THE MATRIX HAS YOU
by - perletwo
| TITLE: | THE MATRIX HAS YOU |
| AUTHOR: | perletwo |
| DISCLAIMER: | Joss is God! Mutant Enemy *rocks*! Grr, arrgh! (please don't sue me, 'k?) |
| SUMMARY: | Just a little slice of life in Sunnydale... |
| RATING: | PG |
| SPOILERS: | None really. Set at some vague, undefined post-S6 time. |
| AUTHOR'S NOTES: | Props to Colleen & Chris for taking time away from fic chat to beta this. Inspired by William's speech about his students in chapter 3 of Mommanerd's story "Wishes, Hopes & Dreams." I read it and thought, 'he's right. it's amazing what you can get used to.' So, thanks to her for a great story! |
Sunnydale's a pretty nice place to live, really.
Remember that movie Pleasantville? Okay, so it's not *that* dull. But close. Mayberry of the West.
There's hardly any crime here. In my job over at the Chamber of Commerce I tell people that all the time, and I always get a little zing of pride. Well, yeah, there *was* that one time last year somebody stole a big-ass diamond from the museum. But that's not exactly the kind of crime to make you lock your doors at night.
Besides, I think it was a crime of opportunity. I think a looter took advantage of that freak micro-burst weather system that flash-froze the security guard. Why else take the one thing you could cut up and sell?
Now, I'll admit the place has gotten a little seedier since Mayor Wilkins died in that explosion at the high school a few years back. Now *there* was a guy who knew how to get things done. The guy we've got now's not nearly as effective.
Seedy how? Well, there's the abandoned buildings. And abandoned cars. Funny how things seem to get abandoned around here a lot. And the low- level streetlights - this guy mentioned 'em when he was campaigning for mayor, but somehow he's never got around to replacing them with stronger ones.
But still - we've got a first-rate cinema, and a couple of four-star restaurants, not bad for the boonies. Plenty of nightlife - good bars, a few really good nightclubs. Great place over on Elm called the Bronze, they remodel it about every year-and-a-half. Very cool, the kids love it. Be sure to try the flowering onion.
What's that? Rubbing my neck? Oh, the scar. It's nothing really, just a flukey kinda thing that happened a couple years back. I was cutting through an alley from the Bronze to my car and a coupla kids jumped me. Fought 'em off though - got away with just these little punctures, didn't even need stitches. Cops said there was a gang on PCP around the high school then, but they cleaned 'em out.
Really, you should stop in at Kolchak's Real Estate Agency and let him show you some houses. You won't find lower prices for these kinds of property values anywhere. And we're in a real estate glut right now, so it's a buyer's market!
Why, just look at that couple over there at the table by the window. Young, blonde, dressed sharp and obviously madly in love. Have you ever seen a better advertisement for settling down in Sunnydale, California?
What's that? Oh, yeah, sure, it's just around that corner there. Take your time, freshen up. Want me to order you some coffee? Cool.
****
Me, I've still got some wine to sip, and my, that lady's got a nice ass when she walks away from you. Wonder if she's single? Be nice to be as much in love as that couple in the window. Look at how that Breck-girl blonde hair catches the light and shows up in her reflection...
Chest's tight all of a sudden. Why can't I catch my breath?
That man, the blond man with the girl, that man has no reflection.
There's a high whine in my ears and the blood's pounding in my temples.
He says something to the girl, who smiles and laughs softly. The man - with no reflection! - stops talking, tilts his head to listen to the girl's answer.
His shirt - it's a sweater, tight black and white and gray stripey, clingy spandexy knit sweater. You can see all the ribs and muscles outlined. You can see that when he stops talking, they - don't - move. He forgets to make them move.
He forgets to breathe.
He has no reflection.
The man. The man with no reflection. Picks up his girl's hand off the table and lays a kiss on her wrist.
That man has no reflection.
This light flashes behind my eyes and I see it. I see the man with no reflection changing into an animal. Into a monster with gold eyes and wide, grinning jaws. Fangs stabbing into the girl's wrist. Fangs stabbing into my *neck.* Laughter like a sick hyena, the sound making me furious, making me want to hit something. Want to *kill* something.
They were *laughing!*
The man with no reflection puts his girl's hand back down on the table, unbitten. He says something, points to her barely-touched plate with his fork.
Urging her to eat.
Fattening her up.
She's *food.*
*We're* food!
My chest feels about to explode, and the whine in my ears has risen to a red scream. I don't even notice I've risen and backed away from the table until I hear my chair fall over behind me with a crash.
There's screaming.
Someone is screaming and I think maybe it's me.
"THERE ARE VAMPIRES IN SUNNYDALE!" I hear the voice screaming. It sounds very far away.
All eyes are on me. Good. Another surge of adrenalin hits me, just like it did then.
"THERE ARE VAMPIRES IN SUNNYDALE! My GOD can't you people SEE what goes on around you?!?"
Nobody moves. The blond man, turned to look at me, doesn't breathe. And doesn't reflect.
"LOOK. Look there. Right there." I point at the man in the window. "RIGHT THERE! That man. He's one. He's one of *them!* Can't you see it?! Can't you TELL?"
The man rises, stands. Breck Girl looks horrified - good! run! - and the man with no reflection looks stricken, mouth hanging open in shock. His eyes break with guilt and shame - hate being caught, do you?
"HE'S A VAMPIRE!" I turn to face him more fully, moving the table so it's between us. "I know what you *are!* MONSTER!" I turn around, look from side to side at the stunned faces around me. "HE'S A VAMPIRE! LOOK AT HIM!"
Nobody moves. In the corner of my eye I can see my business lead's come back from the ladies' room, standing stock-still and she's dropped her purse. "OPEN YOUR EYES!"
Breck Girl gets up, walks around beside him and puts a hand on his arm. "Lady, are you *crazy?!* He's a VAMPIRE! Don't you get it, you're his FOOD! Run! ALL OF YOU! OPEN YOUR EYES!"
I'm still screaming it, over and over, when the cops grab me roughly from behind, maitre'd hovering nervously at their side.
"OPEN YOUR EYES!"
The bluesuits start pushing me out the door, one talking on a cell phone. "Got another one for ya over at Sunnybrook Farm, Doc. Keeps sayin' there's vampires in Sunnydale." A pause and a crackle of static from the phone. "Yeah, *another* one."
"WAKE UP! ALL OF YOU WAKE UP!" I yell over my shoulder as they shove me in back of the squad car. "RUN! GET AWAY! GET OUT OF SUNNYDALE WHILE YOU CAN!"
Only a few people even stop to look. Most just keep on walking, sidestepping the cops.
Through the windows I can see the man clearly - no reflection to get in the way - seated again, head hanging in despair. Breck Girl kneels by his chair, one hand on his arm, the other on his knee - her whole body shows up reflected in the window *through* where his reflection should be.
The maitre'd is hovering around them, fussing over their table and gabbling apologies, until the girl hits him with a freezing glare and he skedaddles. The monster's head hangs heavier, and I see her rest her forehead against his cheek as we drive away.
Exposing her neck.
I can't save her.
But I can save the others! I can wake people up! I can make them open their eyes!
There are vampires in Sunnydale!