Elena walked silently towards her family gravestone, watching the figure who sat upon the grass. The young girl's long golden hair blew in the wind, swiping the clear blue sky. Elena swallowed the lump in her throat and moved closer.
Margaret's blue eyes were transfixed upon the Gilbert headstone, and she ran a finger over the engraved name, just as Elena had 5 years ago. Elena was amazed at how similar her sister looked like herself, smiling at the memory of the 5-year-old girl with pigtails.
But that little girl wasn't before her. It was a 10-year-old, dressed all in black, that was with her in the graveyard. Elena could see the change that had occurred in her sister over the years, and she suddenly felt guilty. Margaret believed that Elena was dead, and that must have hurt deeply.
Suddenly, Margaret spoke. "It's not fair," she said, looking at the stone that read "Elena Gilbert."
Margaret hugged herself against the wind, and repeated, "It's not fair! Everyone I love goes away. Everyone leaves me. This town is cursed! Everyone born here will die!"
Margaret cried openly. "You were the light this town needed. Everyone loved you. You made things better; you scared away the darkness. Where are you now, Elena? Why did you leave?"
Elena felt the tears she'd held back for so long break free, dripping down her cheeks.
"I didn't want to, Margaret. I had no choice."
Her sister whirled around, eyes wide, cheeks flushed. "Elena? Are you real?"
Elena nodded, trying to once again swallow the knot in her throat. "Yes, baby."
Margaret flung herself into her sister's arms. The two of them sobbed loudly, seeking comfort in their strong embrace.
"I thought you were dead. Everyone said you were gone, that you were in Heaven. That I had to move on. But I remembered. You came back. You were in my room. I don't care what you say, Elena. You were an angel that night, and you're an angel now. Why did you go away?"
Elena looked into her sister's deep blue eyes, and suddenly, she wanted to tell Margaret the truth. The girl had lost her parents and suddenly her sister, and she never understood why. Perhaps she was old enough now...
"Margaret, I did die. They buried me right here, and I was dead. I never went to Heaven, sweetie; I never saw Mom and Dad. I don't know where I was. But wherever I was, for some reason, I came back. I came back to life, sweetie, but I couldn't come back here. Everyone thought I was dead; they'd seen my body. They wouldn't believe it if I told them that I was real. So I had to go away."
"But you weren't buried when you were in my room; that was later. Why couldn't you have come home then?" Margaret asked, her eyes demanding answers.
Elena couldn't tell Margaret that she'd been a vampire; she refused to allow her sister to think of her as a monster.
"I can't tell you, baby. You wouldn't understand. It's very complicated. Just know that I would tell you, but it's just too complicated."
Margaret nodded. "What now, Elena?"
"I don't know, sweetheart. I can't stay in Fell's Church," Elena said.
"I'll come with you!" Margaret cried.
"No! Sweetie, you can't."
Margaret started to cry. "Why not?"
"Because, you're needed here. Baby, Aunt Judith and Robert need you. You're still little; you need to stay here and grow up," Elena explained.
"But I want to be with you! You're my sister! I miss you!"
Elena held Margaret as she cried harder, trying to soothe her little sister.
"Margaret, I promise; we'll see each other again some day. I give you my word. I'll come visit, wherever you are. It doesn't matter if you move; I'll find you. But I _can't_ stay."
Margaret nodded.
"Where will you go?" Margaret asked.
"Margaret? Who are you talking to?" Aunt Judith's voice called. Margaret turned to see her aunt, looking down at her.
"Elena," she said, turning to point to her sister. But Elena was gone.
_Don't tell anyone about my visit, Margaret. I promise we'll meet again. _
Margaret hastily pointed to her sister's gravestone and added, "I was talking to Elena. I hope she hears me."
Margaret's blue eyes were transfixed upon the Gilbert headstone, and she ran a finger over the engraved name, just as Elena had 5 years ago. Elena was amazed at how similar her sister looked like herself, smiling at the memory of the 5-year-old girl with pigtails.
But that little girl wasn't before her. It was a 10-year-old, dressed all in black, that was with her in the graveyard. Elena could see the change that had occurred in her sister over the years, and she suddenly felt guilty. Margaret believed that Elena was dead, and that must have hurt deeply.
Suddenly, Margaret spoke. "It's not fair," she said, looking at the stone that read "Elena Gilbert."
Margaret hugged herself against the wind, and repeated, "It's not fair! Everyone I love goes away. Everyone leaves me. This town is cursed! Everyone born here will die!"
Margaret cried openly. "You were the light this town needed. Everyone loved you. You made things better; you scared away the darkness. Where are you now, Elena? Why did you leave?"
Elena felt the tears she'd held back for so long break free, dripping down her cheeks.
"I didn't want to, Margaret. I had no choice."
Her sister whirled around, eyes wide, cheeks flushed. "Elena? Are you real?"
Elena nodded, trying to once again swallow the knot in her throat. "Yes, baby."
Margaret flung herself into her sister's arms. The two of them sobbed loudly, seeking comfort in their strong embrace.
"I thought you were dead. Everyone said you were gone, that you were in Heaven. That I had to move on. But I remembered. You came back. You were in my room. I don't care what you say, Elena. You were an angel that night, and you're an angel now. Why did you go away?"
Elena looked into her sister's deep blue eyes, and suddenly, she wanted to tell Margaret the truth. The girl had lost her parents and suddenly her sister, and she never understood why. Perhaps she was old enough now...
"Margaret, I did die. They buried me right here, and I was dead. I never went to Heaven, sweetie; I never saw Mom and Dad. I don't know where I was. But wherever I was, for some reason, I came back. I came back to life, sweetie, but I couldn't come back here. Everyone thought I was dead; they'd seen my body. They wouldn't believe it if I told them that I was real. So I had to go away."
"But you weren't buried when you were in my room; that was later. Why couldn't you have come home then?" Margaret asked, her eyes demanding answers.
Elena couldn't tell Margaret that she'd been a vampire; she refused to allow her sister to think of her as a monster.
"I can't tell you, baby. You wouldn't understand. It's very complicated. Just know that I would tell you, but it's just too complicated."
Margaret nodded. "What now, Elena?"
"I don't know, sweetheart. I can't stay in Fell's Church," Elena said.
"I'll come with you!" Margaret cried.
"No! Sweetie, you can't."
Margaret started to cry. "Why not?"
"Because, you're needed here. Baby, Aunt Judith and Robert need you. You're still little; you need to stay here and grow up," Elena explained.
"But I want to be with you! You're my sister! I miss you!"
Elena held Margaret as she cried harder, trying to soothe her little sister.
"Margaret, I promise; we'll see each other again some day. I give you my word. I'll come visit, wherever you are. It doesn't matter if you move; I'll find you. But I _can't_ stay."
Margaret nodded.
"Where will you go?" Margaret asked.
"Margaret? Who are you talking to?" Aunt Judith's voice called. Margaret turned to see her aunt, looking down at her.
"Elena," she said, turning to point to her sister. But Elena was gone.
_Don't tell anyone about my visit, Margaret. I promise we'll meet again. _
Margaret hastily pointed to her sister's gravestone and added, "I was talking to Elena. I hope she hears me."