Chapter Eight
Urgency. Compulsion. Ambiguity.
There was something she was supposed to do. Something she was expected to know. Something she'd forgotten. But there was nothing. She'd done all that she was instructed to do, performed all that was expected of her. There was nothing left to do or say or remember. But something still pulled at the furthest reaches of her mind. Searching the black cloud that had consumed her thoughts Willow tried to extract that lingering thread of awareness – the attempt was made vainly.
Her mind turned away and Willow was abandoned, once more, to the horror's surrounding her. Skies of fire and meadows of death and decay. A desert of corpses and an ocean of misery. Winds of rancid pungency and bouquets of rotting flesh. No beauty. No sanity. No life. Only suffering and demise.
Lifting her eyes to the slate mist ardently latched onto the burning existence before her Willow clung to the pulsating orb between her palms, its warm glow encasing her frail body. Screams of pain. Cries of fury. Howls of surrender. Whimpers of dying hope.
Deep within her Willow felt someone, something, draining the spark from her blood, her breath, her life. She felt her mind, her thought, her consciousness all surrender to its will and desire. She felt her life being torn from her but couldn't remember how to fight it, or if she should.
Chagrin. Relinquish. Despair.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Daddy's little tree is being pulled away," Drusilla spoke in a sing-song voice. "She's not fighting anymore. She's lost hope."
Tearing his eyes away from Willow's form Angel looked at Drusilla who was grinning down at the slight redhead. "Tell me what to do, Dru."
Touching Willow's cheek Drusilla closed her eyes and began to slowly sway atop her feet. "It's so cold, my Angel. So cold and empty." Gasping she opened her eyes and met Angel's stare. "The flames have taken her, Daddy. She's lost in them and doesn't know how to find her way back."
"Tell me what to do," Angel demanded again. "Tell me how to reach her."
Stretching out her arm Drusilla said, "Take my hand and place your fingers against her brow."
Angel did as Drusilla told him, arching an expectant eyebrow at his childe. "Dru – "
"Hush," she hissed. "Daddy must me silent, Miss Edith. Daddy must listen to Dru." Angel nodded, lowering his eyes back to Willow. "Now close your eyes, my Angel. Close your eyes and see your redhead as you remember her. Place yourself at her side." Drusilla became to hum gently under her breath, the sound easing Angel's mind until the image of Willow beside him felt real. "Reach out to her," Drusilla whispered. "Take her hand and pull yourself to where she is. Be with your little tree. Be Willow."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
An icy chill ran down Angel's spine, prickling his flesh and churning his blood. Unneeded he drew a shuddering breath, bitter air reverberating through his lungs and choking in his throat. Allowing his eyes to flutter open Angel gasped.
Flames lurched from beneath the ground. Springs bubbled and spit black, oily water. Fields of blood-stained sands spanned further then his sight. Mounds of burning flesh rose smoke that sickened him. Pushing himself to his feet, standing atop quivering legs, Angel looked upon the land before him in utter disbelief.
Angel had been to Hell and suffered there for over a century but he had never, in his entire existence, witnessed such absolute agony and ruin. Someone, something, had torn away and destroyed all light, all bliss, all soul. Daring a step Angel lifted his eyes and glimpsed a veil of bleary fog enfolding the whole of the fire-fed land and felt its potency, its evil lace through his veins.
Angel stood amidst the epitome of nightmare and fear. He stood in isolation and abandonment. He stood in the cage that entrapped Willow.
Turning his eyes away from the veil Angel drew another breath, forcing his trembling body to still. Willow was there, somewhere, and he was going to find her. Find her and bring her back from the grasp of the monster that held her; from the monster that was drinking from her essence and stealing her life. Angel would rescue Willow even if it meant losing his own life.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"What happened to him?"
"He's gone to where she lies."
"What have you done to him?"
"Daddy is going to find his little tree and bring her back."
Buffy starred, horrified, at Angel's still form draped over Willow's body. Warm tears slipped from her cheeks, her head hung and her arms draped hopelessly at her sides. Buffy was at a loss. Willow was still lost in her own mind and Angel, apparently, had gone after her while she could still do nothing to help either of the people she loved. Resting her gaze atop Drusilla's Buffy could nothing but weep.
"Do not fret, Slayer," Drusilla comforted. "My Angel will bring her back to you."