Repost: Prisms Black

["mad-hamlet <Mad-Hamlet@xxxxxxx>" <Mad-Hamlet@xxxxxxx>]

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Prisms


Prisms Black


Couldn't have missed her. Not from clear across the bleedin' state, 
much less across the street.

`Course I could have picked her up in the middle of a crowd what 
we're on such good terms n' all, and that I knew her scent by heart. 

I was out of the Watcher's house, enjoyin' what I could of the night; 
hey, just because I am currently, how shall we put this - out of 
order - doesn't mean I still don't like the dark. Besides, the stupid 
git wouldn't let me watch my soaps and I just had to cool off, what 
with me not bein' allowed to gut him like a fish. I figured I'd 
cruise a few alleyways, maybe the graveyards around the town, get 
lucky, come across a demon or somethin' and take out my pent up 
aggressions on that poor bastard. One must keep in practice after 
all. 

Regrettably, I hadn't gotten any nibbles; humans say on the night of 
a full moon evil walks and maybe that's true, maybe that isn't. I 
never cared what kind of moon it was when I did my stalkings, but on 
this night it seemed evil was practically snoring. 

Till I saw her. Then I realized that supernatural evil had just given 
way, that evenin' at least, too something more...human. 

She was upwind of me, and while I could only really make her out as 
she walked from one pool of light to the next under the street lamps, 
the scents told me more than the eyes ever could have. Though they 
did tell quite a bit. 

She was walking with that brisk stride women do when they really want 
to run but can't because of high heels. A mixture of speed and 
efficiency, I suppose. It was supposed to look like a strong walk, 
a 'don't get in my way because I have actual places to be' kind of 
step. `Course the rest of her body language ruined the image 
completely. Arms hugging herself tightly, head bowed till chin almost 
met breast bone, her gaze probably locked on the earth directly in 
front of her, not really seeing it. 

Anyone who looked at her would probably have thought to 
themselves, 'Ah, now there goes a lady who's had a really bad day.' 
then dismissed her from memory. If they could smell what I was at 
that moment, they would have realized that this girly girl had just 
about the worst day possible. 

The first dead give-away was the smell of sweat, cigarette smoke and 
alcohol. She never would have gone for something like that, or some 
place for that matter. Well, the Bronze maybe, but this reek was more 
of the kind one would find in a hole-in-the-wall down by the harbor. 
But that odor could have been explained away. No the kicker was the 
smell of blood. Not your run of the mill, 'let's slit the jugular and 
see how far it shoots' blood either. This was thick blood. Mixed in 
with all sorts of other?materials. 

Like semen. 

And then there's all the emotional crap, too, that humans carry 
around like luggage. Believe it or not we can smell those as well. 
Fear, predictably, is my favorite but others are pretty recognizable 
as well. 

In this case it was shame. Coming off her in big waves that could 
have knocked over a building and gave me a splitting headache for a 
moment. Added that to her tab. 

Did I mention I have pretty good hearing too? No? Well I do. And even 
from this distance I could hear the muffled whimpers and those little 
choking noises that people make at the back of their throats when 
they're trying to hold back a scream. You can bloody well bet I'd 
recognize that sound anywhere, being the cause of so many in my time. 

I decided to...tag along, follow her home y'know. Not to make sure 
she'd make it okay, but maybe there was an off chance some night 
beastie would think she'd make a good snack and I could rip it to 
pieces. 

Again, in that regard I was out of luck, she entered the campus and 
moved across the darkened lawns straight for her dorm, the one she 
shares with her best friend in the whole wide world. 

Best friends, uh-huh, I'll bet. Let's see how true their friendship 
really is, see if my little missy here will spill her guts regarding 
her eventful evening. 

`I'll watch through the window', I decided, 'It's not like there's 
anything on the telly.' 

Now that was an impressive display. I had no idea she was capable of 
such acting skills. Why, if I had the resources I'd have awarded her 
an Oscar on the spot. As it was I had a very hard time not clapping 
and shouting out 'Bravo!' 

She really did a fantastic job, my little chippy, and of course 
argued my point that no one trusts anyone quite nicely. I suppose she 
spent a few minutes 'putting on her face' before she entered her 
room. I missed that part, pity really, would have been amusing. 
Anyhow, from outside on my perch I could get a pretty good look 
inside the room and she came waltzing through the door like she was 
walking on air.

Great big smile plastered on her face, top o'the world. I'm sure. 

They talked about something for a few minutes, but I couldn't make it 
out and I'm no soddin' lip reader either. Eventually, she stripped 
out of her clothing, slipped into a robe, grabbed some basket of 
toiletries and, tossing a comment over her shoulder, vanished again. 

So? there's just me, out on a limb, her roommate, still glancing at a 
magazine. And we waited?

And waited?

And waited.

I was beginning to get a little bored and thought about calling it a 
night, maybe catch some reruns. 

Luck was with me though. Her roommate noticed the discarded garments 
and, being such a good friend she is, got up off the bed to put `em 
away in the laundry basket. 

I have no idea how she can pick up my kind so easily, it's not like 
she can smell us, well, not me at least. I bathe regularly. So it 
wasn't too surprising to watch her not realize something was amiss 
until she got a good, long whiff of her recently departed roommate 
apparel. And she couldn't even do that until she practically shoved 
her face in the bleedin' things. 

Humans. How pathetic. 

Regardless, she did get a good lungful of `em but still didn't pick 
up on just what was on the up'n'up. Not yet, no it took her a little 
longer. She had to hold the clothes up carefully, y'know, 
examine `em, like a detective from the yard back home. Hell, I could 
see the message staring me in the face but no, not her. Not till she 
saw the tears along the sides, the holes in the stockings leading up 
the side of the leg. 

Then she got it. 

I would have laughed had I not been wishing to remain silent, and I 
had to muffle a few quiet snorts just the same. First her eyes got 
real big, and I mean really big. I doubt she gaped that much when she 
met Angelus for the first time, and Angelus is very much worth gaping 
at. 

Then her jaw dropped and she stood there for a few moments like a 
royal idiot. 

Just? stood there while her mind munched on that little bit of 
information that it just processed not moving, not even blinking. 
Heck, breathing probably was a secondary concern at that moment and 
we all know how important that is?or in my case was. 

She was out the door like a shot, a flurry of hair and movement, 
whipping around the corner and down the hall. I could almost hear her 
screaming her the little chit's name. 

I doubted they would be back for quite a while so I figured I'd do a 
little pokin' about of my own. Casually, I reached out and eased the 
window open, true I couldn't actually go inside as I had never been 
invited but that was alright, not what I had in mind anyway. Hunching 
down on the sill, which is quite hard despite supernatural strength, 
I took in a deep lungful of air, they don't get much use but still do 
the job. I went through the scents, females...two?both easily 
recognizable. I'm still, to this day, having an internal debate which 
one I hate more, sweat, various foods...couldn't believe they liked 
that on their pizzas, then I got it. Male?more than one. 

Mentally cataloging them I closed the window up again and easily 
leapt to the ground. I was definitely going to head back to the 
Watcher's now. My entertainment wasn't over yet; there were arguments 
to be had, tears to be shed and promises of bloody vengeance to be 
made. I figured this would be better than sweeps week. 

I saw them in my mind and that of course is where it began to go all 
bloody wrong, the two of them, my little chit naked, curled up in a 
corner like they do in all the movies, cold water running down on the 
two of `em as her friend held her close. Crying together emotions all-
a-tizzy doing anything and everything to make the pain go away, the 
last few hours simply not happen. 

"That's right, little slayer," I said out loud. "Hold your Willow 
close, help her through these hard times like you do everybody else. 
Try and help her forget that she's been raped." 

I expected to laugh out loud.

I expected to enjoy the rest of the evening like I hadn't in a very 
long while.

I expected to go back to my fellow countryman's house and sit on the 
sidelines and enjoy. 

But nnooo? I couldn't get that lucky.

Not me, not poor ol' 'Don't mind him, daughter, he's a neutered 
vampire' Spike. 

I started feeling angry. I mean, so bloody furious my other nature 
got the better of me and for a few minutes I spent the time snarling 
my rage out at the moon. Not that over inflated hunk of rock ever 
cared. 

I couldn't understand it; I couldn't get the sounds Willow had made 
out my head. They just rang in my brain over and over like the worst 
demo tape ever made, stuck on infinite playback and that image of her 
false smile for the Slayer. Bloody hell! It was so perverse, so out 
of place and ungodly? my respect for her actually went up a notch. 
Dru couldn't have done better which is saying something. 

I argue the point now, as I did at that time, that I didn't care 
about Wicca girl and her little Slayer buddy. I still don't, my 
reasoning was thus: I was angry because a bunch of snotnosed little 
punks had done what I, with centuries of experience and a taste for 
real panache, had been unable to do. Hurt the Slayer. 

A few minutes after coming up with that argument I realized that 
there were some things even I, being a hell-spawned demon made flesh 
in the body of man, would not do. 

I didn't get it then, and don't get it now, where exactly does the 
demon end and the remnants of the human begin. I mean; I was shocked 
at the revelation! I had values? 

It began in the back of my skull, like that itchy, tingling feeling 
you get right before you sneeze, but in this case all the scratching 
in the world wouldn't alleviate it. It grew and grew and was crushing 
across my mind and it wouldn't be stopped, I snarled, I screamed and 
raged. 

I put my hand through a tree?which hurt. 

And in the end I gave up. With a sigh, I accepted it.

I, William Blood, William the Bloody, scourge of Europe and parts of 
Asia?a Childe of Angelus for Christ's sake?was going to do something 
noble. 

With a snarl I set off across the campus at a brisk run, had to get 
back to Giles after all. Didn't want to miss the big meeting.