Unknown Factors (Book One)

Ch.68: It's in your head

  Looking at the lists of houses Buffy had given me, I checked the address with the house I stood in front of. Buffy had the other half of the list and was on the other side of town checking those houses while I was checking these. There was a chill in the air, so I wore a hoodie and beanie to cover my ears.

  Walking closer to the house, I peered through the windows. I didn't see much, so I switched to my demon eyes and saw a barren living room. There was no furniture or anything in sight, but it wasn't dusty either.

  "Hmmm...." I hummed, leaning back to look over the house again. I could definitely smell how humans frequented this place, but I didn't see any sign of them other than the cleanliness of the house. Circling to the driveway, I glanced around for a basement window or garage to check because the feeling that this was the place grew as I caught three distinct different smells, all of which came from human males.

  Nearing the garage, however, I heard a thud and turned to see a demon with waxy skin and bug eyes standing there. Its bottom canines stuck out with its underbite, and he smelled so weird.

  "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have seen three nerds around here by chance, would you?" I asked, but it seemed this demon was in no mood to chat as he swiped at me with his claws. "I'll take that as a maybe!" I ducked under his foot as he kicked, and dropped the list of addresses. I was kicking the demon's ass until he threw me into a car, then what looked like a massive stinger came from between his knuckles. I was trying to get back to my feet when he yanked me up by my hood and stabbed me in the arm.

  Yelping, my vision suddenly flashed, and two men dressed in white were holding me down while giving me a shot.

  "We're gonna have to strap her down." One of the men said as I was struggling against them. I couldn't understand what was going on, and for some reason, I felt much weaker as they forced me down. It only lasted a few seconds, and then I was gasping while waking up on the ground by the car.

  ....Why did I just hallucinate that I was in an institution?

~

  Walking home from work, I rubbed my eyes with the butts of my palms. I had had another hallucination while working the counter, only that time was with someone trying to give me a little cup of pills rather than some change for an apple pie.

  Sighing, I wasn't sure how to deal with these flashes. Maybe I wasn't getting enough sleep. Or, perhaps, I was being driven mad by all of the toxic orange and pseudo meat I was consuming. I was patrolling with the guys that night, so hopefully, that would help me clear my head.

~

  Walking between gravestones while my tail was curled around a stake, I kept my eyes peeled for any otherworldly beings.

  "Lookin' for me?" I heard Spike's voice from behind me and the crinkling of a paper bag.

  "Not today." I sighed.

  "Oh. Right, then." His lighter flicked. "Off you go. Did you cry?"

  "What?" My brows furrowed as I turned around to look at the vampire.

  "The wedding. Two parts joined for eternity, the great pelting showers of rice and so forth." Spike clarified while putting the cigarette between his lips.

  "You didn't hear." I stated as my nose slightly crinkled at the smell of smoke.

  "What? Families get out of hand? Tear the place apart?" He asked, and I sat down on a concrete bench.

  "No, well, yeah, but Xander ended up leaving before Anya could even walk the aisle. The wedding didn't happen."

  "Oh, you don't say? Didn't see that comin'." The blond vampire sat on the other bench a foot away.