Afterimage

by Pierce Askegren

Published 1 February 2006
Neither Willow nor Cordelia shows much interest in the grand reopening of the long-closed Sunnydale Drive-in. Only Xander, who has been spending his afternoons helping out on the work crew, is looking forward to the night-long festival of classic action and horror films. Buffy is too distracted to sit and take in a movie - as far as she is concerned there is quite enough action and horror in real life. Things are getting pretty peculiar even for Sunnydale. A werewolf evaporates like a ghost before her eyes. Suspicious people in dated clothing and hairstyles are spotted on the streets, but they don't appear to be the usual vampires. And most disturbing, a sleeping sickness begins to sweep over town, leaving those affected in a coma. And who is the distinguished looking gentleman of indeterminate age who may be connected in some way to these strange goings-on? His name is Balsamo. At least that's what he's calling himself this century. Xander, on the other hand, simply knows him as 'Boss'.