Chapter 4: Who's Buffy?
Chapter 4: Who’s Buffy?
Willow looked at Buffy’s body on the floor. She didn’t believe her eyes.
‘Buffy? Are you OK?’
‘What? Who is Buffy?’ said Buffy.
‘She’s not Buffy,’ Willow said to Xander.
‘Who’s Buffy?’ asked Xander.
‘Oh, this is fun,’ said Willow. And then to Buffy, ‘What year is this?’
Buffy thought. ‘1775, I believe. I don’t understand. Who are you?’
‘We’re friends. Here, take my hand.’
‘Your clothes… everything… is strange,’ said Buffy. ‘How did I come here?’
Willow looked at Xander. ‘What’s going to happen to us without the Slayer?’ she said.
‘What’s a Slayer?’ asked Xander.
Suddenly a monster kicked Buffy from behind. This new Buffy didn’t kick back. She just screamed. Xander hit the monster with his gun and it ran off.
‘Let’s go into a house,’ said Xander.
‘Monster!’ cried Buffy. ‘A monster!’
Willow and Xander turned. They were ready. But there wasn’t a monster. There was only a car.
‘It’s a car,’ said Willow.
‘What does it want?’ said Buffy.
‘What’s wrong with this woman?’ asked Xander.
‘She’s from 1775. They didn’t have cars then,’ said Willow. ‘Let’s go. Buffy’s house is near here.’
Buffy and Xander followed Willow. They went into Buffy’s kitchen through the back door. Xander closed the door and watched at the window. ‘We’re OK… for now.’
BANG, BANG, BANG!
‘The front door! Quick!’ Xander and Willow ran through the house.
‘Don’t open it!’ said Willow. ‘There are vampires out there.’
The sound stopped. Willow and Xander stopped too, and waited.
Buffy came into the room and looked at a photo of a young woman.
‘This is just like me,’ she said.
‘It is you,’ said Willow. ‘Buffy, can’t you remember anything?’
‘No… no. I don’t understand. I don’t wear these… these… Are they clothes? I don’t like this place. I don’t like you. Where is my home?’
Just then a green hand came through the window. It grabbed Xander’s arm but he hit it with his gun. The thing ran away.
Now there was a different scream. It wasn’t Buffy this time. Xander opened the front door and ran out.
‘Hey! Stop!’ called Willow. Xander came back. He pulled a woman in a cat costume into the house. She was dirty and there was blood on her arms. It was Cordelia.
‘What’s happening?’ she cried.
‘Cordelia!’ said Willow. ‘OK, now listen. Your name is Cordelia. You’re not a cat. You’re at high school, and we’re your friends…, well…’
‘That’s nice, Willow,’ Cordelia said. ‘But I’m not stupid.’
‘Do you know us? Oh, that’s fantastic,’ said Willow.
‘Er… yeah,’ said Cordelia. ‘You’re a bit strange today. But look at my costume. Party Town isn’t going to like this.’
‘OK,’ said Willow. ‘Cordelia, you stay here with Xander and Buffy. I’m going to see Giles.’
Willow didn’t see Spike in the street. He was under a tree in his long, black coat. His vampire face was evil. He looked around him and smiled.
‘Well,’ he said, ‘this is… great!’
Xander and Buffy watched the streets from the front door. They were OK… for now. Cordelia watched from a bedroom window.
‘Oh, good,’ said someone behind them. ‘You’re all right.’
They turned. It was Angel. ‘It’s evil out there.’
‘Who are you?’ they asked.
‘ОК,’ said Angel, ‘what’s happening here?’ He looked at Buffy’s dress. He remembered something… someone… from long ago…
‘Do you live here?’ asked Xander.
‘No! You know that. Buffy…?’ This was Buffy… but not Buffy. ‘What’s up with your hair, Buffy? You look… different,’ he said.
‘They don’t know you, Angel.’ It was Cordelia. ‘And everyone in the street’s a monster.’ Then she remembered her smile. ‘So, Angel, how are you?’
Someone turned off the lights. Buffy screamed and grabbed Cordelia.
‘Hey!’ said Cordelia. ‘Keep your hands off me!’
Xander turned to Angel.
‘Take the girl to the kitchen. Watch the door. Catwoman, stay here with me.’
In the kitchen, the back door was open. ‘I closed that,’ said Angel. He moved quietly to the door. Buffy stayed by the wall. She didn’t see the vampire.
‘Be careful!’ cried Angel.
He grabbed the vampire and kicked it into the dining room.
‘Get a stake!’ Angel shouted to Buffy. He turned to her. She saw Angel’s face and screamed. It was his vampire face - angry and terrible. She ran out of the house.
‘Buffy, no!’ shouted Angel. The other vampire hit Angel hard.
There were a lot of books in front of Giles and Willow.
‘This isn’t helping,’ Willow said. ‘What are we looking for?’
‘OK,’ said Giles. ‘Let’s think. At six o’clock, everyone changed.’
‘Right. So now Xander’s a soldier, and Buffy’s a girl from 1775.’
Giles looked at Willow. ‘And you are…?’
‘I’m a ghost,’ said Willow.
Giles smiled and looked at her short skirt and top. ‘A ghost of…?’
Willow went red. ‘You didn’t see Cordelia! She has cat ears and…’
‘So Cordelia is now a cat?!’
Willow looked at Giles. ‘Wait a minute,’ she said slowly. ‘Cordelia isn’t a cat. She’s the same old Cordelia… in a cat costume.’
‘She didn’t change, then.’
‘No.’ Willow thought for a minute. ‘I know! Party Town! That’s it. Her costume came from Party Town.’
‘And you, Buffy, Xander. Where… ?’
‘We went to this new place,’ Willow said. ‘Ethan’s.’
‘Come on!’ said Giles. ‘Quick!’