Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2007 11:39:30 GMT 10
Title: Down by the Riverside
Setting: after BtVS season 7 and AtS season 5
Length: approx. 5566 words (or 9 ½ pages)
Rating: PG
Beta: Ameer
Author's Notes: BtVS does not belong to me. The characters (with the exception of Kristin) were created by and belong to Joss Whedon. The river siren is based partly on myth and partly on urban legend.
Down by the Riverside
“Man, am I looking forward to our relaxing evening,” Buffy said as she and the new Slayers finished patrolling the last cemetery in town. “My feet are killing me!”
“Explain to us again why the demons don’t take advantage of Halloween. It makes no sense to me,” urged Kristin, one of the new Slayers that Buffy and the others had found after closing Sunnydale’s hellmouth. Some of the others nodded, clearly approving of the question, and Buffy sighed. It seemed she’d already answered that question a dozen times today.
“They tend to find the whole thing rather – silly. Pitiful attempts that humans make to explain away the things that go bump in the night, yada yada yada.”
“Yes, but you said that you had some bad Halloween mojo happen a couple times. Aren’t you worried that it’ll happen again?” asked another Slayer.
“If you mean am I keeping my eyes and ears open for any funny business, yes. If you mean am I going to let it spoil my night, then no.”
“Here we are,” she said quietly as they approached the multi-story building that they’d converted into a training school and, for lack of a more fitting word, boarding house. Buffy gazed up at the building. She had been reunited with most of the gang for a year. After having a chance to do some soul searching, everyone seemed happy to be back together.
She and Dawn had returned from Italy to set up their new headquarters in Cleveland. It wasn’t long before Giles joined them, anxious to see some action again after having rebuilt the Council and overlooking the training of new Watchers. Xander returned from Africa, still missing an eye, and immediately started on the renovations. Willow booked a flight from Brazil just as soon as she heard about the new Slayer school. Kennedy, however, had become too attracted to the lifestyle and couldn’t understand Willow’s decision to return to the States. It became a point of contention between them, and by the time Willow’s plane landed at the Cleveland airport she was glad to be away from Kennedy. She didn’t fail to notice, though, how pleased Buffy seemed to be that Kennedy hadn’t come with her. Faith stayed just long enough to catch up with the others, test the new training equipment, and introduce herself to the new Slayers. Then, she and Wood left for England, since the idea of Andrew running the Council all by himself was a bit nerve-wrecking to them. Plus, they figured the Council needed some protection too, since it did get blown up that one time. Each of the Scoobies brought some Slayers with them, most of them were still in high school, and were confident that they’d continue to meet more, so their numbers quickly swelled. Things were by no means perfect, but Buffy found the reunion comforting. The time apart seemed to really do us some good, Buffy thought.
It didn’t take long for Dawn’s voice to be heard echoing down the hallway. Buffy smiled as she headed for the kitchen to grab the snacks and soda for the night’s festivities. Little did she know that Xander had come downstairs fully dressed as a pirate. His attire hadn’t gone unnoticed. Both Willow and Dawn burst into laughter at the sight of him stumbling down the stairs on a fake wooden leg.
“Oh, c’mon. You couldn’t have thought I’d just let the opportunity pass me by. I mean, I already have the eye patch.” He and Willow shared a smile that went unnoticed by the Slayers around them. Dawn ran up to hug him, laughing.
“It’s so nice to have you back,” she said. The moment lasted only briefly, interrupted by the sound of an ad jingle announcing a break in the primetime viewing.
“Oh! It’s on!” Dawn screamed, jumping up and down and pointing at the television. “That dog food commercial I told you about, the one with the poodle that juggles,” she says to Xander, pulling him onto the couch next to her. She had failed to see that her excitement largely eclipsed Xander’s, but he complied anyway, settling himself onto the couch. Giles looked on from the library across the hall. He had always been amused at the parties and shenanigans the younger generation planned on Halloween. Perhaps it was because he had always been taught that Halloween was a quiet, normal night. Possibly the only one a Slayer and her Watcher were granted in a year. He had never intended to forgo the one night he was assured peace and quiet. Of course, his plans weren’t always successful. This night, however, seemed much more promising.
“Soda, check. Popcorn, check. Pumpkin cookies, check. Stack of movies, check. Remote, check.” Buffy looked up as she walked into the living room and was taken aback by the sight of Xander in a pirate costume. “Xander dressed as a pirate, check,” she added, while giving him a bewildered look.
“Again, I ask why everyone seems surprised by this,” Xander replied. “So, what should we watch first?”
“I’ve made a schedule to enhance our viewing pleasure,” Willow chipped in, oddly pleased that she was able to contribute something to the evening’s festivities, weird as it may seem to everyone else. “See? I’ve even included little breaks so we can refresh our food stash without missing any of the movies. First up is I Know What You Did Last Summer.”
“Ah, good ole Jennifer Love. I wonder if she ever needs saving from the supernatural,” Xander mused.
“Why’s that?” Dawn asked.
“Well, you know, I could waltz in, save the day, sweep her off her feet…” Xander’s voice dropped off as he was overcome by all the possibilities, far-fetched though they may be.
“All right. So, we’re set. Let’s start,” Buffy said enthusiastically, settling herself down in front of the couch next to Willow. “Come on, girls! We’re starting!” she called to the others.
“Wait a minute,” she hushed the girls who had come to join them. “Turn the volume up.” A story on the evening news had attracted her attention.
“For those of you just now joining us,” the reporter began, “it seems as though the young people of today have grown tired of the traditional trick-or-treat pranks and costumes and have decided to step things up a bit.” A grainy picture of a young lady with pale green skin and awkwardly long nails appeared on the screen. The newscaster’s voice continued, “Costumes have increasingly become more life-like and reports of vandalism and burglary on Halloween have doubled over the past three years.”
Buffy studied the picture carefully. Something didn’t seem quite right. “I think you’ll find it’s not a costume,” Buffy reprimanded the reporter.
“What makes you say that, Buff?”
“She’s floating, not walking.” Xander took a closer look at the picture being displayed on the screen, squinting his eyes to do so. A tingle went up his spine when he realized she was
right. “Uh oh” was all he could say before the news continued.
“Our top story tonight: the body of one of the missing college students was found earlier today on the south shore of the Cuyahoga River. A total of 12 young male students have disappeared over the past two weeks. The others still remain missing and it can’t be confirmed whether or not they’re still alive. The police are hoping that DNA testing will be able to provide identification for the body, as the remains are too decomposed to identify by sight.”
“Well, there goes our quiet night,” Willow said, her voice becoming more deflated with every word. “I guess we should figure out who that green lady is?”
“Yep. I really wish the demons would have some kind of big demon convention and officially confirm their standing on Halloween. It would really make my job easier.” Buffy plodded across the hallway into the library.
“So, we’re looking for a green woman with long nails who can float? That should be easy. We’ll have the party hopping again in no time,” Dawn said confidently.
“Yes, well,” Giles started. “Did you happen to notice what was around her?”
“No, the picture was too dark. It could have been water. But then again, it could have been an empty lot.” Buffy shrugged.
“Well, I can pull up the newscast online and evaluate the picture in further detail,” Willow offered, opening her laptop.
“Good idea. I’ll pull those books that I think might be of the most help to us,” Giles added.
“I’ve got it!” Willow cried excitedly. Buffy, Xander, and Dawn crowded around Willow while the other girls started leafing through books that Giles set on the table.
“It’s still too blurry,” Buffy said, frustrated.
“Well, give me a minute. Let’s see if I can’t work some of my magic,” Willow said with a wink.
“All right, well, let me know if you find anything. In the meantime, Dawn, could you search the internet for pictures of similar ‘costumes,’” Buffy made air quotes with her fingers as she said the word, “or sightings? News stories, blog entries, that sort of thing?”
“Sure,” Dawn answered, already on her way to the computer on the other side of the room – the only one that Giles had allowed in his library.
“Giles, is there anything you can think of? Any stories, myths, legends?”
“Well, there are a host of stories and legends in which females play a pivotal role, although I can’t think of any dealing specifically with a woman who has green skin and long nails. I do, however, have some sources I could consult,” Giles said, heading toward the telephone.
“Buffy!” Xander called. “You need to come see this!” Xander frantically waved her back into the living room where he was watching the rest of the news. He had overheard a local police captain giving a description of the lead suspect in the disappearance of the 12 college students and had returned to the living room to investigate further.
“We want to repeat that one more time for our viewers. It seems that the picture we aired earlier of what we believed to be a Halloween costume has triggered some leads in the disappearance of local college students. A viewer who had been walking along the river shortly before the first victim’s body was found called his local police station and stated that he saw someone who looked like the lady in the picture walking in the water. The police are now following this new lead and are asking that any viewers with more information about this woman call the number on the bottom of your screen.” The picture of the green lady appeared on the screen one more time, though it was no clearer than it had been the first time.
“Yep. So much for my quiet night off,” Buffy muttered. “All right,” she patted Xander on the back, “let’s get back to work. Maybe some of this night can be saved.”
“I think I got something,” Willow said as Buffy and Xander walked into the library. “I was able to enhance the photo a little bit without blurring it too much, and check this out.” She pointed toward the bottom of the frame, near the lady’s feet. “She’s floating on water. That’s definitely water.”
“Well,” Giles cut in, “based on that and your description of the lady, Buffy,” he sent a glance her way before burying his head back in his book, “there are several possibilities as to who – or what – it is we’re looking for. We may very well be in for a long night.”
The other Slayers had let their minds wander and were now comparing the pictures of demons and monsters that they were finding in Giles’ books, laughing about their features, abilities, and powers. Occasionally they’d come across one that looked much more grotesque than the others and suddenly be very happy that they hadn’t eaten anything for a while.
Dawn was quickly becoming frustrated. Not only was she researching alone in a corner, since Giles couldn’t be bothered to move the computer any closer to his books, but the girls’ giggling and talking was becoming louder and louder, not only reminding her that she had been banished to the corner by herself, but also making it harder to concentrate on the screen staring back at her. “Are you trying to torture me?” Dawn muttered under her breath.
“Epanadiplosis!” she suddenly called out. Well, it certainly grabbed their attention, she thought, looking at the gaping faces.
“So, we’re thinking the lady has a skin condition?” Xander ventured. “Because, you know, I don’t want to go anywhere near her if that’s the case.”
“No skin condition, Xander. Sorry.”
“Then what are you talking about?” Buffy asked.
“Well, I had to say something to get everyone to shut up so I could think. And look-y. It worked,” her sister answered, a coy smile spreading across her face.
“I bet you made that word up,” Buffy teased.
“I did not.”
“Did, too.”
“Did not!”
“Then what does it mean?” Buffy challenged.
“It means you use the same word at the beginning and end of a sentence,” Dawn replied, looking rather confident and superior to her sister.
“What?” It was taking Buffy a while to register what her sister had just said. “I think you’re just trying to reconfuse me.”
Buffy shot a helpless look at Willow and Giles, hoping for some reinforcement, but all Giles could do was smile – the kind of smile a proud parent makes when a child takes his first steps – and nod his head. “I’m afraid she’s correct, Buffy. Her vocabulary has grown quite a bit over the last year.”
“I hate to break up the sibling rivalry, but I think Willow found something,” Xander interrupted, his voice cracking. Should I be worried that scenes like this don’t bother me as much as they used to? he thought, looking only barely disgusted at the image on the computer screen.
“What is it?” Buffy asked as everyone flocked toward Willow.
“Well, I should warn you, it’s definitely not for those with a weak stomach,” Willow said, barely able herself to look at the screen because it brought back powerful memories. The warning came too late, though, and Kristin, the most recently discovered Slayer, ran to the bathroom.
“OK, so, on the assumption that I can forever avoid looking at whatever it is, what is it?” Buffy asked again, her voice carrying a little more urgency than when she had just asked.
“Well, I managed to…find…some pictures of the boy’s body,” Willow shot a glance toward Giles, hoping that after all these years he’d come to realize the importance of her, well, hacking skills, “and…” Willow was fighting back her own personal demons as she continued, “I can most definitely say that nothing human did this.”
Buffy, Xander, and Dawn glanced at each other, picking up the subtle reference to Willow’s own trip to the dark side. They weren’t sure how to continue, but as Willow didn’t seem eager to offer more information, Xander went first.
“Human? I mean, like, witchcraft?”
“No, even I wouldn’t have been able to do something like this,” Willow answered. She wasn’t proud of her past, but try as she might it was a part of her now. There was no way she could avoid it. “There’s no skin, but there’s not much else, either. It’s mostly bone, with the smaller muscles and cartilage attached. The organs and most of the muscle are gone, but there’s little bits and pieces of stuff everywhere. Leftovers, maybe. There’s not much blood, either. He’s basically been reduced to a doggy chew toy."
“Could we just for once not deal with a flesh-eating monster? Please and thank you,” Xander piped up.
“Are there any specific markings on or near the body? Anything else that could be of use to us,” Giles prodded, casting an annoyed glance at Xander. He wondered how many times he’d done that already today.
“Not that I can see. And to be honest, I really don’t want to look at it anymore,” Willow said, closing the window. “The eyes were still there. Everything else was just…” Willow trailed off, shivering at the thoughts that were plaguing her now.
“Well, that should be enough to narrow down our possibilities. You said the victims were all college students?” Giles queried, cleaning his glasses. “Was there anything else connecting them?” he continued without waiting for an answer.
“Yes, they were all in college. I didn’t find a lot of details in the information I looked at, but I didn’t notice any other similarities.”
“Right. Well…” Giles didn’t even attempt to finish his thoughts aloud as we walked deeper into the library.
“Hey, Will, why don’t we take a break for a bit?” Xander suggested, noticing that his best friend was becoming increasingly withdrawn. “There’s snackage in the living room. Cookies, popcorn, chips, even an elastic mushroom or two.”
Buffy gave him a bewildered look and Dawn slowly backed away from him, heading for the hallway. What Xander had said slowly sank in with Willow, and she turned to look at him, her face blank at first.
“What?” he asked, looking at Buffy. “I had to say something to snap her out of it. And voila, success.”
“Yeah, I guess. Are there even such things as elastic mushrooms?” Buffy dared to ask. Sometimes she was certain her brain was really someone else’s, stuck inside her head because, well, she hadn’t thought of a reason yet, but she was sure there was one. This was one of those times.
“Why not? It could be fun, you know, confusing people. Is it a real mushroom, is it not? You know, like with wax fruit.”
“Yeah, but imagine the squishiness and general gross out factor,” Dawn added. “I’d say that’s a definite drawback.”
Willow remained silent, but smiled a big goofy smile at the thought of plastic mushrooms and waxed fruit and a big Thanksgiving feast. OK, so things are a little mixed up in my head right now, she told herself, hoping that if she concentrated on something, anything, she’d be able to fight back the memories. Maybe I should take the rest of the night off.
“Willow,” Buffy said, the concern obvious in her voice, “why don’t you call it a short night? We can finish researching by ourselves, and then I’ll slay the monster, and then everything will go back to normal.”
“OK,” Willow said weakly, “but promise me you’ll get me if you need me.” Willow looked at Buffy, her commitment to the little gang of Slayers showing brightly in her eyes.
“We promise,” Xander answered, “now scoot,” he said, gently pushing her down the hallway.
Willow turned to offer them a half-hearted smile and then walked methodically into her room, collapsing onto her bed in tears, her face buried in the pillow, without having closed the door.
Her sobs echoed quietly down the hall and Dawn looked longingly toward Willow’s room. “I wish there was something we could do for her,” she said faintly.
“I know,” Xander reassured her, holding her from behind and laying a light kiss on the top of her head.
Buffy was about to say something when Giles yelped excitedly from the other room. “I’ve found it! I’ve found it!”
They rushed back into the library – Buffy was glad they had planned the building to minimize unnecessary walking, because she couldn’t count how many times she’d been to the library already today – and sat down at a table. Giles laid his book in the center, pointing excitedly at a picture that resembled the one they’d seen on television.
“I had thought it was a myth – a mere story told to children to scare them. I had no idea it was true. Of course, after all I’ve been through it’s hardly surprising that I should find such a creature exists,” he rambled, barely audible, excited about the discovery.
“Giles, a little help here?” Buffy interrupted his thoughts.
“Ah, yes. Well, according to this she’s a type of siren. According to mythology,” he continued, receiving blank stares from most of the group, “sirens were beautiful women who would sing a rather enchanting song to lure sailors off course. And, as can be imagined, the sailors were never heard from again, to put it simply. It appears that this woman prefers college students over sailors. It’s likely she resides under the river, quite literally, in fact.”
“So, any clues on how to stop her?” one of the new Slayers asked, rather timidly.
“Hold up,” Xander cut in, not giving Giles a chance to answer. “I believe we need to be able to find her first.”
“There’s no chance she’d come out waving a big sign that says ‘I am a monster! I am a monster!’ is there?” Kristin asked. “ ‘Cause, I mean, that would make our job easier.”
“No, the monsters seem to think announcing themselves before attacking is counterproductive,” Buffy said, rolling her eyes, while Dawn looked at her, surprised that she had used a word longer than three syllables. She really has grown up, Dawn thought. But, then again, I guess we all have. She looked around the room at the familiar faces, surprised that such old friends could seem so new and different.
“I’m guessing your standard stakeout is in order?” Xander concluded.
“Yes, it seems that would be the surest way of finding her. If she chooses to come out tonight at all you shouldn’t miss her. Although, I think it best Xander stay here tonight”, Giles said.
“But…” Xander started to object.
“You heard what he said, Xan,” Buffy interrupted. “You’re enough of a demon magnet as it is. I don’t think you want to attract this one, too. And, besides, you and Giles will be here with Willow in case she needs anything.”
“I really thought my demon magnet status would have worn off by now,” Xander said, deflated. “So, that brings us back to how to stop her.”
“From what I’ve read sirens hold no special powers or abilities aside from their voices, but as they’re so shrouded in myth it’s impossible to tell what they’re really capable of. My sources are unclear as to whether or not females are able to hear the sirens’ voices, but there seem to be no distinguishing physical traits. The standard weaponry should suffice, I’d imagine.”
“OK, then. Girls, stock up,” Buffy started giving orders. “Giles, if you find anything else, be sure to let us know,” she said, holding up her cell phone. “And Xander,” she added, her face changing from determined to soft at the thought of Willow.
“I know, Buff,” Xander said softly. “I’ll keep my eye on her.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Boing! Boing! Boing!” Dawn said, half whispering, as she and the others walked up and down the bank of the river. They’d already been here for an hour and she was becoming bored. She might have done a lot of growing up, but she didn’t think any power on this earth would be able to make her more excited about stakeouts.
“Dawn!” Buffy whispered, though it was rather loud for a whisper, in an attempt to quiet her sister. “There’s no way we’re going to find her if you keep scaring everyone away.”
“What ‘everyone’? It’s 8 PM on Halloween. We’re walking up and down the river, jumping at every wave lapping and twig breaking. There is no ‘everyone.’”
“Valid point,” Kristin said, backing Dawn up.
“OK, but still. We don’t want to scare her away,” Buffy retorted, gesturing toward the river. “What’s with the hopping anyway?”
“Well, I was thinking of being a rabbit for Halloween, and since we’re not having our quiet night in I thought I’d bring Halloween to us. And no suit, so I opted for sound effects instead.”
“And bunnies go ‘boing’?” Kristin asked, raising an eyebrow, amused.
“Well…” Dawn stammered.
“Shhsh!” Buffy waved her hands in a sweeping motion, frantically trying to hush the girls. “I think I hear something,” she said, almost inaudibly. The girls became eerily quiet and started scanning the river and both shores for any sign of the lady.
A woman’s voice slowly drifted across the water:
“Come into the water, love,
Dance beneath the waves,
Where dwell the bones of college lads,
Inside my saffron cave.”
Buffy looked around, searching for the voice’s source, but could see nothing but a thick mist rising from the water, until Kristin tilted her head toward a shadow on the other side of the river. “OK, half of you go that way, the other half this way,” Buffy said, pointing. “Cross the river as soon as you possibly can. And be quiet,” she ordered, hoping they’d find this siren and not be chasing just another shadow.
Setting: after BtVS season 7 and AtS season 5
Length: approx. 5566 words (or 9 ½ pages)
Rating: PG
Beta: Ameer
Author's Notes: BtVS does not belong to me. The characters (with the exception of Kristin) were created by and belong to Joss Whedon. The river siren is based partly on myth and partly on urban legend.
Down by the Riverside
“Man, am I looking forward to our relaxing evening,” Buffy said as she and the new Slayers finished patrolling the last cemetery in town. “My feet are killing me!”
“Explain to us again why the demons don’t take advantage of Halloween. It makes no sense to me,” urged Kristin, one of the new Slayers that Buffy and the others had found after closing Sunnydale’s hellmouth. Some of the others nodded, clearly approving of the question, and Buffy sighed. It seemed she’d already answered that question a dozen times today.
“They tend to find the whole thing rather – silly. Pitiful attempts that humans make to explain away the things that go bump in the night, yada yada yada.”
“Yes, but you said that you had some bad Halloween mojo happen a couple times. Aren’t you worried that it’ll happen again?” asked another Slayer.
“If you mean am I keeping my eyes and ears open for any funny business, yes. If you mean am I going to let it spoil my night, then no.”
“Here we are,” she said quietly as they approached the multi-story building that they’d converted into a training school and, for lack of a more fitting word, boarding house. Buffy gazed up at the building. She had been reunited with most of the gang for a year. After having a chance to do some soul searching, everyone seemed happy to be back together.
She and Dawn had returned from Italy to set up their new headquarters in Cleveland. It wasn’t long before Giles joined them, anxious to see some action again after having rebuilt the Council and overlooking the training of new Watchers. Xander returned from Africa, still missing an eye, and immediately started on the renovations. Willow booked a flight from Brazil just as soon as she heard about the new Slayer school. Kennedy, however, had become too attracted to the lifestyle and couldn’t understand Willow’s decision to return to the States. It became a point of contention between them, and by the time Willow’s plane landed at the Cleveland airport she was glad to be away from Kennedy. She didn’t fail to notice, though, how pleased Buffy seemed to be that Kennedy hadn’t come with her. Faith stayed just long enough to catch up with the others, test the new training equipment, and introduce herself to the new Slayers. Then, she and Wood left for England, since the idea of Andrew running the Council all by himself was a bit nerve-wrecking to them. Plus, they figured the Council needed some protection too, since it did get blown up that one time. Each of the Scoobies brought some Slayers with them, most of them were still in high school, and were confident that they’d continue to meet more, so their numbers quickly swelled. Things were by no means perfect, but Buffy found the reunion comforting. The time apart seemed to really do us some good, Buffy thought.
It didn’t take long for Dawn’s voice to be heard echoing down the hallway. Buffy smiled as she headed for the kitchen to grab the snacks and soda for the night’s festivities. Little did she know that Xander had come downstairs fully dressed as a pirate. His attire hadn’t gone unnoticed. Both Willow and Dawn burst into laughter at the sight of him stumbling down the stairs on a fake wooden leg.
“Oh, c’mon. You couldn’t have thought I’d just let the opportunity pass me by. I mean, I already have the eye patch.” He and Willow shared a smile that went unnoticed by the Slayers around them. Dawn ran up to hug him, laughing.
“It’s so nice to have you back,” she said. The moment lasted only briefly, interrupted by the sound of an ad jingle announcing a break in the primetime viewing.
“Oh! It’s on!” Dawn screamed, jumping up and down and pointing at the television. “That dog food commercial I told you about, the one with the poodle that juggles,” she says to Xander, pulling him onto the couch next to her. She had failed to see that her excitement largely eclipsed Xander’s, but he complied anyway, settling himself onto the couch. Giles looked on from the library across the hall. He had always been amused at the parties and shenanigans the younger generation planned on Halloween. Perhaps it was because he had always been taught that Halloween was a quiet, normal night. Possibly the only one a Slayer and her Watcher were granted in a year. He had never intended to forgo the one night he was assured peace and quiet. Of course, his plans weren’t always successful. This night, however, seemed much more promising.
“Soda, check. Popcorn, check. Pumpkin cookies, check. Stack of movies, check. Remote, check.” Buffy looked up as she walked into the living room and was taken aback by the sight of Xander in a pirate costume. “Xander dressed as a pirate, check,” she added, while giving him a bewildered look.
“Again, I ask why everyone seems surprised by this,” Xander replied. “So, what should we watch first?”
“I’ve made a schedule to enhance our viewing pleasure,” Willow chipped in, oddly pleased that she was able to contribute something to the evening’s festivities, weird as it may seem to everyone else. “See? I’ve even included little breaks so we can refresh our food stash without missing any of the movies. First up is I Know What You Did Last Summer.”
“Ah, good ole Jennifer Love. I wonder if she ever needs saving from the supernatural,” Xander mused.
“Why’s that?” Dawn asked.
“Well, you know, I could waltz in, save the day, sweep her off her feet…” Xander’s voice dropped off as he was overcome by all the possibilities, far-fetched though they may be.
“All right. So, we’re set. Let’s start,” Buffy said enthusiastically, settling herself down in front of the couch next to Willow. “Come on, girls! We’re starting!” she called to the others.
“Wait a minute,” she hushed the girls who had come to join them. “Turn the volume up.” A story on the evening news had attracted her attention.
“For those of you just now joining us,” the reporter began, “it seems as though the young people of today have grown tired of the traditional trick-or-treat pranks and costumes and have decided to step things up a bit.” A grainy picture of a young lady with pale green skin and awkwardly long nails appeared on the screen. The newscaster’s voice continued, “Costumes have increasingly become more life-like and reports of vandalism and burglary on Halloween have doubled over the past three years.”
Buffy studied the picture carefully. Something didn’t seem quite right. “I think you’ll find it’s not a costume,” Buffy reprimanded the reporter.
“What makes you say that, Buff?”
“She’s floating, not walking.” Xander took a closer look at the picture being displayed on the screen, squinting his eyes to do so. A tingle went up his spine when he realized she was
right. “Uh oh” was all he could say before the news continued.
“Our top story tonight: the body of one of the missing college students was found earlier today on the south shore of the Cuyahoga River. A total of 12 young male students have disappeared over the past two weeks. The others still remain missing and it can’t be confirmed whether or not they’re still alive. The police are hoping that DNA testing will be able to provide identification for the body, as the remains are too decomposed to identify by sight.”
“Well, there goes our quiet night,” Willow said, her voice becoming more deflated with every word. “I guess we should figure out who that green lady is?”
“Yep. I really wish the demons would have some kind of big demon convention and officially confirm their standing on Halloween. It would really make my job easier.” Buffy plodded across the hallway into the library.
“So, we’re looking for a green woman with long nails who can float? That should be easy. We’ll have the party hopping again in no time,” Dawn said confidently.
“Yes, well,” Giles started. “Did you happen to notice what was around her?”
“No, the picture was too dark. It could have been water. But then again, it could have been an empty lot.” Buffy shrugged.
“Well, I can pull up the newscast online and evaluate the picture in further detail,” Willow offered, opening her laptop.
“Good idea. I’ll pull those books that I think might be of the most help to us,” Giles added.
“I’ve got it!” Willow cried excitedly. Buffy, Xander, and Dawn crowded around Willow while the other girls started leafing through books that Giles set on the table.
“It’s still too blurry,” Buffy said, frustrated.
“Well, give me a minute. Let’s see if I can’t work some of my magic,” Willow said with a wink.
“All right, well, let me know if you find anything. In the meantime, Dawn, could you search the internet for pictures of similar ‘costumes,’” Buffy made air quotes with her fingers as she said the word, “or sightings? News stories, blog entries, that sort of thing?”
“Sure,” Dawn answered, already on her way to the computer on the other side of the room – the only one that Giles had allowed in his library.
“Giles, is there anything you can think of? Any stories, myths, legends?”
“Well, there are a host of stories and legends in which females play a pivotal role, although I can’t think of any dealing specifically with a woman who has green skin and long nails. I do, however, have some sources I could consult,” Giles said, heading toward the telephone.
“Buffy!” Xander called. “You need to come see this!” Xander frantically waved her back into the living room where he was watching the rest of the news. He had overheard a local police captain giving a description of the lead suspect in the disappearance of the 12 college students and had returned to the living room to investigate further.
“We want to repeat that one more time for our viewers. It seems that the picture we aired earlier of what we believed to be a Halloween costume has triggered some leads in the disappearance of local college students. A viewer who had been walking along the river shortly before the first victim’s body was found called his local police station and stated that he saw someone who looked like the lady in the picture walking in the water. The police are now following this new lead and are asking that any viewers with more information about this woman call the number on the bottom of your screen.” The picture of the green lady appeared on the screen one more time, though it was no clearer than it had been the first time.
“Yep. So much for my quiet night off,” Buffy muttered. “All right,” she patted Xander on the back, “let’s get back to work. Maybe some of this night can be saved.”
“I think I got something,” Willow said as Buffy and Xander walked into the library. “I was able to enhance the photo a little bit without blurring it too much, and check this out.” She pointed toward the bottom of the frame, near the lady’s feet. “She’s floating on water. That’s definitely water.”
“Well,” Giles cut in, “based on that and your description of the lady, Buffy,” he sent a glance her way before burying his head back in his book, “there are several possibilities as to who – or what – it is we’re looking for. We may very well be in for a long night.”
The other Slayers had let their minds wander and were now comparing the pictures of demons and monsters that they were finding in Giles’ books, laughing about their features, abilities, and powers. Occasionally they’d come across one that looked much more grotesque than the others and suddenly be very happy that they hadn’t eaten anything for a while.
Dawn was quickly becoming frustrated. Not only was she researching alone in a corner, since Giles couldn’t be bothered to move the computer any closer to his books, but the girls’ giggling and talking was becoming louder and louder, not only reminding her that she had been banished to the corner by herself, but also making it harder to concentrate on the screen staring back at her. “Are you trying to torture me?” Dawn muttered under her breath.
“Epanadiplosis!” she suddenly called out. Well, it certainly grabbed their attention, she thought, looking at the gaping faces.
“So, we’re thinking the lady has a skin condition?” Xander ventured. “Because, you know, I don’t want to go anywhere near her if that’s the case.”
“No skin condition, Xander. Sorry.”
“Then what are you talking about?” Buffy asked.
“Well, I had to say something to get everyone to shut up so I could think. And look-y. It worked,” her sister answered, a coy smile spreading across her face.
“I bet you made that word up,” Buffy teased.
“I did not.”
“Did, too.”
“Did not!”
“Then what does it mean?” Buffy challenged.
“It means you use the same word at the beginning and end of a sentence,” Dawn replied, looking rather confident and superior to her sister.
“What?” It was taking Buffy a while to register what her sister had just said. “I think you’re just trying to reconfuse me.”
Buffy shot a helpless look at Willow and Giles, hoping for some reinforcement, but all Giles could do was smile – the kind of smile a proud parent makes when a child takes his first steps – and nod his head. “I’m afraid she’s correct, Buffy. Her vocabulary has grown quite a bit over the last year.”
“I hate to break up the sibling rivalry, but I think Willow found something,” Xander interrupted, his voice cracking. Should I be worried that scenes like this don’t bother me as much as they used to? he thought, looking only barely disgusted at the image on the computer screen.
“What is it?” Buffy asked as everyone flocked toward Willow.
“Well, I should warn you, it’s definitely not for those with a weak stomach,” Willow said, barely able herself to look at the screen because it brought back powerful memories. The warning came too late, though, and Kristin, the most recently discovered Slayer, ran to the bathroom.
“OK, so, on the assumption that I can forever avoid looking at whatever it is, what is it?” Buffy asked again, her voice carrying a little more urgency than when she had just asked.
“Well, I managed to…find…some pictures of the boy’s body,” Willow shot a glance toward Giles, hoping that after all these years he’d come to realize the importance of her, well, hacking skills, “and…” Willow was fighting back her own personal demons as she continued, “I can most definitely say that nothing human did this.”
Buffy, Xander, and Dawn glanced at each other, picking up the subtle reference to Willow’s own trip to the dark side. They weren’t sure how to continue, but as Willow didn’t seem eager to offer more information, Xander went first.
“Human? I mean, like, witchcraft?”
“No, even I wouldn’t have been able to do something like this,” Willow answered. She wasn’t proud of her past, but try as she might it was a part of her now. There was no way she could avoid it. “There’s no skin, but there’s not much else, either. It’s mostly bone, with the smaller muscles and cartilage attached. The organs and most of the muscle are gone, but there’s little bits and pieces of stuff everywhere. Leftovers, maybe. There’s not much blood, either. He’s basically been reduced to a doggy chew toy."
“Could we just for once not deal with a flesh-eating monster? Please and thank you,” Xander piped up.
“Are there any specific markings on or near the body? Anything else that could be of use to us,” Giles prodded, casting an annoyed glance at Xander. He wondered how many times he’d done that already today.
“Not that I can see. And to be honest, I really don’t want to look at it anymore,” Willow said, closing the window. “The eyes were still there. Everything else was just…” Willow trailed off, shivering at the thoughts that were plaguing her now.
“Well, that should be enough to narrow down our possibilities. You said the victims were all college students?” Giles queried, cleaning his glasses. “Was there anything else connecting them?” he continued without waiting for an answer.
“Yes, they were all in college. I didn’t find a lot of details in the information I looked at, but I didn’t notice any other similarities.”
“Right. Well…” Giles didn’t even attempt to finish his thoughts aloud as we walked deeper into the library.
“Hey, Will, why don’t we take a break for a bit?” Xander suggested, noticing that his best friend was becoming increasingly withdrawn. “There’s snackage in the living room. Cookies, popcorn, chips, even an elastic mushroom or two.”
Buffy gave him a bewildered look and Dawn slowly backed away from him, heading for the hallway. What Xander had said slowly sank in with Willow, and she turned to look at him, her face blank at first.
“What?” he asked, looking at Buffy. “I had to say something to snap her out of it. And voila, success.”
“Yeah, I guess. Are there even such things as elastic mushrooms?” Buffy dared to ask. Sometimes she was certain her brain was really someone else’s, stuck inside her head because, well, she hadn’t thought of a reason yet, but she was sure there was one. This was one of those times.
“Why not? It could be fun, you know, confusing people. Is it a real mushroom, is it not? You know, like with wax fruit.”
“Yeah, but imagine the squishiness and general gross out factor,” Dawn added. “I’d say that’s a definite drawback.”
Willow remained silent, but smiled a big goofy smile at the thought of plastic mushrooms and waxed fruit and a big Thanksgiving feast. OK, so things are a little mixed up in my head right now, she told herself, hoping that if she concentrated on something, anything, she’d be able to fight back the memories. Maybe I should take the rest of the night off.
“Willow,” Buffy said, the concern obvious in her voice, “why don’t you call it a short night? We can finish researching by ourselves, and then I’ll slay the monster, and then everything will go back to normal.”
“OK,” Willow said weakly, “but promise me you’ll get me if you need me.” Willow looked at Buffy, her commitment to the little gang of Slayers showing brightly in her eyes.
“We promise,” Xander answered, “now scoot,” he said, gently pushing her down the hallway.
Willow turned to offer them a half-hearted smile and then walked methodically into her room, collapsing onto her bed in tears, her face buried in the pillow, without having closed the door.
Her sobs echoed quietly down the hall and Dawn looked longingly toward Willow’s room. “I wish there was something we could do for her,” she said faintly.
“I know,” Xander reassured her, holding her from behind and laying a light kiss on the top of her head.
Buffy was about to say something when Giles yelped excitedly from the other room. “I’ve found it! I’ve found it!”
They rushed back into the library – Buffy was glad they had planned the building to minimize unnecessary walking, because she couldn’t count how many times she’d been to the library already today – and sat down at a table. Giles laid his book in the center, pointing excitedly at a picture that resembled the one they’d seen on television.
“I had thought it was a myth – a mere story told to children to scare them. I had no idea it was true. Of course, after all I’ve been through it’s hardly surprising that I should find such a creature exists,” he rambled, barely audible, excited about the discovery.
“Giles, a little help here?” Buffy interrupted his thoughts.
“Ah, yes. Well, according to this she’s a type of siren. According to mythology,” he continued, receiving blank stares from most of the group, “sirens were beautiful women who would sing a rather enchanting song to lure sailors off course. And, as can be imagined, the sailors were never heard from again, to put it simply. It appears that this woman prefers college students over sailors. It’s likely she resides under the river, quite literally, in fact.”
“So, any clues on how to stop her?” one of the new Slayers asked, rather timidly.
“Hold up,” Xander cut in, not giving Giles a chance to answer. “I believe we need to be able to find her first.”
“There’s no chance she’d come out waving a big sign that says ‘I am a monster! I am a monster!’ is there?” Kristin asked. “ ‘Cause, I mean, that would make our job easier.”
“No, the monsters seem to think announcing themselves before attacking is counterproductive,” Buffy said, rolling her eyes, while Dawn looked at her, surprised that she had used a word longer than three syllables. She really has grown up, Dawn thought. But, then again, I guess we all have. She looked around the room at the familiar faces, surprised that such old friends could seem so new and different.
“I’m guessing your standard stakeout is in order?” Xander concluded.
“Yes, it seems that would be the surest way of finding her. If she chooses to come out tonight at all you shouldn’t miss her. Although, I think it best Xander stay here tonight”, Giles said.
“But…” Xander started to object.
“You heard what he said, Xan,” Buffy interrupted. “You’re enough of a demon magnet as it is. I don’t think you want to attract this one, too. And, besides, you and Giles will be here with Willow in case she needs anything.”
“I really thought my demon magnet status would have worn off by now,” Xander said, deflated. “So, that brings us back to how to stop her.”
“From what I’ve read sirens hold no special powers or abilities aside from their voices, but as they’re so shrouded in myth it’s impossible to tell what they’re really capable of. My sources are unclear as to whether or not females are able to hear the sirens’ voices, but there seem to be no distinguishing physical traits. The standard weaponry should suffice, I’d imagine.”
“OK, then. Girls, stock up,” Buffy started giving orders. “Giles, if you find anything else, be sure to let us know,” she said, holding up her cell phone. “And Xander,” she added, her face changing from determined to soft at the thought of Willow.
“I know, Buff,” Xander said softly. “I’ll keep my eye on her.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Boing! Boing! Boing!” Dawn said, half whispering, as she and the others walked up and down the bank of the river. They’d already been here for an hour and she was becoming bored. She might have done a lot of growing up, but she didn’t think any power on this earth would be able to make her more excited about stakeouts.
“Dawn!” Buffy whispered, though it was rather loud for a whisper, in an attempt to quiet her sister. “There’s no way we’re going to find her if you keep scaring everyone away.”
“What ‘everyone’? It’s 8 PM on Halloween. We’re walking up and down the river, jumping at every wave lapping and twig breaking. There is no ‘everyone.’”
“Valid point,” Kristin said, backing Dawn up.
“OK, but still. We don’t want to scare her away,” Buffy retorted, gesturing toward the river. “What’s with the hopping anyway?”
“Well, I was thinking of being a rabbit for Halloween, and since we’re not having our quiet night in I thought I’d bring Halloween to us. And no suit, so I opted for sound effects instead.”
“And bunnies go ‘boing’?” Kristin asked, raising an eyebrow, amused.
“Well…” Dawn stammered.
“Shhsh!” Buffy waved her hands in a sweeping motion, frantically trying to hush the girls. “I think I hear something,” she said, almost inaudibly. The girls became eerily quiet and started scanning the river and both shores for any sign of the lady.
A woman’s voice slowly drifted across the water:
“Come into the water, love,
Dance beneath the waves,
Where dwell the bones of college lads,
Inside my saffron cave.”
Buffy looked around, searching for the voice’s source, but could see nothing but a thick mist rising from the water, until Kristin tilted her head toward a shadow on the other side of the river. “OK, half of you go that way, the other half this way,” Buffy said, pointing. “Cross the river as soon as you possibly can. And be quiet,” she ordered, hoping they’d find this siren and not be chasing just another shadow.
I think you captured the characters personality very well, nothing seemed out of character at all.
