Prologue
Gasping, Buffy sat bolt up right in bed. She felt cold sweat on nearly every inch of her body. Looking around wildly, as if expecting something to
jump out at her, she quickly ducked under the blankets of her bed.
'What are you doing, you're the slayer. Slayers don't hide under the
covers.'
Slowly, she got up. A loud crash sounded outside, and she jumped. Clutching
at her chest, she crossed over to the window, and looked out.
Glowing auras surrounded the street lamps, and in the light of some of
them, she was able to register the fact that thick sheets of rain were cascading from the sky. Letting out a sigh of relief, she crept over to the
door.
Creeping down the hall, she tried as hard as she could to push the bathroom
door open without making any noise. Once she was inside, she closed the door carefully, and looked into the mirror. The soft glow of the nightlight
illuminated her scared looking face.
As she leaned closer, she noticed that sweat wasn't the only moisture covering her. Her eyes looked red and puffy. As she touched her face, she noticed that the area just below her eyes was wet. Stunned, she realized
that they were tears.
Turning on the faucet, she splashed cold water onto her face. Getting a
small white face towel, she dried her face off. For a moment, she just
stood there. Feeling the towel's fuzzy reassurance.
Removing the towel, she silently returned to her room. She crawled back
into bed, and something on the wall caught her eye.
It was a shadow, a big scary shadow. Like the kind that she used to fear as a child. Remembering one night like this, when she had woken up suddenly,
for some unknown reason, she had seen a big shadow on the wall, and screamed, thinking it was some sort of monster. Her mother had run in to
see what was the matter.
"Buffy, it's just a tree outside there, see?"
It had been just a tree, but it had still terrified her.
"Am I a big baby?"
"Of course not Buffy, everyone gets scared sometimes."
"What if I get scared again?"
"Then just show it that you're not afraid."
"How?"
"Say: I'm not scared of you!"
Grinning at the memory, Buffy fixed her gaze on the shadow.
"I'm not scared of you." She whispered, before she rolled over, and drifted
back off to sleep.
Gasping, Buffy sat bolt up right in bed. She felt cold sweat on nearly every inch of her body. Looking around wildly, as if expecting something to
jump out at her, she quickly ducked under the blankets of her bed.
'What are you doing, you're the slayer. Slayers don't hide under the
covers.'
Slowly, she got up. A loud crash sounded outside, and she jumped. Clutching
at her chest, she crossed over to the window, and looked out.
Glowing auras surrounded the street lamps, and in the light of some of
them, she was able to register the fact that thick sheets of rain were cascading from the sky. Letting out a sigh of relief, she crept over to the
door.
Creeping down the hall, she tried as hard as she could to push the bathroom
door open without making any noise. Once she was inside, she closed the door carefully, and looked into the mirror. The soft glow of the nightlight
illuminated her scared looking face.
As she leaned closer, she noticed that sweat wasn't the only moisture covering her. Her eyes looked red and puffy. As she touched her face, she noticed that the area just below her eyes was wet. Stunned, she realized
that they were tears.
Turning on the faucet, she splashed cold water onto her face. Getting a
small white face towel, she dried her face off. For a moment, she just
stood there. Feeling the towel's fuzzy reassurance.
Removing the towel, she silently returned to her room. She crawled back
into bed, and something on the wall caught her eye.
It was a shadow, a big scary shadow. Like the kind that she used to fear as a child. Remembering one night like this, when she had woken up suddenly,
for some unknown reason, she had seen a big shadow on the wall, and screamed, thinking it was some sort of monster. Her mother had run in to
see what was the matter.
"Buffy, it's just a tree outside there, see?"
It had been just a tree, but it had still terrified her.
"Am I a big baby?"
"Of course not Buffy, everyone gets scared sometimes."
"What if I get scared again?"
"Then just show it that you're not afraid."
"How?"
"Say: I'm not scared of you!"
Grinning at the memory, Buffy fixed her gaze on the shadow.
"I'm not scared of you." She whispered, before she rolled over, and drifted
back off to sleep.