3

At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, I was in downtown Sunnydale, along with my new classmates Dawn and Anya, standing outside a small shop with the name "Magic Box" on a sign above the doorway. We were still carrying our books.

We'd just been to a local clothing store, where I'd bought myself a few halter-tops, which was all I had the money to pay for that day. I'd replaced my unexpectedly nerdy blouse, with what was "Sunnydale chic". I'd put the blouse in the shopping bag, along with the other halter-tops. Then I'd looked in a store's mirror, seeing myself in that very tight, brand new, revealing halter, and my old knee length skirt, and I smiled at what I saw.

"I actually look sexy," I told Anya and Dawn, "without even trying."

We'd come out of the shop and walked along Main Street. Some guys who I recognized from school were actually looking at me; and they were interested in what they saw. One of them was the guy who'd said that he'd like to welcome me with his dk.

I heard him tell the guys he was with, "That's the new girl. I'd like to give her a welcoming fk."

I couldn't help smiling. Hearing him say that this time, made me feel really good!

Then we stopped outside the Magic Box, and the good feeling ended. I stood there feeling very uncomfortable as I looked at the magic shop's window display, which contained books on witchcraft, pictures of goat headed devils, ouija boards, tarot cards, and other items dealing with the occult, including a very large, inverted crucifix.

What am I doing here? I wondered. I'm about to actually step inside a shop that sells these things that are used in black magic rituals?

Back in Arcadia, this would be one of the times when God would come to me in one of His familiar forms. I looked at the passing crowd, wondering if He'd be among them. Some passersby glanced at us three sexily dressed high school girls, but they all continued on their way.

The last time we met, I thought, God said that He was bringing me here, to make me the one who brings Salvation to the undead. That means that I might find all the information I need right inside this shop.

Now Dawn, Anya and I went through the doorway.

Once we were inside the Magic Box I looked around. I had entered a softly lit shop consisting of shelves displaying all kinds of black magic paraphernalia, along with ghoulish looking items, such as replicas of skulls, dismembered eyeballs, and other parts of human and non-human anatomies. There were occultic items, such as what was displayed in the window, along with things that I was unable to identify. There were many books about sorcery, the occult and "Books of Forbidden Knowledge" for anybody to purchase.

A section "For Adults Only" was located in a large alcove at the rear of the shop. From where I stood in the main area, I saw some of my under age classmates in the alcove.

I also saw a poster on an alcove wall, displaying the head shot photo of a woman in hear early thirties, wearing a tiara on her head. She held a cobra in her hands, while glaring angrily into its eyes. Above the photo, were the words, "Glory the Hell Goddess. To be Worshipped by all with Fear and Trembling!"

I suddenly felt myself trembling. Anya and Dawn looked at me, with amusement.

I told my two companions, "I hope you don't think I'm being a wussy, but everything in here is giving me the creeps. Like it's unbelievably evil. I feel like running outside, and getting as far away from this place, as fast as I can."

Anya spoke. "We are living on a hell mouth Joan, so the power of evil is much stronger here, than you'd find in most other places."

I told them, "I just want to buy that Vampires Handbook and get out of here real fast."

Dawn said, "Good idea for a newbee like you Joan."

I told them, "I suddenly feel like throwing up."

Anya chuckled. "Then you'd better wait for us outside. We'll get you the handbook."

I immediately went out the door. As soon as I stepped back out into the fresh air and sunshine, my trembling ceased, along with the nausea. I took a few deep breaths.

What the hell's going on? I wondered. Before we'd stepped inside, I'd been feeling so good. I'd heard that guy say that he wanted to fk me, and I accepted it as a wonderful compliment, and I'd love it if he eventually did. But when we'd stepped inside the shop all those good feelings were erased by an overpowering sense of helplessness before the power of evil.

"Power of Evil"? Yes. I hadn't been threatened in any way, but I'd never had such a strong feeling of total dread before, than when I was inside the magic shop.

I looked at the people walking by, hoping that God in one of his familiar forms, would step out from among them and come over to comfort me. That did not happen.

After what seemed like the longest five minutes of my life, Anya and Dawn stepped back outside, also taking a few refreshing breaths. Anya handed me a small paper bag, with a booklet inside. I reached in the bag, removed the booklet and looked at the cover.

The "Vampire's Handbook", was subtitled "Being a Vampire Doesn't Have to Suck". Under the subtitle was a cartoon smiley face with fangs. Under the smiley face was the blurb "What every new vampire should know."

Unexpectedly, I again had a strong sense of irrational fear, and began trembling once more. The Handbook I was holding began to shake. My two companions chuckled again.

"I don't know what's the matter with me!" I told them, "I'm just being overwhelmed by this supernatural evil."

"It's okay Joan." Dawn tried not to laugh. "We know how to handle it. All you need is to get yourself immunized, with just a little bit of natural evil. Then you'll be able to resist the really big, supernatural kind."

"Immunized with evil?"

"Right, and that won't be any problem here in Sunnydale. Once you get your neck nibbled on and blood sipped out by a vampire, you'll feel a lot more comfortable living here on the hell mouth."

"And if you get your first nibble and sip from 'Mr. Goodbite," Anya added, "You'll be grinning all the way home."

"Wait a minute." My voice shook. "If all I need is to be 'just a little bit evil', I already am. As a matter of fact, back in Arcadia I was a very bad girl."

Dawn smiled, "You were?"

"Yes." I told them, "And I won't have any problem being just as bad here. I used dirty words. I told lies. I cheated at school and I fkd my boyfriend." I lowered my voice. "I even shoplifted an item from a local store once, and didn't get caught. I even cursed at my mother. I think that makes me bad enough."

Dawn and Anya sighed, rolled their eyes and shook their heads.

"Sorry Joan." Anya told me, "Those things might have made you a very bad girl back in New Jersey, but if that's all you're gonna be doing here in Sunnydale, you're not even close. We're still gonna have to introduce you to Mr. Goodbite."

The truth, I thought, is that once God came into my life, I gave up using dirty words, lying, cheating, shoplifting, and cursing at my mother. I stayed a good girl, until I started fking Adam; totally ignoring God's teachings. Now He has me here in Sunnydale, where I'm discussing how to get bit by a vampire, safely?

"Hey Anyanka!" A girl's voice called out sharply from the passing crowd. "Dawn!"

A Sunnydale High girl stood in front of us, with a Sunnydale High guy at her side. She had stylishly set black hair, wore a light blue skirt that hung halfway down her thighs, and nothing above her belt, except a pearl necklace and pearl earrings, along with a mother of pearl bracelet. She did not have either a hickey or a bandage on her neck.

The guy at her side was the one who'd said that he'd like to welcome me with his dk. She looked at us three with a peeved expression on her face.

Anya and Dawn had both stiffened up.

Anya spoke with a tense voice. "Hi Cordelia. Xander."

The dark haired girl looked at me. "You're the new girl. My name's Cordelia Chase."

"Hi Cordelia." I looked uneasily at the guy beside her. "I'm Joan Girardi. I'm also Dawn's cousin."

"This is Xander. He's my boyfriend."

He said, "Hi." Then she put her arm around his waist.

Okay. I thought, No problem. I won't have anything to do with him. Maybe an occasional, shamelessly slutty thought, but nothing more than that

Cordelia ignored me and spoke to Anya and Dawn. "So what were you doing here in Black Magic Central?"

My two companions looked at each other uneasily, but said nothing.

I answered, "We've been shopping around. I've got myself a few halter-tops, to start building a new wardrobe that'll be appropriate for a Sunnydale High girl."

"Good idea." Cordelia said, "I think you'll look good wearing them."

Now Xander spoke. "I think you'd look good not wearing them at all. Just that skirt'd be enough."

I told him, "Thank you. I think."

Cordelia gave him a hard slap.

"Hey!" He said, "What'd you hit me for? If it's good enough for you, it should be good enough for every other girl in town."

I went on. "We came to this shop so I could get myself a copy of the Vampires Handbook. I hear it's recommended reading in this town."

"It definitely is," she said, "if you're gonna be hanging around with this pair of bimbos."

"Hey!" Dawn spoke sharply, "What do you want Cordelia?"

"Remember. Your sister Buffy's warned us all to stay away from this shop; so has the Watcher's Council. They've all said that there's an evil force inside this place that has to be avoided. If not, that force might open the hell mouth, and things will be who knows how many times worse, than they were before Buffy and the rest of us on her Team, negotiated that Nibble and Sip Truce with the vampires."

I asked, "My cousin Buffy took part in negotiating the Truce?"

Dawn said, "My sister Buffy is also the Vampire Slayer, or at least she was."

"You mean the 'Vampire Slayer' actually exists? And she's my cousin?"

"That's true." Anya said, "Or she used to exist as the Slayer. Once the Truce was signed, she was overjoyed to be able to finally put down her stake and retire from that career. Now she can go on to have a normal life, or unlife, like the rest of us here in Sunnydale."

Cordelia told me, "But if the evil force escapes from here, the Truce ends, and we all get sucked down into Hell."

I thought of the overpowering sense of evil I'd felt inside the shop. I decided not to wait to see if God would show up in one of His human forms. I tried to think of any Bible verse that dealt with this situation, and I remember something.

I turned to face the occultic display in the window of the magic shop and said, "The Lord rebuke you."

Cordelia shouted. "Don't say any more!"

I turned and saw her standing there with her hand raised, looking very distressed.

"What ever you do," she warned, "don't do or say anything that might provoke the demonic force!"

About a half-hour later, Dawn and I returned to the Summers' house, both carrying our books. I also carried the plastic bag containing my new halter-tops and the Vampires Handbook.

We stepped through the door and went into the kitchen where my mother was, with me wearing my brand new skimpy halter, and my old, knee length skirt.

My mother took one look at me and called out. "Oh my God!"

There was distress in her voice. "Why are you dressed like that? And where's the blouse you were wearing when you left this morning?"

"It's okay. I brought it back here with me." I lifted up the shopping bag. "This is the way that most of the girls at Sunnydale High dress. It's sort of their unofficial dress code."

"Yes. I've noticed." She said, "I actually saw some young women, including girls your age, walking around town bare breasted, in public."

"I didn't see anyone dressed that way, at least inside the school. But outside of school it's different."

Dawn explained, "There's no law against dressing, or not dressing, any way you want here in Sunnydale."

Mom sighed. "There doesn't seem to be any law against anything here in Sunnydale."

I said, "And I've been told that I'd look good dressed in only this skirt."

"Well I hope you're not planning to do so."

"Don't worry Mom. There's no law here that says I have to dress that way either, so I won't."

"That's good to know."

"At least not right away."