlight to enter the darkness. The church looked as if a massacre had happened inside. The pews were all on their back and the altar up front was demolished and stained in blood. There were candle and idols in shambles and a pool of dried blood covered the floor at the altar. Dawn's eyes widened and she wanted to leave, but curiosity had other plans. She moved forward from the safety of the foreign sunlight into the shadows of pious destruction and decay. Something seemed to stand out in the shadows. It was sparkling, shimmering, like a golden beacon that called to her. It was a puzzle box, small and exquisite. Its surface was flawless in its golden intricacies. Dawn walked down the aisle, ignoring the pomegranate colored stains in the carpet. She kneels down and placed the Box in her hands. She sat in the center of the altar, ignoring the blood and slaughtered religious iconography. The shadows seemed to disappear around and the box she held in her hands. At first, she just stared at it, almost hypnotized by its beauty. She slowly placed her right index finger upon the circular design, touching the indented ring around it. It was as if something was making her finger the ring. She slowly did so, with captivated eyes. She was the place on the ring in which she started. Sweat began to trickle from her brow. Before she could reach the point of origin on the ring.
"Dawn!"
Dawn zipped her head up and saw a girl standing in the doorway. It was Lily. Dawn looked down at the box, puzzled, as if she'd been outside of herself and remembered very little. She stood up, dusting her butt off, suddenly grossed out by her surroundings.
"Dawn, what are you doing here?" Lily asked as she strolled down the aisle, gazing at the eerie décor.
"Oh, um.I just come here to, you know.think and stuff." "Well, let's go, this place has a weird Manson family vibe going on." "Yeah, alright."
Dawn slipped the golden box into her back pack and the pair exited back into the safety of sunlight.
"What was that you were messing with in there?" "Oh, some stupid box. I dunno, I think it's a puzzle or something. Anywho, what'd I miss in first period?" "First period? Dawn, you've been gone half the day!" "What?" "Yeah, it's already Lunch!" "Whoa."
Dawn's head began to dig within itself, trying to figure out what was going on. Why it seemed as if she'd only been there a few minutes. Why had it seemed so long?
"How'd you find me?" "Oh, when you didn't show up for class, I asked a few people. Clarissa told me she saw you go this way, towards the graveyard." "Oh." "Yeah, well, we should head back to school. Lunch is over in a few minutes."
The girls picked up the pace and rushed through the grassy, secluded graveyard, across the parking lot, and back to school. The images and thoughts still lingered in the back of Dawn's mind, gnawing at her all the way to school, and throughout the rest of the day.