Untied

Helena can scarcely feel herself right now. She felt like she was floating. Nothing hurts. She thought that she was being healed but once she got into her senses, she knew that she's not in her natural world anymore. She knew nothing was the same. She knew that she wasn't with her loved ones anymore. She was taking an adventure all by herself. She was walking into a deep dark alley. She could hear drops from the far side of her right. She can smell the dampness of the atmosphere. She knew where she was and she knew why…

"Mother?" she called out. "Mama? Where are you?" she called again after ten minutes of walking. She did not know where her wandering soul would take her. She wanted to come back. To the arms of the one who needed her the most. But it seemed that something caught her attention as she started to feel so distraught. Suddenly, a light shone upon her head and through her path. She saw herself. She wasn't dirty or damaged at all. She was wearing something different as well. She was wearing her Victorian clothes and she wondered why. She missed wearing them. Everything around her changed: room darkness to light, modernity to oldness, black to white. Everything changed except for her. She was the still the same person who lived and died. She saw a little cottage filled with humus at the center of the forest. She couldn't make out the place at first but then when she looked at it long enough for her to remember how she was born. She walked swiftly into the cottage and she knocked on the door. "Mama?" she whispered. The cottage she grew up in for five years was old. Every wood she stepped on was already creaking.

She was about to turn around when she heard a faint voice that brought her to tears and brought the fire of eagerness into her heart. "Therese? Is that you? Open the door, come quick!" her mother said. She opened the door and she looked around the house. Everything stayed the same when they left it. The only change in the cottage was of that dust bunnies were everywhere. She heard a familiar natural sound she always hears when her mother puts her to sleep. Then she turned to the direction to where the noise was at. And what she saw made her cry…

***

"Damon… is she gone?" Bonnie asked while she was watching Damon mourning over the woman everybody loved. He wouldn't answer. He couldn't answer for he had this little spark of hope in his mind and in sense that she will still come back to live. And even though there was a minimal chance o seeing her rise up and hold him with love as she did before, he still hung to that possibility as if it was his last choice in life. He stubbornly believed she'll be back. He was thinking of some sort of things like she needed a time to rest. Get back… come home… he was communicating to her over and over again. Wishing that wherever she was, he was hoping she could hear him say those desperate remarks…

***

"Why the tears darling?" Helena's mother asked as Helena broke down and she went down to her knees, her hands covering her mouth. Her shoulders were shaking with desperation and sadness. She couldn't understand what she was feeling. She was here with her mother but still she felt empty and unsatisfied. As if something was calling her and she couldn't find where it was coming from.

"I'm sorry mama, but I feel confused…" she stood up and ran to her mother, holding her tightly and she cried her heart out. "Careful sweetheart… you might kill yourself." She was taken aback and she stepped back. She looked at her mother and saw her holding a beautiful baby girl in her chest, she was asleep. "She's gorgeous…" Helena remarked as she brushed her forefinger into the baby's soft chubby pink cheeks. "No my sweet, you are gorgeous. This little child is just a simple symbolism of beauty and innocence. I never saw myself looking at you grown up strong and kind… my little daughter…" she looked at the present Helena then she looked down at the baby Helena.

"I suppose you are wondering why you are here?" her mother focused her emerald eyes into her blue green ones. "Yes… I don't understand why I am here. Are you taking me with you, Mama?" she asked. In some ways he felt so weird. She felt as if she was leaving something behind. Her mother flashed a smile and kissed her forehead.

"You were always a person of curiosity. Ever since you were this little. Every time you open your eyes, I can see curiosity in them." Her mother smiled. But seeing the confused and pained look on her daughter's face made her heart melt. "Well, yes I suppose I am here to take you with me… but I want to show you something first then you decide whether you'll come with me or not." She smiled and then she held Helena's face between her palms and then she placed her forehead on hers and then she began to remember…

Memories of her late life flashed across her face and it brought to her to a sudden intake of breath when she saw Damon's face and then she heard his cries and she could feel again. She broke free from her mother's grasp as she found a way to breathe and get a hold of herself. "Mama… can you hear them? I mean his calls?" she looked at her mother as she nodded. Helena shook her head. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked as she desperately sighed.

Her mother took her hands and she held them tightly. "Helena Therese… you are the most gracious gift I had ever received for as long as I can remember. I never saw you grow up into what you are now. I missed you so much. But seeing you happy with the people you love warms my heart. Hold on to your fears and troubles my love, they might help you in the way to your success…" Helena wouldn't understand it at first as she heard everyone yell her name. She was looking around for a clue that they are here somewhere but she saw none. She looked at her mother frantically and tears came rushing down to her cheeks.

"Don't cry my sweet. You have the choice to come back or to come with me…" she smiled. Helena wanted to come back but there's something inside her that made her want to come with her mother. She thought of Damon… who would take care of him? And Stefan, her oldest best friend. She still wanted to see him get married with Elena. She had lots of things she wanted to do but the most important thing she wanted to do was to be with Damon and look after that person. She knew Damon couldn't live without her. She knew he would destroy his life even though she wanted to make him do the opposite. She looked at her mother and she smiled. "I'll give life another shot…" she smiled and laughed as her mother kissed her baby form and she held her hand.

"Well then, I give you life as a new Helena… the person you are destined to be... Goodbye my sweet… takes care of you and please, do be happy." As her mother said those, she heard a sucking sound and felt that she was being sucked into a parallel universe. And then before she knew it, she was back into where she really belonged…

***

Damon didn't see her move her hands nor see her flinch a bit. He was so focused on mourning that when she began to rise up and she gasped loudly for air as if she'd been drowning the whole one hour she was gone.

"Helena?" everybody said. She looked around and she looked at each one slowly. "Am I dead?" she said so soft that she sounded like an angel. Elena cried and placed her hands into her mouth and she laugh then shook her head. "No… you're not." Then the next thing Helena knew, she was being smothered by her friends. Her friends except for Damon.

"Damon? She's alive! Look!" Bonnie pulled Damon to Helena as they helped her up and then they both looked at each other.

Damon's face cannot be read. Helena's face searched his eyes then in a split second she moved her hand towards his hand but she hesitated then placed it in her mouth and she cried. She cried her fear out and the happiness she felt that she chose to live not to die.

She was crying to hard that her shoulders were shaking and she never noticed that Damon took her into his arms and then he held her tightly. "Don't you ever leave me again… please don't… because if you do that one more time… I will not hesitate to hunt you wherever you are and I will be with you in no more than a minute." He said as he laughed and held her tightly…

"I'm immortal now… nothing will tear us apart." She promised and she hugged him back.