I must have been unconscious for only a few seconds - my feet were still smoking. I felt like swearing, because the mighty Slayer had been saved by a change of mind from one of the enemy. There is no doubt that Dave's timely intervention had saved my life - that and my Slayer reflexes. I need to go and find Giles, tell him about what happened. Just as soon as I muster the energy to get up of the floor. Guess we won't be raiding CRD this evening after all. Well, I've just got to hope that Willow doesn't do anything stupid and Malcolm, whoever he might be, doesn't try anything until tomorrow anyway. It's nice to hope. Sometimes, it's all I have.
Giles
Not even Buffy's rapid exit with Xander and Theo would've stopped me from calling after them in an attempt to convince them of the sheer lunacy of their plan, had I not seen something that I abhor to the very depths of my being. An empty book. I've never been able to keep a diary, just the mere sight of all those pages with nothing on them sends shivers up my spine. So I couldn't understand why, in my library, a large, thick book would just lie there open, with nothing in it. I steel myself to go and pick it up (you see how deep my abhorrence runs? I don't even want to touch it!).
Blank. All the way through, and without there being any trace that anything had ever been written in it. I look at the front cover, and shiver with horror. This is no ordinary book - the cover shows the demon Moloch, known as The Corruptor. Renowned for his almost hypnotic power to convince anyone to serve him, he had been the scourge of Italy for decades before a group of monks had found a way to trap him - in the very book that I was now holding in my hands.
If there was no longer any writing in it, then he must have escaped somehow. But how? The book hadn't been written in English, and I doubt that anyone else in the school but me would've been able to read it - and I hadn't. So how had he gotten loose? I'm beginning to give credence to Buffy's insane idea that there's a demon in the Internet, and I know which one. Unfortunately, the only spells I know that could bind him again would only work if he had flesh, not if he was trapped in one of those Infernal computers. I knew I was right to dislike them!
Anyway, I needed to speak to someone who knew something about computers. Normally, that would've been Willow, but she might be involved somehow with Malcolm, or Moloch. Therefore I had to speak to that blasted Calendar woman. No doubt I'll come across as a madman, raving about Internet-demons, and suffer all sorts of jibes, but think of all the damage a demon could do with access to the Internet! He must be stopped, whatever the cost!
Now I just have to work up the courage to talk to her...
Buffy
After spending a good 15 minutes sprawled on the floor aching, I finally convinced my body that the right thing to do would be to get up and speak to Giles. Even then, it took a while to work up the momentum to get up, but once I managed I felt alright. Well, aching and sore and tingly and hot, but as long as I didn't have to stop moving I should be able to get to the library. Nevertheless, it looked as though our raid of CRD would have to be delayed at leat until tomorrow. Being electrocted is a bummer - and I shudder to imagine what would have happened if Dave hadn't had a change of heart and told me to jump, and if I had been just a little bit slower...
I walk slowly, every step agony to my burned feet, when suddenly I hear a voice call my name. Not feeling up to just turning my head, I move my whole body round slowly to see who it is. Xander and Theo, wheeling some kind of ancient, massive TV. They must need it for class.
In a heartbeat, Theo's by my side, holding my arm and gently leading me to library, saying "Xander, you go and tell Ms. Thorne (Our replacement Biology teacher for Bug-Lady) that Buffy's taken ill and we're taking her to the nurse." Where does he get off, making decisions like that and treating me like an invalid? Well, okay, I can barely walk, and there's not much point kicking up a fuss about it when Xander's already gone of to obey his instructions.
"What happened?" he asked gently, as he continued to lead me slowly to the library. I shake my head, then quickly regret it - it felt as though I had set off some fireworks in my head. I settle for saying, in a strangely normal voice, "I'll tell you all in the library. I don't want to have to say it all twice."
We must have been going faster than I'd thought, because I could here the sound of Xander running to catch us up. I turn, gesturing for Theo to wait for him, and as I do so I realise that I'm feeling a lot better. Must be that much vaunted Slayer healing. Xander opens his mouth, no doubt to ask what happened, but Theo forestalls him with a look. Together, each of them holding one of my arms, still treating me like an invalid, we get into the library.
Giles leaps out of a chair with a startled squawk when we enter the room. We must have startled him badly, if his red, embarrassed face was anything to go by. I couldn't resist chuckling, and I felt faint vibrations to either side of me as the boys do as well. A pleasant sensation. Now I feel a lot better. A good nights sleep and I'll be up to the raid tomorrow, no problem.
He calms down when he sees me. I wonder what I look like? Oh Gods! My hair! It's probably frizzy and fluffy and looks awful! Thank goodness Cordelia's not here to see it... I resist the urge to run my fingers through to try and sort it out. Meanwhile, I realise that Giles had just asked me a question. I cast my mind back, trying to remember what it was - Oh yes. I fill them in on what had happened in the changing rooms, and my near escape from death.
Giles looks thoughtful, Xander incredulous, and Theo looks surprised. Giles then tells us about his discovery about the demon - Moloch? - in the internet and his plans to enlist "That awful Calendar woman" to help banish it or trap it. Then he goes on to say that he supports our plan to raid CRD - a big surprise! - but that we should wait until tomorrow until I'm quite recovered - which I had already decided to do.
Now, there's nothing for it but to wait. I hope nothing happens to Willow until then...
Willow, later that night
Walking home in the dark used to be a pleasant activity, but now, knowing about all the vampires and other monsters that roam Sunnydale, I only feel safe if Buffy or the rest of our gang is around.
I can't even take refuge in a long talk with Malcolm, becuase missing those lessons had left me with a tonne of work that I needed to catch up with, plus I need to catch up on my sleep. Staying up all night really takes a toll after a while., and, unlike some others, I do need to sleep.
All the lights in my house are dark - hardly an uncommon occurrence, my parents are so rarely around that I might as well live by myself. Nevertheless, I call out "Mom! Dad!" anyway, just on the off-chance that they are actually in. I get the expected answer - silence.
I head up to my room to do my work, and to feed my fish. Fish are so relaxing, it's impossible to get stressed over work when you can just watch fish swimming serenely in my little aquarium. Fish are probably the keys to my academic success. I wish I was a fish. That's a fish-wish.
I reach my room to be greeted by the robotic voice of my computer, which is about the only thing that ever speaks to me in this house. Sometimes, I wonder if my parents would even notice if one day, I just dissapeared. Probably not. Anyway, my computer says "You've got mail" With a sigh, and a strong resolve not to be sucked into a conversation, I go and see what it says.
Surprise, surprise. It's a message from Malcolm, as if anyone else would ever send me a message. "No more waiting. I need you to see me." Well, that's suitably mysterious. Nevertheless, my resolve is strong. I will not enter into a conversation tonight. I turn off my computer and head back over to my bag, so I can rummage in the depths for my work.
I almost jump out of skin when the computer says "You've got mail" again, before realizing that I must not have turned it off properly. However, I'm once again distracted from my important work by a ring at the doorbell. It's probably Dad, having forgotten his keys again. Absent-minded and absent parents, what a duo. Even so, he is my Dad and I do have to go and open the door for him, and once again impress on him the neccessity of bringing a key with him when he leaves the house.
I go downstairs as fast as possible, and open the door, the words "Dad, did you forget your keys again?" but I only got as far as "you", because there's no one there. I look around for a couple of seconds before shrugging and heading inside. Hmmph, practical jokers can be such a pain.
Suddenly, there's an arm around me, pulling me back outside, and a hand pushing something soft and wet against my face. I struggle, but whoever it is is too strong, and I inadvertently take a breath. The sweet, cloying smell makes my head spin. Chloroform. A deep voice come from behind me as my struggles slow and everything starts to go black. "No more waiting".
Malcolm.