Cursed
Prologue
Charlie gently set her tiny bare feet on the floor as she clutched her pink stuffed rabbit in her arms. She gingerly stepped towards the door despite the dark. Her bright, big, golden eyes picked up the little bit of light from her nightlight close to the door making them shine a little in the dark.
"Sissy?"
Her voice was small and squeaky, even for a four year old she was small-a good four inches smaller than most her age. The bunny she held close to her was nearly half her size. Her blonde hair was a mess of short curls.
"Sissy? Is that you?" She tried again.
She took a few steps down on the stairs and sat down so that she could see the living room. It was dark, the only light in the room was coming from a small touch light that her older sister had put in for when she got up in the middle night to use the restroom or get a drink of water. Even with the light on it only served to cast shadows across the room. Charlie could just barely make out the back of a tall, square man standing almost dead center in front of the room. His hair was dark, and slightly wavy towards the nape of his neck. A still figure lay in front of him on the couch, long auburn curls flowed over the edge of the couch and a slender pale arm hung lazily off the seat.
"Sissy, is that you?"
The man turned to look at her, blood dripping from his chin. Clear blue eyes shone against pale skin as he stared at her, his face hard as stone.
"Where did you come from?" he questioned.
Her eyes fell on the still body of her sister. Her thin frame lay lifeless on the leather couch, her small black dress contrasting against her lighter skin. Her blue eyes were open, staring out into the darkness. The crook of her neck was open with some kind of wound that Charlie couldn't make out through the darkness, but she could see the blood that was smeared across her chest and face.
The mans' shoulders slumped ever so slightly and he looked away from Charlie as he realized what the little girl was looking at.
"Kassy?" Charlie whimpered.
The man looked between the little girl on the stairs, and the older woman on the couch. Her mouth fell open a little and she started to suck in breath but before she could scream the man became a blur and he was crouching in front of her on the stairs. With one bent finger he gently lifted her chin so that she was forced to make full and complete eye contact with him. He then spoke firmly and slowly.
"You didn't see anything, okay? You're going to go back upstairs and fall right to sleep and you won't remember anything at all." He stayed there for a brief moment, as if to see if it was sinking in.
And then just as quickly as he appeared, he left. Taking the body that had been lying on the couch.
Charlie looked around the room, looking for the dark man and her older sister. She stood up and quickly made her way down the stairs and towards the couch. She gently touched the place where Kassandra had been lying and opened her mouth. This time, she screamed.
20 Years Later, Mystic Falls
Charlie smiled as she set her box on the desk. It was overflowing with books and pens and general office nick knacks. She sighed, her golden eyes looking around the empty classroom. The students had stacked the chairs in the corner the last time they left and all the easels were folded neatly by a long slate counter that had paints and cups full of brushes on top as well as a deep sink towards the middle of the counter.
Across the room from the sink were several gold hooks drilled into the wall that were holding up a variety of smocks and aprons, some black and some a strange off white cream color, but they were all splattered with various bright paints. At the end of each the last teacher had written 'Art room 203' in black permanent marker. The ink was slightly faded and become a little fuzzy but it could still be read.
The tile floor was surprisingly clean. She didn't know the last teacher that had used the room, but whoever it was did not mess around when it came to leaving things just as they found them.
Charlie slipped her slender body into her new leather chair and continued to survey her new work space. She brushed a long blonde curl out of her face and away from her creamy freckled cheeks.
She leaned back in her chair and swiveled it so that she could look out the window. From her office she could just barely make out the front steps of the library and the man that she had found out made increasing visits there. She watched as he stepped out of the building, even though his dark hair was slightly shaggy, the wind didn't seem to have any effect on it. It was almost as if he and his crisp jeans and leather jacket were in their own little bubble where no one could touch them.
He raised his head and looked towards her-his sparkling blue eyes looking around suspiciously. Charlie leaned forward in her seat; she knew he couldn't see her but part of her wished that he could.
"Soon, Damon Salvatore, very soon."