My Tenth Birthday
A/N Hi, my gosh I had this idea a few years ago and it has taken me so long to actually start it. Probably shouldn't start it with so much other stuff on the go but here we are. Needed something to write and I happened to be watching S5E8 so. This stuff will attempt to fit with the canon but may be referenced later in the WWS. This is kind of supposed to be written by Dawn when she's old, I don't know exactly how old.
Sunnydale, the world without shrimp 1996
Dear Diary,
We rode the carousel until our hour was up. Buffy and me and mom. All three of us because I didn't have any friends yet. It was my tenth birthday, I can still remember the taste of the cotton candy we got on the way home. My birthday is in June so it was sunny and warm, mom reminded me to put on sunscreen before we left the house but I forgot. It was my birthday and I was excited. Mom had told me she had a surprise for me and I couldn't wait.
It was a week after we moved in, and it was the first good thing to happen in that week. I hadn't unpacked that many of the boxes left and I still had to repaint my room. I wanted pink but mom had made me settle for magnolia. I was really mad about it at the time but now it hardly matters.
When we got to the park the empty carousel was waiting for us like a show horse. All decorated and pretty, raring to go. Mom told us she paid for an hour just for us so I climbed on hastily. I was on my third go round when I realised we would have to do this for an entire hour. I already felt pretty sick so I got off and watched Buffy go round for a bit. Mom came and sat next to me on the bench next to the ride, she was licking an ice cream one and smiling at the two of us. I can't remember exactly what she said to me but I know I leaned my head on her shoulder and breathed in the scent of her.
She smelled exactly of 'mom.' It was a mix of her perfume and the dish soap she used for the washing up. She smelt clean and bright but also kind of like disinfectant. I can still smell it if I think about it for long enough. But I know this; I breathed her in and I felt safe. No matter what apocalypse Buffy was trying to avert, if I inhaled the safe, comforting mom smell I felt three years old again. The first time I cut my knee and she lifted me into her arms. I felt like everything was going to be okay.
Buffy eventually pulled me back onto a horse and we rode the carousel until our time was up. We felt we owed mom and made sure we got our money's worth.
Dawnie Xx