"Wake up Buffy." I hear his voice through the haze in my mind. I'm in the cemetery dressed in the dress I wore to the dance in my first year at Sunnydale with no shoes, I can't see anything but mist.
"You have to wake up Buffy." That voice again, echoing in my mind, who is it! No one is here, I'm alone just as I always am.
"Whose calling me? Just tell me who you are" Mist is surrounding me. It's too close its all too close!
"You know who I am." The mist moves all around me pulsating with this voice, this voice I know this voice!
"Angel?!" Red eyes appear in the mist as it clutches around my throat, it smells not of him, not of ice it smells of blood, death and decay. The smell is horrific the cemetery comes to life, hands shoot out of the grave grasping at the dirt, their muffled screams break the silence in the air. Breaking free of the mist I try and pull these people out of the ground, their hands fall off as soon as I hold them. No this can't be happening I'm meant to save them they have to be saved who are these people? Falling to my knees scraping at the dirt, no matter how much dirt I move it doesn't make a dent!
"Help me Buffy!" a muffled voice screams, I know that voice, but it can't be that voice she's alive she can't be dead. Looking up at the gravestone I know it's wrong, "Willow Rosenberg August 1st, 1981 – February 1997, Loving friend, well-loved and will be missed. Taken too soon by an Angel and his demon." No, no, no Angel didn't kill her he couldn't have I wouldn't have let him. This can't be happening, stumbling to the other graves I see the same message, Xander Harris, Cordelia Chase, Joyce Summers.. Taken too soon by an Angel and his demon. No, he wouldn't kill my mum, this isn't Angel. I would have stopped him I would never let any harm come to them.
"You're wrong Buffy you killed us" My mother's voice emanates as clear as day behind me, my mother and my friends are all behind her. They all look the same, deathly pale and vampire bites on their neck spurting blood and a stake in their heart, with the stake protruding out, blood drips down their clothes.
"What happened? Who did this to you?" Whispering through my sobs.
"You did this Buffy. Angel sired us and you killed us." Willow steps through the crowd, her wounds are different her neck has a line running all the way around it, with blood dripping down.
"You all said you would rather die than be a vampire I didn't want you to live in the dark. Who did that to your neck Willow?" I stutter
"I told you, that you were the one who couldn't kill him so he made you no choice but to kill us. He just wants you to be with him Buffy, by turning all of us into one of him then maybe his twisted love would show. He wants to isolate you Buffy and it worked you chose a monster over your friends. Now he has you, he was a saviour you are the demon." The soberness in her tone is heart wrenching.
"This can't be happening this isn't real. I'm the slayer I'm not a monster he is the one who took away your lives don't you understand?!" My tears won't stop, they won't listen to me I need to scream.
"You don't understand the moment you stood with that monster you became one." Xander speaks to me in monotone dull sounds.
"No, you don't understand I can't do this I tried to save you." Touching his arm, he looks me dead in the eyes.
"Not hard enough" The hand placed on my shoulder feels like ice, I know this hand, grasping his hand I sigh with relief.
"Angel?" Turning around to him all the hope leaves my voice those eyes are not his.
"Guess again, lover."
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Bolting upright in my seat at my desk, wait in my desk, I'm in class.
"Buffy, would you like to say something?" Mrs Smith looks up from the chalkboard in my direction, concern marring her face. Looking around I see all my friends Willow and Xander even Cordelia looking in my direction, mouthing concerns.
"No, I just had a bad dream, sorry." Laughing it off, I realise this has just been one bad dream there is no way any of the rubbish that has happened the past few days really occurred. The stress must be really getting to me, have to talk to Giles need to see if he is okay. Breathing a sigh of relief, I start to relax into my chair.
"Anything about me?" My heart freezes, turning to my right, I see him.
"No, you can't be here." I stutter standing up and walking down the aisles of the chairs and desks.
"Buffy what are you talking about?" Angelus asks concerned. Why is he dressed in school clothes, he doesn't wear clothes unless they hug his body these are teenager's clothes. This is a joke it's a dream wake up Buffy everyone else would be freaking out if this was real.
"You're not real this is a joke. Angelus get out of my dreams!" Nervous laughter doesn't appear to make him go away, everyone is looking at me strangely, what's going on?
"Buffy what are you talking about a dream?" Willow whispers to me, Mrs. Smith looks annoyed that I have interrupted the class, if this were a dream, why would she looked so annoyed.
"Ahaha dream Willow, we all know Angelus is a bloodsucking vampire who killed Ms Calender and tried to kill us multiple times. Yeah good joke, time to wake up Buffy!" Raising my voice, as I look around the room I see a smirk growing on Angelus's face.
"Buffy, we don't know what you're talking about, as you know Ms Calender killed herself at Mr Giles's house and Angelus has been enrolled in Sunnydale ever since you moved here. You two are quite the item. Are you feeling alright Miss Summers should I get him to accompany you to the school nurse so you are acting quite strange from your usual self?" Mrs Smith looks at me inquisitively placing a hand on my shoulder. I can't form words, this isn't happening.
"Yeah Buffy you're acting a bit funny why don't you get Angelus to take you to the infirmary." Willow offers.
Laughing is the only thing I can do.
"This is a joke this is a dream, right?" Tears spring to my eyes and everything and everyone freezes in time except for him.
"No, it's not, lover. Didn't you say you wanted a normal life, with a normal boyfriend. Well that is what I have bestowed upon you. I would do anything for you. That's what I'm doing now I'm stopping time for you, so you can adjust to your new life." Coming towards me hands outstretched to stroke my hair. I do the only think I can think of, run. Where can I run to, the library won't be safe he'll have Giles everyone is taken. The roof is the only safe place for me I just have to get up the stairs and around the corner. Skidding down the hall I see the entrance to the roof is blocked by Johnathan, I can take him on. Nearing closer I see his is shaking in his boots.
"Buffy don't come down here!" He's barking orders at me now.
"Why what will happen if I do? Will he kill me or has he ordered you to do it?" I shout back. It's then I notice he has a knife in his hand which is raises up, Jesus poor Johnathan Angelus must have told him to throw that at me!
"Don't worry this isn't for you, he said if you came within three feet of me I was to slit my own throat." Shakily he raises the knife to the throat and draws blood.
"Johnathon, I'm not going to come near you okay, you don't have to do this!" Halting in my tracks I raise my hands in surrender. How can I get out of this? But something isn't right about this situation "Why are you the only one who isn't under his spell"
"You know I'm a bit of a loner right, Angelus thought it would be best to have someone as he put it 'as pathetic as me' guarding the door, he said 'doesn't matter if you die, just want to see how far she will go to end this, will she kill you or find a way around you.'" Sweat is starting to form on his forehead and his voice won't stop shaking.
Think Buffy, what will you do, move forward and kill him or find a way around? Angelus is probably right on my tail, I don't have time for this. What would cool headed Giles and Kendra do. She would plough through and knock him unconscious, but I can't get close enough. How can I get him unconscious from here, without seriously injuring him. Looking around I try to be resourceful and see something I may give a shot. Slipping off my shoes I carry them in my hands, this should be heavy enough. Chucking it in the air a few times then catching it Johnathon gives me a look of confusion and lowers the knife a little, finally that is what I have been waiting for. Mustering as much strength as possible I throw the shoe and hit the hand holding the knife which falls out of his hand. Charging forward screaming like a banshee, Johnathon still looking for the knife I tackle him to the ground.
"Sorry about this." Is all I can say as I knock him unconscious.
"And darling can't wait to see you" Wafts through the halls his voice and footsteps echo throughout the halls. Damn how did he catch up to me so quick, dashing up to the door and opening it up I run for dear life to the roof.