Previously on Flightmate...

E, B and C are on a trip to Europe. D & E bond on the plane. D rescues E but E does not remember. E gets lost in the forest on an island.

'And then she fell fifty feet into the black abyss.'


Chapter 9: Joke's Over

Brown.

Powdery mud.

Brown powdery mud that smelt of rain and moss and weed filled Elena's nostrils until she couldn't remain in her position any longer.

Elena opened her eyes and realized she couldn't feel her face. Or her hands. Or legs. All she could feel was her heart pumping faster and faster.

She tried to push herself up from the ground and failed. The blood circulation must have stopped, Elena deduced, her analytical mind working on acceleration mode.

Her eyes spun wildly in their sockets, absorbing everything she could see in her line of view. She shouted for help, relieved her voice box was still functional. Elena called out a few more times, trying to be louder, but her voice only cracked. Panting loudly, she knowing there was no one to listen. She was stranded, lost and hopeless on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. The thoughts only served to build up her anxiety.

Elena focused her energies to the huge waterfall a few feet away. The waterfall brought some frightening thoughts into her mind. Did I escape drowning to death? Again?

As she watched the white waters thunder and crash into the rock below, she realized she was above ground. The rocks and the sand were atleast four feet below her.

'No,' she protested feebly, looking behind. Her vision was blocked by a black shirt. She could not feel anything yet but with sensation returning to her face, Elena breathed harder. Feeling was too much. She'd quite loved the numb void, she'd been in. The sudden movement made Elena annoyingly aware of motion sickness. As she tried to suppress the bile her body tried to eject, Elena felt everything stop.

However, before she fell unconscious, she looked up and noticed a five-o-clock shadow on a strong jawline.


Elena saw stars. Not the ones in your head, but the ones that you see on a clear night sky. The ones you see when there is nothing to block the shimmering beauty of those countless objects.

Elena lied for a few moments, trying to recollect the sequence of events that led up to that point. I was on a plane. It crashed. Water, lots of water. Drowning. Can't breathe.

Elena gasped for air as memories threatened to devour her. She fought to remember more. That was the boon and bane of her imagination. It was too vivid, too real, it scared the crap out of her. However, Elena recalled a figure emerging from the water. Then, nothing.

Damon! That was his name! She remembered being mad at him but for some reason, although she wasn't anymore.

After that, there was a fire. Hunger. I wandered alone in the forest looking for food. Alright, alright, memories are coming back. I don't have amnesia, thank God.

'And then I fell!' she exclaimed out loud. 'I moved away from the waterfall. It should have killed me! How am I still alive?' her voice trailing off.

'Luck?'

She turned. A tall, dark and handsome blue-eyed man walking towards her. Misty blue eyes.

Elena gulped. 'Damon?'

He sauntered over, a smirk etched on his entire face. After placing a plate made of leaves in front of her, he crouched on the terrain next to her. The odour of roasted chicken stung her lungs.

'Get that away from me,' Elena ordered, hands cupped around her nose, her voice surprisingly strong.

'What? You don't like chicken?' Damon questioned. 'What's wrong with you?'

'Well I think killing animals and eating them is wrong,' Elena declared, assertive about her opinion.

'It was my favorite food as a human. Still is,' he reached for her plate and tore a small piece off the edge.

'Don't you ever- wait, what do you mean 'when I was a human'?' Elena changed track.

Damon didn't reply.

Elena realized he was messing with her. She decided to play along.

'Oh my God, don't tell me.' her eyes widened. 'You're not a ghost, are you? Or are you really a zombie?' she gasped comically. Then, her eyes lost their wild nature and she slipped back to her sarcastic self. 'Or are you just on your regular mission to confuse and irritate me?'

'Well, I'm not a ghost or a zombie but I am definitely dead,' he casually confirmed, eyes not leaving hers. Elena threw him an are-you-kidding-me look. 'And I do love seeing you getting flustered and confused. Your eyes become bigger and more doe-ish. And,' he chewed a piece of flesh thoughtfully. 'It's the only time you can't be feisty. You're hot when you're feisty.'

Elena narrowed her eyes at him. He really was a douche.

'Seriously Damon? Flirting with a nearly-dead semi-conscious girl after offering her a dead animal?'

'Ouch. It's my favorite spicy food after pickles, so watch your mouth. KFC was the best thing that ever happened to America.' Damon declared, his eyes hazing over. 'But you know what tastes the worst? Werewolves,' he was completely serious. 'As much as I like to see them dead, I am never munching into any of those silver-hating animals.'

Elena apprehended him for the first time with suspicion. She started to believe him. Her eyes never left his face, looking for some sign that he was joking. Was he serious? Only one way to find out.

'Oh what are you now: a vampire?' she mocked. Her tone suggested sarcasm but her eyes told a different tale. He was scaring her.

She held her breath.

'Bingo,' he said, simply.

Elena's heart stopped and she took a huge gulp of air. Then, she raised her eyebrows at him, smiling to ease the tension.

Damon did nothing. He really was not messing with her.

'You've gotta be kidding me! Stop it Damon.'

He remained silent, staring at her and licking his fingers one by one. Elena swallowed. She tried a different approach this time.

'Don't make the hungry lady your victim.'

Damon continued his administrations. He looked her straight in the eye and casually revealed, 'Funny, I was debating about that.'

Elena did not miss the seriousness of his tone then. She stared into his eyes, desperately searching for anything that made sense. Nothing.

'Damon, you got me. Now, drop it. Joke's over.'

'Elena,' he sang. His voice took on a tone that chilled her to the bone. He'd never spoken to her in that way. It was always simmering under the surface but never fully evident. He had a dark side she'd never seen. He'd been rude, arrogant, annoying and jackass but never truly dark. Never truly dangerous.

'Damon what-please-you can't-' the words trailed off towards the end, as Damon's face inched closer, his eyes clearly revealing his intentions. Elena didn't know what to do. She wanted him to stop before that continued any further.

Before her mind surrendered to the part of her brain that paralyzed her with fright, her hands prod the terrain behind her, looking for a sharp object. Or anything that could help her.

Unfortunately, Damon dived at the very moment and clasped her hands behind her back. She struggled for a while but he was effectively encircling her. He was so much stronger. He deliberately avoided any physical contact except with the wrists and Elena noticed. She stilled for a moment. His eyes burned into hers. Misty blue into mahogany brown.

'Damon let go of me!' Elena yelled. She squirmed to get away from him. It barely had any effect. His face was devoid of any sarcasm, any warmth. The smile on his face was not one of friendliness but of a panther closing in on the prey.

How strong was this man?

'Damon what are you doing, come on stop please.'

His eyes demanded her to admit it. Elena didn't know anymore.

'You're really a vampire, aren't you?'

Damon smirked wider. They stared at each other, both marveling at the truth which was finally out naked. Elena wondered what she should do next. What was the logical thing to do when someone you thought you knew turned out to be a vampire?

She screamed.

Damon's hand flew to her lips, pulling her flush against him, stopping her from making a sound. She tried to fight him but his strength was no match for her. Thrashing, kicking, punching - none of it was effective against Damon Salvatore. He seemed to find her amusing which only made her fight more. After a while, she lost her energy. She calmed.

Elena perused him - anger turning to forced calm turing to understanding to...

And that's when she felt it.

The sexual tension bubbled and fizzed between them, clouding Elena's head. She stared at Damon's lips. Suddenly all she wanted to do was feel how they moved and kissed. Damon's focus however, turned to her neck. Elena watched Damon angle his head away from her lips. He collected both her wrists into one hand. What was he-oh no.

Elena inched away. He used her efforts against her, pulling her body closer to him. He used his free hand to brush behind her long mahogany hair so he could gaze at her neck without obstruction. He edged closer. Elena resigned to the fact that he was going to kiss her neck. There was nothing she could do but let him.

'This might hurt just a bit' he warned, looking up under his eyelashes at the last minute. Elena's heart beat erratically. To her horror, she didn't know what she was feeling - fear or lust.

Blue and red veins stretched outwards from the skin under Damon's eyes. He looked bloodshot. The Damon she knew was gone. All she saw before her was the monster, he'd hinted at all along. The realization erased any consent she might have given and Elena was officially scared. All her alarm bells were on 911. She thought quickly. You need to stop him before he bites. Distract him before he bites. Come on.

Think, Elena.

Think.


To everyone with a keen eye, I described Damon as a panther because that's the animal Ian said he was most like in bed. I'll leave you with that image until next Monday.

I still do need cosplay ideas and questions for Ian. Tell me down below.

FOLLOW ME (I mean, stalk):
Twitter: anupapaya
Tumblr: arrogantanupapaya
YouTube: anupyathekiddo (Anupapaya Poopy)

You clicked, you read, now you review!