_~*'*~MONSTER~*'*~_
I wanted freedom, bound and restricted You will squeeze the life out of me Bury it And our time is running out
I tried to give you up but I'm addicted
Now that you know I'm trapped, sense of elation
You'd never dream of breaking this fixation
I won't let you bury it
I won't let you smother it
I won't let you murder it
Muse – Time is running out
_~*'*~MONSTER~*'*~_
The Masarati had reached its limit, morphing the scenery in a blur of colors and obscure shapes. Atlanta was long lost in her review mirror, just a distant impression on her mind. It took her not even 15 hours to get from Florence to Atlanta, her black car already waiting for her. Normally she would need around 10 hours for the drive, but she just needed half of the time maximum, she wasn't one for speed limits.
She dreaded her return, passing the state border send chills down her spine. Mystic Falls was like an addiction, she would never be able to let it behind, she was never allowed to just bury it, or murder her past, like she was murdered in this one pony town. In the back of her mind she was aware of the fact, that this town will squeeze the life out of her, suck her energy up, or drain her dry. The irony of the last part was not lost on her; she could very well get drained dry in this town.
It was a death sentence, signed by her, when she agreed to come back. Deep down in her bones she felt that her time was running out, the sensation of in depending doom, looming in the air around her. Sometimes she felt like she could taste it, when she took a deep breath in her hometown. Slowing down when she could see the ´Welcome to Mystic Falls` sign, dread began to creep through her body, cold seeping in every fiber of her being. She knows her hands would tremble like leaves and her body would be shaking violently, if she hadn't been driving, she was terrified of crossing this landmark.
A shuddering breath escapes her lips as she crossed the town limit, the point of no return. Nothing has changed, since she was last here, the same southern charm, white picket fences and front lawns trimmed to perfection. Her eyes searched behind the black sunglasses for anything that would indicate for any kind of difference but there was none. Mystic Falls was frozen, the perfect picture, till night time. She knows exactly what monsters bumped into the night, oblivious to the town's inhabitants, that weren't named monsters.
The house looked absolutely like the one she had imprinted in her memories, as she pulled in the curb and shut of the engine. As she saw the front door open, she sank further down in her seat. Jenna came into her view with some guy she had never seen before, but by the looks of it they were arguing, and he was shot down by her. Only seconds later Elena came running out with her boyfriend, Stefan Salvatore, the vampire, she wondered just briefly if her dear sister knew of his darkest secrets. Her eyes followed closely as they made their way to a car. Damon Salvatore, the crazy, impulsive, reckless vampire that was on her hit list, stood there all smiling.
It took some of her self-control to stay in the car and wait till they all were gone. Concentrating to get herself together she pulled in the driveway and exited the car. The way to the doorstep felt longer than it was in reality. She felt the nervousness in her stomach, the feeling of getting sick. Well here goes nothing, she thought while ringing the doorbell. Jenna had not even the slightest indication that she was coming home. The door swung open, showing her best friend wide eyed and with a hint of shock in her expression.
"I'm home?" She asked a little bit embarrassed, because Jenna doesn't seem to have the intention on saying anything, anytime soon, she was just starring and doing the goldfish. After a moment she came out of her haze.
"What the hell!" Arkadia was hugged tightly; it doesn't happen any day that she was standing on her doorstep, without a call or even a text.
"What are you doing here? Oh god, it's so good to see you. You have no idea how much I have missed you. Let me guess, Jeremy was in on this, wasn't he? That would be the explanation why he was in such an exceedingly good mood." Jenna laughed in her ear while saying that. It felt good to be home, even if she still could taste death in the air surrounding them. She was away way to long from Jen.
"I'm home for good I think. Jer called me and asked me to come home; I'm absolutely not able to say no to that boy. But he didn't sound that good." Dia was surprised when Jenna began to shake; she felt the quivering sensation in the surrounding arms.
"Jen? What's wrong?" The concern was clear in her voice, as she closed the door behind her and ushered her to the living room couch.
"I saw my nephew wake up from the dead, because he was wearing the Gilbert ring, and before that? A Vampire snapped his neck, because he didn't do well with getting shot down by Elena, and now? Now I remember everything, that your friend compelled me forget, when I spent this first Semester and following break with you both in Italy. I know everything now, because he compelled me to remember when a vampire was attacking, and Damon was attacking." You got to be kidding me! Oh god, this Idiot! Sometimes he words his compulsion like a newborn vampire! Her mind was working in overdrive now, bringing up all possibilities, and she reached the conclusion, not much options.
"What do you want to do now? You know? I understand, if you resenting me right now, for letting him mess with your head, but at this time we thought it best. There was no supernatural indication for miles, so why endanger you with the knowledge of it… If you want I can wipe your memories again, but they won't ever return like that compulsion let them." Jenna listened to her quiet voice; she was full of anticipation, of what her friend would do now.
"I would have to pretend I'm clueless if I keep them, but you would get me on vervaine right? I would have to play there also. I can't confront Elena, because she would get me vervaine free and just have them compel me again to forget. Do you know how often they compelled me because of small incidents? At least you don't let me completely oblivious; he compelled me so that everything was lifted if I ever saw a vampire in action."
"Looks like this includes every compelling ever done to you, at least he got something right." Jenna laughed at that.
"I want to keep them, this are great memories, and I remember how to defend me properly again and how damn much my muscles hurt, after that combat training with you. But I really need time to mull this over and get use to knowing this again."
"Yeah I bet they are great, I mean you had months of steaming hot supernatural sex, with a centuries old vampire, what's not to like about it." She said, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Her memories where very clear on how her friends used to roll in the sheets, and every available surface for the matter. God, how often she walked in on them.
"So Jen, I'm going to give you some free time, and bother Caroline for some time." Smiling she stood up, hugged Jenna and made her way out of the living room, but paused in the doorway.
"Oh! And this blouse? You're so gonna not to wear this abomination again, for the time being you will raid my closet, till I'm done with your wardrobe." Jenna broke out laughing.
"You can't buy me a new wardrobe." She sputtered out.
"I have one of his credit cards! So watch me!" Sauntering out on her heels, while saying so.
"This man is spoiling you rotten!" Jenna shouted while the front door closed.
_~*'*~MONSTER~*'*~_
Dia walked the steps to the Forbs front door; she reached in the flowerpot with the multicolored tulips and grabbed the spear key. Caroline's car and a second one were in the driveway which means she was home, and it was bright daylight outside, and day-walking-rings just don't fall in your lap. When she was inside she heard their voices out of Carrow's bedroom, this would be fun. With light step she got upstairs and let her heels click on the last few feet, if only for the effect. She heard Caroline talking, clearly a bit irritated.
"So I don't get to choose the ring that I wear for the rest of my life?" She heard another person huff.
"If you don't want it…"
"No, no she wants it, Bonnie!" That must be Stefan, sounds like on the phone.
"Now what?" Caroline asked impatient.
"Now, I come bearing gifts, baby doll." She entered their view, swinging hips, a smirk on her lips and a dangerous glint in her eyes. It satisfied her greatly to see Stefan and Bonnie stiffen, Caroline beamed at her, sitting on her bed.
"Here!" She tossed a casket with intriguing silver windings and applications to her. Shortly after her call the other night, she had made a pit stop and organized a little thing to cheer up Caroline. The jewelry box was filled with quite a collection, of bracelets, necklaces and rings, all lapis lazuli.
"I think it's better you have a little collection, with your mother in the picture, it won't be so suspicious, with a change, if they will ever know of these pesky little rings." Dia stated smirking like the devil in disguise, looking at her baby sister of choice, as she opened her present. ( cgi/set?id=85119946&.locale=de)
"Oh my god, this must have coasted you a fortune." Caroline exclaimed. She saw Stefan's eyes widen at the sight and Bonnie's jaw clench.
"What are you doing here?" Bonnie spat, she never liked Dia and she felt something radiating of off her that let her shiver from the inside out and her smile made her uneasy since she could remember it. Now it looked for a moment sinister.
"Well since it appeared that you are all heading down the deep end? I'm here to do damage control and assure that no one gets killed, when you all so foolishly attempt to play with the supernatural. You're all just a bunch of kids; you can't even begin to imagine what you are getting into." Her voice was hard and cold as she let the truth trickle from her lips.
Stefan observed her; he had never even seen a picture of her before. Her black hair was in silky curls that surpassed her small waist; he would say she was even shorter than Bonnie, if it wasn't for those dangerously high shoes. ( bad_moon_rising/set?id=84773875&lid=2617829) The cloth she was wearing where expensive designer brands, that hugged her fragile frame perfectly. She looked like a fairy, pale glowing skin and those foreboding eyes. Their coloring was an icy blue around her pupil morphing in midnight blue to the most intriguing shade of indigo. He felt that she was everything but human.
"You think you know, what is going on here? You ran when they needed you the most, you have no idea what is going on, you weren't hear for the last six months. We don't need you and I can protect them from all supernatural, from vampires. I am a witch, I might not know what you are, but I can bring you down and I won't spell these rings and your other crap, just to be clear." Bonnie hissed venomously, she just smiled and cocked her head to the side as she leaned in the doorframe. Dia could see that Caroline had no Idea what to do, since she was new to all of this.
"I would stop to try and pop those pretty little blood vessels in my head; your witches are so fond of, won't work on me. And just too all your information, I don't play with, for or against you, just here to make sure Carrow, Jer and Ty stay alive and well, and my baby doll didn't have to die another time. So go on make treats all you want but if you ever interfere with my plans and actions you won't like the retaliation. Oh! And… I'm already dead, so kill me all you want; I'll just bounce back in all my glory and unbelievingly charming personality. So please start with your witchy lecture on your moral high ground." Boredom was dripping from every word she spoke in her taunting voice. Stefan took it all in, but what bugged him the most is that she has not mentioned Elena, even a single time. They were supposed to be sisters.
"What about Elena?" The question was out before he could stop himself.
"She has you all wrapped around her pretty little finger already, hasn't she? Well you will know at some point what it is, with your prim and proper kindhearted, Elena and the evil sister, which would be me. But I'm not one to brag, so you will just have to figure it out, all by yourself. So let's start with the lecture." She beamed.
"So, now's the part when I explain the rules. The witch who spells the ring has the power to despell it. So if you ever do anything to hurt anyone…" Caroline interrupted her with some kind of desperation in her voice.
"I'm not gonna hurt anyone!"
"You are a Vampire that means the urge to kill is part of who you are, that means if you let it take over I will stop you."
"Just for arguments sake Bonnie, you remember her waking up in a hospital, filled to the brim with blood? Carrow had no idea what was going on with her, but she didn't go of on a little killing spree, just snatched a few Blood bags and feed cleanly from a nurse. I think that's a good indication, that there isn't going to be a body pile anytime soon. She is not a ripper." When she said the last bit she stared at Stefan, and he knows that she knows.
"Bonnie you're supposed to be my friend."
"I can't ignore what happened, okay? You wanna be friends? You have to proof that the Caroline I remember isn't gone. Now put the ring on the bed."
"Do you really think that I meant to kill that guy at the carnival?" Caroline asked with a quivering voice.
"He is still dead, now…" Dia interrupted her harshly, she never liked it when Caroline was upset or not treated the right way.
"Oh cut the crap Bonnie!" She exclaimed, strode over to the bed while muttering under her breath.
"Put the ring on Caroline." As she stood next to the window, she took a moment to make sure her friend wore it before opening the curtains in one swift motion, leaving Caroline in the shining sun.
"There, all done."
"What did you do, what was this?" Bonnie screeched.
"That was Aramaic, and another perk of being me, I can mess around with witchcraft, tapped a little in your powers. I wasn´t in the mood, to search for a suitable source." She shrugged it off.
"What if I had blocked you?"
"Don't flatter yourself, darling. You will never be able to block me. Oh and I spelled the hole Box on my flight to Atlanta."
"I think that's good that she did it, I mean have you ever done this before Bonnie? What if it hadn't worked?"
"Caroline!" Stefan dragged her name out, no need to provoke a witch, which can give you multiple aneurysms.
"What? It was just a question!"
"She is all yours." Bonnie said still fuming on the inside, as she made her exit.
"So, how about a little catching up?" Stefan cringed on the inside, this woman reminded him so painfully of Katherine, and he just hoped that she had some good qualities.
_~*'*~MONSTER~*'*~_
"So, you're busting us or joining us?" Tyler asked, he wasn't quite sure if he liked the mischievous glint in his uncle's eyes. Because he was never up to anything good, when he looked like that. Just in passing he noticed the expensive car that parked in one of the last available parking spots.
"Neither, just showing a lady the way to the waterhole through the woods, and remembering you to make sure that everyone is out of here by dark."
"What happens by dark?"
"Someone ends wasted and dead at the bottom of the lake, and think of the family, we are liable if anything happens." Now he was wearing his I'm-the-alpha-male-look, just fantastic.
"You are a party kill, you know that."
"Well I didn't say you had to stop, just take somewhere else, so we didn't have to fish drowned teens out of the lake, and I dragged a surprise outta here."
"Alright we will be out of here, but you gracing me with your charming presence, is highly a surprise." He remarked smirking.
"Well and to think, that I made the effort to track you down, and drive in the middle of the woods, with my shiny washed car." She came sauntered around Mason's truck, grinning like a fool. Tyler brought her in a bone crushing hug; it was months since he last saw her, before she just disappeared like a gust of wind. When he let her go he let his arm around her shoulder to hold her by his side.
"Where did you find her, last I heard she was strolling around the world?" Tyler asked his uncle.
"Nah, found her in the parlor, pestered and thoughtfully interrogated by Carol, she looked ready to commit murder." Mason laughed while saying this; you can just pity Carol's suspects of interesting stories and tales, and then drove off.
When they had gotten drinks, they made it over to Tyler's truck and sat down on the open platform.
"So mom got you then even before me?"
"Please don't remember me." She joked. "I had successfully forgotten how nosy she can be, doesn't make it better that she has not seen me in nearly seven months, Ty." Nudging him in the side, while saying so.
"You know I've missed you? Calling isn't the same and now Mason has appeared out of nowhere."
"That bad, huh?" Tyler sighted, he was aware that she would never call him crazy but… what he wanted to tell her really sounds like he was a nutcase.
"Yeah, I mean he is strange. You know? At that carnival, at the arm wrestling booth, he is abnormally strong. Has this crazy mood swings and I… this will sound so damn crazy… I saw his eyes glow yellow, before switching back. Than he did this crazy stunt, hoping over a car like it is nothing; it looked just inhuman, abnormal. If I ask him about it he tries to sell me this crap about light reflections or some shit. I might be a joke, but far from dumb." He ended his little rant and looking at her expecting.
"Why did you tell me this Tyler?" Dia had a pretty good Idea what was going on, but she needed some input on where Tyler stood in realizing some facts and finding some truths.
"I remember those bedtime stories you use to read Caroline, Jeremy and me, when you babysat us. The books, you could make them change or the images move, I don't remember everything but the creatures you showed and described to us. I always had you read me stories about wolves, there was a moonstone mentioned, but you know what throw me of? Mason is searching for a moonstone, his behavior. But I'm telling you this because you can't be normal either, with the things you are able to do. And I know that you're not here without reason. My wild guess? You're here because of the raising body count and the animal attacks and Mason is perhaps a werewolf." She had listened to all he had said and dare she say it? She was a little proud of his combination abilities; he had nearly figured it all out.
"I can't tell you if Mason is a wolf now, therefore he would have to trigger the curse, and I wasn't long enough in his presence to figure that one out, but I can tell you that he has the gene, to be a wolf, as have you. Since I know you, I have known that you have this gene; it is from your father's side of the family. But I will never tell you how to trig this curse, but I will help you if that ever happens."
"Why not tell me how to?" His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Because you would have to change every full moon for the rest of your life. Transitioning would break every and any bone in your body. Yes, I have told you all these Stories, but just to make it easier for you should the supernatural ever invade your life. Because the biggest fault in my book is to let you completely in the dark, that is what could you get killed. And that's exactly what I don't want to happen." Her words were heavy; she practically told him that the supernatural could easily be his death. Well, he would have just to try to remember his bedtime stories.
"What is out there besides wolves? What are you?"
"It is better for you not to know what I am. But the possibilities of what is out there are endless; you will just have to find out on your own. If you find something new or strange? Just ask me about it." To the end, her voice and demeanor grew light hearted and playful. She would always let him work for Information, just a hint here and there, to get his brain working. Well and he had to admit it helped his intelligence greatly.
"So enough with the supernatural serious crap, youngling. Go have fun and find yourself a nice girl with your charm, or I will go and throw out embarrassing stories." She sing–songed and Tyler was of in an instant. She herself wasn't that playful on the inside. Mason appeared at the same time then Katarina in Mystic Falls and searching for a moonstone? If you include Caroline tuning into a vampire, killed by Katherine? You get misery, doom, destruction and disaster. Dia had a faint Idea what plan was put in motion, with Caroline turning, but she couldn't be sure and she was so hoping she was wrong.
_~*'*~MONSTER~*'*~_
Dia passed her time making some conversation with Matt and shooting horny teenage boys down on a regular basis. Relieved when she spotted Caroline, arrive with Stefan in tow she made her way over.
"My What? My serious-vampire-look?" Stefan's expression showed clearly irritation over Caroline's comment.
"Mhm, I mean it's not so different from your worried-vampire-look, but neither far from the Hey-it's-Tuesday-look." His face was hilarious to say at least and she burst out laughing.
"Oh, oh I get it, you think I'm too serious."
"Yeaaah… I… wasn't gonna say it like that." Still laughing she asked how their hunting experience was, and got a detailed recap from Caroline, which initiated a new bunch of laughers.
"But she has a point, your way to broody. Lexi made you out to be much more fun, when you weren't of the wagon." She stated as Caroline was out of earshot.
"You knew Lexi?"
"Who doesn't know Lexi, she lived with us about six months when she was in Italy, told me all the little embarrassing stories about her best friend, and then got MIA again. I swear sometimes I don't think she has understood the concept of phones. But I guess I will just have to wait till she pops up again." She was smiling when she talked about Lexi. Stefan felt sad himself again, he would have to break the news to her.
"I have to tell you something about Lexi. She died a few weeks ago, in Mystic Falls."
"How?" Her voice sounded hollow, void of all emotions.
"She was staked because Damon raided her out to the founders' council, to have someone responsible for his body pile. I tried to stop it but it was a little too late." Turning towards him, she looked him dead in the eyes. Her eyes cold and calculating, made a silent promise for vengeance, and he felt the cold chill again.
"I hope you warn your brother. Because it is just a matter of time till I come for him, he used my little Carrow and abused her, he killed my brother in cold blood and now he is responsible for Lexis dead. I hope he knows how to run, because he will need it, if not he should ask Katherine."
"What do you mean run?" He was never aware that Katherine was on the run.
"She is running, for over a half millennia. Just hope you don't get dragged into her mess, it won't be pretty and even I can't save you then."
"That bad?" he asked curios.
"Even worse, but we should get a move on now buddy; your baby vamp in training just compelled a girl away from her boyfriend." With that she smiled away and started moving in Caroline's direction with Stefan hot on her heels.
"You compelled her for a shallow reason." Dia could see the serious-vampire-look now, Caroline was so right in that department.
"How do you know? You didn't even look my way." Caroline said huffing in frustration, before realization dawned on her.
"You raided me out, didn't you?" Dia just smiled away and shrugged.
"Don't put the blame on me Baby doll."
"Oh, I should just have stayed dead. My entire personality is killing me." Stefan and Dia tried really hard to hold their in depending outbursts in, but that didn't worked so well.
"Oh, shut up! You two!"
_~*'*~MONSTER~*'*~_
She was on her way home, it was already dark and the moon was full, when her cell phone began to ring. She was annoyed, she really wanted to go to bed, this day was so much to long, she hadn't even been able to dose of in that damn airplane.
Bury it And our time is running out
I won't let you bury it
I won't let you smother it
I won't let you murder it
"Hello?"
"Arkadia, it's Mason." He sounded in serious pain, and she knew exactly why, her suspicions confirmed now.
"I know you knew about wolves, you are able to stop me if needed and not a Vampire. So I need you to get in the woods Tyler and Matt are still ghosting around, with some girls. I needed to leave the cellar; Ty showed up there, I'm not chained up and out in…" The line went dead. She made a rapid u-turn and speed her car up. It didn't even take her 10 minutes to reach Masons truck, but the back window was already broken; claw marks on the ground. Concentrating on her senses and abilities she tried to filter their presences out; didn't take long for her and she was of in the cellars direction.
She was greeted by wolf growling and Caroline being pounced on. It was easy to reach for energy and throw him off with one swift motion of her wrist. She could see Mason was tense, his wolf form badly shaking.
"Stop it! Stop!" Dia smiled Tyler knew on instinct what to do in such situations, the heritage of his wolf genes. And then he just disappeared in the darkness of the night.
"Well that was fun." She stated in a sarcastic voice.
"Matt got eaten, Stefan and Caroline nearly, and you all had the glorious Idea to make out near a wolf's Quarters. So everything else? Good, now clean up, I on my way to bed. Good night."
She sat in her car and starred out in the night. This was not how it was supposed to happen. Tapping on her speed dial she waited for the connection as she held her phone to her ear.
"Have you even the faintest Idea what time it is?"
"Considering I don't even know in which timezone you are prancing around? No."
"Well than that better be good Ark."
"We can't stall any longer. The so called Sun and the Moon curse will be broken by the end of the year."
"What makes you think that?"
"Katarina Petrova is in Mystic Falls. She arrived at the same time like a certain male werewolf, with a freshly triggered curse, coincidence much?"
"And you said I'm paranoid!"
"This isn't all. The mentioned wolf is searching for the moonstone, that is hidden somewhere in the Lockwood mansion, and guess his name? Mason Lockwood. Katarina killed a girl in the hospital, which had vampireblood in her system, now she is freshly turned. Bonnie Bennett, has now access to her witchcraft, and last but not least, you have the Doppelgänger. My sister nicely wrapped up in a love-triangle, with Kat's former boy toys, Stefan and Damon Salvatore, which pretty much means she will end up dead or a vampire, whaaaat would render her useless to break the curse.
So you have at least one vampire, one wolf, one witch, one Doppelgänger and a moonstone and the cherry on top? Katarina Petrova on a silverplatter. This is impossible to hide. Someone will contact Salter and then there is no going back."
"She sealed her faith when she decided to shake up with a vampire."
"I know, be ready when the time comes."
_~*'*~MONSTER~*'*~_
AN: Please let me know what you think of it. I would very much like to hear your guesses; to the people she lived with, and called in the last scene.
And the Million-Dollar- Question:
Who the hell killed her?