A/N: It's a companion side story to my main series, Sweet Cruelty. This chapter begins immediately after chapter 29 of Sweet Cruelty.


Fighting to survive,

She lies there on a bed not of her making,

Alone and defenceless.

He slips inside during the night,

With one cruel intention.

One flat line,

One spark of life obliterated.

.

.

She had heard a noise coming from behind and spun to discover it was just wind rattling the trash cans. He appeared out of nowhere and Caroline Forbes nearly screamed. Keys clutched tightly in her fist pressed against her chest as she inhaled a surprised squeak. He had dark, mesmerizing eyes and a smirk plastered on his face.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

"No. It's fine. I was hoping I would see you again."

"I know."

There was a more noticeable smirk widening at her statement. She couldn't resist grinning back. What else could she have done? If she had an inkling that he would be her downfall, she would have stayed far far away.

"Cocky much."

He smirked in agreement. "Very much."

He ended up in her room and on her bed, pleasuring her from below. Each breath she inhaled was accompanied by a soft gasp. Her back arched in content while her toes curled. His body rose up and Caroline blinked into eyes black as coal, with dark veins creeping from beneath. Sharp fangs elongated from his teeth and goes down on her throat.

A guttural scream tore through her like a giant shard of glass. Her pulse weakened as she felt him piercing her delicate flesh, sucking life out of her.

She must have passed out after that, because when she came to, it was already the morning after. There, next to her, lay Damon Salvatore sound asleep. One glance at her standing mirror told her everything she needed to know.

It wasn't a dream.

She had dried bloodstains on the side of her neck.

Caroline swung her body towards the side of the bed and padded stealthily across the aging floorboards. She avoided the tiles she knew would definitely make one hell of a noise. Halfway through, she turned back to the bed and heaved a silent relief. He hadn't moved a muscle.

When she reached the bedroom door, her fingertips graze the copper knob and she started to turn it infuriatingly slow. It creaked.

She glanced back and discovered the bed empty. Freaking out, her head turned the other way and she jumped back with a hitched gasp.

"Did I say you could leave?"

Her hands clamoured on any objects nearby the bedside table and catapulted them one by one at Damon. Some of the objects missed him completely; others came close to hitting him but all he did was duck and turn his body slightly.

Caroline grabbed the table lamp and unplugged the cable wire, holding it threateningly above her head.

"Don't do that."

She smacked him with it, but it didn't do anything. Damon just stood there, amused. There wasn't anything else to throw. She was running out of items to chuck, except the pillow. Without thinking, she grabbed it and flung it at his head.

"Get away from me!"

He caught the pillow with both hands and paused to take a whiff. Dark veins emerged and fangs elongated as he advanced towards her.

"This could have gone a lot differently, you know."

-A-

"You make me crazy, you know that."

Damon circled around her, like a vulture to its prey. He stopped right behind her and she felt his chin resting on her left shoulder, before moving to the side of her face and kissing her cheek. The weave of quiet assurance of words covered her ears as his hands run down her arms and before latching on to her hips.

She felt the familiar rush of penetrating pain in her scarf-covered neck but stood still. The sweet siren of calmness flowed through her veins, caressing her lungs and settled deep inside her heart, filling her with a nostalgic, contented happiness that she had no memories of having felt before.

The next thing she remembered was finding herself lying on the grass in the middle of the field, away from the party. Alone and confused, Caroline picked herself off and dusted any stray leaves on her clothes. A glint of topaz captured her eye and she bent down to scoop the elliptical object nestled on top of a piece of black fabric.

It was the talisman Damon gave her earlier. She was supposed to… do something but the details eluded her fuzzy memories.

-A-

"Go away Damon," Caroline hissed in annoyance.

"Remember all the fun times we used to have, before you got all boring?" He called out, much to her chagrin.

Of course she remembered. It was great - scratch that; they had some fantastic sex. He knew all of her inside and out. Legs spread wantonly open to his pleasurable ministrations. On her hands and bended knees, the bed dipping with his added weight prowling towards her with a curled grin and a dripping hard cock.

They did it in every imaginable crook and cranny of the boarding house. She doubted there was even a spot left untouched. However fun it had turned out to be, there was always the other parts that had made her feel used and dirtied. Like a whore.

Damon waggled his brows at her. "What do you say, Caroline?"

Her saviour comes in the form of kind, protective Elena Gilbert saving the day from the big bad wolf. One glare was all it took. He left them alone. All because Elena said so.

Everybody listened to her. It wasn't fair. She got used as a blood bag while Elena twirled around the Grill with both brothers following, never too far behind. Caroline wanted to stomp her feet on the ground like a little girl throwing a tantrum.

But she couldn't because Elena is too selfless and compassionate. The complaint never made its way out because Caroline is, once again, floored by her best friend's action of tying her vervain bracelet around her wrist with a gentle smile.

"He can't compel you again, Caroline."

-A-

"What the hell is that?"

Strapped in the passenger seat, Caroline watched a streak of fireworks cutting through the black sky, each drawing a pattern. She turned to Tyler with furrowed brows. "What's the matter?"

"That noise. Can't you hear it?"

She wasn't sure if he was playing a joke on her. It wouldn't be the first time; nor the last. He took one hand off the wheel to clutch the side of his head, face scrunching up in pain.

No. Not a prank then.

"Tyler?"

He yelled and the other hand that was on the steering wheel flew up suddenly. The car swerved and Caroline tried to grasp onto the wheel which proved to be rather difficult with all the swerving and Tyler's pained howl.

As it was, she barely had time to scream before the air bags knocked her back. The car hit a barrier and flipped. Darkness swallowed her whole.

.

.

Child,

Take your first breath,

A new day begins.

A fresh page is yet to be written,

And in the silence,

Her heart beats.


A/N: Let me know what you think. Have a wonderful day!~