Disclaimer: I do not own the TVD.
Thank you for reading. Here is chapter 2!
Enjoy
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Chapter 2
Everyone's Mad Here
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It wasn't the old rusted car or the shaking of it that put Bonnie off. It wasn't the mix of grey and faded brown in the polluted sky. It was the odd silence between the two as they drove along the lifeless road the next few days. The sky was eerily grey but the air was hot and humid. Everything was quiet and still. Far too quiet for her comfort. Damon managed to take her home and allowed her to go into her room to find a change of clothes without saying more than five words to her.
From what she learned was that when someone who was loud became too quiet were keeping too many secrets. There was absolutely no point in questioning him now. It would be better to wait until he returned to his old self or he seemed less off his rocker.
'Digging into his head could be a grand idea but I doubt I'd see him dosing off any time soon... or I find something I don't need to see.' The witch managed to change into a cream colored tunic and turquoise shorts that contrasted lovely with her bronze complexion. Not that upholding an appearance was as important as functioning wear. If she was going to be running around not knowing when her next shower would come, a tight but slightly messy bun would do. Dark brown ankle boots were best for running and gave her a little height. For safe measure, she had grabbed a large dark grey hooded jacket. She wasn't exactly ready but she wanted to be prepared.
Bonnie could still feel the prickling weight on her skin, her small hands gripped the car door as the old vehicle sputtered and shook. Out of all the things he was probably upset about, losing his car must have done something to his ego. She couldn't picture Damon happily driving around in an ugly car. Pressing her forehead against the window, she gazed out at the few undead figures walking aimlessly and sometimes turning their heads at the sound of the engine.
Mystic Falls was supposed to be alive and busy this time of year. It was summer. She should have been in a bathing suit and playing at the beach with Elena, Caroline, and her sweet Jeremy. A grill sounded nice, a hot dog and an ice cold soda with salted crisp chips. Sitting out on her lawn with her two close friends chatting about college dorm decorations.
A loud growl from her belly snapped Bonnie out of her day dream. Letting out a sigh Bonnie let her head fall back against the head rest. Her eyes slowly closed to ignore the hunger pangs, she could eat in her dreams. Bonnie felt something light land in her lap. Looking down, the colorful logo of Chex Mix stared back at her.
"Don't fall asleep. Not for another day or two." Her fingers wrapped around the sides of the bag and pulled. She felt completely drained and would happily eat anything at this point. All the old and rotten food her body ridded all over the cave floor wasn't enough to put off her appetite, she needed something in her system.
"Why?" She turned to disheveled mess next to her. He was dressed the same, fitted black denim pants, signature boots and a grey thermal with its sleeves pushed up to his forearms. The gun strapped to his thigh and the blank expression was a new addition.
The eyes were much different however, far more unfocused. "Because I have barely eaten."
She realized he never blinked the moment those cold orbs met hers. It was like those clear waters iced over and froze solid. "Are you... threatening me?"
The muscles in his face tightened and eyes darted back and forth along the road as the car picked up speed. His head turned slowly, eyes bulging at her. "No witch, imagine being locked in a grocery store but all the food is poison. Not for hours. Not for days. Not for weeks..." His voice faded as another dry cackle erupted, his hand slapping the wheel shaking his head. For the first time his eyes finally blinked.
"I'm practically an anorexic Bonnie!" If there was something Damon didn't have, it was restraint or discipline. Bonnie knew he was trying his best not to just eat that witch or her son, well not completely. Bonnie couldn't believe he didn't take a few bites out of them. A few things she learned along with his new found attempt at patience was he became noticeably weaker it would only be a matter of time before he snapped. 'I guess the best of both words just don't exist.'
The least she could do was give him credit, he did go through the trouble of bringing her back. She didn't like making excuses for him but considering the situation, he didn't have much of a choice but to starve. If he knew she was in danger and he could fix it, he always came through no matter how late to the party he was. She ate quietly and immediately wished she had a water bottle.
Getting one from her house would be nice if it hadn't been raided for food and beverages. She did manage to grab a few essentials like hygiene products, a candle lighter, and a miniature first aid kit. "So where are we going?" The car slowed down to its previous speed. "Near New York. Maybe a little further than that." Bonnie allowed herself to stare as he continued, the moment she got the opportunity she'd shave his face and cut that overgrown mop on his head. 'And then I could go and find a phone to...'
"A place set up... not by me. Not exactly a haven. A camp out 'til things are under control." His voice cracked, clearing his throat he continued. "It's not global. Yet. They've shut down the air ports, all of the wealthy asses have jumped ship in their private jets. South America have put up their borders. Canada isn't so polite anymore... with all of our bullshit anyway."
He turned to see the witch's feet in the seat and her head in-between her knees. His thick brows began to join. Bits of his personality started seeping through the cracks in his voice. "What? Cramps? Do you need to throw up again?" Bonnie lifted her head, face red as a beet as she fought back tears. Her thin fingers fiddled at the laces in her ankle boots nervously. "My dad Damon, is he okay? Do you know what happened to him?" The tightening in his jaw and looking out in front of him was enough for her to confirm what she already knew.
"You've still got me." As much as she wanted to deny it, he did save her life a few times. He didn't bring it up but she was sure he would when he needed to.
"...right. And thank you." The vampire let out an exaggerated gasp. The car swerved off the road next to a gas station. Bonnie's feet slammed against the floor as her hands grabbed at the window in the front and right of her. The witch's sadness turned into utterly pissed in 0.5 seconds.
"What the hell?! Have you lost your mind?" Turning to her he propped his elbow on the steering wheel and tilted his head. "Bonnie Bennett, apparently hell has frozen over if you have thanked me. Besides we're stopping here so get out."
"You may have saved my life but you are not going to order me around like I'm your pet dog!" 'So he didn't change that much.'
"Pretty please prom queen?"
Bonnie successfully hid a grin as she unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car. Placing her hands on the hood of the warm vehicle she noticed a few bodies laying close to the entrance and a nearby pump in her peripheral. "They don't look so... dangerous to me." Since their travel began they had been fortunate enough not to run into any real threat. If there were any, Bonnie had grabbed the wheel and Damon fired.
"You're in for a treat, just wait." Damon pulled a duffel bag from the back seat and emptied the contents onto the parking lot. It was raining empty food wrappers, soda cans, small cardboard boxes, pill bottles, and of course small bottles of liquor. "I tried getting in here before but it's locked from the inside. I can't bend iron bars in my state but I can pull one of its smaller frames off of the window."
"What do you want me to do?" She took the empty bag he handed her and walked by his side towards the front of the small building.
"I need you to climb in that window and fill the bag."
"Are you crazy? You just tell me there's monsters running around and then you stick me in some dark hole with a shopping bag? You have might as well left me in the cave."
He groaned at her and began to tug at the bars on the smaller windows towards the entrance. 'There used to be much more fight in him.'
"Like I said, it's locked from the inside. It's been like that for weeks. "
The vampire was quickly growing tired from the tugging, his arms flexed but the time between each jerk increased. "No one can get in or out so chances are nothing could possibly be alive in there. Supernaturals can starve to death too. It just takes longer." He gave her one of his creepy forced smiles that made her feel violated.
The witch rolled her eyes and shifted her weight onto one foot, Bonnie hissed back at him. "Have a little faith Bonnie." With enough prying the bars popped off of the window and fell between them. Tugging his sleeve down and around his knuckles, he broke the window with a short jab. "Have a little faith..." Bonnie echoed as the vampire cleared away the shards around the corners.
The window was probably a square foot and right above her shoulders, large enough for her to squeeze through but if Damon could she'd be waiting outside. "Face me." The raspy monotone voice returned. Bonnie turned towards him but kept from looking into his eyes. Not until he completely turned back into his old self, she couldn't do it.
It was like one of those drug abuse videos and Damon's current state was the 'after' photo. Without warning large hands gripped at her sides and lifted her easily. Her hands shot out and curled over his biceps. Bonnie wasn't carried often but when she was, she made sure she wasn't dropped. Her feet kicked back towards the window and the toes of her boots touched the wall of the inside. Slowly he lowered her, eyeing her like a rare gem he'd been saving up for.
"You can drop me now." Her focus went from his forehead to the floor below her. His grip rose higher to her upper arms until she only was a foot above ground. "Damon." She was then released into the darkness. Landing on her feet firmly, she caught the bag that was pushed in. The smell of urine, bile, and rotten food filled her nostrils.
Bonnie immediately used the collar of her tunic to cover her nose. Opening the bag she squinted through the shadowy insides of the establishment. Water would be her first priority. Walking to the back, she stood before the fridge and noticed most of the water was gone. There were a few flavored water bottles and fruit juices but most of them were expired.
Fishing through them and murmuring to herself she found a few which were fine or not labeled and stuffed into the duffle bag. Closing the door she jogged further down until something caught her eye in the reflection. Another pair of eyes stared back at her but they were not her own, over her shoulder. Before she could react her body was shoved against the freezer door and the barrel of a gun was shoved between her lips. Bonnie attempted to take a look at her foul smelling attacker but her neck wouldn't budge.
"I haven't seen a girl in such along time." A hand ran down the side of her face then grasped her throat to keep her from squirming.
"Now you can safe stay here with me or you can have your brains splattered all over the fucking floor. You don't see it now but I'm doing you a favor, you're as good as dead outside."
The witch let out a whimper and shook her head. She had to find the energy to use her magic but she couldn't concentrate.
He grinned at her squealing playing with the pressure around her throat. "You can't go back out there with that fucking vampire so don't even think about screaming gorgeous."
He was not an undead but from their skin contact she gathered he was a hunter with a bad attitude.
Hunters aren't bad, they just have a bad rep. And hate vamps.
Thank you for reading.