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She is in the home that once belonged to the shell, which is strange because she doesn't recall arriving there. Walking down a corridor toward a partially open door that provides the only light Illyria begins to pick up the stench of death and fear. As she draws closer she can make out fragments of a conversation.
"..loved you since I've known you."
Fear, alien and unwelcome, makes its way through her frame as she reaches her gloved hand out to push open the door.
".. have to know I wasn't scared, that it was quick..."
on the bed she was facing, two people clutch each other the salt of their tears and tang of their despair filling the room.
"I'm not scared. I'm not scared. I'm..."
"..not scared." Unconsciously Illyria begins to echo the woman's litany.
"Please, Wesley, why can't I stay?"
As the woman, Winifred, goes still Illyria looks upon the grief stricken face of the human she had found herself caring for. She's so distracted by memories of Wesley that she fails to see Fred's head jerk up, eyes taking on a glitter they never had in life. She lifts her body from its reclined position with impossible ease reaching her hand toward Illyria's face. Jerking in shock at the contact she stares at the deranged looking creature on the bed.
"I'm not gone yet you blue bitch, I'm still here!" Fred shouts in a voice filled with rage and reaches back her hand in a fist.
As she brings her clenched fist crashing toward Illyria's chest she screams one more time "I'm still..."
".. here!" Illyria jerks awake in her bed, hand moving her sternum. She tries to convince herself that it's not fear shaking her body as she absently rubs her sternum. When the biting pain settles to a now familiar burning, she lays back against her pillow, eyes open, refusing to go back to sleep.