This story is inspired by the fanfic "Bits of Sunshine" by Terans-DinosaurCostume. Super, super great stuff, a must read!
"Where a Ten-Year-Old Psychopath Meets a Tortured Vampire"
Elena Gilbert was obsessive, fanatical even.
She knew who you were - your family tree, traced down to third cousins once removed. She knew what you wanted - secrets and desires, the hatred and lusts hidden in your heart. Elena hoarded great intellect - her brain containing neat little cabinets, colour-coordinated folders to be rifled through when necessity called.
Elena didn't fit society's standard of sanity. Normal people didn't kidnap the Forbes' bunny and drag it out to the woods, stabbing it to death with a letter opener.
She wasn't sorry.
It had begun as a punishment. Caroline had been rude at school, poking fun at Miranda's tired visage. Petty thievery had occurred, Elena walking miles into the forest to perform the necessary act. Excitement, adrenaline had pumped through her body, hands shaking, laughter bubbling. The fluffy white rabbit had put up quite a fuss, still squirming after five plunges of the knife. She hadn't expected such glee at the death of another, to feel alive for the first time since birth.
But she had, and she would never stop.
Blood was such a beautiful colour, warm and coppery, and the creatures she'd killed made such wonderful sounds. That rabbit had squeaked and squirmed, and the glassy look in its eyes was simply delicious. Victory over another being tasted sweet, like the sugar she was rarely allowed to indulge in.
She was a beautiful, capable child, well-behaved before the adults. She let Miranda and Grayson believe that they had power, that they could control her actions. Elena kept her secrets well, placing a perfect mascarade on her little doll face.
However, none of Elena's possessions should have secrets from her.
Her father led a mysterious life. She'd been watching, scrutinizing, for a long time. There was darkness behind Grayson's eyes, and the glint was wrong, so the ten-year-old girl set out to make a right, to know.
Breakfast was laid out across the table, fried ham and eggs—Grayson's favorite. Filled with its usual smells of food and coffee, the kitchen was cheery and bright. Brown paper bags crinkled obnoxiously, a humming Miranda stuffing them full. Elena was well aware of her father's itinerary, she'd made the meal for a reason. He strode in, attired in typical doctor fare. Fork scraping gruesomely at his plate, Grayson dug in, smiling at his daughter's effort.
"I have a lecture in Whitmore tomorrow." And there it was.
"On a Saturday? Really Grayson." Miranda tisked.
"May I come, Dad?" Hope flushed her cheeks, eyes shining.
"I don't know, duck. It'll be a really boring day, nothing but talking."
"I've always wanted to see the college up close. Ooh, please let me! I promise I'll be patient!"
Grayson hummed, hawed, and smirked, taking a drag of his black coffee.
"I won't take you anywhere for very long time if you don't behave." He wagged his finger, grinning. Each member of the Gilbert clan received a token of affection, and then he left.
Elena happily swung her feet once, squeezed Jeremy in a python hug, and raced away to grab her purple backpack.
o0o0o0o0o0o
The college stood tall and proud, supported by pillars of flawless marble. Equally placed poplars lined the stone paths, the vibrant grass cut 1 inch tall. Young adults were rushing about, pony tails swishing, disposable coffee cups in hand, inane chatter at every corner. Childish giggles caused heads to turn, drawing attention to the unfamiliar noise. A little brunette skipped along, holding onto Grayson's hand, playing the perfect role as she whipped her head to and fro.
Her father's lecture would begin soon. It wasn't hard to beg for a library trip.
"I promise I'll behave." She batted her lashes. "Oh! Origin of the Species!" Elena drug a chair over to get a better look. Her father laughed, picking her up so she could reach.
"The librarian's right over there if you need help. I'll see you in a couple of hours, kiddo." Grayson ruffled his daughter's hair.
Traversing the school's large hallways, Elena hatched a plan. She had to have a good lie thought out if Grayson were to ask. I was looking for the bathroom. Simple and logical was always best.
Elena excelled at finding hidden things, paths being her specialty. The little girl skipped along, humming to herself. Nobody stopped her, just watched as the child flew by, assuming she belonged to a teacher.
There was light, yellow and bright, showing her the way. It always did. Her buckle-up Mary Jane's clipped and clopped along the floor, the hallways more barren the further gone. Only the occasional scurrying student was spotted, an upper year, arms drowning via book overflow.
One more hallway, one more stairwell - Elena stood before a clinically white, passcoded door.
Science Lab, Jason Whitmore, MD.
The girl took a look around, merely the cricket's music. Shutting herself in the janitor's closet, Elena drug a stool before the window, staring through criss-crossed, blurry panes. Impatient, shrouded in darkness and heavy chemicals, she tapped her foot.
Mere minutes later, a young man strode up to the entrance. He had an arrogant sneer across his face, blond hair perfectly styled, his mannerisms not unlike that of a peacock. Beep, beep, beep, beep. A four digit code? But no, after thirty seconds the screen went red, the second code the true key. The white lab coat disappeared.
Elena grinned. She squirmed through five minutes time, bursting out of the closet and skipping over to the keypad. The door was heavier than she'd imagined, her weak arms barely enough to allow the child to slip through.
An empty room, appearing to be a standard lab. Microscopes lay in rows, shelves lined with chemicals and slides, blboldened notes pasted upon the walls - reminders of procedure. An obnoxious, buzzing sound echoed throughout, the bright overhead lights whirring like an overheated computer.
Where had he gone?
Something was off, a file cabinet not quite straight against the stark-white wall. Elena approached, grabbing a drawer handle and pulling. The entire cabinet swung away, revealing a small, shadowed doorway.
Jackpot.
The trail of concrete steps led down, Elena carefully descending. The man couldn't have disappeared. It was best to remain vigilant.
Murmurs and grunts could be heard, an odd, familiar scent in the air—copper. The stairs led to a hallway with three doors on each side, one at the very end—the sole displayer of light.
Standing on her tiptoes, Elena peered through the door's glass window, encountering quite a sight.
A man was laid upon a table, large circles of metal binding his feet and hands. His bare chest was heaving, blood slithering over his body. There was a gaping hole on his right side, slowly stitching together. The "scientist" had extracted a… kidney. She crooked her head. The peacock washed his bloody hands and exited into a side room, expression uneffected.
The immortal's eyes had wandered over to her, sensing movement. They were large and brown, surprised and pleading. The stench was stronger here, blood, chemicals, and dust.
She pressed a finger to her lips, giggling as she snatched the key from the desk. The girl made quick work of the cuffs. Enraptured, doe eyes became fixed on the now released creature. He was tall, haggard, purple veins appearing under his eyes, his canines elongated. Speeding over to the fridge, the man raided the blood bags, sucking greedily. Elena twiddled her thumbs as she waited.
"No, no, of course not—" Squelch—said the snapped neck of the doctor. A lifeless body dropped to the floor, the man's cellphone smashing with a satisfying crash.
The murderer approached.
"Now what's a little girl doing down here?" He stooped to her level.
"Hello, my name is Elena Gilbert." She stuck her little hand out, clasping fingers with her first vampire.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lorenzo St. John. I've met your father."
"I knew it!" Smiling, the girl began tugging him towards the door. "Would you find it odd if I watched you eat a human?"
"I think the proper verb would be drink." A dangerous smirk spread across his lips. "Would you like to come with me?"
"And you'll answer my questions?"
"Most of them."
Elena nodded enthusiastically, "My father will be so worried." She stated.
"That's the intention."
o0o0o0o0o
The stolen Pontiac revved, reversing into a mess of vehicles before making it out of the parking lot. Elena was an eager guide, pointing out the controls and defining the road signs. Her little heart beat quick, not from fear—he would've smelled that—from excitement. Enzo applauded the control he had showcased so far. Her blood smelled amazing, and he was free to do whatever he fancied.
"Left will take you downtown, right towards the suburbs, and if you continue straight you'll hit Mystic Falls in about an hour."
"That your hometown?"
"Yup." She popped the p. "So if you ever want to kill my dad, that's an option."
The man raised a brow. "You really don't care about your bloody father?"
Elena plead the fifth, appearing enraptured by the sights her window provided.
Messily parking the car in a driveway, Enzo exited the vehicle, little doll shoes following. He lightly tapped a knock, the heavy smell of cigarette smoke leaking from an open window.
"What do you want?" Grunted the middle-aged woman. She was attired in wrinkled nurse's uniform, frayed blonde hair streaked with gray, her mouth scowling around a cigarette.
"Be a dear and ask me to come in."
"Come in."
"Thank you, luv." His eyes grew dark, veins running across his face—Enzo stepped over the threshold. "Don't scream."
Fangs pierced skin, the hot blood oozing into Enzo's mouth. Elena took a seat, watching her second murder of the day.
While Enzo had originally planned to kill the little Elena, he quickly found it an impossible task. She was a charming, fearless little creature. He'd killed a human in front of her, and the child had giggled, giggled!
It would've almost been concerning—if Enzo had been the type to care. Elena was just as psychopathic as her father was, without the race discrimination.
"Is vampirism hereditary?"
"No. You need to die with vampire blood in your system."
"Have you ever turned anyone?"
He shook his head, dripping the gas over the corpse. Elena's odd smile was illuminated, the little hand throwing a match down on the dead smoker.
Enzo picked her up, speeding the two away into the stolen vehicle, leaving the rising flames to burn and obscure.
O0o0o0o0o0o
"Yes officer, we understand. Thank you." The phone clicked as Miranda laid it down, her face tear-tracked and wrinkled from worry. Grayson placed his hand over hers, the sorrow-stricken adults exchanging a glance.
"Hi!" Elena came bounding in, wearing a pretty pink dress with a white sash, her purple backpack covered in stickers.
"My darling!" Miranda hugged her daughter tight. Grayson watched, incredulous. She was clean, unmarked, face rosy and healthy.
"You're alive."
"Yup." She popped the p. "My kidnapper couldn't put up with me for any longer."
"Are you alright, duck?" He stooped, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You were gone for two weeks, we… we thought you were dead."
"But I wasn't." She stated, confused at the question.
"Darling," Miranda was close to tears, hysteria well on its way. "Who took you? Were you hurt? Please, what happened."
"I don't remember much." Elena blinked.
Grayson stood abruptly, "I'm calling the police. I'll let them know you're okay."
"You were searching for me?"
"Of course sweetie, there was an AMBER alert across the country."
"Cool." Elena bounced over to the fridge, pulling out a soda. "May I have this?"
"Sure, go right ahead." The mother's shoulders started to shake. "Jeremy! Get down here!"
A mousy brunet boy thumped down the stairs, fearing punishment. "Wow." He stopped dead, face draining of colour. "Elena!" Jeremy hugged his sister tight. "Caroline and Bonnie have been pestering me every day about you!"
The ten year old just patted his back. "I'm sorry, I'll tell them to behave better for the next time."
Grayson dropped the phone. "The next time?"
"Just in case I get kidnapped again, you know? Can't have everyone acting like some chickens with their heads cut off."
He hugged her tight, "That's never gonna happen again, you hear me! Don't talk like that!"
Elena shrugged, passive aggressive. She knew at this point she could get away with murder.
I'd just like to make a point. This is not okay behavior, from anyone, ever. Do not release the vampire your dad keeps in his college's basement and likes to torture. Do not go with him to go murder people. I do not condone this.
Warning aside, I've always wanted to read an insane Elena story. So WTF I decided to write one. Ta-da! (Jazz hands!)
