CHAPTER SEVEN - THE CAR CRASH CONCLUSION
In a bright flash of light Willow was transported back through her life. She relived past experiences as if they were happening for the first time. The sights, the smells, the sounds, they were all real. Then they were gone and she was back in reality. She saw the car speeding towards her and she slammed on the brakes and yanked the steering wheel. The driver of the other car did the same. There followed a few seconds of sublime silent ballet as the two cars spun in an orchestrated display worthy of an Olympic gold. Dust bellowed up as the tires spun on the side of the road engulfing the spectacle. Then it was over.
Slowly the dust settled to reveal the two cars staring at each other in the middle of the road with only a hairbreadth apart. A door opened and a dazed Xander stepped out and stood clutching the back of his head. He moved to the front of the car seeing the tiny gap of air between them. He looked back at Willow and the other girls, "Everyone okay?" He asked.
Willow checked herself for blood or pain but found none. She looked back at Buffy and Dawn who were doing the same. They also found none, or in Buffy's case nothing new, and Willow shouted back to Xander, "We're fine."
They all turned their attention to the other car. It was a small red Ford, the kind of car a professional woman gets because it looks cute. The sun shone directly onto its windscreen stopping Xander from getting a look at the driver. "Are you okay?" He called out to the car. There was no response. He turned back to his car and shrugged. Willow motioned him forward. He looked confused. She motioned him forward again. He looked confused again. She wound down her window, stuck her head out and said in a rather annoyed tone, "Go see if he's okay."
"Oh." Said Xander as if he had just worked out who hit Colonel Muster over the head with the candlestick in the drawing room. He didn't move however. He just stood there. Willow became exasperated and motioned him forward again. Xander looked confused for a split-second before realisation hit him and he began walking towards the other car.
Inside his car Willow turned round to face the back and said, "You know, I love Xander but he sure can be incredibly stupid sometimes." She looked for a smile of agreement from Buffy but there wasn't one there. That's strange, she thought. Buffy is always ready to make fun of Xander, in fact, she's usually the first one to do so. Maybe her hand is hurting more than she is letting on. Willow turned her attention to Dawn for the elusive agreement she sought. This is very strange. Dawn looks as if I have stolen her favourite blue top, which I haven't. It's just resting in my wardrobe. Honest. Anyway, she doesn't know about that. Why is she looking annoyed? Maybe she does know.
Xander shielded his eyes from the bright reflective glare on the car. He approached cautiously. He didn't know why. He had no reason to think that there was anything else but an injured driver in that car but then in Sunnydale you learn to expect the unexpected. He inched closer to the car. He could feel his shirt becoming damp from sweat. Damn heat. His heart began to beat loudly. Thud, thud, thud. That can't be good. Thud, thud, thud. He inched closer. The reflection of light on the car was blindly. He had to squint hard just to see anything. His heart began beating louder and louder. It was at this point that his mind flashed back to just before the brick hit him in the back of his head. He saw Buffy. He heard himself say, 'I love you'. Thud, thud, thud. His heartbeat quickened further. Blood rushed to his face. His cheeks became bright red. He could feel the heat they produced. Sweat dripped down his body. He was now at the side of the car. He leaned in on the window. He cupped his hand round his eyes and looked in. It was Giles.
In a bright flash of light Willow was transported back through her life. She relived past experiences as if they were happening for the first time. The sights, the smells, the sounds, they were all real. Then they were gone and she was back in reality. She saw the car speeding towards her and she slammed on the brakes and yanked the steering wheel. The driver of the other car did the same. There followed a few seconds of sublime silent ballet as the two cars spun in an orchestrated display worthy of an Olympic gold. Dust bellowed up as the tires spun on the side of the road engulfing the spectacle. Then it was over.
Slowly the dust settled to reveal the two cars staring at each other in the middle of the road with only a hairbreadth apart. A door opened and a dazed Xander stepped out and stood clutching the back of his head. He moved to the front of the car seeing the tiny gap of air between them. He looked back at Willow and the other girls, "Everyone okay?" He asked.
Willow checked herself for blood or pain but found none. She looked back at Buffy and Dawn who were doing the same. They also found none, or in Buffy's case nothing new, and Willow shouted back to Xander, "We're fine."
They all turned their attention to the other car. It was a small red Ford, the kind of car a professional woman gets because it looks cute. The sun shone directly onto its windscreen stopping Xander from getting a look at the driver. "Are you okay?" He called out to the car. There was no response. He turned back to his car and shrugged. Willow motioned him forward. He looked confused. She motioned him forward again. He looked confused again. She wound down her window, stuck her head out and said in a rather annoyed tone, "Go see if he's okay."
"Oh." Said Xander as if he had just worked out who hit Colonel Muster over the head with the candlestick in the drawing room. He didn't move however. He just stood there. Willow became exasperated and motioned him forward again. Xander looked confused for a split-second before realisation hit him and he began walking towards the other car.
Inside his car Willow turned round to face the back and said, "You know, I love Xander but he sure can be incredibly stupid sometimes." She looked for a smile of agreement from Buffy but there wasn't one there. That's strange, she thought. Buffy is always ready to make fun of Xander, in fact, she's usually the first one to do so. Maybe her hand is hurting more than she is letting on. Willow turned her attention to Dawn for the elusive agreement she sought. This is very strange. Dawn looks as if I have stolen her favourite blue top, which I haven't. It's just resting in my wardrobe. Honest. Anyway, she doesn't know about that. Why is she looking annoyed? Maybe she does know.
Xander shielded his eyes from the bright reflective glare on the car. He approached cautiously. He didn't know why. He had no reason to think that there was anything else but an injured driver in that car but then in Sunnydale you learn to expect the unexpected. He inched closer to the car. He could feel his shirt becoming damp from sweat. Damn heat. His heart began to beat loudly. Thud, thud, thud. That can't be good. Thud, thud, thud. He inched closer. The reflection of light on the car was blindly. He had to squint hard just to see anything. His heart began beating louder and louder. It was at this point that his mind flashed back to just before the brick hit him in the back of his head. He saw Buffy. He heard himself say, 'I love you'. Thud, thud, thud. His heartbeat quickened further. Blood rushed to his face. His cheeks became bright red. He could feel the heat they produced. Sweat dripped down his body. He was now at the side of the car. He leaned in on the window. He cupped his hand round his eyes and looked in. It was Giles.