Exhausted, Buffy fell asleep leaning against the door. Once again, though, she awoke on the strange bed. Remembering this time, where she was, she glanced quickly around the room to see if she was alone and noted the changes.
There was a table with food set up by the bed. Yeah, she thought shaking her head, like I’m going to eat something you freaks give me.
There was also a new chest. She walked over to it cautiously. It had been left open and appeared to be full of clothes. She was only moderately relieved that her captors seemed to intend for her to be dressed.
She noted also, the thick blankets added to the foot of her bed and a stack of books.
Buffy frowned. Why would they be taking care of her? Had they confused her with someone else? Her parents did well enough, but they certainly didn’t have the kind of money to warrant kidnapping her for ransom.
Knowing already that it would be locked, she tried the door. She kicked it and groaned loudly when it didn’t open.
She dropped on the bed a moment later. Now what? I can’t just sit here and wait for those freaks. There has to be something that I can do.
She didn’t have to wait long. The door opened a moment later and a petite red-haired girl walked in. She gave Buffy a friendly smile. “You’re up. I was getting worried.”
“Right.” Buffy frowned. What kind of kidnappers were they? She was pretty sure she could take out the girl they’d just sent in. “Who are you?”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I forgot that you don’t really know me. I mean cause I feel like I know so much about you. I’m Willow.” She gave her another big smile. “We’re all really excited that you’re here.”
Buffy nodded like she might for a small and clearly mentally challenged child. “Right. If you all think that I’ve got money…”
The girl frowned. “Why would you need money?”
“For the ransom. That’s what this is, right? I mean otherwise…”
Willow nodded. She was here to explain, she just hadn’t realized how much explaining she would have to do. “Buffy, you haven’t been taken for ransom. No one here means you any harm.” She gave her another brilliant smile. “You’re here to be with your soul mate.”
Buffy actually laughed. “You’re insane.” When the other girl only frowned she continued. “You actually believe that. Did they take you too?”
Willow sighed. “Let’s start at the beginning, yeah? First, let’s take a look at where here is.” She waved her hand and a window appeared on the wall near the bed.
Gasping, Buffy jumped. She turned, wide eyed, from the window to Willow and back again. “It’s…it’s dark outside. I’ve been here all day.” She couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge the much larger question of how the other woman had made a window appear where one hadn’t been before.
“Like I said, let’s talk about where you are first.” Willow gestured towards the window. “You’re not in California anymore.”
Buffy walked with her to the window and took a look outside. It had to be a dream. The strange girl who could make magical windows appear was now showing her a place that looked like a Tim Burton movie. She saw oddly shaped buildings that seemed to be wrought from iron and heard a flurry of whispers. It was hard to tell by moonlight, but she would have sworn the flowers growing below her window were black. She nodded. Oh, yeah, magic girl, inhumanly hot guy, black flowers and whispering wind; definitely a dream.
Relieved by her conclusion that it was all just a strange dream, she decided to simply go with it. “Where am I?”
“The Underworld.”
She giggled. “I’m in the movie with the vampires and the werewolves. Damn, what did I eat last night?”
Willow frowned. “No. Hades. You’ve been brought to Hades.”
“Hell?”
“No, it’s not…I mean parts of it…but you’re not going there.” Willow sighed, this was not going well.
Buffy trembled. “Am I…am I dead?”
“What? No! Of course not.”
“Then what am I doing here?” Fear had brought an edge of hysteria to her voice.
“Oh! Oh, I can see why you’d think…but I told you, you’re here to be with your soul mate.”
Buffy walked back over to the bed. She needed to sit down. “But I want to go home.”
Willow shook her head. “You can’t. I mean…if you decide that you don’t want to be with him, there’s a test, but…why wouldn’t you…”
“A test? Like what?”
Shrugging, Willow came to sit beside her. “It varies.”
Buffy’s eyes widened suddenly. “Wait, I remember this. I read about this in high school. The girl, she was like the daughter of some Goddess and the God of Hell wanted her to be his wife.” Her brows knit together in concentration.
“It’s Hades.”
“Right. Whatever. The point is, he kidnapped her. But then there was some kind of deal or something.” She looked up at Willow triumphantly. “She ate the seeds, pomegranate seeds. That’s why she had to stay. So as long as I don’t eat anything…”
A deep voice interrupted. “The test is different in each case. You’re too mortal to be expected not to eat for the length of your stay.”
Buffy wasn’t surprised to see him when she looked up. “So, it’s you. You’re like the God of Hell or Hades or whatever?”
William laughed. “Not hardly.”
“But you kidnapped me so you could force me into being your…your wife?”
His shoulders slumped. “That’s why you were brought, but I wouldn’t ever…”
“Well, I’m not going to do it. I’m going to figure out the test and I’m going to go home. What kind of freak kidnaps girls and expects them to marry him? You’re disgusting.”
William’s eyes went cold. “Very well. Willow, if you would see to it that our guest has everything she needs.”
Willow gasped. “Oh! But, William?” She watched him walk stoically from the room before turning back to Buffy. “Oh, why did you have to be so cruel?”
“Me!” She stood up and railed at her in disbelief. “He kidnapped me and dragged me to Hell! He probably drugged me and…”
Willow shook her head. “William did no such thing.” She sighed heavily. “Will you be needing anything else tonight?”
Buffy slumped on the bed. Willow was clearly not going to be an ally. “Nope. I’m as good as a prisoner can be.”
Willow considered telling Buffy that she was free to wander the grounds and that she really wasn’t a prisoner, but she was too worried about the heartbroken boy she’d raised. She left without another word.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Wow! I'm so excited by the reaction the first chapter has been receiving. Thanks to everyone who left me a few words of encouragement. You guys rock. :)