The truck sped down the road towards Wickery bridge. Going too fast for Elena's liking but she wasn't about to say anything. The truck pulled around the last corner before the bridge. As the bridge came into view, something caught Elena's eye. A figure in the middle or the road. At first, she thought she was seeing things but as they drew closer, she realized she wasn't.
"Matt look out!" Elena yelled.
She heard the sound of Matt's foot stomping on the breaks before she heard the squeal of the tires against the road. She only saw a glimpse of the figure in the road as Matt swerved to miss hitting them. It only took a second to recognize them but Elena didn't have time to process what she saw.
She felt the force of the car hitting the railing along the side of the bridge. The snap of the wood as it parted in front of the truck. The feeling of the car leaning forward as it plummeted off the bridge. The weightlessness of her body as they fell, her heart climbing into her throat. Then the sudden crashing force as she was thrown forward, only held in her seat by her seatbelt as the front of the truck crashed into the water. The wind was knocked out of her as the seatbelt restrained her. She took a gasping breath as water began to rush into the car.
Panic crushed Elena. This was too familiar. This couldn't be happening again. Suddenly she was no longer in the truck; she was in the back seat of a smaller car. Water still flowed into the car but now there were two other people in the driver and passenger seat. One of them was unconscious; the other was trying to undo their seat belt. The driver looked over their shoulder at her. Trying to say something but she couldn't hear him over the rush of the water.
Suddenly she was in the front seat. Back in the truck. The cab of the truck was almost halfway full of water by the time she came to her senses. She looked over at Matt. He was slumped in his seat unconscious. A vision of the passenger in the car flashed through Elena's mind, she shook her head. Elena could see the rise and fall of his chest, so she knew he was still breathing. Elena reached over frantically trying to unbuckle his seatbelt. The cab was three quarters of the way full of water now. She tried to stay calm but her heart was pounding, she couldn't steady her hands. Finally, she undid his seatbelt; he floated out of his seat slightly, rising with the water. Elena tried her own seatbelt now, it was jammed.
She frantically pulled at it as the water continued to rise. She had to look up to keep her face above the water now. She tugged at the buckle but it wouldn't budge. Realizing she would be out of air in a few seconds, Elena took one last deep breath and ducked under the water. She was back in the car. Her dad was no longer looking at her; he was still trying to undo his seatbelt. Elena knew she had to get the buckle loose but no matter what she tried, it wouldn't budge. The more she tried to escape the trap her belt created the quicker her air ran out. Her lungs were on fire as she gave one last desperate tug at the belt. Her vision went black. The sound of a door creaking open pulled her back. She gasped but quickly held her mouth shut, choking on the water she just inhaled.
She was back in the truck. She looked over at Matt, floating next to her unconscious. Panic set in as she realized they were both about to die. She heard the creaking sound again.
She was back in the car. She turned to her right and saw a blurred figure outside her window. Pulling at the door. She looked to the front of the car, her dad still trying to get his seatbelt undone. Finally, it pulled open. The blurred figure came into view only slightly, it was Stefan.
She was back in the truck. She blinked her eyes, still blurry, staring through the open door, no it wasn't Stefan, she watched, frozen, as Damon moved to try to undo her seatbelt. She shook her head, pushing his hand away. She pointed to Matt, Damon shook his head.
He wouldn't save Matt before he saved her.
Elena stared at him fiercely, pushing him out of the truck, pointing to Matt again. She wasn't about to let him die. He needed to get out before she did, at least she could hold her breath. Damon looked at her, grimacing in frustration. He swam back towards Elena, ignoring her silent protests as he wrenched the buckle apart finally freeing her. Elena was about to protest more but whatever air she had had was gone now, her vision began to fade quickly.
She was back in the car, her dad was no longer moving, he floated in the front seat, trapped by his seatbelt. Someone pulled her through the open door. The last thing she saw was her parents still bodies in the front seat.
The car was gone, a dark truck slowly faded away from her, she could still see Matt in the front seat, Damon's arm wrapped tightly around her stomach pulling her away.
Everything went dark.
She felt the cold air as her head broke the surface.
The sound of splashing water.
She could feel solid ground beneath her.
She could hear shouting but it was far away.
"Elena!"
There was a weight on her chest, she couldn't breathe.
"Go get Matt, he's still in the truck!" She heard Damon's muted voice tell someone. She heard the splash of water as someone dove into the river.
"Elena!" Damon's frantic voice was close now. She could feel him kneeling next to her.
She still couldn't breathe. It felt like she was still underwater. Everything was dark. She tried to say something but couldn't. She couldn't reach him.
"Elena!" Damon's voice cut through her mind.
She tried to say something to get closer to his voice, but the more she tried the further it was from her.
"Come on Elena, wake up!" His voice was further way than before. She was falling.
"Please don't make me do this!" He pleaded. Elena could hear the desperation in his voice. She tried to see him but the darkness was too heavy, tried to say something but the pressure on her lungs was too much.
"Elena!" It was his loudest cry, but it was the furthest away.
She fell further, the darkness swallowing her.
