(Chapter One - - - - - - - - - -)
(THREE DAYS EARLIER . . . . . . . . .)
Buffy, Willow, and Xander sat around a table in the high school library, looking up the latest demon problem. Willow consistently bit her lip every time she flipped a page while Buffy tossed her hair over her shoulder every now and then and sighed.
Xander bounced his knee up and down nervously, or in boredom, and pretended to look like he was reading. Giles, meanwhile, was leaning on the counter reading a book in a language only he knew how to translate. All was quiet and the sun was taking its sweet time in sinking on the horizon.
Buffy finally couldn't take it anymore and slammed her book closed. Willow looked up startled and Xander just looked relieved he could close his book as well and not get malevolent glares from the three others.
"Did you find something?" Giles took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes.
"Yes." Buffy leaned back in her chair.
"What's that?" Giles straightened his back, his glasses dangling from his fingers, looking like he would drop them any second.
"I found out that we have to get out of here. I'm bored shitless." Buffy sighed and bit her lip slightly to apologize for her language.
"YES!" Xander stood and cheered, but noticed nobody else was doing it and in a pause of embarrassing silence slowly lowered himself back into his chair and folded his hands. Willow tucked a piece of hair that kept floating into her eyes every chance it got.
"Buffy . . . we have to find out what this demon is."
"Giles." Buffy stood and walked to the counter so she was right in his face. "The demon hasn't attacked me in two days. Two days, Giles. I don't think it's coming back after the butt whooping I gave it TWO DAYS AGO!" Buffy took in a breath and let it out slowly. Giles raised his eyebrow and ran his tongue over his lips.
"It's early still for vampires and I still want to research." Giles opened his book back up from when he closed it when he thought Buffy had found the answer. Buffy rolled her eyes and didn't walk away.
"Is there anything I can do?" she pestered. Giles sighed frustrated and looked up, obvious fire dancing in his eyes.
"You know that house that's said to haunted? Why don't you go up there and see if it's true. Bring a ghost expelling spell." Giles turned his back and walked to a different part of the counter meaning he was finished talking and wanted to be left alone.
Buffy snatched up her coat and threw it on. Her movements were quick and replicated shortly after by Xander.
"Come on Will. Let's go." Xander poked his friend. Willow bit her lip again and stood silently, snatching a book about ghosts off the shelf before pulling on her sweater.
"Aren't you coming?" Buffy asked Giles who looked up and smiled; as if she asked him the dumbest question he'd ever been asked.
"No. I'm not your Watcher anymore remember? Have a good time." Giles waved goodbye and turned his back again. Buffy moaned as the three friends slipped out the door.
(-----------)
Buffy trudged along the frozen ground, in the lead as usual. Willow and Xander were close behind her and Wesley was in the back, scrambling to catch up. Willow and Xander finally managed to keep in close stride with their friend and listened to the crunch of the frost-covered ground before speaking in hushed tones.
"I can't believe he had to come with me." Buffy complained.
"We could pull a prank on him. Scare him out of his wits. We'll get a good laugh and then we can do whatever we have to do with the ghost." Xander suggested. Willow looked to him from walking on Buffy's right side.
"Why kind of prank?" she asked suspiciously.
"Just get him to go in the house first and slam the door on him. Just to scare him. Relax Will. What could go wrong?"
"Yeah," started Buffy as they finally approached the decrepit house. "It'll probably turn out the house isn't haunted at all and it was just the wind. Sure why not."
"Oh, alright." Willow finally agreed as Wesley finally reached the slayer and her friends. They turned to him and Buffy smiled sweetly.
"Wesley. Since you're my Watcher, I think you should go in first." Buffy offered, hoping that would work. Wesley stared at her and spoke in between catching his breath.
"That doesn't make sense. Shouldn't you go first? I mean, you being the slayer and all?" Wesley scratched his head and surveyed the house. It was moldy and looked like it was taunting you; like it was looking down upon you. All the windows were either missing or covered in something thick and black and from the outside, the house smelled like rotting wood and decomposing plants that have been sitting on the forest floor untouched too long.
The ground around it was dry and damp at the same time and all the surrounding plant life had overgrown and died and the stairs looked like if a mouse set one paw on it, they would collapse into a rotten heap. The porch was just as old and smelly as the rest of the house and a rocking chair covered in cobwebs sat lonely in a corner.
The tree in front, proud but dead, let what branches it had left sway in the wind away from the house as if warning the four people to leave, that this wasn't even something a slayer should try to handle. A rat scurried by and now even Buffy was slightly regretting what she had to do but didn't let that feeling make home in her for too long.
"I was kidding. Actually, I need you to go inside first and light this candle . . ." Buffy reached her hand behind her until she felt Willow place a bulky, thick candle in her palm. She brought her hand out in front and handed the candle to a reluctant Wesley.
"Alright." Wesley agreed, but eyed them skeptically as he approached the decaying steps. He managed to climb them without breaking them; it was when he got to the porch where it began to go downhill. Wesley's first step was fine, but when he placed his right foot on the porch, it went through.
He stumbled and stopped himself from falling forward by grabbing the top of the railing that was strangely slimy with something he didn't want to know what it was. Buffy, Willow, and Xander winced slightly, not planning on that as they steadily made their way up the stairs and towards the porch.
"You okay?" Willow politely asked as Wesley pulled his foot out of the hole and stared down into it with disgust.
"Yes, thank you. I'll just, uh . . . pop inside and light the candle." Wesley turned the knob, which didn't fall off like he expected it to, and took a deep breath before stepping inside the dark house. Buffy, Willow, and Xander heard Wesley yell out before they slammed the door: "Wait! You didn't give me a . . . match!"
"Now!" Buffy whispered and they slammed the door shut and laughed when they heard Wesley yelp and stumble backwards. It was pitch black inside and he tripped over a bump in the rug. He landed hard on his butt, knocking the wind out of him.
"Very funny." Wesley could hear them laughing. "Very funny. You can let me out now." He pulled himself up and made his way to the door. He turned the knob but it wouldn't budge. On the outside, Xander tried the doorknob and found it wouldn't budge on his side either.
"I think we need a Buffy power kick." Xander moved over to let Buffy through. She kicked the door, only managing to accomplish bouncing back and falling backwards down the porch stairs. Willow rushed to her and Xander yelled through the door to Wesley. "We can't open the door."
"What!" panic began to rise in Wesley's voice. He turned and tried to survey his surrounding but could see nothing. All he knew was the room he was in smelled of dust and decomposing wood. He also, because of the echo, knew the floor he was on was just one large room. Eerie forms outlined disturbing images along the ceiling. Wesley shuddered and banged on the door. "Get me out!" he yelled.
Buffy looked up at Willow as she helped her up. She brushed herself off and checked to make sure she hadn't hurt herself more than a few bruises. Everything clear, she finally spoke.
"We have to find Giles." She announced. "Xander, come with me. Willow use your magic to try to open the door or to break the windows." Buffy began to run and Xander bounded along behind her, shrugging at Willow as he passed as if to say:
"One minute she wants to prank him and then she's in a rush to save him."
Willow sighed and walked to the door and began to chant.
Man, I'm sleepy. Yawn. R&R please and no flames!