Disclaimer: I don't own or profit from BTVS or anything represented in this chapter.
Nightmare 2.0
Cordelia gasps as she opens her locker and saw something that left her in dismay. She frantically reaches out for her comb to try and remedy the situation.
"I don't understand, this can't be happening I was just at the salon," Cordelia winced in pain as the comb broke off in her hair. "Ohhhh, this is really bad Karma, Jessica I will never make fun of your hair again," She started crying as she tries to pull at the brillo pad that was her hair.
~&~
When Buffy went after little Billy coma boy, she found out who had beaten her classmate up, the hard way. She turned as Billy screamed that the ugly man was here and was knocked out of her seat violently. She tried to fight back but the ugly man was excessively strong and he continues to beat her with his bat shaped arm. Buffy dodged another blow and decided it was time to count her loses and follow Billy's lead and run.
As Buffy escapes with Billy, Willow, Xander and Jessica were having their own nightmarish adventures.
Giles and Xander decide that it would be wisest to split and look for Buffy so the two of them split leaving a scared Jessica and Willow behind.
"Faster, but not really safer," Willow stammers as she looks at Jessica expecting her to leave also.
"Don't look at me I'm not going anywhere by myself, you know who the first person to get slaughtered in horror movies, the black girl," Willow rolls her eyes and starts out to search for Buffy with Jessica close on her heals.
Willow and Jessica head down the stairs of the high school and notice a Mormon dressed Cordelia Chase with a mop on her head and several nerds are dragging her along.
"No I don't want to go, I'm not even on the chess team, I swear I'm not," Cordelia cries out hysterically, and then she looks up to notice Jessica and Willow staring and she broke free of their grip. She ran over to a bemused Jessica and practically fell on her knees before her.
"Please Jessica, I'm sorry I made fun of your hair, turn me back please. I saw that movie last year; I know this is some type of spell you did to get back at me for what I said. Please…," She never got a chance to continue her pleas as several of the chess team came, pick her up, and drag her kicking, screaming and clawing into the chess tournament.
Jessica fell to the floor laughing her ass off as Willow merely watched with quiet amusement. Then someone in the basement called their name and Willow opens the door and looks down into the dark abyss. Willow starts to go down the stairs when Jessica grabs her and quickly slams the door.
"What's wrong with you Willow? You never go down in a dark basement when someone calls your name and you're in the middle of a nightmare world," Jessica finally took a breath when she finishes her frantic statement.
"What if that's Buffy down there? She may need our help," Willow says as she is slowly losing patience for her jumpy friend.
Jessica thought about that and saw the logic, she sighs and removes herself from the door as Willow opens it and the voice calls out to them once again.
"Buffy?" Willow calls out questioningly as a horror struck Jessica peeps over her shoulder and into the darkness.
Both began to walk down the flight of stairs, Jessica tightly holding onto Willow's shoulders as they went.
"Hello, Buffy?" Willow shook off Jessica's hold as it became increasingly painful.
They reach the bottom of the stairs and look around seeing no one. "I'm not afraid," Willow said trying to gain a little courage. "You'd think I'd be afraid but I'm not."
"Really, that's nice, CAUSE I AM!" Jessica yelled.
Willow wills around and put a hand over Jessica's big mouth. "Shhhh, do you really want to call attention to us if this isn't Buffy?"
"Bimf mhes besmt bummy?" Jessica said under Willow's hand, Willow laughed slightly as Jessica tries to hold a conversation with a hand clamped over her mouth. Willow's amusement subsides and she removes her hand from her loudmouth friend.
"You said that it was Buffy down here," Jessica whispers in indignation.
"No, I said that it might be Buffy down here," she turns to continue her search of the basement as Jessica rolls her eyes and follows suit.
"Oh, Okay that makes this whole situation better," she says sarcastically.
They continue walking the length of the basement in search of whoever called their name, when suddenly someone reaches out and grabs them. They both scream as someone hauls them off into the darkness.
"Man I thought you weren't going to show," Said the man yanking a petrified kimono wearing Willow into a dressing room, she frantically looks around for Jessica but there is no sign of her.
"Aldo is beside himself," he explains to her as an announcer begins to introduce two of the world's greatest singers.
"I hope you're warmed up, it's an ugly crowd out there," he says as he leads her to the stage. "All the reviewers showed up."
'All the way from Firenze, Italy, Aldo Gianfranco and all the way from Sunnydale, California, the world's finest soprano Willow Rosenberg!' The announcer said her name as Willow looks wide eyed through the curtain at thousands of onlookers.
She starts to back up as the crowd cheers. "But… I didn't learn the words," the man rolls his eyes and pushes her out onto the stage.
Aldo starts to sing brilliantly in Italian as Willow stares in disbelief of her situation. He finishes his verse and the spot like beams down on Willow as everyone waits expectantly to hear her brilliant soprano voice. She looks around nervously for Jessica as the quiet in the auditorium is deafening. Aldo realizes she has frozen up and continues on to his next verse, he finishes hoping his partner is ready for her solo.
Willow looks at him then the audience, then back to him again. "My Turn?"
"Mm-hmm," Aldo mumbles with an air of disgust and anger.
Willow opens her mouth wide and lets out an ear-splitting squeak hurting everyone's ears. The crowd starts to laugh and then someone boo's.
"Boo, get off the stage, we want Jessica 2.0," Willow looks down right in front of the stage where three people she could have sworn looked like Darth Vadar, Arnold Jackson in a Dracula cape and assistant Principal Snyder are standing.
The stage and auditorium seem to morph into something quite different. The stage morphed into a platform with green and red lighting with a catwalk and a stripper pole. The audience turns from a quietly sitting bunch to a ruckus bunch of men with dollars in their hand. They surround the stage chanting Jessica's name.
Music started to fill the air once more but this time it was not the soothing muse of Operatic delight but foot tapping sounds of Maniac. As the beat filled the room, Jessica suddenly slid down the pole in all her bikini-clad glory startling Willow in the process.
Just a small town girl
On a Saturday night
Looking for the fight of her life
In the real time world
No one sees her at all
They all say she's crazy
She did a few rounds on the silver pole as the men threw dollars at her. A chair suddenly appeared on stage and Jessica began to dance around it with a heated fever.
Locking rhythms to the beat of her heart
Changing movement into light
She has dance into the danger zone
When the dancer becomes the dance
If Willow had not seen the sickened look on her face she would have thought she was enjoying herself. The men around her watch in lustful glee as Jessica body movements entice them into a frenzy and toss money like it grew on trees.
It can cut you like a knife
If the gift becomes a fire
On the wire between will
And what will be
She's a maniac
Maniac on the floor
And she's dancing
Like she's never danced before
She's a maniac
Maniac on the floor
And she's dancing
Like she's never danced before
She straddles the chair and grind like there is no tomorrow and she spreads her legs as if doing the splits and shimmies back almost doing a back bend in the process. She rights herself and points at each man as she continues to dance on the chair.
On the ice blue line of insanity
Is a place most never see It's a hard won place of mystery
Touch it but can't hold it
You work all your life For that moment in time
It could come or pass you by
It's a push, shove world
But there's always a chance
If the hunger stays the night
She briefly leaves her chair and dances the length of the platform swaying her hips as the men scream her name and reach out for her.
There's a cold kinetic heat
Struggling, stretching for the peak
Never stopping with her head against the wind
Jessica returns to her chair and lies down pulling the string that appeared above her. Water came as a flood from the sky and poured over her bronze bikini clad skin.
She's a maniac,
maniac I sure know
Like she's never danced before
She's a maniac, maniac
I sure know
And she's dancing
Like she's never danced before
She stretches her leg nearly over her head while arching her back ending her act, the men roared and threw more money at her, and Willow gulps as the water had suddenly made Jessica show more skin than she intended, as it was now see through.
Snyder breaks through the crowd, rushes the stage, grabs Jessica by her waist and kisses her passionately. Jessica throws up in his mouth before the bouncers drag him off the stage. Willow rushes forward, grabs her by the hand, and runs off the stage.
Jessica and Willow run out of the door as several men including Darth Vadar Chase them. They turn and run right into a fleeing Xander, Jessica trying to hide herself and her costume behind Willow.
"Did you find Buffy," Xander asked as he caught a glimpse of Jessica.
"I had to sing, very bad, to sing," Willow said in horror.
Xander raises an eyebrow and looks directly at the bikini wearing Jessica. "And what did you have to do little girl,"
"I don't want to talk about it, EVER!" Jessica starts to dry heave as memories off the forbidden kiss start to flood her mind. Xander smiles despite the current situation but he sobers quickly as his thoughts turn to the nightmare that was chasing him right at this moment.
"Come on let's find the others and on the way maybe find you some cloths," he takes hold of Willow and Jessica's arm and starts to pull them down the hall.
Willow knew something was wrong, with the look on Xander's face, something was terribly wrong. "What happened to you?"
"Remember my sixth birthday party?" Xander stops for a moment and Willow starts to laugh hysterically. Jessica took this moment to look through the opened lockers to see if she could find some cloths all she found was a leather jacket.
"Yeah, when the clown chased you and you got so scared that you went…," Willow stops laughing as she realizes the implications of what she was describing. "Oh," she said as she frowns at Xander.
Jessica went rigid; she slowly turns to them as she put on the leather jacket and squeaks in a still small voice. "Clown?" It was also not lost on Jessica that since this whole mess began; she somehow made everyone's nightmares that much worse as they seem to morph into her own.
Maniacal laughter fills the air and sounds of a butcher knife as said clown came walking towards them. Willow, Xander and Jessica all scream and turn to run and bump right into Giles.
"No sign of Buffy," Giles says as he looks at them wondering why they were running and why the bloody hell Jessica was in a bikini and leather jacket, then his eyes catch sight of the clown and he screams.
Aah! Willow screams louder as the trio push past him almost knocking him down, but he rights himself and turns to run with them.
Jessica starts to worry, the thoughts going on in her head she tries desperately to wipe clean. She knew if Xander's nightmare morphs into her own they would all be doomed. "Oh please don't let that happen," she whispers to herself as she and her friend's flea.
All of the sudden Xander turns, tired of his silly fears. Giles, Willow and Jessica stop also wondering what was going through his mind to make him stop running from the killer clown. Xander advances on the clown and as it raises its knife Xander cleans its clock.
"You were a lousy clown. Your balloon animals were pathetic, everyone can make a giraffe," Xander yells at the out cold clown.
He turns back to his friends and they start to exit the school and stop short as many colorful balloons start to block their path and line of sight. Several of the balloons burst and blood splatters all over the walls.
Willow gasp at the blood on the wall and Xander went pale. "I hope that's not what I think it is whose nightmare is this because this just became a wee bit creepy."
"What are you on about Xander it's just balloons," Giles said not able to see the blood on the wall.
"I think you need to take your glasses off and clean them again G-man," Xander said as he eyed him.
Jessica visibly starts to shake from the fear that she was feeling, she slowly turns around and her blood ran cold as she laid eyes on one of the most terrifying clowns in history.
"Hello J-e-s-s-i-e," It said her name in the most terrifying raspy voices. "Do you want it," It asked as it offers her a balloon and tries to get her took look deep into her eyes. She refuses to go there.
Xander follows her line of sight and almost dies of horror. This clown was way creepier than his clown was; nonetheless, it was just a clown. "Oh joy yet another creepy clown to knock down,"
Xander tries to advance on Pennywise but Jessica stops him. "That's no ordinary clown Xander, That's pure unadulterated evil," it gave Xander pauses to see the complete and utter fear in Jessica's eyes and he backs off not having to be told twice.
"Come on Xander, Willow, they all float down here," It said as its teeth grew and the clown focused his attention on Jessica whose fear seems to give him strength.
"How does it know our names?" a fearful Willow asks.
"How does what know your name?" Giles looks around trying to see what they saw but failing.
Jessica turns to her friends. "I think you three should go find Buffy and try to figure out how to end this. I'll try to keep Pennywise occupied and away from everyone," before anyone could argue with her she picks up a rock and let her faith fly as she threw it like a major league baseball player. It hit Pennywise in the center of its forehead and it roars as it broke the skin and went straight through, and an eerie bright light explodes from its head.
She ran out of the building knowing that pennywise would follow her. He was her nightmare. She ran as fast as she could away from the high school she looked over and saw that there was a cemetery across the street bathed in darkness. She ran towards it wondering when they built a cemetery across from the High School and why was it nighttime there when everything else is in total daylight. She ran right through the hedges that block her way and glances behind her to see if It is following her.
There was no sign of it but she could feel that it was not far behind she continues her trek through the cemetery when she froze in her tracks. She watches in total horror as that creature she had dreams about tossed a screaming Buffy into an open grave and starts to bury her.
"Buffy!" Jessica yells to her friend and starts to run to help her but several legs kick her into a gravestone knocking the wind out of her.
She slowly turns and saw the giant spider coming toward her with the glowing underbelly. She screams and clamps her eyes shut as it hovers over her. She knew if she gazed into the immense light of It's underbelly that she would be lost forever so she dare not open her eyes.
She heard someone walking towards them laughing as he went. "You brought a pet for me, how thoughtful of you," She heard the master say still not daring to open her eyes and look upon two of her worst nightmares.
Several seconds pass as she lay their shaking wondering what in the hell they were doing. If they were going to kill her, she wished that they would get it over with and not let her lay there soaking in her own fears.
After a few more second she heard It walking away she slowly opened one eye and watched the eight-legged creature disappear into the night. A deep dread slowly and painfully forms in the pit of her stomach, feeling that she hadn't seen the last of this awful creature and whatever it did next would be her fault for bringing it to life.
Jessica's head turns slowly to look right into the face of a grinning Master vampire. "We have much to talk about Jessica, but we need a little privacy," He grabs her by the hair and began to drag her out of the cemetery and deeper into the darkness of some remote woods. Jessica's screams pierces the heavens and then slowly dissipates as he pulls her deeper into the darkness and then you could hear her no more.
~%~
Giles, Willow and Xander walked into the darkness of the cemetery looking for Jessica and Buffy. They begin to look around for any sign of the two of them as Giles private fear takes hold of his heart.
"Whose nightmare is this?" Xander asks.
"It's mine," Giles says as he reads the head stone before him. Buffy Summers, 1981-1997, Rest In Peace. His heart breaks.
Xander and Willow look on with despondent expressions as they walk up to the site. Giles falls to his knees in defeat.
"I failed, in my duty to protect you. I should've been more cautious…, taken more time to train you. But you were so gifted. And the evil was so great. I'm sorry," Giles reaches up to pat the fresh dirt and they all scream when a hand reaches up from the grave and pulls itself out.
"Buffy?" A frightened Giles asks as Buffy dust herself off holding her head down.
Buffy finally holds her face up and they all gasp as she is in full vamp face. "Thought I was dead."
"Buffy your face," Willow horror filled voice exclaims and Buffy reaches up to feel her new look.
"Oh God," She starts to shake and breath heavily as Xander starts to walk towards her.
"Buffy," Xander says with deep sympathy.
"Don't look at me," Buffy turns away from them in shame.
"You never told me you dreamt of becoming a vampire," Giles says as he walks up to her.
"This isn't a dream," she shakes her head vehemently yet she still held it down not wanting to look at her watcher.
No, no it's not, but there's a chance we can make it go away," Giles began to explain that he believes that if they could get Billy to wake up that this all could be reversed. He asks if she could hold out long enough for them to accomplish their mission.
"Yeah, I-I think I can. But we better hurry… cause I'm getting hungry. She says as she stares at Willow and Xander.
"That is a, joke, right?" Xander nervously asks her as they all follow her to the hospital.
Buffy and the gang reach Billy and she fights with the ugly man again and defeats him and then Billy figures out what he has to do, unmask the ugly man, and wakes up.
Everything goes back to normal and they find out that it was Billy kiddie league couch that had beaten little Billy into a coma and they arrest him.
Buffy turns to her friends and finally realizes that one was missing. "Oh God, you guys where's Jessica, I think I remember her yelling my name as the Master was burying me," She pauses and starts to cringe. "If the Master got a hold of her who knows what he could have done? We have to find her."
Meanwhile deep in the woods a lone girl lay there unconscious. She wakes up kicking and screaming and crying over the horrors of what almost happened to her. She looks down at herself and finds that she is in her original cloths and she starts to walk home shaken from her ordeal.
Buffy and the gang make it to the Cine residents and knock fervently on the door. No one answers; they knock again still no answer. They figure that Mr. Cine is still at work. However, where is Jessica? The fear that they may have lost their friend overtakes them and then a familiar voice greets them
"Hey guys, I see that Buffy was successful in stopping the nightmare world," she looks deep into Buffy's eyes and starts to cry. "Thank you," and then she collapses, Buffy caught her before she could hit the ground and looks at her friends.
"What did he do to her?" she asks them barely over a whisper.
It belong to Stephen King and the song Maniac is by Michael Sembello