The Gardens Path

[ILLYRIAN]

The Gardens Path.rtf
This fan fiction is for entertainment value for the fans of Buffy The Vampire Slayer etc:. It is not written for monetary gain. I thank those who gave permission for Fan Fiction to exist. The story is if Dark Willow had attempted another approach to destroy this world.

Part 1

Making a Home of a House

Amanda ran along the passage in the derelict factory where car parts had once been made. It was her first chance in ages to let herself go, to get some exercise and forget about her problems. Her neighbours had offered to take her daughter on holiday with them. Four young men had entered the factory unit from the other end of the factory. They had committed a robbery and gone there to split the proceeds. They heard the door slam on the floor above. Nigel looked up, an evil grin crossed his jaw he wanted to have some more fun. “Maybe it was that bitch who saw us.”

“Hey, you up there! Whoever you are, we are only here to have some fun,” he looked to his friends, “and maybe knock them on the head, whoever it is up there,” said Adam. They ran through the large structure dodging the square concrete supports as they ran to the first flight of stairs. Then howling loudly as they ran up them. Amanda had heard them shouting and decided to leave as quick as she could, she ran to the nearest doorway to her; about to run down the stairs the door slammed shut behind her.

She stopped as she faced the four young men, they in turn stared up at her Adam told her that being there was not the best thing she could have done. “I am guessing you know realise that, because you were the bitch who saw me robbing that store owner at gunpoint,” said Nigel. Amanda looked down to them and begged them to leave her alone she promised that she would forget all that had seen. Nigel said he had never heard anyone say that before. They sprang into action, quickly they ran up the stairs and trapped her at the doorway.

“Shame the door will open towards you,” said Nigel. “It was bad enough that you saw him doing the hold-up, but now you have compounded that by seeing us together,” said Adam. Amanda dropped to her knees and began to cry. “That is it little girlie, you can cry all you like but it isn’t going change anything,” said Nigel. As the dust below their feet began to move over the concrete floor, Gray was scared by its movement, he stepped back as the dust began to spin in a circle that got higher, then the circle started to get wider.

Andrew asked what was causing it to behave like that but no one answered him. Then a woman appeared in the circle and the dust dissipated around her. She looked about and faced Amanda. “Well there’s a thing, here you are right in front of me, this must be my lucky day,” said Willow. Adam grinned at her. “I don’t know how you got here or who you are but this is definitely not your lucky day.”

Willow faced him and laughed she asked him very pointedly, “What has that got to do with you,” she paused for a second and a half, “what would that have to do with you, human? Nigel looked to Gray then Adam. “Did she just call you a human?” Willow reached to Amanda. “Please hold my hand.” Amanda nervously looked to Willow then looked at Adam, she put her hand onto Willow’s hand.

To Be Continued

Willow and Amanda appeared in the forest. Amanda looked around she wondered where they were. Willow said they were at one of her homes. “Not that you can see it yet but you will see it soon, the home is where the area of dead soil is. Amanda looked and saw that there was an area of ground where nothing grew. About to say to the woman that she saw trees all around then except there Willow told her to look. Amanda did as she was told and the old wooden building began to appear.

Amanda suggested it looked like an old chapel. “It even has a belfry.” “Normally I leave it cloaked, I don’t want just anyone to see it. But as you will live there you will be able to see it and when the house recognises you it will do as you want it to.” Amanda stared at the house. “Come with me,” said Willow, “and I will introduce you to the house.” As they walk towards it, the house appeared and became solid.

“Soon I will go in search of others to join me. When I find them I will send them here and we can all call this house a home. Amanda looked to the house, she doubted Willow. “There are no windows, if other people are going to stay here one might think there would be windows for their rooms before the house can become a home,” said Amanda. “As I send more people here the house might want to be known as a home,” stated Willow. A bell began to sound.

Amanda stepped towards the house, the front door opened so that Willow and Amanda could walk in. “Well that is a good sign, the house appears to like you.” Amanda smiled, she looked about and wondered how the house knew that she had walked into it, she wondered why the woman referred to the house as a person she looked at the cobwebs on the dusty walls and thought the first thing she would do would be to clean the walls. A bell began to ring.

“You’ll get used to the house reading your thoughts,” stated Willow. Amanda realised the woman’s name was Willow that she had read her mind or the woman had planted the knowledge in her mind. It occurred to her that the house had as well, to test it she thought about cleaning all the inside walls, that she would make a garden all the way around the walls and plant colourful flowers. The house began to toll its bell at the same time as Willow started to smile to her.

Amanda knew her thoughts were being heard by both of them. Amanda looked above the entrance and saw there was a belfry. “Was the house once a chapel?” Willow admitted it was and pointed to the belfry. “It might surprise you to know the belfry is empty,” said Willow. Amanda tentatively stepped under the belfry and looked up, it was empty. “So how is it that I have heard the bell?” asked Amanda. “The chapel has had found memories of the bell being rung, now what you hear is the ghost of the bell.”

Amanda looked to Willow who returned the smile to her. “When I leave I will go and find the people who will be in a coven with me, as I find each one will I gain the power to find the other people.” Amanda began to smile, at last there was something she knew about. “I have heard that, about how a coven has thirteen people.”

To Be Continued
Willow laughed and said that she would train them to be witches and that when they were powerful enough she would let them be in covens of four, five, six or seven people. “A coven is measured by how powerful it is not by how many people are in it, have you ever heard of a solitary witch?” asked Willow. Amanda was curious she wanted to know how a witch could be measured by her power.

Willow walked into the kitchen took the rolling pin from a cupboard and placed it on the floor. She faced Amanda and told her to move it without touching it. Amanda couldn’t “Now watch this,” said Willow and put four glass jars on a shelf at the end of the kitchen, “Are you watching?” Suddenly the rolling pin flew at great speed along the length of the kitchen, it smashed the four jars. “Power can make the rolling pin fly across the room, but it takes knowledge to make the object go to the correct place.” Willow looked at Amanda. “Which one would you say is most likely. That you read the mind of the house or the house reads your mind?”

Willow looked to Amanda. “I think someone is on the way to having powers of her own. Now there is something I need to show you.” Willow took her outside and along the track, after a minutes walk Willow stopped, Amanda walking next to her followed suit, she looked at the area of ground where a circle of the forests growth had been cleared from the ground. “What is the circle for?” asked Amanda she was unsure of its significance. Willow stepped into the circle, she looked to the edge of the circle. “When the others are here I will bring them here and teach them.”

She stopped and looked to the tops of the trees. “And when I have decided how it will be done, then I will do it.” Amanda saw Willow move, she watched as she stepped out of the circle and joined her. Willow saw Amanda had stepped away from the circle and knew it was safe, she caused a stone circle to rise from the ground, a larger boulder appeared in the middle. “What are they for, what is the significance of them?” asked Amanda. “None, witches have used stone circles for millennia. Do you think those early witches were stupid? Would you prefer to sit on the ground or on a stone?”

Willow pointed to the rock in the middle. “It was for he or she who taught the coven. As the planet became colder a fire was needed to keep the witches warm at night. The rite that was most important for all covens to perform was the rite of sex magic. That was sex magic performed as it was meant to be. By women who had never had sex, women who were of clean and pure bodies were called to perform a rite to cleanse the planet.”

“Early witchcraft had a specific ritual that was to be performed when the sun was reflected on the moon’s surface that time is seen as a full moon. But man himself wanted to be seen as important, he made a mockery of it, in his search to be dominant over women he made sex magic be about the act of sex. How stupid is man, he took away the way that could have protected the planet and the whole of mankind.”

“When man decided to have other religions those same men decided to have him be the dominant figure. It was the male who doomed the planet and all who live on it to die. So, soon I will try to put it right, I will see witchcraft be the only religion on this planet, and those who I will bring here will be taught how to cleanse the world.”

To Be Continued

Amanda looked to the house and began to wonder what her reason for being there was. “You think too loud,” grinned Willow, “you are here to look after those I find, to help the house make rooms for them, then the walls will have windows and the house will be a home that can see the flowers in the gardens you will make.” The bell began to toll repetitively. “When the new witches are here and ready I will begin. When I begin you will not see me until I have finished.”

Amanda looked away from the house, she asked Willow where the track would lead them. Willow faced the track. “Should I go along that track it lead me to where I will find the other twelve. It is also where I will go to do what I am going to do. I have seen that the world is dying but the end will be such a slow agonizing death for so many people. So I am going to make the end come a bit quicker.”

“All creations are dying because man is killing the world, the burning of fossil fuels, the affects of global warming, they are mankind’s ways of killing the planet and of killing themselves.” Willow had Amanda walk with her into the kitchen. “Before I go I will need to teach you a few things, when I find the new witches and sent them to live here, they will need to be fed. This is how to get the food you need,” Willow handed Amanda a biro and an exercise book, “start on the first page, look into the pantry and the cupboards and see what you need. Then write those items down.”

“Yes, I know what that means, to make a list, that is a logical thing to do,” said Amanda. Willow looked to her and smiled. “To write down what is needed will have a different meaning than what you are used to,” stated Willow. She opened the pantry door and put sheets of kitchen roll on all of the pantries empty shelves, even the empty wicker basket on the floor. “So tell me Amanda if you need some potatoes how will you write down what you need?” asked Willow.

Amanda looked suspiciously to her then wrote down the word potatoes. Three potatoes appear in the wicker basket. Both of them look into the basket. “I see I need to explain myself better you, you need to be specific with what you need. So if you decide you need five pounds of washed and cleaned potatoes and that those potatoes should be no bigger than what would balance in a serving spoon then that is what you need to write down on the paper.” Amanda did as she was told and that was what appeared in the basket.

Amanda looked at the next shelf, Willow noticed that she began to look very puzzled. “What is it?” asked Willow. “The Baked Bean tins I don’t know how many tins to buy because I can’t remember what size the tins are.” Willow became as puzzled as Amanda then pointed a finger above her head, she signaled a brainwave. “I know,” stated Willow with great enthusiasm and wrote in the book two tins of Baked Beans. Two medium sized tins of Baked Beans magically appeared on the shelf. “Not big enough?” asked Willow.

So Willow wrote in the book for two more tins of Baked Beans, they both laughed. “Why am I not surprised by this, here I am talking to an impressive witch in a building that is able to do magic as well.” After twenty minutes Amanda had a good assortment of foods in the kitchen, she placed the book and the pen in a drawer. “After all that I don’t feel like cooking, how about we go out for a meal? How about a Chinese?” asked Amanda.

Willow sighed “That is something a cannibal won’t be able to say soon.” Amanda stared to her. “Why not, oh, right, none of the Chinese people will survive?” “Come to think of it, all of the cannibals as well.” Willow looked to the floor then at Amanda. “I will have to leave soon, to begin. I will return here with new witches, when I can.” She looked at the old building. “As more people come here they will need a room each so good luck with that, but if you need more help from the building so speak nicely to it, clean it more, or make those lovely gardens that you have said about.”

The bell began to sound again. “And don’t worry about this place being attacked or by criminals breaking in, remember about this home being invisible to the unwelcome. Plus there are a few old friends of the home buried near, they will rise to protect you and the home if needs be. Come on lets go for that meal then afterwards I will need to get going,” said Willow.

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Part 2

THE CAR

The second police car at the accident was being driven by Senior Police Constable Ben Major the passengers were Snr. PC Sue Troy and PC Allanah Baird when they arrived at the scene of the accident Snr. PC Troy and PC Baird got out of the car and went to watch the east bound traffic on the dual carriageway Snr. PC Major went to assist the ambulance officers.

When he got too the driver’s side of the car he was just in time to help the ambulance officers put the driver onto the stretcher, as he looked at the driver he saw both of his legs had been broken and he also had a large gash to the side of his head. It started just behind and above the man’s eye to just passed his ear, he had hit the door pillar.

Snr. PC Major spoke to an ambulance officer he asked if the driver had been drinking. The ambulance officer looked to him and laughed as the man had just died, he said when he had spoken to him the man had said his name was Ronnie and he was a barman at The Gothic Club in Clause Street. The ambulance officer continued, he kept repeating himself saying he had served a woman in the nightclub but when he looked at the security tape later the woman was invisible, he said he had seen the woman on the road and swerved to avoid her.

Snr. PC Majors looked back along the road and saw the tyre marks where he had swerved off the road. He noticed the tyre marks where he had swerved to avoid hitting a tree then the marks on the road. He took several photographs of the accident, got back into the police car then went back to the station he agreed with Snr. PC Troy and PC Baird they ought to go to the Gothic Club towards the end of the midday session to find out some more about Ronnie. So at just after two pm they stood at the end of the bar, the woman who was behind the bar, Rebecca Wright told them she was the owner that they were lucky to see her there as the barman hadn’t turned up for work.

Sue Troy interrupted the woman and told her about the accident, and that the barman had died in the accident. The woman was visibly shaken, she meekly attempted a smile and admitted that he was a nice person. Snr. PC Major held up his identity card, he asked her if there was any CCTV cameras that showed the bar. Rebecca turned to the end of the bar and pointed up at the ceiling.

“I like to keep an eye on the bar and who comes in, mainly because I like looking at the fashions of the Gothic wear. I get a lot of ideas about what to wear and what I can wear at the social event’s I go to,” said Rebecca Wright.
Snr. PC Major repeated what he’d been told by the ambulance officer, he said he wanted to see the CCTV. He repeated what the ambulance officer had said about Ronnie seeing a woman and that that was why he wanted to look at the CCTV to see if they could discover who she was.

Rebecca said she was a bit busy but if he could until after the shelves had been restocked she would be happy to accompany them. “In about fifteen minutes.” When they had been taken to a viewing room next to the bar and had begun to watch the tape the owner fast forwarded the recording to when the bit they wanted to see. “Here we go, this is what you are here for. I saw this bit earlier as Ronnie and I thought we recognised the woman. If you look carefully you will be able to see the shadow on the floor, though there is nothing or no one to cause the shadow.

They watched as the barman appeared to pour a drink for someone in front of him at the bar even though no one could be seen, then they all saw the coins appear from nowhere and drop into his hand.” Snr. PC Major stared at the screen shocked at what he had just seen. “Where the hell did those coins come from and where the hell did who or whatever it was come from?” he asked.

“I think you just answered yourself,” stated PC Allanah Baird. Rebecca Wright turned the machine off, opened the door and told them to wait in the bar as there was something there she wanted to show them. When they were sat by the bar Rebecca reached up and took down a large oil painting that covered a mirror, as she put the painting on the bar she noticed how they looked at the mirror.

“Don’t ask as it is a trick mirror it isn’t, I had a local builder install it to reflect a bit of the ceiling and the wall opposite. It really freaks out some folk because they can’t see my reflection when I walked passed it. But what I wanted you to see was the painting.” “I bought it to cover the mirror last year, I have no idea who the painting is by but it has been dated to be from the early sixteen hundreds.”

“Now that had no meaning before tonight as the woman we saw at the bar, the same one who we can’t see on film, if you look closely at the woman’s face in a window on the second floor, it is the woman we saw, the woman who Ronnie saw. PC Baird asked Rebecca if she had CCTV coverage in the car park. They followed her back to the viewing room, and watched as people left the club and went to their cars.

Suddenly PC Baird asked Rebecca to rewind the player a minute, Amanda wanted them to watch a car at the back, as they watched a car door opened then closed then the car began to leave without a driver. They made note of half of the cars rego number, the cars colour its make and model. Snr. PC Ben Major told them they had two ways to follow her one way was through the police data-base though it would involve a lot of work with only part of the number. Or they could go to the car yard advertised on the sticker on the rear window.

Snr. PC Major said he would go to the station and start trying to track down the car while they went to the car sales yard. He said he would meet them there.
As Snr. PC Troy and PC Baird walked into the posh surroundings of the cars in the showroom an assistant walked towards them. PC Baird noticed the woman’s name badge on her tunic; Vera Hastings.

Snr. PC Troy told Vera there had been a fatal accident the previous night that they needed a witness. They took part of a registration number and needed to contact the person, they thought the car had been bought there. While Vera started to look on the showrooms computer the police officers looked at the other cars in the showroom. While they were looking at the upholstery on a car the woman returned with a computer readout that gave the woman’s name and address.

As they left the cars showrooms they talked to each other about what they were doing, neither of them noticed the woman who approached them from behind them. That was until PC Baird turned to look at who it was, she had heard the footsteps. They had just started to see her when all they saw was an old wooden house, Willow walked from behind them and opened the wooden door. “When you go in go to meet Amanda and tell her Willow sent you.”


To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

PART 3

THE 13th HILL

Willow went to the north from where she had emerged she was due to meet a young woman who would show her about the village of Albion. It was the middle of the morning that Willow neared the farmhouse on the small farm being close to the farmhouse it overlooked the track Willow was on. Sharon was eighteen years she could see Willow from the window she looked from. She had soon run from the farmhouse to join Willow they continued to walk into the village.

As they entered the village Sharon told Willow that a market was being held in the central part of the village. Willow was pleasantly surprised by the welcome she received from each of the people they passed. They stopped at the first stall and saw it was decorated with innocuous designs of a cat, a broom and a weather vane the sort of design Willow had only seen in books.

She looked to Sharon as she picked up a nicely ripened apple she even looked as though she was about bite it. The stall holder said that it was a good apple to choose but it was not there to be eaten. Sharon didn’t understand why and the stall holder grinned to her. Sharon watched as the stall holder picked up a knife and cut the apple in two equal halves, the core of the two halves of the apple presented a design that would ward off all evil and provide an effective area of protection for the people in that area.

If you looked at other objects on any of the stalls at the market you would see healing remedies, sleep making recipes, psychic awareness spells and if needed even death spells, if we were attacked that is. Sharon saw that all the other farms near theirs were grown within the bounds
ground could provide. That the people lived a good life, Sharon looked across the village square and saw that a lamb was tied to a door.

As they approached the lamb another stall holder appeared by them. “In case you think wrong as others have done the lamb is not a sacrifice as all lambs are seen by us as symbols of growth.” Sharon and Willow relaxed as the stall holder said that many near there were we are seen as the guardians of all that live here, we are the frontline of defence should the area be attacked by disease.

Willow told the stall holder that they were there to seek the one known as Saran who is known to be a healer she is renowned to be on the thirteenth hill.” After being directed to the right place they walked past the first hill they approached, going up the next hill Sharon was pleased to see the wealth of bird life in the trees although one had a broken wing.

They stopped under the top tree, they were made aware of something or someone above them by bits of bark falling on them. The person clambered down the tree to the ground she told Willow she had been there too see where the bird with the broken wing was. Saran faced Sharon and looked to where she had seen the bird, Saran went there to the bird and after two minutes the bird flew away.

Saran said she had been sent there by the coven she had grown with, that it had been prophesized that a witch from an unknown place would seek her. Willow saw what she did and knew she would be needed, Saran faced Willow then looked to Sharon. “A healer is right for us, for what we need to do, you are needed,” said Willow she smiled and knew her plans were falling into place

Sharon was amazed at Saran’s ability to heal and wanted to know how she could learn to do the same. Sharon thought about what Saran did and asked her if she could use her ability to heal the ground. Saran asked Sharon if she could live on her farm when they returned, many people in the area could be helped by the produce from the farm.

Willow promised to arrange things when they returned and they were near to the wooden door, Willow opened the door for them, as the bell began to toll. As Amanda came to them she was introduced to Saran and Sharon. Willow promised she would soon return, again.

To Be Continued

 

[ILLYRIAN]

PART 4

THE RAILWAY LINE

The station wagon was being driven by Barry along a quiet unmade gravel road towards the latest railway track that would be laid in through a forest. As they arrived at the latest area to be worked on three men and two women get out of the car. Barry walked towards the hill the guards followed him. “What do you think you are doing?” asked Arial.

Barry told her he was only because he had brought the workers there and to find out why the rail was built there at all. Arial pointed to the other guard, Beth went and stood in front of Barry. He faced her and asked why. Beth told it was not the humans told they had taken photographs of the planned route and overhead photographs from an airplane when the topography didn’t allow people to inspect the area.

What no human ever expected was that the hill could not be seen from above and it would only be seen by the eye. Barry looked to the hill he wanted to know why the hill couldn’t be seen by anything other than the eye that looked to it. Arial told Barry that when the heavy machinery was first put there the company found the house, it had known nothing of it being there before. A track was carved through the hill at the level required.

Beth told Barry that eight women lived in the house, that they were in the woods as they were every day. Rumour has it they are witches they go to a place in the forest, a place where they harness the power of the trees, power they use to protect the vertical tunnel from being found by people. “What lies at the other end of the tunnel is enough to rid this world of people.”

That evening the line of eight women returned from the forest. Barry was stood on the verandah with Arial and Beth. “He is here to learn why the hill is here, I told him it protects a vertical tunnel though I am not sure which part of the hill needs to be protected,” said Beth. A witch looked to Barry. “Which is most important to you, to have a world to live on or to have a railway line that no train will ever use?” asked the witch.

Beth said that the witches had promised to find out what they needed to be there for and for how much longer they needed to remain there for Arial suggested it was something to do with the mound as that was the only reason she could imagine why nothing was known about the mound being there. Beth mixed with the witches

She told Arial and Barry that the mound was out of sight for a reason that was being kept from the witches until the one who wants it removed was there. All they knew was that the mound kept hidden from mankind, to keep something that if found could remove all mankind from being on earth.

One of the witches approached Barry, she said that if more digging was done they would have to
make them cease work. That they would remain to stop anyone else Beth tried to change the subject she asked where the path from the house went to the witch looked to it. The witch looked to it she said the path led to the area where the coven went each day, where they sought protection for what the mound covered.

Barry went to the car and soon returned with several maps of the area, no mention is made about the house nor is any mention made of the hill. “The problems that were argued when the first workers said of the hill, even when the first workers spoke of it and took photographs of the hill no sight of it was seen, now I find a coven of witches are here to protect the area from the likes of me.

Willow walked from the forest, she ventured to the mound. “What is left of this hill is to remain.” Willow went to the railroad track and caused it too separate and had each rail roll back on itself. “What is being protected I will return and use in a few weeks,” Willow faced the coven of witches, “I ask that you do the same for a few weeks more. A coven is being created and the special few will be brought here to save mankind from the threat that is,” stated Willow.


To Be Continued
 
PART 5

BY A RIVER

Their memories told them they had always gone there they thought they must have been taken there by their parents though they never remembered their parents being there. When the time was close they would not remember anything of their parents. They knew the place as Lake Griffin though they knew it didn’t have a name just the one they knew it as.

They saw it as a small body of water with a canal dissecting it, a small canal that joined the two bodies of water that lay either side. They looked forward to being there each day though why they had no idea. Every time since they were born they remembered they had gone there it was like a second home but as the time came close for them to be reborn any memories of where they called home had faded. This time it would become real, as it was once this was where they had always been.

This day the land between the two bodies of water would be real again. The once great land would have a new name as it did on each rebirth, this time it would be known as Albion. For them their memories were real as it wasn’t that they lived on the land, they lived in the sea where ever they had gone they were always home and they had no parents for they had always been.

Then they were mortals who would be chosen though they would be granted life because of their bravery more because of what they could give to the others, they were chosen to look for them. Brianna followed her instincts but she was confused as they led her to the side of a river. She knew better than to ignore her instincts so she sat and waited, it wasn’t long before she heard gentle rustling gentle rustling of the dead leaves on the ground behind her.

She listened as the footfalls went along the ridge behind her then they went to the river not far from where she was sat. As she watched the young man kneel beside the water she saw a stick flying through the air. Although it would have missed him she caused the stick to fall safely to the ground behind her.

He looked to beside him and smiled he asked what was that for, about to answer him she replied to that it looked as though it might hit the water in front of her. Brianna stood and kissed him on the cheek she wanted their names, Rinn and Brianna to be remembered. He looked at her and told her he would respect her wish, he picked up the stick and moved it away from the water Brianna told him to feel for those in the water.

Brianna flinched when she saw the images of those in the water and heard the voices calling to her, thanking her. Brianna was human though she was special, she had great contact with the element of water. She told he who had sat beside her to make a small fire nearby so they could cook a meal. When she saw he had done as asked she held her arms above the river and a fish jumped up to her.

She told Rinn that the fish had given of itself as a sacrifice for its offspring to be favoured with long life in the river she watched over. As they ate the bounty the figure of Willow revealed herself to them. She had seen the way Brianna had treated with respect the fish and was glad.
Willow sat with them, she waited until they had finished their meal, seeing they were suitable to be in the coven.

Willow invited them to be with her, she told Brianna her powers of persuasion would be needed to protect those who faced the ultimate battle. Rinn and Brianna agreed and added that if they joined the fight they would be willing to added themselves to the list of the dead, if that was what was needed.

Willow smiled for in the time that the fires smoke created a cover for them she had the three of them wander towards the horizon away from the river. Willow had them appear on the track near the old wooden building, opening the door she called to Amanda. She told her that soon everything would be as she wanted that the circle would soon be needed.

To Be Continued
 
PART 6

JESSIE

Willow wasn’t too happy when she realised her search had led her to a small city not a village. Standing at the fork in the woods she found some moss growing on the back of some rock, picking it up she blew onto it then she laid it back on the rock. She waited while it settled and pointed the way she needed to go. Willow followed the direction of the arrow soon she began to wander between the lines of houses.

Willow took notice at the houses as she wandered by them, she noted that they were all of the same the design that had them be at least eighty years old. When she had passed the last of those houses she could see the older house near an open pasture bounded by a forest. When Willow reached the old house she rang the front door bell a few times.

Gethro opened the door he stared at her, he said he hadn’t heard that name before. Willow stared at the ground, grinned then looked to him. “No, no, what I said was my name is Willow, I want to find a young woman by the name of Jessie.” “My wife, my second wife’s name is Grace. My daughter Jessie He said that his name was Gethro that his wife was his second wife and her name was Grace, that his daughter was Jessie. Gethro stated that his mother in the same village as his family had once lived a village by the name of Compton, she has lost the power of speech but she can still write so any conversation might take a long time.

My daughter is a bit of a rebel so finding her might take a while. As he invited Willow in Grace offered Willow a seat to sit down as Gethro brought in a cup of tea for her. Willow did not care about any ailments that his mother might have nor did she care that Jessie had moved from the family, Willow asked is to see a photograph of Jessie so she would know who to look for.

Gethro turned to face the photograph of his mother on the wall above the heater, he told Willow that young Jessie has what the family once had, a belief in the old ways but she had no one to teach her the value of what was and that had brought several problems into Jessie’s life. He saw that as his fault

He stood up as if that would help him admit his wrong doings, about to ask Willow to help his daughter he saw Willow was gone. Willow had gone to where Jessie lived, though her flat mate said that Jessie often ventured into the town’s park of an evening. Willow felt she was becoming lucky to be where Jessie could be found so quickly.

Jessie had gone to a youth club where she often went to meet people. That time though some other girls had got together and said how their boyfriends had become friends with Jessie. They didn’t know that Jessie just wanted people to talk to but it didn’t stop them as they were going to warn Jessie away from them. Jessie soon found herself being chased by the group of six girls.

The longer that Jessie kept ahead of them the more they taunted her, and the louder the taunts became. The taunts were loud enough for Willow to hear that helped Willow know which way to go. Willow became concerned for Jessie she knew that Jessie would be worn out soon. Willow realised that she needed to be pro-active, so she called to Jessie’s mind, telepathy had its uses.

Hearing Jessie’s confusion about having a voice speak to her Willow knew which way Jessie was running. Willow hid from Jessie behind a tree and waited for her to run along the path towards her, taking the appearance of a young woman she stepped from the tree when Jessie was so close she couldn’t avoid her.

Willow leant her hands onto Jessie shoulders, Jessie felt a wave of security pass through her.
At last Jessie, I have been looking for you I hope you will not be afraid of me, that this will be easier than I thought. Willow looked to the girls then to Jessie. Willow had Jessie look to the girls who were about to approach her.

Do not be afraid of what you see, I am here to protect you. Willow flashed a grin to Jessie and had her grow as large as they could, like a big wolfs eyes. Willow turned and taunted the girls, she stepped towards them then released her inner demon. The pretty young woman that Willow appeared as began to change to a hideous old crone.

Willow spurned a scream that was so loud that even the bird life in the trees started to fly in fear of her. Willow’s form quickly changed to a giant winged demon her sinewy skin shone like the fires from hell itself. The girls turned to run but they were not fast enough, they were caught in the demons icy stare, they were held in stasis as their bodies were devoured.

Willow allowed herself to be as she was, she greeted Jessie with a kindness Jessie didn’t understand as Jessie didn’t understand what it was that she had done. Willow grinned. “You do not understand why I have searched for you. A time ago I began this search, I searched for other women who sought the power of nature that I hold dear. I found each of them and now we can

begin to reveal those powers together to do what must be done I will cause you to be together
with those who I have found, a family of sorts, ones I have yearned to bond with. Each one has a power that when released can give a far greater ability, as I just did. So know we will go and join the others, no doubt my friend Amanda waits for us.

To Be Continued
 
PART 7

IN THE CIRCLE

Amanda stood inside the open door she smiled as Willow crossed the threshold with Jessie. She looked happy as she heard the bell begin to toll its welcome. Amanda waved her hand to invite Jessie in and smiled to Willow, she said that those already there had begun to accept each other as a friend, that they would soon accept Jessie into the mix.

Jessie was shown her room and when the meal had been prepared she was invited to meet the others there. After each of them had finished the meal Willow took them to the circle. She invited each one of them to sit on a stone around the edge of the circle and for them to remove their shoes and any foot covering.

Asking them to kneel on the ground Willow wanted them to press their feet on the stone and have that stone know it was their property. Willow then had them lie flat on the ground and place a hand on the middle rock, to concentrate about themselves touching the rock. Half an hour had passed when a bright light began to appear at their fingertips.

The light started to spread on the rock towards the middle, when the light from each of them had reached the middle it gave a representation that they accepted each other and that a friendship had begun to grow. Bonding their powers that intensity of the glow in the middle of the central rock increased, Willow knew her dream had been found that they could bring a great help to others.

With Amanda to help them bond Willow had each of them emerge outside an old friend’s house.
Buffy had been trying to get to sleep, she felt a presence near she sat up and quickly glanced about the room, not seeing anything she dressed and went downstairs. One of the latest potentials told her that someone wanted to see her. “She said she was and is a friend, and that she is waiting on the garden’s path.”

Buffy went to the door, looked to see who it was. “Do you realise that leaving your room empty at this time of night it will have been invaded by at least eight potentials?” She instantly recognised the voice. “Willow, where have you been these last few months?” asked Buffy. “I had an idea, it wouldn’t have made much sense then but it does now. I have a new plan of attack,” said Willow. She explained where she had been and what she had done.

“So how would you feel about attack the reason why the First is here. I know it is a bit of a stretch to believe this but it does make sense, Caleb and his boys were here to clear the way, this First was here to support him. An army of Neanderthal vampires are ready to attack the peoples of the earth. It made sense to me that the guys who were in charge would then rise and assume control. My notion is that we attack them.”

“It would be the logical thing to do, but how could we do it?” asked Buffy. Willow grinned. “While I was away I sought a special few to assist and they will, we could attack those who would assume control when the First is of the belief it has won. That will be when the First is most vulnerable to suddenly find there is no one to lead, with the army of those ugly vampires beaten you will have won.”

Buffy agreed, “We have always fought against the First, they wouldn’t expect an attack on something none of us has ever mentioned. How many of us will you need?” asked Buffy.
“I have a coven of witches with me, I thought once thought that Wicca was the new age of witchcraft. The magic that we are tapping into would see witchcraft as a modern form of pagan just right for a battle with the Devil’s offspring, they who are the creators of the First.”

Buffy agreed with Willow. “When would that happen?” asked Buffy. Willow paced to the window. “I sort of guessed you would agree with what I had to say, we have begun to forge the way. A coven already protects the area where the entry is, and steps have been taken. I just wanted the all clear from you so,” Willow turned to face her, “we can go as soon as you say
Yes, we will be where the railway line has split the hill in two.”

Buffy asked her how far away from Sunnydale it was, she wanted to know how quickly Willow could return, Willow grinned. “I’ll be back for the main event, now get some rest you look tired.” Willow vanished.

Buffy went into the basement of the house after finding her room full of sleeping potentials, she spent the night with Spike. Woken from a deep sleep by the thoughts in her head she wandered towards the steps. As she stood there she was visited by the first who proved itself to be unaware of Willow’s attack. Suddenly Spike woke and mumbled about his dream, as he approached Buffy a new thought entered her mind. “Spike, I’ve just realised something, we are going to win.”


THE END