The Running Woman

I don't own anything

Summary: Caroline is still running from Damon, she doesn't know it because he keeps making her forget, only she wont go down without a fight and the chase is on...(Dark Fic)

Rating: K+ maybe more later on...

chapter 2

You mystify but then you terrify me - shalini

***

No one followed her out of the school's empty hallways to the woods, She walked hypnotised by an unseen force, It guided her firmly through sunny patches between large foreboding trees to an unknown destination, she knew she shouldn't follow the hullucination of Damon, it could only bring her pain and harm, her insides were screaming danger of the extra creepy sensation kind. But she couldn't stop her self from moving in the same direction, not even if there was a large neon red sign saying STOP! Danger ahead!.

Her comfy flipflops had come off and she was walking barefoot through the wild, where who knew what kind of flesh eating insects roamed, thorns, bushes rough stones and pebbles all cut into her feet and made them slippery with coagulated blood while she wandered further into her fate.

There were so many turns and windings, would she even remember all of them? How would she get back, wouldn't anyone worry about her dissaperance from a school event? Her mother was the these were questions she knew should have bothered her enough to stop her from continuing to get farther away from civilization, but somehow it didnt. The thought of finding Damon at the end of a rainbow like some pot of gold or whatever it was that had her hypnotised and dead determined to to find him. She couldn't get cold feet now, even though she doubted the force which brough her here would let her leave so easily. It had Damon's presistant feel to it.

It was too late to turn back now, no point in worrying, whatever happened here on wards was her perogative and his game for her. And she would not fail this time.

Winding paths led her to an old house in the woods, to the casual observer it might seem really odd but in her state of mind it felt right that Damon should be here. The painful vibration through her spine confirmed that he really was here. The Basement beckoned her even though she wanted to stop and sit down by the fire place, unseen strong amrs pulled her to continue, she stumbled a bit but followed obediently trying to talk down the rising hitch of fear inside her.

The stairway leading down was all deep demented darkness, the stuff real breathing nightmares were made of, she shut her eyes tightly hoping she didnt miss a step and fall on her face now, but amazingly she didnt need her eyes, Damon was guiding her. It could always have been her cheerleading senses too...Carolines mouth quirked into a smile at the silly thought.

The last smile before all hell broke lose.

***

"CAROLINE!"

She was running now, her screams making odd random movie effects echoing off the basement walls mixing with the snarls of the red eyed, angry beast chasing her.

"CAROLINE!"

His voice was completely inhuman then, it had scared her the most, bouncing off the walls crashing harshly into her ears, hurting them, quickening her pulse, electrocuting her legs into co-operating with her.

She had to get out of here.

Caroline lost her balance on the stairs and slammed into the stairs knees and face first, her cheek stung, her knees screamed in pain but panic had kick started the adrenaline flow in her system the pain didnt still her into submission, she felt 'him' lunge at her on the stairs in his weakened state and not miss her...Blackness and cool breath from the basement engulfed her when Damon viciously dragged her by her feet back down the stairs, the terrified screams died down in her throat because the back of her head was being assaulted by the hard stone steps.

He was strong even in weakness, the gauntness, pale color & sunken eyes had fooled her into beleiving he wasnt well and needed her help. When she'd let him out hurriedly some man she didnt know had jumped at her and tried to stop her from opening the lock.

What a stupid mistake she had made. It was quick and painful to watch.

Damon had killed the man, snapped his neck in under 2 seconds. Her head kept replaying the sickening crack of his neck in her mind while Damon pulled her further into darkness, His voice was thick and husky with intense hunger, if he bit her today she wouldn't survive it, she knew. And she didnt want to die, not now, not like this. So she blinked hard to clear the forming tears in her eyes and made a desperate attempt with her free arms and legs to stop him.

She scratched, screamed & kicked with her free leg until he tumbled back with a surprised yell and she started on all fours back up the stairs. This time her cheerleading senses of speed, time and endurance had kicked 'd forgotten the pain in her knees, the blood trickling from her busted cheek and had made a marathon sprint out of the house, the sun wasn't shining anymore so she was out of luck, it wouldn't stop him from coming after her.

Again there was an inhuman growl with her name, from behind her and her heart sank, she had to run for it.

Heart thudding violently in her ears, she'd jumped into the woods trying to find someplace to hide, but even with the wild bushes, giant hovering branches of old bening trees it all seemed too open, too revealed, Damon would easily find her and he was quicker then her. There were more thorns, more sharp rocks nipping at her feet, this time some bushes even scratched her bare legs. Her hair had gotten loose and kept getting in her eyes.

It reminded her of Snow White's lonely excursion in the scary part of the woods.

It was a bloody mess, she was bloody mess and there was just nowhere to hide. Why did she beleive he ever wanted to love her? why? Why did she never develop a sense of appreciation for the normal and figured out the difference in right and terribly dark and downright twisted? why? why? why?

Suddenly she felt sorry for ever wishing for Elena to dissapear. She felt like crying out for Stefan, he would help her wouldn't he? But she had come alone, shunned them, blamed them for Damon dumping her and now she didnt have a hope in hell of surviving this.

Surviving 'him'.

***

Panic had long before entered and set into Carolines mind, but it was starting to reach its breaking point now when she found herself utterly lost in the woods, it was all the pinheaded running blindly into the wild that had her lost, she was just scared. She needed to focus and calm down, she'd grown up here after all...how lost could she be. The woods lurched with creaks, thuds, bumps and croaks, every twitch of a branch worried her, every crunch on the ground behind startled her.

She felt afraid to call out softly and ask it was him for fear he'd figure out where she is with his vampire sense of hearing.

Darkness had set over Mystic Falls, the moon was a faint glow away from appearing, soon it would be pitch black and 'He' would find her. Night was his best friend & Caroline didnt think she was a night person. she thought herself made of sunny blue skies and cute chirping birds. Just as she thought she was about to collapse spent on nerves in the middle of the dark nowhere, she saw a flicker of light from a direction, and tried to still her heartbeat long enough to hear giggles and whispers.

A camp site!

Her heart leapt into her throat, this time with sheer excitement of being saved, Damon wouldn't dare revel himself to a group of strangers? He'd always made it a point to be secretive about his identity as the undead. But still, he wasn't the mass murder type, was he?

She pictured him again numb with anger over being made to chase his food, the level of malevolence reflected in his eyes had been a bit too high to really care about anything or anyone, although he had recognized her fully, he didnt seem to be big on self control. There was a desperation to feed and drain in his expression. The crazy light in his eyes reminded her of mad dogs, cows or bulls or whatever rabid caged animal that had been kept hungry for far too long and that dimmed her hopes.

They were the outcasts of the small town sitting together, huddled in light and shadows of a small fire and it looked like all of them were stoned. The druggies. Vicki Donovan was sitting in a corner chugging down alcohol and giggling free spritedly, probably under the influence of some kind of drugs, Caroline searched the crowd Elena's brother, who was fond of hanging arounf Vicki, there was no sign of him, other then Vicki she didn't recognise anyone.

She didnt even know Vicki that well, she knew Matt, her brother and liked him, He on the football team, popular, handsome, and sweet not troubled and wierd like his sister. She found it hard to believe they were really brother and sister, they were so opposite. The creeps and bumps of the woods had become less noticeable, and things were quite with the group in around the fire, most of them were passed out against each other, She felt a tickle of panic again realising she needed them all mobile and aware of themselves enough to be able to run for it like there was no tomorrow in case Damon found them.

Sighing, she muttered sadly "I really should worry about saving my own skin..." She came in full view and sought after Vicki, nobody moved or noticed her, they were too intoxicated or drugged...It made her mad, if she ever got out of this alive, she was going to try and find a way to help these poor unfortunate morons.

Key word being 'if'.

Vicki turned around after another swig of something nasty and grinned at her "Hey!! Caroline,girl, join the party!" She burst into giggles studying Caroline's ruined state with glassy, bloodshot eyes, "Never thought i'd see miss perfect cheerleader needing a hit, what happened to the pom poms and the big parties??"

"Vicky..." She started but Vicki continued to mock her "You like you had a cat fight...Meooww" She obviously found Caroline's state worth a good laugh, because she'd dropped to her knees hiccupping loudly with laughter at her expense.

Caroline sighed and got down to her bruised knees trying to find Vicki through her tangle of brown hair, she gave up and tried shaking Vicki to get her attention "Vicki!! Listen to me! there's danger here, we all have to go!...Now!" Expecting a sensible response from Vicki in her present state was well... pointless because Vicki only laughed harder, which is probably why she didnt hear the crunch of footsteps nearby...

A raspy voice rang out in her ears "Oh Yes, there's big danger, and he's found you kids"

Caroline turned and let out a scream with fear she didnt know she possessed, seeing Damon with his fangs drawn and bloody smiling at them gamely.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys, means allot to me...xxx