CHAPTER 3:

I hear a scream. It's dark. The older man is whispering to the younger man bent down over my parents' bodies. I'm behind my bedroom door at my family's lake house, watching in terror. I don't know what is going on. I don't know who these people are. I move, then freeze as I hear them. A woman speaks something of an order to the two men.

"Find it!"

They race around the vacant house at a speed that's completely impossible for a human to reach. I am relieved. They're gone. Suddenly, they hear me, and I am found. They take me, and throw me on the ground.

"Sorry about your parents, darling,"

Razor-sharp fangs pierce my neck, and I'm crying in absolute agony. The pain ceases. The younger man whispers something aloud, and they are all looking at me in amazement. The woman looks at me. She bends down to me. She speaks. She walks back to the older man. The older man then walks and bends down to me, whispers something to me.

"Don't be afraid. We are not going to hurt you," he says. "We are going to let you go, but you need to get healthy and strong for us. We will return for you when the time is right," He breaks eye contact. I blink.

"We will return for you when the time is right."

"You need to get healthy and strong for us."

"Sorry about your parents, darling."

"Find it!"

"We will return for you when the time is right."


"Elena!"

A voice cuts through my nightmare.

"Damn it, Elena, wake up!"

My eyes open as I shoot up in bed awake with a jolt, gasping heavily for air. It's dark outside, and I'm crying. I've had this nightmare for months.

Damon is on the edge of the bed, regarding me warily. His blue eyes are wide, and I wonder how long he's been here.

"Damon," I breathe, my hand clenching my chest in an attempt to calm my breathing down.

"I'm here," he nods, and I sigh with relief.

"What happened?" I ask.

""I heard you screaming," Damon tells me, and I blink.

"It's my nightmares," I say softly, and he frowns.

"Nightmares?" he asks softly.

I nod.

"I've had them ever since my parents died. It's something like what happened that night," I don't realize that my voice is shaking until I finish speaking.

"Those vampires, the ones who killed your parents, they must've compelled you. Since you're a Pureblood, Compulsion, or mind control, won't fully work on your mind. The memories that you have of that night are transferred into your dreams, blending with the compulsion. They're not always clear, " Damon says, and I look down at my hands, guilty. Surely, I've woken him. Do vampires even sleep?

"Did I wake you?" I ask, looking up at Damon hesitantly.

"No," he shakes his head. "Caroline and I were just talking."

I nod.

"Hey, do you need me to stay while you try to sleep?"

This shocks me. I blink, surprised by Damon's offer.

"What?"

"Do you want me to stay while you try to fall asleep again?" he repeats, and I shake my head.

"I'm not going to fall asleep," I say, not willing to lie to him, or myself. I'm too awake now, and I'm terrified after reliving my nightmare. Plus, all of the stuff that I've learned last night is flooding back into my mind.

"Are you alright?" He asks me, and I look up at him. His eyes are exposed to sincerity and I shrug.

"I don't know," I tell him, my eyes watering suddenly. "To be honest, I'm so scared, Damon. I just learned that my life is practically over as I know it, and to top it off, a group of vampires is after me, trying to kill me."

Damon blinks, and I think he's surprised by my honesty.

"Well, being a vampire's not as bad as you think." he says. "There are some pretty cool things that come along with it, and I can't imagine what it must be like for a Pureblood,"

I don't know what to say.

"I never thought that I would-"I laugh softly. "I never thought that I would watch my life as it slipped away from me." I admit, sniffling.

Damon looks down, and I clear my throat.

"I'll try to sleep," I tell him. "Thank you for listening to me talk about my troubles,"

"No problem," he says, and I smile up at him as he gets up off of the bed.

"Goodnight," I say, curling up with the comforter.

"Goodnight, Elena," he says as he closes the door. Instantly, sleep pulls me under.


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