RED [spike]

Mirror/Mirror

episode song - anti-hero, taylor swift

"I'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror
it must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero"

warning: violence and (hopefully) disturbing creatures. also cursing.

Happy Halloween!

The demon slunk through the back alleys of Sunnydale, searching for something to eat. Normally, it never would have strayed so close to any large town, but the pull of the Hellmouth and the dark magic that surrounded it was too strong. So it found itself searching through the dark walkways, lips twisting into a mangled smile as the thick stench of magic filled its nostrils. The scent was everywhere in Sunnydale, and as the demon walked it sensed other demons, vampires, witches, and all sorts of tasty little treats.

From the brightly lit street ahead, bubbly young voices rose. While it would have preferred a larger meal, the demon was hungry, so hungry, so it decided to go for an appetizer. It emerged from the shadows, seemingly forming out of the darkness. The girls chatting loudly about classes and boyfriends didn't notice the dark shape behind them until it was too late. The demon struck, placing a large, scaly hand over each of the girls' faces, stopping their screams in their throats. From the palms of its hands spread a dark, oozing liquid that slowly closed over its victims' faces. Soon, their helpless bodies stopped struggling as they slipped into unconsciousness, the dark liquid filling their lungs. Still, the shadows flowing over their bodies didn't stop.

As it absorbed them, the girls' essences spread into the demon, forcing their words and mannerisms onto it. From its mouth poured the bright voices of the two girls. "Teresa is such a bitch-" The demon cut itself off, quickly switching to the voice of the other girl. "Totally and my math grade- I know, so unfair-" As it spoke, the demon's head flicked back and forth, imitating its victims' last conversation.

At last, it released them, letting their lifeless bodies fall to the floor. Slowly, the shadows that had drowned them dissipated into the air, fading away and leaving no trace of what had killed the two young girls. The demon shuddered, its tail curling in pleasure as it cracked its neck and digested its meal. Though it had just eaten, it was still voracious, the hunger devouring him from the inside out. The girls had hardly been a real meal after all, just a quick snack as he entered the town. Growling a bit, the demon set off to find something to satisfy it.

━━━━━━♥♠♥━━━━━━

"Every dream I have I feel more and more out of control. When I'm asleep, it's like I lose myself. No more Vivienne just... Grace." Viv's voice was hopeless as she walked with Tara back to their dorm. It had been nearly three weeks now that she'd been having the dreams, and still, they were no closer to any real answers. Each night she got a bigger piece of the puzzle, but none of the scenes she'd viewed in her sleep seemed to fit together.