Gone were her Tender Years

[ILLYRIAN]

Gone were her tender years part 1

Charlieze invited all other children of eight years old like her to be her friends. Then she called for girls when she was ten to be a further friend. In the days after she had grew into a beautiful teenager, time was that she longed to be beckoned by all manner of companions both boys and girls. She enjoyed their company for many forms of enjoyment.

Boys and girls gave her much, even upon getting older she longed for the handsome young men to place themselves within herself. When those boys had their fill it was left to the beautiful young women who she wanted them to please her.

She did like being comforted by them and in so many ways comfort from them she invited, often and with gratuitous accompaniment. They longed for more of her attentions, some would often long for her to render them satisfaction.

Though in the many years she had sought that company only a few had been able to give her the comfort she needed, of them she named only one, his name was Markam, she found she was quite willing to do anything he wanted her to do.

In time he expected her to do anything he wanted and as often that he did she did as he wished. Time was when she noticed that of him, her friends had often warned her of his ways. She began to know fear, in time she felt his anger because she hadn't done as he asked, then ordered her to do.

She fled from him along the darkened back alleys, the lanes and then the streets, she felt so insecure as he would always find her. Seeking a lift by the roadside she accepted a lift from a man to take her further into the night, beginning to feel a sense of freedom.

The next figure said he would teach her how to invite that mans attentions though he promised to make him regret seeking her company. Charlieze started to feel intrigued, she did not understand how that was possible one night then the next night she began to understand, she saw his fangs.

“What are you?” she asked. He smiled, “What would you have me be, a vampire or a werewolf?” asked the figure. “Either will cause me not to fear that man, though I suppose I would prefer to be a vampire, do I really have a choice?” asked Charlieze.

“Not really for I am both, it is me who decides what I want to be and so will you. Which one do you think Markam will fear the most?” asked the figure. “It could be that he will fear the vampire,” said Charlieze. "Then okay," said the figure.

“Be sure to think it through though, carefully. As if it has been raining just prior it would be best if you become a werewolf, for when they try to find who you are, and they follow to paw prints they will soon know great fear as the paw prints are seen to become human.

Then should you venture against a wall so they will find your fingerprints, the fingerprints will be of the person who died before you and I am a hundred and seventy five years old.” Charlieze wanted to know her lineage, “When I became what you are I was like you are now."

The human saw me as an enemy but as a witch I caste my spells on to me to be both werewolf and vampire to protect herself. Protect myself I did, so now I am both werewolf and vampire.” “So now I can run without knowing fear, not many dogs can speak,” said Markam.

“I had never considered living forever, though now I suppose I need to consider that,” said Charlieze.


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Gone Were Her Tender Years Part 2


Charlieze had realized that the boys she knew now longed to be by her side, they strove to comfort her and be by her side and be by her side they did and were always happy to be her companion until at last in her late teens friendship with a certain girl led her to prefer the company of girls that

friendship had another girl seek her approval and she should only have supported her but the girl whose name was Willow and sought to create some form of comfort on her, the comfort Willow gave to Charlieze each and every time they met they secretly sought solace for each other.

Charlieze heard what Markham said and laughed as she found she could now cause him great fear by turning Willow to be either werewolf or vampire at will, Willow caused him great fear.

Being stood in front of him she cut off all her hair, it gave her great delight to expose the return of her hair to him. Knowing that one of her new found delights would be how her speed might affect him she left the room as fast as she could.

Markham found himself alone, he stared at where Willow had been, he was unable to explain to himself how she was not there anymore. Standing silently outside a window behind him, she smiled.

Especially so, because she now had changed the tables, she read his mind to see who he had stalked before her and was amazed at how easy it was to read his mind, to know his past.

Willow found who to search for and where to search for her, she found it so easy to befriend the girl (Mary-Anne) whom Charlieze had once scared witless, now Willow could cause her to know what was not wanting to put her through the fear that she had once faced.

Willow thrust her ability onto the girl and created her as a vampire. Mary-Anne though responded with happiness, the happiness she now faced when walking amongst the shops in town where she only recently known fear, Mary-Anne now thanked Willow.

Hand in hand Willow led the girl towards a drinking house. Willow beckoned not to kill straight away, yet she should enjoy the ability she now had, to instill that amount of fear on another.

Willow found herself able to enjoy the pain she inflicted onto others. She now found herself the sheer delight of wondering who from her past she should force her new found level of enjoyment on.

Reading their minds Willow gave herself a subject she had never thought possible before. Many times in the years before then she had tried to contact the dead, many times she had heard what a dead person thought, though it never had occurred to her to return a dead person back unto life.

Willow thought to herself, could she convince a dead person to rise from his or her coffin and become one of the undead. The concept caused her many moments of confusion though in the end she ignored what the days of concern were she had thrust upon herself.

She gave herself the body that she had long longed for, Willow's new body gave her the body a clean bill of health so she would look her best when she confronted Charlieze.

Having seen all that could be done Charlieze wandered around the graveyards in the town but she found no answer to her calls she heard no reply. Going to the crematoriums Willow only heard the screams of those who were already dead.

Willow wondered if the living relatives knew what it was they were forcing on their ' loved ones '. Willow wondered for how long the dead would know of the pain the body they felt in the fires of the crematorium.

Yet she felt amazed when those dead who were burnt to save space on the planet were always so well versed during moments when the living tried to make contact with them.

Seeking what the future held for the living Charlieze felt fear at the number of people in the world and how many it was thought there would be. She considered how many were buried, how much waste was buried.

Willow feared for herself for being an immortal, allowing herself the enjoyment of considering what a march through the centers of any city might be like when thousands of other dead people 'voiced' their views, maybe then the living might do something to help the planet.

Willow knew there was no reason why she should fear the future, even though she needed to enjoy living in the present even if that meant doing what she could to force her intentions on them.

Willow decided to give herself the enjoyment of seeking those boys who used her to give themselves happiness. In the beginning Willow had knocked down the walls of a crypt where a boy who thought himself better than all others was buried.

Presenting herself to the boy she told him she would take her frustrations out on any of those he once loved. Knowing who that was the boy about what he had to do to Willow though she did not know.

He did not know that Willow could change herself from a vampire to a werewolf, nor did he know that she had retained the abilities she once had when she once was a witch, that the negative results she once had would now be only positive results.


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Gone Were Her Tender Years Part 3

Willow had found herself where she had often considered herself to be at ease, she had created the place she was at to be have a friendly environment, an old wooden shelter where she would try to contact the other vampires who looked just like her, she found it a likely place for the girl she wanted to be her doppelganger to be there. When the doppelganger had first appeared to her she was not a vampire but now she was and she felt so alone.

Willow grinned at the memories she now had she looked forward to meeting the other Willow and beckoned her to join her, this time she wanted her to come from an earlier time. This time she was prepared to meet herself, this time she knew to be clad in a skin tight leather one piece suit, it had never occurred to her that a skin tight leather suit would appear to be so loose.

Loose in a couple of places that caused her so much embarrassment; the knees and the elbows. When that Willow did appear to our Willow she told her she was was so happy to see her again, that Willow grinned then licked our Willow's neck. “A lot has happened since we last saw each other,” said the other Willow.

“Though I do admit that life as a vampire doesn't change much I will admit to having killed a few people, I know you might disagree. That Willow saw a smile in our Willows eyes and knew she thought it fun to think of how the person had been killed. Willow wriggled in her leather suit, “I have a lot to learn about living the life of an undead vampire will you teach me when to chase and when not to chase,” said our Willow.

“I think it wonderful now that we are both vampires, what you will find is it is best to avoid chasing the overweight people, sure they might be easier to catch but their blood is harder to get to, the overweight ones tend to have an extra layer of thick skin to bite through. I have found that to store some bodies has enabled me to keep some blood fresh for several days. When they are hung the wrong way up.”

Willow smiled to her, poked out the tip of her tongue and held the other Willow close, especially when she heard the other Willow say, “Kissy kissy.” Our Willow was amazed that she had become so attracted to her in such a short amount of time. Did she think it was a form of excitement that rushed into her after their hands had clasped together.

Smiling to each other the sense of companionship that was made in that instant had become so obvious to each of them. Our Willow knew that to keep that Willow as a friend she might have to do what she might not have chosen to do before she had become a vampire, expecting herself to change the aging leather clad Willow licked her lips and grinned to our Willow.

“She said she would soon start to read her mind, though I will only search the corners of the circle of your mind to see those people you like and those you might not mind losing soon after poking my teeth into their throats. Those you'd like to join me in sending them on a journey into the realms where the three of us could utterly destroy the unwilling victim."

Willow saw an image of her friend Buffy, she spoke about it to her friend Willow, “There are some here whose identity I would like to keep a secret, can I do that?” she asked. Seeing Willow smile to her and hearing that she said, “Not only are we good for that to happen we can start to plan our attacks so that only those who we think we would like our special friendship can soon become.”

Willow looked confused as she who she had sired, Mary-Anne stated, “Keeping some friends might be well worth itself to us, if we choose to help them they might choose to help us,” said our Willow just before Mary-Anne presented herself to the other Willow, “I was going to tell you about her,” said our Willow looking to that Willow who said.

“This could get confusing so I would suggest you refer to me by the name I have chosen for myself in my world, she said the name was Antoinette." “I have never heard of anyone naming themselves, yet as names go I do like it,” she said. Antoinette grinned to both of them, “People had this opinion of me because I had never said boo to a goose in case I scared it.

That time has long gone now though, mind you I still wouldn't say boo to a goose but smiling to herself that is because I wouldn't want anyone near it to get scared and startle the Goose.”


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Gone were her Tender Years 4

Willow wandered over the hill tops until she saw an old farm building, about to open the doors to go in the doors were opened from the interior of the building, “Well, Hi Will what brings you here at this time of the day.” Willow shook her head, “I'm not sure.” “While yo are trying to recollect why you are here help yourself to some food and drink, Dani should be down soon.”

Willow was surprised, “I didn't think that there would be any food in the offing,” said Willow. “It isn't very often we have any food here and when we do it often goes off,” said Leia. “Speaking of which,” Dani. After an hour at their house Dawn asked Dani why she wasn't eating any of the food, Spike explained to Dawn that both Dani and Leia were like him.

They were attacked one night in the centre of the town by a vampire and now that is what they are,” said Spike. Not knowing how to react to them she said, “sorry.”. Willow looked about the room, her stare became fixed on the many shelves of dvd's. “I'd never thought about vampires watching films,” said Dawn.

Spike looked to Dani then Dawn. “Not sleeping means being awake all day and night, that can make our existence really boring so we pass the time watching the DVD's on the telly, when that gets boring we pass the time by choosing a dvd to watch,” said Spike. Dawn took an interest in what films they had, discovering they had a large collection of vampire and sci-fi.

“I do find it odd that you like vampire films,” said Dawn. Leia grinned to Dawn, “It is fun to see what the humans think we are like and as for science fiction they seem to think it is okay to include ghosts stories, I do think that is stupid even though it is super-natural plus finding what a dvd is about gets harder as they do not write much on what is in a film on the cover.

They do write loads on what films the actors or the crew have been in, like that is at all relevant,” said Leia. Dawn found herself becoming increasingly understanding and even liking the vampire Leia. Later that evening as Dawn was standing outside of the backdoor Dani stood next to her, “What are you looking at?” asked Dani.

Dawn faced Dani,“I am so embarrassed to admit it but I actually do know very little about vampires.” Dawn turned to face Dani and shrugged her shoulders. “Leia and I were always the best of friends, we were in the choir at a church in town until the day we were turned. We stopped going to church because of what the vicar had drummed into us.

It was after that we grew to learn just how much the vicar had lied to us. He had told us over and over again that because we were vampires we were demonic creatures who believed the Devil was the best and that the devil was evil, when we became vampires we were able to know the truth of how the Devil came to be.

He was once known as the angel Lucifer who God ordered him to watch over those he had killed in Gods name. The numbers of the dead increased exponentially, yet still Lucifer kept doing as God wanted. It was God who sent the many people who were not good enough to be in heaven down to hell, not the Devil.

The vicar said those who believe in hell were devil worshippers even though Lucifer did as God ordered. “Even though we are vampires we do not worship evil, we do only what we have been ordered to do. How many vampires do not kill people, how many only drink the blood from plastic bags?” asked Dani. Dawn began to see Dani's point of view.

“And as for walking about and seeing during the day or night we vampires do see quite well at night but it isn't the sunlight that affects us and stops us seeing in the light, bright things hurt our eyes so daylight does become a problem for us while seeing at night gets increasingly better.” “Also as for being stabbed in the heart with a wooden stake.

The religious people say that a stake through the heart will kill the demon in us, that can be said about any human, holy water does nothing and about the depiction of a cross, yet another falsehoods that is claimed to be the truth by the church, as if they would know. The only way they would know that is if they are told that by a demon even though they say that demons only tell lies.

That means the man of God repeats what the demon says and claims it is the truth, making him the liar,” said Dani. Dawn tried to understand all of what she was being told though ultimately she began to be confused. The doors of the hotel were suddenly and savagely pushed open. Spike turned to see who it was, he saw Fiona staring at him, he sheepishly smiled to her and froze, does she remember me?” asked Spike.

Willow smiled to him, “I think so, though I feel like she should have expressed herself a bit better though. She should have what with her being a hunter of demonic creatures,” said Dawn, “Fiona is a what!” exclaimed Spike. “I thought it was a bit much, how you kept on about fancying him,” said Dawn. “Dawn!” shouted Fiona, then she admitted that she seemed to remember Dawns elder sister saying you used to have a crush on him.”

Spike knowingly smiled to Dawn, “Oh, really,” said Spike and he smelt Dawn’s hair, “hmm berry and vanilla scented shampoo that does make you smell good smell good,” said Spike. Dawn wanted to disappear.

At the other side of the room Greaves faced Garet, “Are we staying here in this hotel and if so who has given us permission to do so?” (Garet did not know how to answer Graeves.) “I am not to sure, at the moment I suppose you could say we are all squatters,” replied Garet then he added a bit more, I was just told, the one we need to stop while we are here is known as the Som-rotan.

And some other vampires are trying to invoke a demon named Baal. Spike felt happy when it was announced to him and Garet, “you are a vampire now, Garet spun around, smiled then replied. “Yes, I am.” “I’ll let Dawn answer this one.” Dawn was surpised that she was the center of everyones view. “What are you lot on about?” asked Dawn.

“Spike does like to hear your voice, as if you didn't know,” said Fiona. That evening all of them had gathered in one of the rooms, as they needed to decide on what they were going to do. Andrea said they’d all be welcome to continue to stay there. “That is good as a lot of pretty maidens will be arriving soon,” said Sherrin.

Garet said that he would get in touch with the local police station to see about setting up an Investigators business. Spike suggested that one of the ex-council vans be bought, so that they could look like a proper business. Graeves agreed and said that he and Alex were improving the security system. He also said he could set up a museum and have a training area for any more who would be there.

That and an area at the back for a book shop or library, and as there were only a few see-ers, a head-quarters could be started there as well. There was much discussion about a roof over the car parking area. There was much hilarity and argument when it came to choosing a name for their business and a design logo for the van.

After twenty minutes or so the name was agreed as ‘The Myth Investigators’, a logo would be a full moon and two rampant winged unicorns below it facing inwards, with fluorescent colouring around the outside of each item. Graeves came into the main room at noon the next day feeling rather pleased with himself, unfortunately there was only Alex and Spike in the office.

“I’m going to start a new shop here, a new age magic shop as part of the museum which I will call The Museum Of Mythological Artefacts.” Alexandria and Spike visually agreed with each other. “I also decided to sell Tarot cards, rune stones and crystals and maybe some new age books and some other magical trinkets.”

“You can't beat a good trinket,” said Spike. “So, if you two would come with me I can try and figure out where to put stuff and what colour to paint the place,” said Greaves, trying his best to ignore Spike’s comment. Once inside the door to the museum Spike stopped and looked around, he grimaced at what he saw, “It looks like a bit like a crypt in here,” he said.

Greaves asked Spike why he thought it was like a crypt in there. “Cos there is bugger all in there,” said Spike smiling. Greaves groaned then told Spike, “I did that on purpose, just to make you feel at home,” said Graeves sarcastically. “Could you please give me some ideas about where could I put the display cases?” Spike asked.

Then he looked about and suggested he put a few partitions up so you could have separate areas for different subjects, just keep the partitions low. And by putting in a few bench seats you could have section defined, for the new age material. “Greaves, is the Shadow Caster thing here?” asked Spike. Greaves smiled as he heard the drumming echo in the background with some screams in the foreground.

He noticed the shadows of the aged dead trees on the walls, the visual will help each visitor to feel an atmospheric ambience. “If you put it on a ledge near your counter you could make it activate every hour or so, it would create a mystic feel to the place, it'd make bloody good word of mouth advertising as well,” said Spike.

“I hate to admit it but yes Spike that is a good idea,” said Graeves. “And in the morning everything will seem even better, there is nothing like a new dawn to make everything seem better, as long as you don't try and look at the sun,” he said. Dawn faced them then heard a girls voice, “Am I not new here.”

Dawn looked to whose voice it was,” she smiled. “I do not like that saying, thanks for the sentiment though,” said Buffy. “You do know how to take the fun out of a warm, sunny, Sunday morning,” admitted Dawn, smiling.


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Gone Were Her Tender Years Part 5

“At last I am going to be able to enjoy having a evening off, to be able to relax in this, a big old house that overlooks such scenic beauty,” said Tommy. Graeves smiled when he thought of all the old buildings he had seen. “So where do you envisage that we will stay, I used to live in a small apartment in one of the suburbs on the outer edge of St. Albans,

even though when visitors did come to visit me for a few days I did noticed just how small my place was,” Graeves looked at the hotels room in the building again, “I do like this place.” “Like you say Graeves, this place is way better than your last place, handy as well ‘cos many more Riders on their way here,” said Tommy.

Dawn and Spike wandered into the room. “Oh hi! Phew, this place seems to go on forever, I think Spike and I must have found a few secret passageways and walked along them, probably twice. On the way we found Fiona, I think she was lost as well,” said Dawn, “Well, I didn’t show her that last passageway on purpose, I sort of got lost as well,” said Spike.

“I got up really early to have a shower even before the sun had come up. After the shower I found Spike, since then we’ve been trying to find our way around here!” She glanced at Tommy, “Do you have a guide book for this place, because that would be a really good idea,” said an exhausted Dawn. “Well, as you have seen most of this place guess who I'd vote to make a guide book for here,” said Tommy.

Spike pointedly glared at Tommy, “Guess who I'd suggest her assistant would be,” said Spike. Dawn agreed with him. Graeves smiled at the woman who just entered the room, she greeted everyone. “Hi there I am Annaleise.” Graeves was visibly impressed, “Who or what are you?” asked Buffy. “She is another like me,” said Fiona.

“Which means a lot considering we know next to nothing much about you,” said Spike. Graeves smiled to her, “She is much like my wife was, she died going on two years ago. She was twenty eight years old going on five hundred and a bit,” said Graeves. They were interupted when the telephone began to ring.

Fiona picked up the receiver and listened for a minute before she put the receiver down. “That was Davina, she said a few more Riders would be coming with her.” Dani and Leia wandered into the room, “I was sent a message about a Satanic cult that was trying to re-emerge near here at a country village that is now known by the name Balshaven, originally though it was known by the name Baals Haven.

It seems that some of the elder residents of the village worshipped the demon Baal,” said Dani. “I agree that we ought to do something about that but it'd be best if we sorted ourselves out,” said Graeves. “Doing what?” asked Dawn. “Just an idea but a good start will be to arrange to do some ESP tests I could arrange some postcards to put on shopfront bulletin boards.

"Then once thay had become well established a few adverts could be put in the local newspapers,” said Graeves. “To start with I will have a couple of seats and a desk put in the room, that should be good enough,” said Dawn. Spike had arranged for one of the nearby rooms to be a New Age book shop complete with several glass covered cabinets and the plan that Graeves had long had became a reality.

He had a museum where he could promote what local myths were in a part of the museum where he put books about new age religions, a feature of the bookshop was a Shadow Caster. It created just the right ambience for people to glance at the books, even the screams were just what was required. Early the next day while Graeves was looking at the empty museum he turned on the Shadow Caster.

The sound of drums and the screams gently floated and echoed around the room, Willow came in saying “We just had a phone call from some Gallery of the Moon type of shop, they have a girl who wants to know if we do hypnotism.” Graeves was impressed that the flyers had created such a quick response, “I guess there is someone here who can do hypnotism,” said Graeves.

Several hours later a girl fronted the museum to be hypnotised. Gareth went to see her, he returned saying she looked only sixteen dark almost black hair, collar length. “The girl introduced herself to me, she said her name is Gillian, she was not slow about making her thoughts known,” said Gareth. He turned to get her but discovered that she had followed him to the museum.

She was impressed at the Shadow Caster which Graeves turned on and started to get Gillian to do the ESP cards, though he was quite surprised by her ability, until Fiona walked into the room, about to introduce herself to Gillian Fiona faced Graeves, “This Gillan, she is an immortal like Annaleise and I Gillian might not know it right now but she is a Rider.”

Surprised Graeves asked where Gillian came from. Fiona smiled to him, “Like all Riders, she exists in one of the stones of Stone Circles like myself and Davina, we come from the stone circle known as The Merry Maidens, not far from the city of Penzance, near the end of Cornwall. Spike smiled as he listened to the Shadow Caster, “You just ignore me,” he said to anyone else who entered the museum.

That was until he saw a girl who was a stranger to him. “Who are you?” he asked. “My name is Anna, I have come here to be with the other Riders,” said Anna. Anna turned to face the girls behind her, “They are Saffron, Molly and Julie,” said Anna. Fiona greeted them. “That makes it getting on for ten of the Riders have made their way here so far,” said Fiona.



To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Gone Were Her Tender Years Part 6

Not long after nine the following morning Greaves met with Fiona to discuss the name of where they were, Greaves said there wasn't a specific name nor was there a word for the type of building. Fiona suggested that it might be in the best interests of the patrons to the mythological museum if the place was to promote the name Maidenscombe Castle for its home.

Greaves agreed, he stated that rooms suitable for the keep fit exercises of the Riders be limited to being below the main rooms, Fiona told Greaves that there might be twenty or more Riders stationed there while many others would probably pass through there daily. Greaves suggested that the basement rooms be set aside for them, a benefit was that the rooms would be cooler.

Fiona added that they would soon surprise the other residents there when Greaves asked how the surprise might soon be shown to he people there, bearing in mind folk from the wider community might soon be visiting there. Fiona smiled then opened her suitcase to show Greaves her battle uniform and the weapons they would carry.

Fiona took the suitcase into a separate room returning some twenty minutes later wearing her full battle dress. Greaves was impressed when he saw Fiona in Brown leather knee high boots a short pleated skirt that boasted a wide belt which held a sword on each hip. Fiona had a soft leather tank top that was covered by a hardy brown leather jacket.

A strap from her waist passed to a fitting on her shoulder a cross bow was attached to it, it could be fitted to her belt at the rear or when loosened it could be held in front of her, many bolt-arrows were placed in a tube on the opposite shoulder, Greaves was very impressed at her appearance. Greaves questioned why they were called Riders as he had only seen them on foot.

Fiona took Greaves to the rear of the place, she pointed to the field next to where they had just come from, then went with him into that field, “This is where we keep them though we have them be invisible when they are not in use,” said Fiona. Greaves stuttered as a winged white unicorn appeared walking toward him, Fiona stroked the neck of the animal.

“Seeing each one of us being sat on and flying on a unicorn is quite an amazing sight, apparently,” she added. Walking back into the castle Greaves kept quiet, not because he had to but because he didn't know what to say. Especially because he knew that Saffron would be there and he had already accepted that she would ask him something he should not answer.

Greaves was looking at the stones on the wall when Saffron asked him whose reflection he saw when he looked in the mirror. Saffron glanced to him then asked how a vampire who had no reflection could see anothers reflection in the mirror. Greaves was unable to answer the question sensibly. “Mind you,” he said, “If Spike did suddenly get a reflection I bet he would cut himself shaving tomorrow.

After all those years of shaving without a mirror suddenly seeing himself in reverse in a reflection will be fun especially when he sees all them lines on his forehead.” Spike was grateful when the telephone began to ring, he grinned as he learnt it was a local restaurant owner, she said about a man who had paid for a group of eleven peoples meals in cash, the owner was told by the bank that the money was refused as it was counterfeit.

Those it was not a large amount of money she wasn't that upset but she was because one person not paying was one person too much. On visiting the restaurant with Fiona and Dani, the next evening Greaves told the owner that they needed a good description of the man, then discovered that the description was quite poor.

Although some of the restaurant staff had seen the man so it was thought he lived locally. His description was passed to each one of the Riders and the restaurant staff. Even after a weeks searching the local towns no one was able to say anything about the man. So the next area of towns was to be covered, having flying people in the search helped though it proved to be ultimately unhelpful.

Greaves contacted Dani to find out if she had heard anything but Dani said she knew nothing although she said that a group of people who had started a business in the local town investigating Supernatural happenings, though it may be not what they investigate they might know something that was helpful. Greaves left a message on their answering machine.

Two days later they got a message of a person behaving in a strange manner in one of the villages north of the town. Acting on what was said Greaves, Spike, Dawn and Fiona took a car into one of the villages, during that day they went to six villages. A girl from where a message was on her answering machine asked Greaves if he was something to do with The Museum of Mythological Artefacts.

"I saw hoof prints in the snow at a village near here which isn't normal but the hoof prints appeared to have been caused by a biped." She also said she had heard reports about another strange occurrence not far from the middle of the town of Dawlish. She also spoke of a man who had been acting suspiciously by the river Exe, where the estuary was two miles wide.

When they went there Fiona said she began to feel ill in a certain area. She suggested that other Riders should be called to assist them. Willow remained at the Hotel as she felt the need to stay there. She soon found out why she had that feeling, two women wandered into the restaurant the elder of them went to Willow and handed her a flyer.

“Good Morning I picked up this flyer up earlier, it that states you do dream interpretations here,” Willow stood in front of them, “Yes we do.” “Oh good my daughter is looking for some books about dreams and how to interpret the dreams she has been having,” said the elder woman. If you look on the bookshelves in the bookshop for a book or maybe I can help you, what sort of dreams have you been having?” asked Willow.

A bit unsure what it was about these two that seemed to draw her to them, the younger of them approached Willow. “Hi my name is Sandy, and this is my mother Susan admittedly though my dreams are a bit on the weird side.” “Oh that's okay, I'm good at weird,” said Willow. Sandy looked relieved, “I do hope so, I see people in my dreams, but they are introduced to me by this person, I think he is a man.

He has an odd looking face, then tells me everyone else's names,” said Sandy. The elder woman stood in front of Willow. “At first my husband and I thought that our daughter Sandy was a little crazy, so we took her to be checked out by some psychiatrists, they all said that she was as sane as anyone they knew, she was just having some strange dreams.”

Willow looked to Sandy. “That was not a pleasant thing to have to go through,” said Willow. Sandy noticed a picture on the wall, “Mum, that photograph on the wall, that is one of the men in my dreams.” Willow looked to the photograph then looked to Sandy. It was then that Willow had began to realise what and who Sandy was.

Willow faced Susan, “Do you mind leaving your daughter here for the day?” Susan asked Willow, “Why?” Willow replied to her, "So that we will be able to answer all of your daughters questions." Sandy begged her mother to say it would be okay. Wanting to do what she could to help her daughter Susan had left her in Willow's care, "I am trusting you," said Susan.

Willow turned to Sandy and asked her, "Who else was do you see in your dreams." Sandy faced Willow and gave her an embarrassed grin, “You were with a girl her name was Davina, the others were Buffy, Dawn, Xander and well there were several other names but I can't remember what each of them were,” said Sandy.

“Thank you,” replied Willow, “You had prophetic dreams, now if you wait here just a minute.” Willow went out to the back rooms then returned. “Now about your dreams, each of those names you said, I know who they are.” Sandy breathed deeply and thanked Willow, “That means I am not crazy,” said Sandy. Willow waved her into the back room.

“The man in the photograph, he works here, he should be back later. You, Sandy are what I know as a Rider, you ride a winged white unicorn!” Sandy was unable to speak, there were so many tears in her eyes. “Even as a child I had this thing about unicorns, I always wanted a white horse and now you tell me I will get to ride a winged white unicorn, wonderful,” stated Sandy.

“There are other Riders here I will get some of them to come in here soon and introduce themselves to you,” said Willow. Sandy wanted to know when. Willow smiled to Susan, “But before they do meet you I need to tell you a few things about the Riders,” said Willow.


To Be Continued.



(a personal note, several years ago I was a member of the Online Writing Group run by the author Kelley Armstrong and her sister on the site about all her books, my username there was Maidenscombe)