It was three in the afternoon, but there was no light. The sky was thunderous, the air dank and putrid. Once more the atmosphere of danger was palpable.
Buffy was crouched on a platform balanced on the roof rafters of the old barn. As soon as she saw the shadow creeping across the straw littered floor, she leapt down, blonde hair flying, determination written on her face and brandishing a stake in each hand. The shadow had been created by two zombie like vampires who plodded slowly across the floor intent on reaching a rusty lever which, Buffy surmised, could only be yet another key to the portals of hell.
The vampires advanced, their faces expressionless but every muscle tensed against attack.
Buffy lunged at the first vampire and would have plunged the stake deep into its heart, but as soon as the stake hit the vampire's chest, a web of fibres sprang out from his rotten wool vest, coiling themselves around Buffy's arms and rendering her helpless.
“What the..?!” shrieked Buffy, struggling to free herself.
“Cool,” murmured Xander, sliding off the platform to help her.
“Cool, nothing!” snapped Buffy, “Giles told me I would have no problem dealing with these two!” Giles, Buffy's mentor, had researched every means of opening the portal and had concluded that the attempt that would be made today would be easily foiled.
As the fibres crept up Buffy's arms, the second vampire, whose menacing facial expression was becoming ever more clear, laughed maniacally as he bore down on the hapless Buffy. Xander, turning paler by the minute, breathed, “Yes, he said it only needed one slayer.” He was trying to unwrap the web from Buffy's arms but the more he tried to loosen the fibres, the tighter they gripped!
“Stop that!” screamed Buffy, furiously, “You're just making it worse! Pull the second stake through the web and use it on Laughing Larry, there.”
“I, I ...can't,” stammered Xander, “I'm not a slayer!”
“But I'm a slayer when I can draw on Buffy's power!” Willow tore into the barn, drew a blade from her belt, slashed at the fibres and yanked the stake from the web. She advanced on the second vampire who, by this time, was trying to attack Buffy with the gnarled and slimy instruments that served him as hands. Then, as luck would have it, he became entangled in the first vampire's web. As he struggled the fibres drew tighter around him and looser around Buffy's arms. She pulled her arms free, cursing at the painful red weals that criss-crossed her skin.
“Interesting. Their defence mechanism has tied them up together!” observed Xander.
Forgetting the pain Buffy cried, “OK, now we can finish the job!” She seemed a little too enthusiastic in Xander's opinion.
In tandem Willow and Buffy drew back their arms, ready to thrust the stakes into the chests of their adversaries.
Thunder and lightning crashed around the barn. Suddenly a bolt of lightning flashed through the barn door, striking the two vampires, who disappeared in a shimmer of sparks leaving a web of wool behind.
Almost immediately recovering from the shock, Willow laughed and pointed at the floor. “Buffy, the stakes and the web look just like some giant knitting project!”
That's very funny, but look at my arms,” snapped Buffy. “I'm going to look awful in my sleeveless dress at the dance tonight.”
“You could put some make-up on them,” offered Willow.
Xander, who had been silently wondering whether the main powers at play here hadn't been Willow's rather than Buffy's, offered his suggestion.
“I bet your mum has some of those long gloves that go over your elbows. You know, they were real popular in the 50s,” said Xander.
“What the heck do you know about it?” teased Buffy, “but I hate wearing gloves. I can't use my fingers. Still, maybe it would work tonight”
Exhausted, she lay back against a bale of hay, focusing on the enormous knitting project in front of her and thought to herself, “I'm always getting beaten up and getting splinters in the palms of my hands. I'm going to knit myself some lacy sleeves that come down over my hands but not my fingers. Just like those medieval gowns.”
“Wake up, Buffy or you won't be going to the dance!” Willow was nudging her gently.
“OK,” sighed Buffy and then, “On Monday I'm going to join the knitting group!”
“What!” Xander and Willow exclaimed. “And when exactly do you think you'll have time to knit?” questioned Xander.
“Oh, I'm going to make time,” said Buffy... and she did.
Author's disclaimer
If you are a Buffy aficianado you will no doubt find it obvious thet I have never seen a complete episode of Buffy in my life. I apologise therefore if my portrayal of Buffy and her friends is totally unrecognisable, but my inspiration came from the the stakes themselves!
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