Dessire POV:
"She's bluffing," Caroline replied, but doubt showed through her voice.
"Am I?" I challenge. Then, in a split second, I extend my fangs, open my mouth as wide as my Jaw will allow, curling my lip back. I grab Elena by the shoulders and lean over so that I'm less than half an inch from the tender skin on her neck, tempting. My thoughts immediately flash to Damon, if I had tried anything similar with him around, I would be locked in the basement before I even had the time to realize my mistake.
"Caroline!" the urgent plea comes from two mouths simultaneously. From Elena, it's a high-pitched shriek, from Bonny it's a strong demand.
I'm jerked back to the seat when the car jolts to a stop, the breaks strained, squealing under the pressure of the toe of Caroline's Nordstrom boots.
"Thank You," I say, getting out of the car.
"I'll come with you," Bonny offers.
"I don't need a chaperone to catch and drain a prairie dog." I say in a hard tone, not turning back, continuing to walk farther out on the dirt roadside. I want, desperately to find something besides rock-hard dirt and weeds. Some color, a tree, a small lake, a patch of flowers, anything. It feels like forever since I've seen things in the sun, and this out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere scenery is very disappointing.
I sigh, finding nothing but desolate arid desert. Where the hell are we? We've only been on the road for 2 hours. Then again, I have absolutely no idea how long I was out. Apparently, they had to vervain me because I wouldn't have been "cooperative". Damn right I wouldn't have.
God, the dryness in my throat is killing me! The whole inside of my mouth feels as if it's made of splintering wood. I take a gulp of hot, stifilling air that's full of individual grains of sand and scan the ground for a field mouse. At this point, I would eat anything.
Nothing. There is no fucking living thing here.
I hear something land behind me. I shoot around.
There perched on the ground is a small black bird, a raven. I think of Damon and the dream. It's not as beautiful, sleek and flawless. It's feathers are caked in dirt, they don't reflect rainbow off of a pure midnight black, and it's not as large. It's small, the size of my hand, like it's starved of food, and out here I can see why. But still, as I stare at it, despite the lack of resemblance, I can't help picturing myself plunging my teeth into Damon.
All of that is irrelevant right now. I need blood, NOW.
The bird gazes at me with black beady eyes full of curiosity as to my presence. The scorching sun reflects out of them and I can see the silhouette of my body there too. It's little head twitches as I slowly move closer, careful not to scare it off. Then it's beak begins to open, a silence shattering screech escaping in harmony with the heavy brushing sound of extended wings as it flies up into the open air, leaving a scattering of black feathers on the cracked dirt ground. I enclose it's small body in both my hands, restraining it's wings. It tears at my hands with it's beak and small puddles of blood form and disappear on my skin. A low growl comes from deep inside my own throat, surprising myself. I bite my lip and stare at the animal, my prey. Then I pull it up to my mouth in one quick swoop of my arms and devour the liquid inside. When the screeching of the bird is silenced, I pull back.
Dead. It's Dead.
I dismiss the thought and drop it without looking to see where it lands. I want to bury it, scour the ground for a large stone to mark its resting spot, maybe even place a few purple buds from the sticker weeds everywhere over the spot. And I hate it. I fucking hate that feeling, that need for closure. For God's sake, it's just a fucking bird, not a dead infant.
I take a breathe and squeeze my eyes shut, clearing my head. Then I trudge back to the car. Lately it feels like every situation I'm in, everywhere I go I forced into it. And despite my hope, I doubt it's going to end soon.
"Hi" Caroline says in that bubbley tone of hers the minute I stoop back into the car. Once we're on this seemingly never-ending road, she picks up with the chatting again.
"So Tyler's been shopping at Abercrombie and Fitch. He's been buying this cologne called 'sexy'. Real Creative name, right? Anyways, it smells really, really bad, but he wears it every time we do it. I guess he thinks it's a turn on or something, but it's really horrible. But he like really likes it, and I just don't know how to tell him…"
I sigh, and over her obnoxiously bright voice, I mouth to Elena.
"Does she ever stop talking?"
She makes a face that clearly states she doesn't.
I shake my head and put in my earbuds. Seconds later I get a text from Elena
She's really not that shallow. Really. At least she's happy in the midst of all of this. Or maybe she just acts like it to convince herself. I don't blame her.
I put the phone back into my pocket and go back to staring out the window.
The lyrics and minor key piano of "Innocence" lull me into a daze.
This innocence is brilliant,
I hope that it will stay.
This moment Is perfect,
Please don't go away.
I need you now,
And I'll hold on to it,
Please don't let It pass you by.
It's the state of bliss,
You think you're dreaming.
It's so beautiful it makes you wanna cry.
Innocence. A word that I'll never know.
Fuck, I need to stop with the self-pity party.
For another 40 minutes, the scenery is unchanging. Dirt, Dirt, Grey Sky, and more Dirty. So when the sky darkens to a deep blue and the clouds began to shift, I perk up in my seat.
Bonny takes notice and turns around in her seat. With wide, mocking eyes, nodding, she says,
"Yeah, Rain,"
I ignore her and watch the transparent drops pelt the windows, creating a soft drumming. The last time I saw rain was,
Was,
The night he ruined my life.
I laugh at myself, how stupid my mental thoughts are. How I refuse to say his name like he's Voldemort.
Never mind.
It's funny how the littlest things in life make me extremely pleased.
"Does this car have a sky window?" I quickly shoot the question at Caroline.
"Yeah, Why? Do you-"
I don't wait for her to finish, I stand up, invading Elena's space a little, and press the button that pulls back the glass. I pull myself up so that I'm standing on the console, and prop my arms on the top of the car. The pouring rain already has me soaked, my hair flat and clinging to my skin. It's soft spray relaxes me and calms my nerves as to going where we're going. For a moment, I forget everything, like the rain could possibly carry away my problems, my whole life with it as it showers upon me, trickles rolling down my face, my neck. I close my eyes and tilt my head up towards the dark sky and pretend I'm somewhere else. In the forest, mine and Damon's, the ground dark and soft with soaked soil and the leaves deepening if even possible in color, a velvety shelter where I could just lie down and sleep forever.
Irritated voices break my trance
"I just bought this jacket," Bonny whines.
"It's not even supposed to be washed, I have to take it to the dry cleaners."
"Dessire, what are you doing? You could get struck by lightning!" Caroline tugs at my jeans with the hand not steering the wheel.
I roll my eyes.
"And? It's not like it would kill me" I shout into the open sky.
"Just get down, you're messing up my driving and getting my leather seats wet!"
"Fine." I say, and climb down, closing the small opening.
"Hey, Care," Bonny says.
"Look, pull right up here. Is that the place?"
We pull up next to a mail box with one of those "Welcome" signs that you see allot in the country side nailed to the post, Black loopy cursive letters painted on a light blue faded decoupage piece of wood.
Caroline hands Bonny a small flashlight on her keychain.
She shines it through the rain and scans the address on the mailbox.
"542 Oakland Ave." Bony reads aloud.
Caroline quickly scans a strip of paper that she pulled from her pocket.
"Yep," she says, nervousness that she attempts, unsuccessfully, to bury under her voice.
My breathe catches.
A/N: Short and a little boring, I know. Transition chapter. Hmm, every update I seem to be apologizing for quality, lol. Anyways, I'll most likely update again this week, but no promises.