Mercy Seat part 6
Not sure how well this one plays out, so welcoming any comments (as per usual). This sucker is (somehow) getting darker.
Previous parts may be found here
Willow hesitated before opening the door to the Hole. She and the other Scoobies had been there once before, on the first anniversary of Sunnydale's collapse. They'd come to the crater to pay their respects to the dead, and had been shocked to find it had been turned into a tourist trap.
They were even more shocked to find that the diner was run by a slayer. It seemed the hellmouth still attracted the slayer spirit, even after it had been closed and buried under a fallen town. She knew some of the others, Kennedy and Rona especially, had visited more often, striking up friendships with Jude, the diner's only regular customer, and Amelia. The Hole, for all its painful associations and tackiness, was a cheerful place in the empty landscape, but Willow couldn't shake a feeling of dread as she stepped into the air-conditioned interior.
At first glance, the diner was deserted. Willow shook herself slightly, preparing a few defensive spells in the back of her mind. She scanned the gift shop.
"Amelia?"
Nothing moved, and only the gentle whirring of the air conditioning greeted her.
"Xander?"
Willow turned toward the dining area. She spotted Jude, leaning back in the corner booth.
"Jude. Where's Xander?"
The girl didn't reply, and Willow felt a burning sensation work its way up her throat.
"Jude?"
The really horrible thing, Willow would decide later, was that she had somehow known, even before she saw the younger girl's lifeless eyes and the blood pooling on the floor beneath her, what she would find.
Jude was unquestionably dead. She had a small hole through her chest, just over her heart. Blood dripped slightly from the corner of her mouth. Whatever had killed her had taken her completely by surprise, judging by her wide-eyed expression. She'd most likely died instantly.
Willow swallowed thickly, backing away from the body. She turned toward the back, not bothering to call out this time. Her feet dragged against the linoleum, and she shut her eyes before leaning into the kitchen.
Amelia's wound matched Jude's almost perfectly. She lay face down on the floor of the kitchen, having been attacked, Willow presumed, from behind. The blood glistened on the otherwise spotless floor, still flowing sluggishly from her chest and back. Willow didn't swallow this time, just turned and retched into the industrial sized sink. She took a deep, shuddering breath and tried to bring her body back under her control.
She was shaking. She couldn't freak out. Not until she knew where Xander was.
He wasn't in the Hole. She knew that, somehow, without having to search. She focused her mind, trying to seek out his presence, and finally stepped back outside. She took a deep breath of the hot, California air, then turned and walked resolutely toward the bathrooms.
<--{6}-->
Previous parts may be found here
Willow hesitated before opening the door to the Hole. She and the other Scoobies had been there once before, on the first anniversary of Sunnydale's collapse. They'd come to the crater to pay their respects to the dead, and had been shocked to find it had been turned into a tourist trap.
They were even more shocked to find that the diner was run by a slayer. It seemed the hellmouth still attracted the slayer spirit, even after it had been closed and buried under a fallen town. She knew some of the others, Kennedy and Rona especially, had visited more often, striking up friendships with Jude, the diner's only regular customer, and Amelia. The Hole, for all its painful associations and tackiness, was a cheerful place in the empty landscape, but Willow couldn't shake a feeling of dread as she stepped into the air-conditioned interior.
At first glance, the diner was deserted. Willow shook herself slightly, preparing a few defensive spells in the back of her mind. She scanned the gift shop.
"Amelia?"
Nothing moved, and only the gentle whirring of the air conditioning greeted her.
"Xander?"
Willow turned toward the dining area. She spotted Jude, leaning back in the corner booth.
"Jude. Where's Xander?"
The girl didn't reply, and Willow felt a burning sensation work its way up her throat.
"Jude?"
The really horrible thing, Willow would decide later, was that she had somehow known, even before she saw the younger girl's lifeless eyes and the blood pooling on the floor beneath her, what she would find.
Jude was unquestionably dead. She had a small hole through her chest, just over her heart. Blood dripped slightly from the corner of her mouth. Whatever had killed her had taken her completely by surprise, judging by her wide-eyed expression. She'd most likely died instantly.
Willow swallowed thickly, backing away from the body. She turned toward the back, not bothering to call out this time. Her feet dragged against the linoleum, and she shut her eyes before leaning into the kitchen.
Amelia's wound matched Jude's almost perfectly. She lay face down on the floor of the kitchen, having been attacked, Willow presumed, from behind. The blood glistened on the otherwise spotless floor, still flowing sluggishly from her chest and back. Willow didn't swallow this time, just turned and retched into the industrial sized sink. She took a deep, shuddering breath and tried to bring her body back under her control.
She was shaking. She couldn't freak out. Not until she knew where Xander was.
He wasn't in the Hole. She knew that, somehow, without having to search. She focused her mind, trying to seek out his presence, and finally stepped back outside. She took a deep breath of the hot, California air, then turned and walked resolutely toward the bathrooms.
<--{6}-->