UnExpected

Chapter 49

It was cold. And wet. Unclear whispers filled her mind. Everything was dark. Everything felt so far away. Where was she? Slowly she opened her eyes, thankful for the muted light. Everything looked blurry. But the room was big. Too big. And very strange. She moved her eyes to clear the picture and saw red. A blurry, red blob that moved. And she heard something. Someone was talking to her. But it was so far away...

"Buffy...Buffy..."

They were saying her name. The blurry, red figure was saying her name. She squinted her eyes and forced them to focus. The picture was becoming clearer now.

"Ginny?"

"Oh, Buffy! Thank Merlin you're awake."

Pictures were beginning to straighten, and Buffy could make out Ginny's small form. And she was sideways. That was odd. But when Buffy began to move, she realized she was the one who was sideways. She was lying on a cold, wet stone floor while Ginny sat leaning toward her. How did they get here?

"Ginny, what's...?" The whispers were getting louder. Telling her things she didn't understand.

"We have to get out of here. We have to get out of here now."

"What's –?" The whispers were fighting, making her head hurt. Light and dark, good and bad, they were fighting so hard.

Buffy struggled to her feet. Her hands cradling her head as it struggled to find peace.

"Buffy, we can't stay here," Ginny pleaded, standing now. "It's not safe."

"I...I-I know, but how...?"

Stop it! Stop fighting! Neither! It's neither! She screamed at them. Then, suddenly, the voices stopped. A heavy feeling slipped into her stomach. Something was coming. Something dark and bad.

"Buffy –"

"Shhh," she ordered, paying close attention. And a whisper in her heard laughed. The whisper was happy. And the other whisper told her why. And fear shot into her. "Ginny, run!"

Buffy rushed to her, grabbing a hold of her hand, and pulled the small girl with her just as the basilisk slithered out of its hole.

They ran and sloshed against the wet floor. Swerved and slid to get away from the creature that thirsted for their blood. They twisted in and out of the tunnels, hoping to confuse it but it stayed on their trail. They ran faster and faster, further into the twisting paths. They needed to get out, somewhere wide and open. They ran and ran – and then they stopped. Bars marked the dead end.

"Bloody hell," Buffy cursed.

"Uh...Buffy," Ginny said, tugging at her hand.

"What?" she snapped, frustrated.

Ginny didn't say anything, didn't move her eyes from it as she pointed a finger to the very large shadow on the wall that was coming closer with every nanosecond. And Buffy froze. They were trapped. The basilisk was coming closer and they had nowhere to go. Come on, Buffy, think. There was a surge of instinct in her to fight, causing her hands to turn into fists. And then she felt it. The wand in her right hand. The whispers were coming back. She forced her mind to concentrate and like a sneeze a spell came to her. Forcing Ginny back a few steps, Buffy stepped forward and raised her wand to the metal bars blocking their path. With a silent flick, blue light shot out, and reacting quickly, Buffy covered Ginny's body with her own as the bars blasted away. Leaving a large hole in their wake.

"Come on," Buffy said hurriedly, and they stormed out of the tunnel. Barely missing the basilisk as it reached out with its open jaw.

It was all one big circle, and they were heading back to the same spot they had started from.