| Democracy in Action By Wwolfe |
| Disclaimer: Characters and situations related to BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER are the property of others. No copyright infringement is intended or implied. But it won't matter if you sue, because Wwolfe isn't some kid that'll fold like a house of cards, he's the legal counsel for the DarkSide, the Devil's Mouthpiece, the real lawyer from Hell. So go ahead. Do your worst. If you dare. Bwa Ha Ha! Archive- Please email request. Feedback- Absolutely. ******************* Richard Wilkens stared at the crumpled bunting strewn in soiled red, white, and blue across the floor of the high school gym. A poster proclaiming "Re-Elect Mayor Wilkens!!" in large capitol letters, above a smiling photograph of His Honor, seemed to mock him silently from its place behind the podium that stood to one side of the basketball hoop at the south end of the court. His frustration bubbled to the surface, causing him to kick at the paper, sending Dixie cups and napkins flying into the air. He sighed heavily. "Well, this is just not satisfying at all," he said to no one in particular. His aide, Allen, as ever standing a respectful distance behind the Mayor, scrambled to offer assistance to his troubled leader. "I just don't understand it, Allen," said Wilkens. "How could I lose?" Ignoring his aide's stammered non-response, the Mayor continued. "I mean, I'd *kill* to have this job," he said, glumly poking a half-deflated balloon with the toe of his shoe. "And when I say that, I think you know it's not just a figure of speech." Wilkens reviewed the events of the recent past in his mind. A week before the election, the local paper broke the startling news that Dr. Gregory, the retired science teacher from Sunnydale High, was leading in the polls. He frowned again at his rotten stroke of luck. If only that horrible Madison woman hadn't destroyed the science lab during her fight with the Slayer, then Dr. Gregory would not have needed to spend several days driving around the school district to borrow replacement lab equipment from other schools. Then it would have been Gregory who was decapitated by the Praying Mantis woman, not that anonymous substitute teacher. "You know, when it's someone's time to get his head bitten off by a huge insect, then by golly he ought to go ahead and get his head bitten off and not complain about it!" Wilkens announced to his perplexed aide. "Yes, sir," Allen responded. With great trepidation, the aide continued. "Sir, I think it may have been the...other thing," he said, hesitantly. Clapping the palms of his hands over his ears, the Mayor strode across the gym floor, shouting, "No, no, no!! I don't want to hear those words again!" as the debris from the vanquished campaign swirled around his legs. Stopping suddenly and whirling around to face Allen, the Mayor pointed an accusing finger at him as he said, "If my late, beloved wife's nephew comes to me looking for an honest day's work, and I give him a perfectly reputable position as head of this town's Public Works, does that make me responsible for every little thing he does after that?" Looking to the heavens, Wilkins pleaded, "Am I my brother's keeper??" "Well, sir, I think it was that whole episode with the raincoat down by the playground..." Wilkens cut off his aide's sentence with a violent exclamation. "Gah!!" Wilkens stopped his pacing, shoulders slumping in defeat. "It was the headline, Allen," Wilkens said softly. "That darn headline." Walking to where his aide stood, Wilkens placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder. Looking him in the eye, Wilkens asked, "Did they have to call him 'Dangling Chad'?" Taking a last look around his now forsaken campaign headquarters, Wilkens clasped a collegial arm around his aide's shoulder and the two men walked slowly out of the room. As the door swung shut behind them, Wilkens could be heard asking with genuine curiousity, "I wonder what the heck I'm going to do with all those spiders..." Main Menu ~ Return to "Other Worlds" Menu |