I sat on my bed reading the letter over and over. There was a knock at my door.
"Come in." I said quietly.
"Everything okay in here?" The person standing at the door shocked me.
"Woah! Elena, you're back! Does that mean Stefan is, too?" I asked, jumping up to hug her.
"He'll be here, shortly. He wanted to pick something up first." She said, smiling.
I smelled the vervain before I saw it. I grabbed the Elena imposter and threw her against the wall.
"How did you get out?!" I demanded.
"I've got ways." She said, before throwing me across the room.
"Where's Damon?" I asked, standing up.
"Taken care of." She smirked. I ran at her, tackling her. I effectively put a Katherine shaped hole in the wall.
"Don't you dare hurt him!" I hissed.
She pushed me off and grabbed the vervain filled needle she was planning on stabbing me with. I got it from her before she could attack me. "You're getting fast." She commented, smiling.
"Not fast enough." She murmured as she took the syringe from me and threw me through my window.
"Oh" I moaned. The pain in my ribs was excruciating. I pulled shards of glass out, and I waited a couple of seconds for my bones to heal.
"You bitch!" I yelled at her.
She was standing in my room, looking down at me from where my window was supposed to be.
"Now is that anyway to talk to someone who just wants to help you?" She called out.
"I don't want your help!" I yelled.
"You say that now…" She murmured, trailing off.
"Where is Damon?!" I demanded, again.
I was listening really hard for any sounds inside the house. Nothing.
"He's not here, sweetheart. I waited until he went out to hunt before I stabbed him with the vervain syringe, and then I handed him over to my little vamp friends." She said, suddenly in front of me.
"No!" I yelled, pushing her.
I ran as hard and fast as I could until I reached Caroline's house. There was nobody chasing me, fortunately.
But Damon was out there somewhere. What was with all the Salvatores getting kidnapped? It's getting really old.
I barged into Caroline's house without thinking. "CAROLINE!" I yelled.
I could hear a heartbeat and rugged breathing. Matt was here, and I did NOT want to know what they were up to.
"Yeah, Ella?" She asked, coming down the stairs.
"Katherine escaped. She gave Damon to some vampires! We've got to get him!" I yelled, frantic.
I was really thankful that I had explained the Katherine situation at school, because I did not have time to explain it now.
"Okay, calm down! Who has him?" She asked, serious faced.
"I don't know, Caroline! I have to save him now!" I yelled.
"Ella, chill out! We don't know where he is, OR who has him. There's nothing to go on!" She yelled back.
"If you won't help me, I'll do it myself!" I said, running out of the house. I didn't have time for logic. My brother was taken, for Heaven's sake!
"Ella!" I heard Caroline calling after me, but I didn't stop. I grabbed my phone out of my pocket.
"Ella?" His voice was sweet relief.
"Stefan! Stefan! Katherine escaped and she gave Damon to some vampires! She's on the loose, and Damon's missing! Stefan, what do I do?!" I yelled, panic setting in again.
"What?! Ella, calm down! I'm about ten hours from you. There's no way I'll get there quick enough! You're going to have to get Caroline and Bonnie to help you until I get there. Find out where Damon is, but DON'T do anything until you call me. Got it?!" I could hear him throwing stuff together in the background.
"Got it." I whispered.
"Stay safe." He said, and hung up.
I ran back to Caroline's house, and apologized. She had already called Bonnie. I called Alaric.
"Ella?" He sounded really confused. I explained to him the whole situation with Katherine.
"I'll be at Caroline's in ten minutes." He hung up the phone.
Bonnie and Alaric were here. I couldn't sit still.
"That's my brother out there, guys! We've got to act fast! We've already wasted an hour! A LOT can happen in an hour!" I was having a hard time keeping me emotions in check.
Caroline appeared in front of my face. "Ella, you're not helping anyone with all of this panicking. If you want to save Damon, you have GOT to calm down." She shook my shoulders. I nodded and took a deep breath.
My phone started ringing.
"Hello?" I answered without looking at the caller id.
"Ah, Ella! This is Donovan. I've got someone here who would like to talk to you." I could hear my brother's labored breaths.
"Damon?!" I yelled.
"Ella, don't come here. They've got the place surr…" Damon was cut off, and I could hear his gasp of breath. They had hurt him to shut him up.
I growled under my breath.
"Listen you sadistic son of a bitch. Don't hurt my brother, or I will rip you to shreds." I said every word very clearly.
He laughed and hung up.
I recalled the conversation to everyone in the room. Then I got a text message.
346 Bridgette Lane. Behind the trees. Come alone and tell no one where you're going or Damon dies.
I tried to play it cool.
"Guys, I need to go home and see if I can find anything." I said.
All eyes were on me.
"I'll go with you." Caroline piped in.
"No! I mean, I just want to be alone for a minute. To get my emotions under control." I said, quickly.
They looked at me curiously, but didn't say anything. I bolted. I found the clearing quickly.
"Hello?!" I yelled when I heard no one.
"Ah, you know how to follow instructions. I'm Donovan." A man said, walking out of the trees.
"Where's Damon?" I demanded.
He laughed. "On his way… my friends are bringing him. First, you have to do a couple of things for me." He said, seriously.
"What?" I took a deep breath.
His answer was simple and short. "Turn off your humanity."