"Dust" is a prose short story from How I Survived My Summer Vacation anthology book. It was written by Michelle West and originally published by Simon Pulse on August 1, 2000.

Summary

Buffy continually sees the death of everyone she touches while she heads out to Los Angeles to spend summer vacation with her father.

Continuity

• The events of this story takes place in the summer break of 1997, between Buffy the Vampire Slayer seasons one and two.
• The demon mage and the Anointed One discuss Buffy's prophesied death and following resurrection, while she suffers from the memory of the event as well ("Prophecy Girl").
• Angel mentions the Bronze as the place he had killed Darla ("Angel").
• Buffy has a vision of Giles' death, who would die with a broken neck in Last Gleaming, Part Four.
• Buffy has a vision of the moment Angel was sired by Darla ("Becoming, Part One").
• Buffy has a vision of Joyce' death as an old woman in a hospital; she would die four years later in her couch ("The Body").
• Buffy recalls burning the gym of Hemery High School to slay the vampires trapped in it (The Origin, Part Three).
• A vision of the Master tells Buffy she'll be dead "again. And again." She indeed will die twice more ("The Gift", "Villains").
• Buffy changes her hair, as Xander will comment in "When She Was Bad".
• Hank tells Buffy she used to fear being submerged in water as a child; in "Bad Girls", she'll declare: "I hate it when they drown me."
• Buffy has a vision in which she wears the jacket Angel has given her ("Teacher's Pet").
• Buffy recalls Giles' words to Angel about her prophesied death, as well as her response to them ("Prophecy Girl").
• The demon mage knows about the possibility of performing a revivification ritual on the Master, as it'll be attempted in "When She Was Bad".
• In their return to Sunnydale, Hank will comment that Buffy had been distant during her stay in Los Angeles ("When She Was Bad").
• Her father's home is an apartment, while in the comic MacGuffins it is a house.

Appearances

Individuals

• Angel
• Collin
• Darla (Only mentioned)
• Rupert Giles
• Alexander Harris (Only mentioned)
• Laurie (Only mentioned)
• Master (Only in visions)
• Buffy Summers
• Hank Summers
• Joyce Summers
• Amber Theirsen
• Mr. Theirsen (Only mentioned)
• Mrs. Theirsen (Only mentioned)
• Jeff Thompson (Only mentioned)
• Wendy (Only mentioned)
• She-Mantis (Only mentioned)

Organizations and titles

• Anointed One
• Slayer
• Watcher

Species

• Demon
• Human
• Vampire

Events

• Halloween (Only mentioned)

Locations

• Los Angeles
  • Hemery High School (Only mentioned)
  • Summers residence (Only mentioned)
• Sunnydale
  • 1630 Revello Drive
  • Bronze
  • Hellmouth (Only mentioned)
  • Rupert Giles's apartment
  • Sunnydale High School (Only mentioned)

Objects

• Pergamum Codex (Only mentioned)
• Stake

Death count

• Amber Theirsen, staked by Buffy Summers.

Behind the scenes

Pop culture references

• Buffy mentions Dave Thomas in reference to Wendy's fast-food restaurant chain.

Collection

• How I Survived My Summer Vacation