Chapter Twenty-Three

The room suddenly lit up and she saw a figure lying face down on the floor a few feet away. Angel. She shouted his name and ran up to him, turning him over in her lap. It was then that she realised her mistake. Angelus. He grinned evilly up at her, then pushed up off her lap and threw her across the room.

Angelus: Hello lover

Angel stood in a large hall and looked around him, confused. He was sure this wasn't supposed to happen. Though, to be fair, they hadn't really known much about what would happen. He heard a noise behind and turned around, his eyes widening in horror. He was suddenly standing in the dark alley, and there was Darla, stood in her dress, her hair piled on top her head, smiling coyly at him. He backed away when her face took on the change and she pounced on him, snarling.

Willow was standing in her old room in Sunnydale. She looked around, her brow furrowed. She'd been ready to fight some evil creature, then she'd ended up here. She blinked, but when she opened her eyes again, Tara was standing in front of her, her top bloody, more bloody than it had been when she'd died. Willow's mouth opened in a silent scream as Tara stepped towards her. She looked down at her own top and saw blood splatters all over it.

Tara: I loved you…you…you let me die…you couldn't save me…

Willow: I know you're not Tara. I know you're not. Tara's dead, and she wouldn't say those things to me

Tara was right in front of her now and she brought a hand up to stroke her cheek.

Tara: Does this feel like Tara?

She pressed her lips to Willow's softly, just the way Tara used to do, and Willow let out a small sob. She began to kiss her back when Tara pulled away and back-handed her across the face.

Tara: Bitch!

Spike was standing in Buffy's old bathroom. He tried the door but it was locked. He swore loudly when he realised what was going to happen. No, not this. He looked down at the floor and saw flashes of him on top of Buffy, but instead of her pushing him off, she lay trapped under him as he tore her robe off. He sobbed silently and closed his eyes. When he opened them, Buffy was standing in front of him, bloody and beaten, clutching her torn robe around her thin body.

Buffy: You raped me…you raped me

Spike: This didn't happen

Buffy: It did…you did it…I was screaming but you wouldn't listen…like you did to all those girls…so many girls…

Apparitions of all the girls began to appear, pushing him out of the now open door and into the bedroom. He found himself pinned down on the bed as they crawled on top of him, beating him with Buffy watching, a cruel smile on her face.

Faith was pinned to the wall, unable to move, as she watched Kakistos tear her Watcher apart, limb from limb. She tried to close her eyes but found herself incapable, forced to watch, and listen as the screams of her Watcher got louder and louder.

Giles cradled the dead Jenny Calendar in his arms, sobbing. He'd guessed he'd have to go through this again; when Xander said it was going to be a test of mental strength, he'd tried to prepare himself for this. But he could never be prepared. He felt her shift in his arms and opened his eyes, hopeful, when he was met by golden orbs.

Jenny: Hello Rupert