Chapter 10: Sin

Tyler's heart dropped at the sound of Caroline's heart gutting scream bellowing out through the house. The cry so viciously loud it could be heard for miles and utterly heart wrenching to hear. His feet worked faster than his brain. He ran onto the porch and catapulted himself onto the door, causing it to rip off the hinges due to Tyler's weight and velocity. He falls on the door with a loud thud. He hurryingly gets up but only makes it to the bottom of the staircase before his head felt jagged, sharp pains leaving him weak on his knees.

"Tyler!" The Ripper called out. "You have to get out of there!" But the pain… Man the fucking pain! He felt his muscles cramping everywhere cuddled with a severe migraine that felt like he was being punched in the head. He couldn't get up due to the onslaught of agony and remained stationary on his knees. The witches were ruthless bitches.

He heard a dark chuckle from above. He saw Damon casually stroll down the stairs with a shit eating grin on his face that made him growl. The smug bastard stopped at Tyler, and he squatted down to eye level. He wanted to push his hand through his chest and rip out Damon's heart. The bastard seemed to get off on their suffering.

"Oh, I see wolfie came out to play." Damon mused. "Couldn't even make it upstairs."

"Damon!" The Ripper hissed. "Think about what you're doing."

"I got another hostage?" Before Tyler could even retort or scream at the asshole, Damon kicks him with his full vampire strength dead center on his face. The force knocking him down. He cursed and hissed at him, but that only caused him to laugh. "I'll put you up there with her, don't worry."

"Fight me like a real man!" He yelped as he spat blood out. "Don't hide behind witches, you cowardly dickhead!" He could see the flicker in his eyes at his words. Damon glared as he got on top of Tyler and Tyler was unable to even move a muscle. Damon grabbed his face and twisted.

-X-

Klaus set her down when they were a few feet behind the house. His vampiric speed had gotten them there within five minutes, and, due to that speed, she had to take a second to let the dizziness wear off. When her head was no longer spinning, they traveled to the front of the house but they remained silent as they walked. Klaus followed her lead as they made their way to the front. When they reached the view of the porch, Bonnie nearly gasped at the scene. Matt was pointing a crossbow at the door while the Ripper was kneeling on the front porch growling in agony and Damon taunted him from the door.

They're hurting him! They're hurting what's mine! An animalistic growl emerged into her head, making her clenched her teeth. While the feeling of want and ownership of the Ripper was made clear in the beginning, hearing the voice, in reality, was a hard pill to swallow especially after Klaus. The hunger hadn't ended but only just began. Mine! Those witches will pay… She tried to brush away the thoughts because she needed to remain focused on what was going on in front of her and keep calm. If she couldn't do either one, they were all doomed.

"Go ahead, it won't make it inside, but it may hit him." The words disgusted her. How could Damon be so cruel to Stefan? Stefan had sacrificed so much for Damon, but in the end, she guessed it didn't matter to him. He had seen Stefan as more of a competitor than a brother in every aspect. Damon had taunted Stefan endlessly when he was still drinking animal blood, showing he was the strongest. He had been able to sway Elena's sympathy to prove he could have her as well.

She watched in anticipation as Damon's foot stepped outside of the door and onto the porch. She felt her magic tugging and ready to strike like a python. The magic wrapping around her arm like a vine as she raised her hand. She had to be quick before the witches were alerted to her magic.

"You'll always lose, brother. Pretty useless without the witch stalking you." Her lips pursed into a thin line, and her brow furrowed. She let her magic lasso around him and then directed the other half toward Stefan so she could grab both in one fell swoop. The magic tightened around them like an invisible rope. "I win." That was when her magic grabbed them. Stefan was only taken a few feet away from the house but enough to be free from the witches' influence while Damon had been harshly dragged through the ground as it brought him to her feet. His eyes widened as his eyes traveled up to her.

"Pretty useless without a witch, Damon." Klaus snickered at her comment. "You know, Damon, after all this time your idiotic plans still astound me. Your sense of unearned pride irritates me." She lifted him to stand up only to push down on him again. Pressing his knees into the ground with nearly enough force to push him through it.

Killing him was tempting. She had a laundry list of reasons to strike him where he stood, but a swift death wouldn't feel like justice with what he had put her through. It was too kind for someone like him. He needed to suffer not just for the crimes and abuses toward her but toward Caroline as well. She wanted her to be there to decide his fate and punishment too because she's seen been tormented by his hands just as cruelly, especially today. This was not mentioning getting justice for her family. Ancestors that had trusted him to protect that line but he failed endlessly to keep that promise.

"You never gave a shit about me. You did all this because you missed your witch slave that you could guilt trip into doing your bidding. All this was because you knew you were nothing. You can't fend for yourself against the majority of supernaturals in this town but got an ego trip when I was able to scare them off." It was easier to view Damon as a child that had lost his favorite toy that he had abused and thrown around. It made understanding his motives easier.

"And he does, huh?" Damon glanced at Klaus. "Does he listen to your feelings and gush at how powerful you are?" He growled when she let her magic wrap around his head. A similar feeling to putting 50 tight rubber bands one one's head. "He's a monster even worse than I am as well as his brother, but I suppose that doesn't matter to you. You just want praise because Elena is the only one who ever gets it." Before she could answer, Klaus had swiftly snapped his neck. Damon's limp body fell onto the ground with a soft thud.

"He was annoying me." He simply said. He seemed as if he wanted to say more but tilted his head in Matt's direction, who had been carefully eyeing the two. She glanced at Damon one last time before walking over to Matt. The Ripper was beside him, still lying down on his back. He had no visible injuries from the looks, and Matt looked unscathed at the least.

"Are you guys, okay?"

"I'm fine." He then looked to Klaus. "Is he uhhh on our side?"

"Unfortunately," the Ripper breathed. His head turned to her. "I'm surprised his head is still connected with his body. Why'd you go easy on him?"

"It's not just me he has wronged. Others deserve a shot at justice...Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine in like ten minutes. But… Bonnie," he grunted. "Tyler is in there as well as Caroline and Elena." Fuck. She was hoping she'd only have to save Caroline. Tyler probably tried to save her, and Damon most likely got cocky and thought bringing Elena was a good idea. This definitely put a wrench in her plans. She needed at least one other person, so no one ended up dying or getting severely hurt...

"Klaus," she turned to the silent hybrid. His eyebrow raised. "I have to go in alone. I can't worry about more people trying to save in there, and they would probably hurt you a hundred times more… I need you to do something for me."

"Anything." She tried to ignore the suspicion in Matt's eyes and the confused expression on the Ripper.

"I need one more vampire." Her eyes looked at the house. "Just in case I have to do something drastic… and a towel."

"A towel?"

"I can't explain, especially when they can possibly overhear… Just trust me." She turned to Matt. "Matt, do you have a watch on you and can I have it?" He nodded. "No promises if it comes back, though."

"I'll survive." He handed the watch to her and she put it on her right wrist before pressing a button to start a timer.

"30 minutes." She said. "I need everyone here and aware that something will happen. Make sure Damon doesn't run off too...30 minutes starting now." She hit the timer before rushing into the house. All she could hear was the ticking of the watch.

Tick tick.

Tick tick.

Tick.

-X-

Kol had been skimming through a grimoire of one of the several Bennetts. His collection was nearly complete. The main bloodline he comprised of dated all the way back from Ayanna. He didn't have the recent three which would be from the grandmother to Bonnie, but maybe when he fully earned her trust, he could at least peak at theirs. He was particularly curious about Bonnie's.

His collection was sentimental in a way. Ayanna had been his mentor throughout his witching days due to his mother being reluctant to teach any sort of magic, and his father had a burning hatred for witchcraft. The elusiveness of it enchanted him, and Ayanna did not mind enlightening him.

He sighed. He loved and enjoyed his vampirism to its fullest but losing his magic had left a hole somewhere. The connectedness of nature was such a faint memory he was beginning to wonder if it was a hallucination. It was unfair that Klaus could remain attached to his werewolf genetics, but he lost his witchcraft. The only thing magical about him now was his eerie sense of witches. He had a knack for identifying dark practitioners, which was a pleasant bonus considering they intrigued him more often than not. A Bennett witch practicing dark magic had him interested as soon as he saw her. She was also the first Bennett to be somewhat swayed by his charms despite the several he had met. To them, he was still a vampire. An Original no less.

He reached to the table to grab his cell when he heard it buzzing. "What?" He answered. He was wondering where Klaus had fucked off to considering he hadn't come back home yet and he was tired of dealing with his siblings. It was Klaus's turn to deflect their questions.

"Come to the dead witches house," his brother said the directions to get there, but Kol was wondering why the hell he even needed to go there. "And bring a towel."

"What in the seven hells are you up to?"

"Bonnie requested she needed another vampire and a towel. The dead witches are a bit angry at her current practitioner status… Just get over here." Kol growled when his brother hung up. What the ever loving fuck had those two gotten into in the span of maybe an hour? Whatever the reason, he hoped Bonnie had been untouched. Didn't care much for his brother though. Nik could defend himself.

He placed the grimoire on the coffee table before getting up and moving to a bathroom. He grabbed a decently sized towel before sauntering to the living room. He hadn't expected the remainder of his day to be eventful, but he was kind of glad despite the agitation of not knowing what was going on. He was bored, and Kol Mikaelson didn't do well with boredom.

"Where are you going, Kol?" Elijah was sitting at the dining room table, and Rebekah was beside him. They must have been chatting about today from the looks of it, but Kol merely shrugged.

"It doesn't concern you."

"You seem to have said that a lot today lately. First, you go off to who knows where and when we return the Bennett witch was basically prancing around the house barely covered. And somehow, she disappears, and Klaus is nowhere to be found?" Rebekah questioned.

"Please tell us the truth, brother."

"I don't have time for that. She's in trouble, and I have to go help." Kol hissed. His siblings annoyed him at the best of times and he didn't have time to answer every question they had.

"You're saving the witch that tried to kill us?" Rebekah's childish tone caused him to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"She tried to kill Klaus." He corrected. "But that doesn't matter right now. She needs my help."

"Protector of Bennetts until the very end." Rebekah sighed before walking up to the doorway and sliding on her flats with Elijah following suit.

"What the bloody hell are you two doing?"

"Getting ready to leave." Rebekah turned back. "You weren't the only one who swore to Ayanna to protect her bloodline… Plus considering she needs your help, she must be desperate. That witch sure knows how to get herself into a mess." Kol had been partially surprised by Rebekah, but Elijah had been the most surprising.

"My promise is my word," Elijah said. "And I don't plan on breaking it anytime soon. Also... why are you bringing a towel?"

"I am just as clueless as to why as well. I only know there will be dead witches and the directions to the place they haunt." Both siblings had a look on their face unsure of what they were getting into but nonetheless, they followed him outside.

Well, he thought. I definitely brought help.

-X-

Tick.

Tick, tick.

Tick.

Bonnie's foot had made its first step into the old house. She had expected pain, but nothing happened. Nothing. All she could hear was the wood creaking underneath her feet and felt an eeriness to the house. An unnatural stillness. They knew she was there, but they were waiting for something. The creaking grew louder as she made it mid-way through the unlit and barren room that mimicked a cliched abandoned haunted house.

Slam! She jumped and turned towards the noise. The fallen door had been thrown back into place. She suspected the witches did not want someone else trying to get in now that she was here. Isolation would work in their favor.

She continued on through the house until she reached the staircase. The temperature had lowered as she got closer to it. As she walked up it, she held her breath. She could only hear the squeaking stairs as she climbed each stair. Her heart fluttering with each step. When she had reached the top, she let out a sigh but knew the worst was yet to come. The little loft area led to one old wooden door.

She moved toward it. Her hand gripped the knob before turning. She pushed the door and saw something visualized out of a horror book. Caroline was in chains, and her skin had several markings in the shade of a pinkish red. She saw boils scattered across her arms and legs. Tyler's body was contorted into a weird position, and she could see the dried blood from his nose and mouth. They were both suspended in the air floating like rigid puppets. Their eyes were fully open but the dullness in their pupils made her think they weren't consciously there which was good for them. She couldn't fathom the pain if they were awake for it. Her eyes lowered to see Elena balled up in the corner. Her body shaking and eyes closed shut.

"Your plan failed." She said.

"Bonnie..?" Elena gasped. "I didn't mean for this to happen!"

"Of course, you didn't. Yet here we are." Bonnie couldn't sympathize with Elena like she once did. She was tired of stretching her limits while Elena did not give the same courtesy. Bonnie didn't know what she was going to do with the girl afterward. Elena wasn't dangerous but easily manipulated by her emotions and stupidity. Maybe she'd let Caroline compel her to go to Jeremy like she had originally planned. Perhaps Elena would go back to who she used to be, but even Bonnie doubted that.

"What do you want?" Bonnie shouted. "What do I need to do to set my friends free?"

"Take their place for punishment and be cleaned of dark magic." A voice spoke. Punishment. They wanted her to pay for the crime of being liberated from them so much so they were admitting to it. Usually the Spirits lessened their words to "learning a lesson" or something that sounded softer to the ears but the intent remained the same. She could see through their thinly veiled lies.

"And you will set them free?" She watched as their bodies lowered to the ground.

"But you must see reason before anyone is set free. Open your mind and heart to us." The croaky voice continued, "Confess your sins and be cleansed. Take punishment for your disobedience." I suppose keeping the hostages keeps me stuck here, Bonnie exhaled. She had an outline of her plan but had given herself room if any bumps came up. Considering the Spirits weren't budging, she would have to go with the most drastic course of action.

"Or torture will ensue." She watched as Elena grasped her neck, gasping for air. The Spirits aren't even above torturing humans meaning they were desperate for Bonnie to turn and she would have to play on this desperation. This was risky, but she had to give a little more time for her plan. This was all or nothing, and Bonnie wasn't folding just yet. She took a deep breath and sent a prayer to no one in particular.

She knew what had to be done and the pain she would have to endure for the next twenty-five minutes. She needed to end this because she was the only one capable of it. She could save them and defeat the Spirits. Time was her only enemy, but she would play the game. What she was willing to lose outweighed what she could hope to gain.

They'd torture her without any remorse, and even though it would be only twenty-five minutes, it would feel like an eternity in hell. They were furious with her freedom and her new magic status. She could feel the anger as the temperature began to rise due to her silence. The Spirits did not like being trifled with or being disobeyed. They thought their word came from nature itself.

They would dig deep into her past and throw her thoughts in her face. She had to be guarded of what they'd be allowed to see from her mind but not only that… she had to stand firm even when the accusations came from her. They'd turn her inside out, and at that moment, she knew the Spirits were secondary to what she was about to face. Fighting one's self was a demon most people lost to.

If she succumbed to her older self, the plan would fail, and the Spirits would take her powers during the "cleansing" because they seemed set on hurting her first. Everyone would remain prisoners until the Spirits were fully satisfied with Bonnie's transformation back to the "light" side. The others outside may try and break into save her but only add to the hostages held against her and Damon's death was guaranteed if she didn't make it out. Suffering and death was the future if she didn't succeed. It was a burden for her to carry, and everything rested on her shoulders. This decision would truly sever ties of the past and she would open her eyes to a brave new world.

It ends with me. She knelt to the ground and stared up into the air. She spoke with a voice of steel, "I surrender to you, Spirits."