No update for HOW LONG? Ok, so I majorly suck. Attempting to make up for it here with some Bonnie/Damon cuteness..? And I will try to update quicker next time :(
Also it was my birthday last week, and some reviews from you guys would be awesome! XD (Well as long as they're nice reviews. Or constructive criticism/tips for improvement. Or any feedback really…)
But anyways, before I get on with the much delayed Chapter 7, one more small favour to ask? I know I kind of owe you guys, but if you could go to my profile and check out the poll, I want to know which story you guys think I should write next. Summaries on my profile :D
*Damon's POV*
I woke up, feeling dazed, confused and numb all over. It took me a few minutes to piece together my shattered memories of yesterday. I remembered becoming human… then Bonnie. I was talking to Bonnie. Damn, that was awkward. I was kissing Bonnie. But then it all went wrong. She pushed me away. She hated me. And then there was the Old Wood. The trees… they started attacking me? The brambles – like needles.
I was going to die.
And then…
Then…
They stopped? They just stopped. They just let me go.
Why?
And then it was all just a blur from there. I must have ended up here, but I had no idea how. Or where here was supposed to be.
As the feeling slowly returned to my body, so did the pain. I tried to get up, but was knocked back by a throbbing pain in my head. I let myself fall back down gracelessly on the hard concrete floor. The room was pretty dull, with bare brick walls, and the only visible window was partially obscured by metal bars. There was a metal door at the opposite end of the room with a small hatch in the top. I knew without trying that there was no way of opening the door.
"Is anyone there?" I called.
Within a split second, there was a scuffling sound and the hatch sprang open. There was a small hole in the door, just big enough to look through, but too small to escape through. It was also obscured by bars. So, it would appear I'd finally landed myself in prison, I guess. A face appeared at the hatch, but I couldn't be bothered to get up. My entire body seemed to be gripped by pain – an empty ache. Mocking me.
Still, I didn't need to get up to recognize the face. It was Bonnie.
"Bonnie?" I murmured, silently cursing the way my voice sounded so unsteady. "Where the hell am I?"
She didn't reply for a second. She looked almost scared.
"Bonnie?"
She turned around, so all I could see was the back of her head and those strawberry-golden curls.
"Bonnie!"
"Sage!" she cried. "Sage, he's waking up!"
"Is someone going to tell me what the fuck is going on?"
Sage appeared at the hatch almost instantly, gently shoving Bonnie out of the way.
"Damon!" he yelled. "Damon, is that you?"
I looked around the room tentatively. There was nobody there. "Well, who else would it be?"
"Come here," he barked, using that tone he only reserved for people he was losing patience with.
"I can't… it – hurts." I insisted, but I forced myself to get up, despite my aching limbs. I staggered to the hatch, clinging to the wall so I wouldn't lose my balance again and make an idiot of myself. When I reached the door, Sage thrust a hand through the bars and grabbed me by the neck. He appeared to be examining me like a vet examining a rabid dog. Then he turned to Bonnie. "It's alright, mademoiselle. He's alright." He let go, letting me fall to the floor again without a second glance.
"You sure about that?" I said breathlessly.
Sage looked a little uncomfortable, something he hadn't done once in the 300 years I'd known him. "Bonnie will explain."
And then he was gone, leaving me alone with Bonnie.
"Well take your time, then," I muttered. Her secrecy was really starting to irritate me.
"Damon, do you remember… anything that happened yesterday?" she said slowly. And I knew exactly what she was talking about. The part that I could remember, crystal clear. As if I'd forget. I nodded slowly.
"Why did you push me away?" I asked.
"Why did you throw yourself at me like that?" she replied disdainfully.
I paused for a second. "I know – I… wasn't myself yesterday. I was… over-emotional, and stupid, and… a whole list of words that weren't even in my vocabulary until yesterday. And - I know I was out of line."
Bonnie didn't deny it.
"And…?"
"And I'm not sorry. You should know that too."
"Neither am I," she replied expressionlessly.
"So… now that's not resolved, are you going to tell me what the hell's going on?"
Bonnie sighed. "You mean… you have absolutely no idea what happened?"
I nodded. "As I've said. Repeatedly. No. I've got a splitting headache as well – I feel like I've been hit by the hangover train."
She was nibbling her lower lip nervously. "So… you don't remember this?" Her face disappeared from view for a few seconds, then when she popped up again she shoved a battered-looking copy of some trashy local newspaper through the bars.
"Turn the page," she said shakily.
Disinterested, I scanned the contents of yet another article about the malach, the possession, the deaths. Nothing new, really.
"What's this got to do with - "
And then I turned the page.
And then I saw it.
Splashed across the page, a photo of me. Standing over what looked like hundreds of dead bodies, covered in blood.
I would have said 'Just an average day,' but I wasn't a vampire anymore, and even if I was, I wouldn't have been stupid enough to get caught. I took a closer look at the photo, and realized my eyes were glowing blood red – and I had a feeling it wasn't just bad camera work.
"So…" I sighed.
"You're possessed, Damon." Bonnie pointed out unnecessarily.
"Yeah, I got that, thanks," I growled. "So, apart from going on a murderous rampage, is there anything else I got up to that I should know about?"
"Well… you came back here this morning, and I kind of noticed you were acting weird – but then when Stefan started being a dick, you sort of went crazy. And – well, we hid for a while, but then… oh, it was terrifying! I thought you were going to kill me!"
My stomach dropped as dread started to creep into my mind.
"Bonnie? Bonnie, you're shaking." I dragged myself to my feet, and reached through the bars to hold her hand, but she flinched away from my touch. I took a step back, feeling hurt.
"It - it's nothing…" she whimpered, but I could see tears beginning to form in her eyes. I felt an overwhelming protective love for her. I just wanted to wrap my arms around her and keep her safe. But now she was scared of me. She needed protecting from me. I had never felt so utterly useless.
I reached forward again, and this time she didn't flinch. She let me gently remove a strand of hair from her face.
"Oh my God…" I whispered. I could see her perfectly clearly now. There was a row of reddish purple bruises running down her neck. As I reached out to stroke them, her face contorted with pain.
"I thought you were going to strangle me…" she said at last. She sounded so cold and detached. I wished desperately that I could have read her mind then.
"Wait – I did this?"
A single tear fell down her cheek.
"I hurt you? He made me hurt you… Shinichi!" I roared, kicking the door with all the force I could.
"Damon, you're scaring me…" Bonnie wailed.
I let myself fall to the floor and placed my head in my hands. I could feel the tears stinging the back of my eyes, but I blinked them back furiously. I refused to let Bonnie see me cry. "Sorry…" I muttered.
"B-b-but you're back. That's got to be a good thing, right?"
"You know Shinichi. He won't be giving up that easily."
"I know…" Bonnie sniffled. "How are you feeling?"
"Dreadful. Just completely, utterly drained. I – oh God – I feel sick…" I groaned, wiping cold sweat from my forehead.
"Wait… you're not actually going to…" Bonnie wrinkled her nose in disgust, "you know, throw up, are you?"
"No… maybe… shit, get a bucket or something…"
"Crap!" she exclaimed, disappearing from view.
I was suddenly very glad Sage wasn't here to see this. I felt truly pathetic. A mere 48 hours ago, I was a powerful ass vampire with the world at my feet, and now I was lying in some kind of prison cell/basement/torture porn dungeon, useless, human, and quite possibly about to vomit up half my insides.
Wait a second, when did I become so damn whiny? Being possessed does that to you, I guess? I didn't remember much about the last time.
Thankfully, Bonnie appeared a few seconds later, with Mrs. Flowers in tow, holding some kind of plastic bucket.
"Thank God," I muttered.
She was trying to shove the bucket through the bars, but predictably enough, it wasn't working. I was quickly losing the little patience I had left. I retched violently.
"Open the damn door!" I yelled.
Finally, with shaking hands, Bonnie opened the door and burst in, thrusting the bucket in my face just in time, as I was violently sick.
Bonnie was quite sweet really, holding my hair back from my face and generally making a fuss over me as she usually did, but I was getting more irritable by the second, and I really just wanted to be left alone.
Mrs. Flowers peered round the door awkwardly, and eyed me up and down. "You look very pale, boy. Can I get you anything to eat?"
"Don't call me that; I've got at least 400 years on you."
She appeared to be trying not to laugh. "Well, being human hasn't changed your sense of humour, at least…"
I suddenly realized I was starving. I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday, and that cupcake hadn't been too satisfying. "Uh… water would be good, thanks," I said quickly. I could still taste the bile in my throat. "And - " I attempted a weak smile in Bonnie's direction, "got any oranges?"
She smiled back. It wasn't a heartfelt declaration of love, but it was the best I was going to get for now.
…Kind of short chapter, I know, but I was really getting stuck for ideas. I'll get back to you with a longer chapter next time. At least 2000 words, k? :)
Now please review, and if you liked it, please vote on my What Story Should I Write Next poll, it will only take a few seconds and I will LOVE YOU FOREVER. XD
