Disclaimer: And it stands the same, nothing that belongs to L.J. Smith is
mine. I swear! Sorry this took a while to update, I have been tackling
too many things at once, but I don't think I will be abandoning this story
anytime soon.
Elena awoke in a cold sweat, panting. She glanced beside her, reassuring herself that Stefan was still beside her. He had not left her side since they had retired for the night. Elena lay back down and briefly closed her eyes before opening them again. She did not want to fall back asleep.
She thought about the nightmare she had just had. In truth, she had had it many times before that night. She saw once again the reenactment of Stefan and Damon's horrible fight with Klaus. Even though she had not been there physically, she still had watched, unable to act until Bonnie called her. But in her dream, the fight always ended differently. Bonnie never called for her, and she had died, along with Stefan, Damon, all of them in the clearing. Only after everybody was already dead was she finally cast back down to earth. She cowered, shivering and looking about the clearing at the many bodies of her dearest friends. She crawled over to Stefan, crying openly, reaching him and stroking his beautiful face. And then he came.
Klaus stood over her, and she grabbed Stefan's unresponsive hand. Klaus grinned like the madman he was, and suddenly Katherine was at his side. Then they both laughed, derisively at Elena, and she could do nothing, could not even move. The only movement she could cause was to shake Stefan, to no avail. There was no more life left in his body, and then the worst happened. Stefan started to decay, right before her eyes. She cried out and pressed her hands on top of his form, trying to stop it, trying to prevent the skin from flaking away. But he decayed, at a swift and terrible rate.
"And the body returns to dust," Klaus commented, like he always did, and interrupted himself with a laugh, "some more quickly than others!" Then him and Katherine were both laughing again, and soon Stefan was entirely gone. She then realized that Damon had decayed in the same fashion, and the rest of her friends were being fed upon by large birds of carrion. She was completely alone with the two vampires.
But there was something coming. Klaus and Katherine both stopped laughing, and stepped away from Elena. Elena puzzled over this, but she felt no relief. The thing coming was not coming to help her, and Klaus and Katherine stepped away out of fear. Elena had tried to get up, a vain effort to run, but she was paralyzed. Her terrified eyes saw a flash of black hair, with a small flash of gold. And then she was thrown flat on her back. She blacked out, even in her dream she lost consciousness.
When Elena came too, she was out of the clearing. Katherine and Klaus were gone, along with the bodies of her non-decayed friends. Rather, she was now in a street. And there was somebody in her arms. Elena looked down at the burden she held, only to find a person unknown staring at her with unseeing eyes. In horror, Elena saw the torn neck bright with crimson, and then became aware of the bitter iron taste on her lips. Elena threw the body down and ran, only to hear laughter trailing her every step.
And that was the end. It always ended there. Not a moment ever changed, yet the terror was fresh every time. The abandonment of her friends, the bigger fear, and then herself made back into a vampire, but one that was not able to control herself. Perhaps the biggest fear of the dream was that it felt so real. Even now, Elena could taste the blood on her lips. So much so that she wiped at them with the back of her hand. Nothing was there.
Elena rose again and slid out of bed. She did so without a sound, and Stefan did not stir. The result of her actions caused her to stifle a sob. She should not be able to move without Stefan knowing, but she had been for a while now, and each time she almost prayed he would wake up. But he never did, and this left Elena feeling lost. A human should not be able to get past a vampire. Of course, she had given up the idea that she was still human a while ago.
Elena walked to the adjoining door and opened it. She strode into Damon's room. She had told nobody of her dreams, and they were eating at her. For some reason, she felt that Damon would be the only one who could understand her. Even Bonnie, the great mystic and revealer of dreams, would not be able to help her now. The thought of Bonnie brought a sudden idea to Elena, Bonnie always had psychic dreams that often told her things about Elena even before they happened to Elena. She would have to ask her if she had had any dreams lately, maybe they would reveal what was wrong with Elena.
But that could be done tomorrow. For now, she simply needed to talk. Elena paused when she stepped inside of the room. There was no need to go any further, she could see that Damon was not there. Elena hung her head, disappointed. She started to turn to go back to bed, but fear stopped her. She did not want the dream returning, as it often did when she woke in the middle of the night. Instead, Elena went to the chair beside Damon's bed and sat. She did not bother to turn on any lights, she did not need them. Another non-human revelation.
Half an hour's time went by, and the door was suddenly opened. Elena straightened in her chair, but did not rise from it. She had a sudden thought that she wanted to know if Damon would be able to sense her. Damon entered the room silently and closed the door. He turned and took off his jacket, then immediately ripped off his shirt. He walked over towards the window, it was stuffy in the room, when he stopped.
"Elena? What are you doing here?" he tried to hide his surprise.
Elena was silent a few moments. "Did you sense me?"
"What?" Damon tried to mask confusion.
"When you came in just now, did you know that I was in here?"
Damon looked troubled, but tried to hide it, "I did not see you until I moved towards you."
Elena sighed, "Don't vampires normally sense humans?"
Damon's voice was flat, "Normal humans, yes."
Elena found her eyes brimming with tears, "Then I am not normal."
"No," Damon's answer was abrupt, "you have never been normal."
"But I've always been human," Elena could not keep the tears from spilling.
Damon frowned, a small sign of emotion Elena could see too well. "No you have not. You died a vampire. And once the body has undergone that type of change, it hardly ever turns back to normal."
"But I am not a vampire," Elena told him.
"I know that," Damon answered, his voice deep, "it puzzles me as to what you truly are now. Not a vampire, yet not human. Have you spoken to my brother about this?"
Elena looked up, surprised, "Stefan? He has noticed it, yet I think he is in more denial than I. He just thinks I get a little cold at times."
Damon moved until he stood in front of Elena. He looked down at her, "Tell me everything."
And Elena complied. She told him of the strange happenings, her not quite human senses. And she told him of her dreams, the same dream, over and over. There were other dreams as well, but she did not tell him of these. For these were filled with blood, and her doing things with the blood that even vampires would not do.
Damon listened silently, not interrupting, his expression never changing. When she was finally done speaking, he surprised her again with a question. "Have you told Bonnie of your dreams?"
"No, I am afraid to. But I want to ask her if she has had any dreams, she is the prophetic one, not me."
Damon answered her slowly, "I think that you are more than what you think, now." He paused, then questioned her again, a strange light in his eyes, "This other force you spoke of in your dreams, is it another vampire?"
Elena shook her head, "I don't know, I've never seen it. But I think it is the same thing that laughs when I kill, and it is a woman's laugh. And I think the flashes of black is hair and the gold is eyes. But that is all that I can think of."
Damon fell silent and looked away. Of course he was thinking of the strange vampire, the female with black hair and golden eyes. She had mentioned Fell's Church suffering at the hands of the Salvatore brothers, and her tone had suggested revenge. The old blood perhaps? From Elena's dream, it sounded like she had a connection with Klaus and Katherine, but they were afraid of her. And she did not seem all that threatening to Damon. Then again, it could be nothing, after all, Elena was not Bonnie.
After a few moments, Elena got up and left the room. She turned once before exiting, "Thank you for listening to me Damon. I don't even think Stefan would want to hear this. It would only drive him mad with worry."
Damon nodded, but said nothing, and after a final glance, Elena left the room and the door closed. Damon closed his eyes, they should have stayed in Italy.
Elena awoke in a cold sweat, panting. She glanced beside her, reassuring herself that Stefan was still beside her. He had not left her side since they had retired for the night. Elena lay back down and briefly closed her eyes before opening them again. She did not want to fall back asleep.
She thought about the nightmare she had just had. In truth, she had had it many times before that night. She saw once again the reenactment of Stefan and Damon's horrible fight with Klaus. Even though she had not been there physically, she still had watched, unable to act until Bonnie called her. But in her dream, the fight always ended differently. Bonnie never called for her, and she had died, along with Stefan, Damon, all of them in the clearing. Only after everybody was already dead was she finally cast back down to earth. She cowered, shivering and looking about the clearing at the many bodies of her dearest friends. She crawled over to Stefan, crying openly, reaching him and stroking his beautiful face. And then he came.
Klaus stood over her, and she grabbed Stefan's unresponsive hand. Klaus grinned like the madman he was, and suddenly Katherine was at his side. Then they both laughed, derisively at Elena, and she could do nothing, could not even move. The only movement she could cause was to shake Stefan, to no avail. There was no more life left in his body, and then the worst happened. Stefan started to decay, right before her eyes. She cried out and pressed her hands on top of his form, trying to stop it, trying to prevent the skin from flaking away. But he decayed, at a swift and terrible rate.
"And the body returns to dust," Klaus commented, like he always did, and interrupted himself with a laugh, "some more quickly than others!" Then him and Katherine were both laughing again, and soon Stefan was entirely gone. She then realized that Damon had decayed in the same fashion, and the rest of her friends were being fed upon by large birds of carrion. She was completely alone with the two vampires.
But there was something coming. Klaus and Katherine both stopped laughing, and stepped away from Elena. Elena puzzled over this, but she felt no relief. The thing coming was not coming to help her, and Klaus and Katherine stepped away out of fear. Elena had tried to get up, a vain effort to run, but she was paralyzed. Her terrified eyes saw a flash of black hair, with a small flash of gold. And then she was thrown flat on her back. She blacked out, even in her dream she lost consciousness.
When Elena came too, she was out of the clearing. Katherine and Klaus were gone, along with the bodies of her non-decayed friends. Rather, she was now in a street. And there was somebody in her arms. Elena looked down at the burden she held, only to find a person unknown staring at her with unseeing eyes. In horror, Elena saw the torn neck bright with crimson, and then became aware of the bitter iron taste on her lips. Elena threw the body down and ran, only to hear laughter trailing her every step.
And that was the end. It always ended there. Not a moment ever changed, yet the terror was fresh every time. The abandonment of her friends, the bigger fear, and then herself made back into a vampire, but one that was not able to control herself. Perhaps the biggest fear of the dream was that it felt so real. Even now, Elena could taste the blood on her lips. So much so that she wiped at them with the back of her hand. Nothing was there.
Elena rose again and slid out of bed. She did so without a sound, and Stefan did not stir. The result of her actions caused her to stifle a sob. She should not be able to move without Stefan knowing, but she had been for a while now, and each time she almost prayed he would wake up. But he never did, and this left Elena feeling lost. A human should not be able to get past a vampire. Of course, she had given up the idea that she was still human a while ago.
Elena walked to the adjoining door and opened it. She strode into Damon's room. She had told nobody of her dreams, and they were eating at her. For some reason, she felt that Damon would be the only one who could understand her. Even Bonnie, the great mystic and revealer of dreams, would not be able to help her now. The thought of Bonnie brought a sudden idea to Elena, Bonnie always had psychic dreams that often told her things about Elena even before they happened to Elena. She would have to ask her if she had had any dreams lately, maybe they would reveal what was wrong with Elena.
But that could be done tomorrow. For now, she simply needed to talk. Elena paused when she stepped inside of the room. There was no need to go any further, she could see that Damon was not there. Elena hung her head, disappointed. She started to turn to go back to bed, but fear stopped her. She did not want the dream returning, as it often did when she woke in the middle of the night. Instead, Elena went to the chair beside Damon's bed and sat. She did not bother to turn on any lights, she did not need them. Another non-human revelation.
Half an hour's time went by, and the door was suddenly opened. Elena straightened in her chair, but did not rise from it. She had a sudden thought that she wanted to know if Damon would be able to sense her. Damon entered the room silently and closed the door. He turned and took off his jacket, then immediately ripped off his shirt. He walked over towards the window, it was stuffy in the room, when he stopped.
"Elena? What are you doing here?" he tried to hide his surprise.
Elena was silent a few moments. "Did you sense me?"
"What?" Damon tried to mask confusion.
"When you came in just now, did you know that I was in here?"
Damon looked troubled, but tried to hide it, "I did not see you until I moved towards you."
Elena sighed, "Don't vampires normally sense humans?"
Damon's voice was flat, "Normal humans, yes."
Elena found her eyes brimming with tears, "Then I am not normal."
"No," Damon's answer was abrupt, "you have never been normal."
"But I've always been human," Elena could not keep the tears from spilling.
Damon frowned, a small sign of emotion Elena could see too well. "No you have not. You died a vampire. And once the body has undergone that type of change, it hardly ever turns back to normal."
"But I am not a vampire," Elena told him.
"I know that," Damon answered, his voice deep, "it puzzles me as to what you truly are now. Not a vampire, yet not human. Have you spoken to my brother about this?"
Elena looked up, surprised, "Stefan? He has noticed it, yet I think he is in more denial than I. He just thinks I get a little cold at times."
Damon moved until he stood in front of Elena. He looked down at her, "Tell me everything."
And Elena complied. She told him of the strange happenings, her not quite human senses. And she told him of her dreams, the same dream, over and over. There were other dreams as well, but she did not tell him of these. For these were filled with blood, and her doing things with the blood that even vampires would not do.
Damon listened silently, not interrupting, his expression never changing. When she was finally done speaking, he surprised her again with a question. "Have you told Bonnie of your dreams?"
"No, I am afraid to. But I want to ask her if she has had any dreams, she is the prophetic one, not me."
Damon answered her slowly, "I think that you are more than what you think, now." He paused, then questioned her again, a strange light in his eyes, "This other force you spoke of in your dreams, is it another vampire?"
Elena shook her head, "I don't know, I've never seen it. But I think it is the same thing that laughs when I kill, and it is a woman's laugh. And I think the flashes of black is hair and the gold is eyes. But that is all that I can think of."
Damon fell silent and looked away. Of course he was thinking of the strange vampire, the female with black hair and golden eyes. She had mentioned Fell's Church suffering at the hands of the Salvatore brothers, and her tone had suggested revenge. The old blood perhaps? From Elena's dream, it sounded like she had a connection with Klaus and Katherine, but they were afraid of her. And she did not seem all that threatening to Damon. Then again, it could be nothing, after all, Elena was not Bonnie.
After a few moments, Elena got up and left the room. She turned once before exiting, "Thank you for listening to me Damon. I don't even think Stefan would want to hear this. It would only drive him mad with worry."
Damon nodded, but said nothing, and after a final glance, Elena left the room and the door closed. Damon closed his eyes, they should have stayed in Italy.
