chapter 30

[simtopi]

[ ch 27 ] [ ch 28 ] [ ch 29 ] « previous chapters || [ All ]

Chapter 30: Daybreak



Welcome back to SimTopi!

warnings: swear words :p













"I never would have thought that you'd have the audacity to return here. Of all nights."
"I have as much reason to be here as you. Do you  hate me so?"
"If this were still my home, I'd have you hurled from the towers. I would do it myself if I could..."



"But she asks for peace for us."
"I will respect that. It's only her nature. Even after everything you've done... she wishes you well."
"I could only ask you to forgive me now. In time, you will understand why I've done what I did."
"If I live a thousand years, I never will, nor do I wish to. But in the here and now, all that is unimportant..."



"...Our sister is dying."





The spell was disorienting. Wesley took a deep breath, his head spinning as he returned to the corporeal world. He had been unwillingly transported here by Willow. After a brief moment of panic, he realized that she was lying on the cold ground in front of him. She seemed unconscious, an expression of mild discomfort on her face. She murmered distantly when he called her name.



The danger that Samantha Cordial had warned him about did not seem real to him. He never thought of Willow as anyone to be wary of. Sibyll had warned him too. But whatever happened to her in that room did not have any more significance to him except for the fact that it seemed to have hurt her. All he cared about was if she was safe.



He looked up curiously. He didn't know why Willow brought them here.







The warmth of her home immediately encompassed her as she returned, along with the cloying smell of artificial air deodourizers and furniture polish. Her small condo filled with expensive antiques was immaculate. Table legs aligned perfectly on an invisible grid that corresponded with the lines of the wooden floor boards. For anyone else the order and sterility of her home would almost be uncomfortable. But for Clara, it was never more welcome.



The cold should not have bothered her, her magic was enough to keep her warm. But by the end of the night, she was spell weary and it was evident by the frost that seeped into her skin. She was impressed with herself that she had managed to maintain her energy and her skills for so long.



The vampire had managed to bruise and cut her. Clara could respect that she could have been sliced open easily. Whatever that was in the sky was well timed.  It saved her life... for the moment.



It would take just another small spell to heal the wound. She needed rest, but her night was not quite over.









Once she was done her bath, she headed towards the closet in her bedroom. Towards the back of it was the false wall that disguised the entrance to the secret basement where she conducted her business.





She had enough energy to summon the undead creature that had the relic that she had chased for years. She had been unable to touch the Heir, but fortunately her mindless slaves were able to bypass the magical barriers that would prevent her or any witch to cross into Willow's home.



Disgusting, putrid things, she thought. But she had to admit that they were extremely useful.



Clara: Well give it up, honey, that's no good to you.









Clara: But it's everything to me. And finally, it's mine.



Clara: As for you...



Clara: You can go back to being dead.



Clara: Don't worry, living is overrated. You won't miss it much.



Cecilia looked down at Gabriel, unable to think of what to tell him. What could she say that he didn't already know anyway? She was never good at coddling other people whenever they got all emotional like this. She guessed she could understand why... his girlfriend had simply, and quite literally disappeared... without a trace. How was she supposed to help him get through that?



The limo sped down the empty streets, barely stopping at stop signs or traffic lights. Everyone had this strange sense of urgency, and it seemed to be influencing the driver as well. 


Cecilia couldn't help but feel guilty. It was her sense of urgency, her need to solve her problem with Brittany's ghost that got Willow and Gabriel involved in all of this to begin with. But it couldn't have been entirely her fault... Willow was obviously keeping something from them. In Cecilia's ideal situation, Willow would have solved the problem with the ghost and Brittany would finally leave her alone. They'd all be heading home now, Cecilia with a few more social contacts and Gabriel and Willow being the obnoxiously cute couple in the back of this limo. 


That strange man with the pale hair and cold skin had pushed past her into the room at the end of this hallway. She couldn't even imagine why he was here right now. He said his name was "Wesley", but that gave her no clue into who he was.



As soon as he disappeared from sight, she exhaled the breath she seemed to have held in for minutes.  She felt flustered and dizzy.



She waited a few minutes, listening at the door for anything. So many questions filled her mind. He couldn't have expected her to wait out here forever? What could possibly be behind that door that could be so dangerous. Tentatively she opened it.



There was no one there. And nowhere else that anyone could have gone.  Before she could even process that entirely,  again she found herself with strange company.



"This isn't what I meant you know. Coming up here. There wasn't any reason for anyone to do this. Not for me."
Cecilia gasped again, startled by Brittany's presence in the hall. But there wasn't anger or bitterness coming from the ghost this time. There was genuine fear.

Cecilia: What happened to you here? What's in that room?



"You see yourself and everything goes to shit. No one was supposed to find it but no one knew it was there anyway.If they wanted to keep people away, why wouldn't they just lock the door?  All I wanted to do was open up the third floor. If they told me why I couldn't none of us would be in this situation."
Cecilia: What situation are you talking about??? 
"I never meant for anyone to come up here. You have to believe me!"



Cecilia: Why couldn't you just tell me what the hell you're talking about?

She was frustrated, but the ghost wouldn't answer it. There was a sudden surge of energy in the air, the fine hairs on Cecilia's skin standing on end. Cecilia took another deep breath...



Carl: What is happening? Is the roof on fire??? Why isn't someone calling the fire department???



Carl: And who are you, you're obviously not a member of the Landgrabb Society... how did you even find this place??? If I find out you have anything to do with what's going on here right now, I will have you arrested and sued lady!!!

Samantha sighed.



Without saying another word, she turned quickly to face Carl with a sudden spell.



Whatever she did left him rolling his eyes toward the back of his head and drooling mindlessly in the snow.

Gabriel: What the fuck??? What did you just do to him?



Samantha: He'll be fine in a while. I'm sorry, I just don't have time for this.

Gabriel stared slack jawed as the strange woman disappeared, just as she had appeared. Everything was happening way too quickly for him to process. Yet through it all, there was the resounding feeling throughout him that Willow was in danger.



Samantha appeared where the ghost had been standing causing Cecilia to shriek in surprise. As if there weren't enough weird things going on already.



Samantha acknowledged Cecilia with a brief glance before she stormed into the now empty room. There was magic here still. Whatever it was was so powerful that its energy still lingered.



Cecilia: Excuse me? What's going on?
Samantha: The vampire. Where is he? 
Cecilia: The what...???



Samantha: Willow was here too wasn't she?
Cecilia: I saw her come up here. But she's not in this room and it's the only place she could have gone. That guy came here too... I saw him go in.

Samantha swore under her breath. That... vampire! Willow must have whisked him away again. But as much as Samantha wanted to believe that Wesley escaped her, every sense she had about this told her that there was much more to it.  Willow must have found something in this room that triggered something dark and powerful. Something that definitely should not belong to this world.



Cecilia: So lady, are you going to tell me what's going on? 
Samantha: Are you a friend of Willow? 
Cecilia: I guess so... yeah. Where is she?
Samantha: We need to leave this place. Right now all of our priorities should be in finding her.



Finding Willow... where could she have gone? Willow didn't seem the type to just up and vanish without telling anyone where she was going. Or maybe she was, Cecilia didn't really know her all that well. All she knew is that they left Carl asleep on a couch in the mansion and Gabe was being miserable beside her. And this strange woman... Samantha Cordial... was sitting in the limo with them impossibly glowing and staying tight lipped about everything.

Cecilia: Why are we stopping?



Given how fast they were going it did surprise Cecilia that they were slowing down just ahead of Gabriel and Willow's dorm. 
Samantha: Hmm. A roadblock.



Gabriel: A roadblock on my street? Great. Just great. How much more fantastic can this night get?



Cecilia: Maybe it's nothing. It's not too far, we can walk the rest of the way.



Gabriel got out as well and looked down the street. There was no reason for there to be a roadblock here. Gabriel began to fear for the worse.



Jasmine didn't understand why it seemed to take so long for the fire fighters to get here. The fire didn't look like it had given any reprieve at all. It continued to burn intensely throughout the night while they stood back and waited.



Jasmine: How are you feeling?



Adrian: I've got a bit of a headache. But even if I didn't have a bump on my head, I'd feel like throwing up.



Jasmine: Now you know how I feel. 
Adrian: So are you ready to tell me what's going on then?



Jasmine: Dude... I already pretty much told you everything I know. I can't explain it any better than that. I don't know why they're here or what they want with Willow.  
Adrian: This is just... insane. I don't know if I could handle all this. 
Don't fall apart on me now over this, she wanted to tell him. I need you with me.  She gritted her teeth so she wouldn't say it aloud. She couldn't blame him. A few hours ago, for all he knew life was normal.



"OH COME ON!" came the loud shout from somewhere down the road. Jasmine turned around quickly.

Jasmine: Gabe???



When they got to the mansion, Gabriel was horrified to find his dorm on fire. He had been preoccupied throughout the trip back with Willow, wondering where she had disappeared to and why she'd just leave with some creepy looking guy.  This was beyond anything else he could deal with right now.



Gabriel: I can't fucking believe this.  What the hell is going on? Why is my dorm on fire???



Jasmine: GABRIEL!



He was surprised to see Jasmine running toward him. He couldn't even properly react as she leapt up and threw her arms around his neck. She was never more happier to see her cousin.



Jasmine: I'm so glad you're safe! Where were you guys?
Gabriel: Where were we??? We were chasing freaking ghosts in the middle of nowhere. What are you doing here?



Jasmine: Chasing ghosts? Was Willow with you? Where is she now?
Gabriel: I don't know, you tell me.



Jasmine: ... What? She's not with you?
Gabriel: She was earlier. But she's gone, Jasmine.
Jasmine: What do you mean "gone"?



Cecilia: She disappeared. Literally. With a vampire. 
Jasmine: Cecilia? What are you doing here? And what are you talking about... a vampire?



Cecilia: I... I think it's my fault. I wanted Willow to help me and she did. Well she tried to. 
Jasmine: Cecilia, whatever happened to Willow I can guarantee it isn't your fault. Now don't get all freaked out right now, I need you to be calm so you can tell me what happened.



Gabriel: If she knew what happened we'd all be a lot happier. But this whole thing is really fucked up.



Samantha: Indeed.



Jasmine: And who the hell is this now? 
Samantha: Samantha Cordial. I'm with the Circle.
Jasmine: Of course. So what are you going to do, wave a wand and fix all this? Because there are zombies and dead kids in there and this shit has gotten way out of hand. 


Samantha: Wave a wand. If only it could be that simple. You've already called the authorities which will make this a lot more difficult than I ever wanted it to be.
Jasmine: What did you expect us to do?

Samantha shook her head and sighed. 


Samantha: I'm going to need a lot of help for this.



Gabriel: Who's she even calling? Munchkins? Flying monkeys? 
Jasmine: Would any of that surprise you?
Gabriel: No. Frankly, I don't give a crap. I just want to know what happened to Willow. Fuck... Rowan tells me to take care of her, and just like that I lose her.



Jasmine: I don't think anyone could expect you to protect her from everything, Gabe. We'll find her.  I know we will.

She turned back slightly, wondering if Rowan had seen and heard everything going on. He had made himself pretty inconspicuous as soon as the fire fighters and paramedics arrive. She sort of understood why he would.



Jasmine nodded towards him. He turned his head slightly to acknowledge her back. It was difficult for him to simply stay calm at this point. Once again his sister was missing and there wasn't anything he could do about it.



The front door was locked but with another gently try, it clicked and opened almost as if welcoming Wesley in. The old floor boards creaked loudly under his and Willow's weight. She mumbled something incoherently as he brought her inside. The place was cold, and looked like it had been abandoned for years. It seemed that more recently it had been some squatter's haven. But there was nothing here now except for the mice that hid in the corners.



He took her upstairs where he found a bed. The upstairs rooms were still fairly derelict, but it seemed to be untouched by unwelcome inhabitants. At least it was somewhere warmer where Willow could be comfortable.



He helped her take her coat off before he laid her down. The mattress springs squeaked loudly. The covers smelled of must. She  sank her head into the pillow as if it was the most comfortable thing she'd ever rested her head on.



Wesley: You're safe for now Willow. I'm going to leave you for a bit to let someone know that you're here.



At his words, Willow's eyes flew wide open.

Willow: No Wesley. Please. Stay with me.
Wesley: People are worried about you right now. I just have to let them know where you are. 
Willow: I don't care about any of that. I don't want anyone to find me. I just want to go to sleep.



Wesley: Something happened up in that room and I think it's serious. I can't help you.
Willow: Yes you can. Just stay with me. Don't tell anyone I'm here. 
Wesley: I can't do that. 
Willow: Then just for tonight. Promise me, Wesley. Don't leave me.

He knew he couldn't stay the whole night with her. He didn't even know where in the world they were at all. Her words surprised him. He never expected her to not actually want to be found this time. As much as he wanted to leave to contact Samantha and let her know where Willow was, the sense of urgency and the pleading in Willow's voice compelled him to stay.

Wesley: I have to leave before dawn. But I promise I'll stay by your side tonight.



She gave him a small smile  as her eyes fluttered shut. That strange sleep overcame her again and he wondered what it was that she afraid of.



She sat in the cold, surrounded by the bewitched cage, unable to do anything but contemplate her fate. She had tried to call out for anyone who could hear her, but no one came to her rescue.

She didn't expect this spell. But she hadn't been expecting a lot of what had happened recently. She knew she should have killed Willow when she realized who she was. But Wesley strongly cared for her, and her love for him made her doubt her own instincts.



In the end, it was her own hubris that was her downfall. She thought herself more than capable to confront Clara. She had thought she could be stronger and much more focused. But she was easily distracted by the beacon in the sky, and Clara was far more quicker than she was, and like a rat, very keen on her own survival.

Sibyll was never more aware of her age than she was at that moment.



Sibyll: I knew it was you, Helene.



Sibyll: After a thousand years, I was beginning to believe that maybe you were simply a legend. The old witch in the woods fearful peasants told tales about to keep their children in line.  I never thought I'd begin to forget.



Sibyll: When vampires rest, it isn't sleep as the mortals know it. We do not breathe. We do not dream. Yet at times in the moment between waking and oblivion, I think of you. Those are my only nightmares.


Sibyll: I think of how much I had hoped you'd stay dead. How the Coven couldn't possibly be right about returning you. And yet you're here. 
Helene: I am glad to see you, no matter what you may think of me. You look very much the same. But you're voice is different. 
Sibyll: After a thousand years some things will change.



Helene: If it reassures you, I've returned well before I meant to. This was unexpected. As is seeing you here, like this. 
Sibyll: I keep interesting company these days. And no, I am not reassured. 


Sibyll: But you're not completely here, are you. You're neither dead or alive. You're merely a shadow. Still something to fear.



Sibyll: And the first thing you do is come here to watch me die. You were cheated of it last we saw one another. 


Helene: I would have thought I'd come back hating you, Sibyll. But I do not. 
Sibyll: There's still time for that.

Slowly, Sibyll stood to her feet.



Helene: Such a crude and cheap spell to hold you. I cannot break it for you. You do not deserve this fate.
Sibyll: Possibly. But you've already taken part in my demise, my dear.



Sibyll:  You have no power in this world yet. If there is a creator, then you never will. It is as it is, Helene.



Sibyll: At least you'll be happy to know that I cannot kill you again. But finally after a thousand years, you've managed to kill me with that same beautiful curse you cast on me before you breathed your last.
Helene: You must know that I take no happiness from this. 
Sibyll: So you say.


Sibyll: Daybreak, Helene. I am ready.



Sibyll: Some things will never change. I am not like our sister. I do not wish you well.











next » [ chapter 31: Guardians ]

......................................................................................................

special guest zombie appearance by Aria created by dgjamie !