The coffin
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this fic. They belong to
Whedon and Mutant Enemy
Beta: KColl2003
Timeframe: After S7 Chosen
Warning: This is my first attempt at horror, kind of. I'm NOT gonna
tell if any of the characters are gonna die or not.
Summary: A strange coffin appears out of nowhere and keeps the group
busy.
Feedback: Please do
9.30 PM Scooby house in Cleveland
Xander gazed intently at the repairs to the living room bookcase. He didn't sense the shadow coming up behind him. It moved slowly forward until it reached his back.
Xander looked up from measuring a piece of wood, a sudden chill running along his spine. His head
snapped around to look into a pair of shining eyes. He jumped back, one of his working tools hitting the ground.
"Hey, Dawn."
The key grinned widely. "Hey, how're you doin'?"
"Fine. How's Dawnie?"
"Great!" The younger Summers looked at the bookcase. "Modern style?"
Xander grinned. "Just using some iron elements in it. Makes it more Slayer resistant."
Dawn smiled. "I heard rumors that you and Jane are gonna have a date tomorrow."
"Oh? Rumors? So, there are rumors about her and me?"
"Of course there are. Everybody can see how you look at her and how she looks at you. And she's cute."
"How would you know?"
"Hey, I can see when a girl is cute. Besides, Willow and Kennedy confirmed it."
Xander laughed. "Are they jealous?"
"What do you think? Like Hell."
His smile faded when a sudden flash lit up the room bathing it in red. Xander turned around, his
mouth dropping open as he saw a coffin shifting from out of nowhere into the middle of the room. He traced his eye over its metallic skin and over silver coloured flowers. He sniffed and couldn't place it other than that it smelled . . .sweet. Like perfume. He couldn't figure it out. It's as if he not only could smell something familiar, but also could taste it . . . even feel it.
.
*****
10.00 PM
Faith's slayer senses went wild as the coffin radiated an aura of pure love and hate. It was hate like she had never felt before, not even in her evil days. It was love she couldn't even dream of. She didn't know what it meant or if the others could feel it. She saw how the group stared collectively at the coffin. She looked carefully around, taking in their gazes, but their expressions didn't match with her own feelings. Only Xander came close. After having watched how several Slayers had tried to open it with every means possible she swallowed nervously and walked to the coffin. She closed her eyes and sniffed the air, it smelt like a thousand roses. But she also smelt blood and sex. She bent down and touched the coffin with one hand. Shocked she jerked her hand away as a burning pain rushed through her nervous system. In that same instant she also heard screaming voices. She took a deep breath and tried again. This time it was different. It felt pure and strangely enough human, as if she touched a soft skin. She loved it. It was addictive. She felt the skin shiver as she let her hands roam over the coffin. It was at its prime as she touched the first flower. She turned it and felt all the love fade away. She smiled proudly. She opened the coffin further and her eyes widened. "What the fuck!?"
***
More obsessed by how Faith was handling the coffin Xander hadn't looked inside. The carpenter looked around as he saw how the group gazed at the coffin, their eyes wide. He instinctively knew that it somehow had to do with himself. He moved one step to get a better view and felt his stomach curdle at the body lying wrapped half in a white shroud. Blood was everywhere. He saw why: one hand was missing from it's wrist. The body was staring upwards with one eye wide open.
Dawn squeaked while Willow screamed. "Xander!"
He felt everyone turn to him, but couldn't rip himself away from his own image. He gazed into the staring eye and just before he could free himself from the horror in front of him, he imagined that the eye moved to look back at him. It was filled with the deepest sorrow and agony that Xander had ever witnessed, as if the person in front of him had faced something beyond his worst nightmare.
