7

When I got back to the apartment that afternoon, I was still overwhelmed by everything that had happened at school.

My mother told me, "I got a call from your Aunt Joyce a few hours ago. Your Cousin Dawn is now undead, and she wants to talk to you."

"Dawn wants to talk?"

Mom nodded. "Over the phone." She sighed, "Vampires can't bite you over the phone."

I went into my room, took out my cell phone, switched it on and dialed my cousin's number. I put the device to my ear and listened to it ring a few times. Then I heard her voice.

"Hello." Dawn spoke. Her voice sounded no different than it had before. "Who is this?"

"Hi Dawn." I told her, "This is Joan, your cousin."

"Hi Joanie."

I said, "So how are you doing?"

"How am I doing?"

"Well, I'm not sure what to say. What do I ask?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well…how about…What's it like being undead?"

"What's it like? Well, not really all that different than when I was alive, except that I can't go outside in daylight, and that right now I'm really hungry."

I asked, "But you're not hungry for anything that comes with fries, are you?"

"That's right." She told me, "My appetite has changed. I'd prefer the warm, pumping blood of a dying human now."

"Is that including mine?"

Her voice now had a sad tone. "I'd still like us to be friends Joanie."

"Friends? So would I Dawn, but just how safe would I be?"

"Safe as before." She told me, "I'm just gonna nibble and sip whoever I bite, and only when there's someone around to count up to 'one thousand-ten'. I'm not gonna violate the Truce. And don't worry. My vampire appetite is heterosexual. I only want to bite studly guys to death."

"That's good to know. I think."

"Of course it would be nice if Mr. Goodbite had made you into my vampire buddy, so we could go hunting studs together."

"Thank you Dawn, but I'd prefer to spend the rest of my life here in Sunnydale alive."

"Sure Joan. I understand that, but things might not be that easy. Now that you're a hellmouth gal, you're expected to take part in helping keep the Truce."

"Forget that!" I told her, "On Saturday night I was a hellmouth gal, but just that once. I've decided not attend any more fang-bangs."

"Oh don't whimp out Joanie! No matter how horny or hungry the vampire guys are, they're not gonna violate the Truce."

"Does that really matter?" I said, "Buffy didn't violate the truce when she nibbled and sipped out Xander, and Mr. Goodbite didn't violate it either, when he did the same to you, but you and Xander are now vampires anyway."

"Xander too?" She sounded distressed.

"Oh." I asked her, "You didn't know? This is the first time you've heard about it?"

"Yeah." Now she sounded even more distressed. "I just un-deaded a few hours ago. All I know is what my Mom told me. And Buffy's gonna come over and talk to me, after it gets dark. Tell me Joan. Did it happen to anyone else; Anya, or Cordelia, or any of the other guys or girls at the fang-bang?"

"No. They're all okay and alive. It's just you and Xander who are undead."

Later that evening, I came out of my room, wearing ankle length slacks and a halter-top, along with a necklace that had a small cross dangling between the tops of my breasts.

I told my mother, "I'm going to be meeting Anya at the Bronze."

She gasped.

"It's okay Mom. This isn't a fang-bang night. That's reserved for weekends. Nobody gets nibbled on Monday nights."

"But are you sure you'll be safe anyway? Are you sure that vampires won't attack you, no matter what night it is?"

I touched the necklace and pointed to the cross. "This should be enough protection, as long as I keep it in plain sight."

"Are you sure of that?" She asked, "Now that you've been engaging in carnal sin?"

I let go of the cross and lowered my hand.

"I've repented." I told her. "I won't be fucking again until my wedding night."

She made a joke choking sound. "Yeah-right."

"Well," I told her, "at least I won't tonight. We'll be in a well-lighted public place, and tonight it'll be just us heterosexual gals."

Around 8 o'clock that evening, I arrived at the Bronze, a typical teen hangout, with a counter, tables and chairs, and booths alongside the walls. Recorded music was playing. This was a Monday night. The place was only about half filled with kids, mostly from Sunnydale High.

I looked around, searching through the familiar faces. Some of the kids were making out. I saw Cordelia in a booth, making out with Xander. They were actually tongue kissing. She was licking his new fangs with her tongue, but she wasn't holding back?

I'd also hoped to see God here in one of His familiar forms. I didn't see Him.

Then a girl seated at one of the tables raised her arm and waved at me. She was Anya. I went over to her. I stood beside the table and pointed.

"Do you see that? Cordelia's making out with Xander?"

Anya nodded. "Fang-bang's over. The random fking around only happens then. If you want to fk him again, or any other girl's boyfriend, that's the only chance any of us have."

"Forget it." I shook my head. "Not any more, now that he's a vampire. I'm sure that Cordelia's tasting his fangs. What is she suicidal?"

"No. Neither of them are gonna violate the Truce. He'll just be giving her nibble and sip later. She'll count up to 'One-thousand-ten' and he'll stop."

"But if he's a brand new vampire, who knows how hungry he'll be? He might be too hungry to keep the Truce, and just give her a hicky. That was all that Buffy gave him, and now he's a vampire."

Anya raised her hand and made a patting down gesture. "Relax. That won't happen here tonight. The Power of Evil is appeased."

"'The Power of Evil'? Appeased?"

I now sat down in the seat across the table from her. Anya was again wearingthelong chain necklace, with a serpent image on an amulet, dangling between her now halter-covered boobs.

I told her, "During the fang-bang, you had a large poster of the Hell Goddess Glory taped to the wall of your basement," I pointed, "and you were wearing that amulet, which is worn by her worshipers."

She stiffened up slightly. Then she said, "Oh? Is it?"

I nodded, "That might lead some people to think that while we took part in the fang-bang, we were also unknowingly engaging in idol worship."

"I wasn't." she told me. "Were you?"

"I said 'unknowingly'. I worship the Lord my God, and only Him. Tell me Anya, was the blood that was shed during the fang-bang, used as a sacrifice to satisfy the Hell Goddess Glory?"

"No." She snorted derisively. "At least as far as I know, it was used to satisfy the vampires." She laughed, "And you were very satisfied yourself."

"Yeah. We all were, but now the fang-bang is over, and my cousin and a guy who fkd me then are now both undead. Is that what it took to 'appease' the power of evil'?"

Anya said nothing. She just sat there, looking around nervously.

I asked, "Tell me Anya. Did Dawn and Xander die as sacrifices to the Hell Goddess Glory?"

She put her finger to her lips.

I said, "Then I'm right about that, aren't I?"

She warned firmly, "Keep your mouth shut, Miss Girardi."

Then she called out. "Hey Cordelia! Xander! We have to explain some things to the new girl!"

I looked over at the booth where Cordelia and Xander had been making out. The two got up and came over to our table, where they stood beside us.

Anya told them, "Miss Girardi here's wondering if Xander and Dawn died as sacrifices to the Hell Goddess Glory."

Now Cordelia leaned forward and spoke to me with a lowered voice. "You should have kept your mouth shut outside the Magic Box."

"Outside?"

"You spoke words that challenged the Power inside the shop. That provoked the Power, and the two of them died to appease the demonic force."

Now Xander spoke. "What I don't understand is why Dawn and I died and became undead, instead of her, when she was the one who provoked them."

"While Mr. Goodbite was nibbling and sucking me," I explained "I prayed to the Lord my God, and He had mercy and kept me alive. Then He allowed both you and Dawn died as my substitutes."