She doesn't remember how she came to be here, cold and naked on a strange bed. Looking out the window, she sees rain. 'It never rains in Sunnydale', she thinks.
She gets on her knees, feeling for a light switch in the dark room. Finding one, she flips it on. After her eyes adjust to the light, she is mesmerised by her hand. A strange henna tattoo. She doesn't remember getting it done. Did she and Dawnie go the mall last night?
No, Dawnie was still angry at her.
The pattern flows down her arm. She sees now that it covers both of her arms. Maybe this was Rack's doing. It was pretty though.
Slipping her legs off the bed, the wooden floor surprises her. "Where am I?" She finally wonders aloud. Her clothes nowhere in sight, she wraps the comforter around herself as she stands up. Taking small, slow steps over to the window, she looks down on the garden below.
A small group of adults in black robes is walking out. They don't look familiar at all. Biting her lower lip, she searches the faces she can see for some hint of who they might be. She and Xander used to do that on Parent-Teacher Night, trying to match up their classmates with the right parental units.
Some more people come out and she sighs happily. Giles! He hasn't turned around, but she knows it's him. Did he bring her here? Did something happen to the Gang? She taps at the window frantically, trying to get his attention. The woman he was talking to must have heard it, because she taps him on the shoulder, pointing up towards the window.
Giles looks up at her and it's like a punch to her gut. Then the voices start.
"I'm here to help you."
"That all you got, Jeeves?"
"You're gonna stop me by telling me you love me?"
"But the thing is, yeah, I love you."
Everything comes flooding back. She steps back quickly from the window, trying to find her way back to the bed. The blood, Tara's blood. It was all over her. So much blood. Giles bleeds and Xander bleeds.
She screams, trying to rub the henna off. It won't come off. She spits on her hand, trying to wash it off. "Get off. Have to get it off. Blood on my hands. Have to get it off."
She gets on her knees, feeling for a light switch in the dark room. Finding one, she flips it on. After her eyes adjust to the light, she is mesmerised by her hand. A strange henna tattoo. She doesn't remember getting it done. Did she and Dawnie go the mall last night?
No, Dawnie was still angry at her.
The pattern flows down her arm. She sees now that it covers both of her arms. Maybe this was Rack's doing. It was pretty though.
Slipping her legs off the bed, the wooden floor surprises her. "Where am I?" She finally wonders aloud. Her clothes nowhere in sight, she wraps the comforter around herself as she stands up. Taking small, slow steps over to the window, she looks down on the garden below.
A small group of adults in black robes is walking out. They don't look familiar at all. Biting her lower lip, she searches the faces she can see for some hint of who they might be. She and Xander used to do that on Parent-Teacher Night, trying to match up their classmates with the right parental units.
Some more people come out and she sighs happily. Giles! He hasn't turned around, but she knows it's him. Did he bring her here? Did something happen to the Gang? She taps at the window frantically, trying to get his attention. The woman he was talking to must have heard it, because she taps him on the shoulder, pointing up towards the window.
Giles looks up at her and it's like a punch to her gut. Then the voices start.
"I'm here to help you."
"That all you got, Jeeves?"
"You're gonna stop me by telling me you love me?"
"But the thing is, yeah, I love you."
Everything comes flooding back. She steps back quickly from the window, trying to find her way back to the bed. The blood, Tara's blood. It was all over her. So much blood. Giles bleeds and Xander bleeds.
She screams, trying to rub the henna off. It won't come off. She spits on her hand, trying to wash it off. "Get off. Have to get it off. Blood on my hands. Have to get it off."