Caroline opened her eyes. She tried to breath. Her lungs constricted underneath her. She tried to breath in but couldn't. She closed her eyes for a second. Her head was starting to spin. Sleep she needed to sleep. She tried to open her eyes but couldn't everything went black.

Chapter 20

"Caroline…Caroline…"

Caroline woke up shaking. She opened her eyes hyperventilating.

"Mom…?"

"Caroline…your safe honey…its okay…its just a dream…"

"Matt…what…?"

Liz held her daughter by the shoulders. She frowned. What was going on with her. "Matt…?"

Caroline looked around her room and closed her eyes. "I…I…had a dream he was… he was hurt…" Caroline started to cry sobbing at first until her pain turned into a wail.

Liz pulled her daughter to her chest. She held her tight. "It's just a dream sweetheart…" Liz rocked her daughter trying to sooth her as best as she could.

Caroline cried until she had no more tears. She closed her eyes and held her mom needing comfort. She held her mom for what seemed like hours.

Buzz…buzzz….

Caroline loosen her grip on her mom as she heard her alarm clock turn on. She sighed.

Liz released her grip and looking at her daughter turn off the alarm. "Are you sure your okay honey?"

Caroline turned off the alarm and nodded. "Yeah…just a dream…"

"Are you sure honey I can stay home if you like…"

Caroline shook her head. "No…" She wiped the last tear from her eyes. "It's okay…"

Liz frowned. "If your sure…" She saw Caroline shake her head.

Liz waited for a second and shrugged her shoulders. "Okay, then you should hurry…you'll be late for school. "

Caroline grabbed her towel and smiled. She waited for her mom to leave before she walked to the bathroom. Caroline turned on the hot water and let it run down her aching body. It was just a dream. It was just a dream. Caroline knew she had to go to and face the day but for now she enjoyed the few minutes she had.

Klaus followed her scent until she was safely in her home. Klaus watched and listened from the trees. He knew she had tossed and turned most of the night. It broke his heart. He wanted to go to her but she was just too pissed at him. He wanted to be with her but she needed time. He needed her to trust him not just in words but in action. He waited until her breathing was silent before he flashed away. Tomorrow is another day. He would give Caroline time. He knew she would come to her senses eventually. At least he hoped she would.

Caroline tapped her fingers on the desk. She was in another merciless lecture by Mister Smith or something or other. After Alaric died the school went through a number of substitutes. The latest one was an older bald man with thick glasses and the most mind numbing monotone voice. The teacher went on and on lecturing not giving much importance to whether or not anyone was paying any attention.

Caroline rolled her eyes. It was incredible. She took out her phone and checked it. She still had twenty minutes left till next period. How was she going to bear it? Ahh!

Buzz…buzz…

Caroline looked at the phone and saw an unknown number.

-Meet me in the football stadium.

Caroline raised an eyebrow. Who could this be? She scanned through her list of contacts. Everyone she knew was accounted for. It could be a trap. Yeh, it probably was. There were hunters still looking for the cure to eliminate Silas. The smart thing to do was not go. She didn't want to risk another encounter with a hunter or with Silas. The last time she messed with a hunter she was almost staked. She didn't even want to worry about Silas. If the dream she had last night was any indication of what it was like to go up with Silas she didn't have much of a chance. But she was Caroline Forbes. She didn't run from a challenge even if it was a 2,000 year old one.

Caroline tapped her fingernails on the desk. What was she going to do? She could ignore the text or she could get out of this annoying class? She put her phone away in her bag. She got up and left before she lost her nerve. She flashed out of the hallway and left through the back exit. She took a minute and looked around the perimeter. There wasn't anyone there. She concentrated a bit longer. There were no other supernatural beings either. Okay its now or never. She walked over to the bleachers and sat down.

Caroline heard a swoosh in the distance. She quickly turned her head and saw a flash. It was another vampire. She smiled. She got up and followed the gust of wind into the back of the old Lockwood cellar. She looked up and saw the sun was beaming in the sky. She remembered that tonight was a full moon. She sighed. She had at least a few hours before she would be wolf food. She took her time going down the cellar stairs. She made extra care not to make a sound.

"Hello…is anyone there?"

She heard some foot steps. She flashed towards them and saw another swoosh. She frowned. Who was that? She walked deeper into the cellar. There was a wall that looked different. The color was different. She placed her hands on the wall it felt smooth. Caroline eyed the wall for a moment longer. She turned around and gave a quick look behind her. There was no one behind her. She leaned back on the wall. She crossed her arms over her chest. What was she doing there? She should just go? What was she doing here?

Caroline sighed she was about to walk away when she spun around. "What the…? " Caroline quickly balanced her stumbling body. She took a step foreword. There was a long narrow tunnel. Caroline walked into the secret passage. The tunnel was dark and seemed to be endless. Caroline walked deeper and deeper into the abyss. Caroline's heart was starting to pound faster and faster. She was sure the other vampire that was there would hear the beating of her frantic heart.

Caroline saw a dancing light in the further end of the corridor. Caroline turned her head to the side. What was that? A flashlight? A candle? A lightbulb? She walked closer. The light became bigger and brighter than before.

What is this place? She started to feel a little chill going down her spine.

In the middle was a table with an altar filled with candles of different sizes and lengths. A chalice filled with blood was placed on the center of the table. An amulet of amber and lapis lazul were placed on the left side. On the right was a scroll. Caroline picked up the scroll and looked at the lettering. It was ancient dacian.

Silas. Silas. Silas.

Caroline turned around she knew there wasn't anyone there but she could of sworn she heard someone or something say Silas. Caroline started to panic. She had to do something. Think. Think. She pulled put her phone and quickly took a picture of the altar. She looked through her bag she had a water bottle. Good. She spilled the water and filled the bottle with the ancient blood in the chalice. She covered it and put it in her bag. She took the amulet and scroll putting it inside the inner pocket of her bag.

The ground started to shake underneath her. "Whoa…what the hell…" Caroline saw the altar start to shake. The table was split in half. The walls vibrated vigorously pieces of stone were starting to fall down. Caroline heard something coming for her. She looked up there was a large boulder rolling towards her. "Shit!"

Caroline jumped up before a large boulder was able to hit her. She put her hand over her overzealously beating heart. "I have to get the hell out of her."

She checked the artifacts in her bag and secured them. She looked to her left, her right and finally to her left again. She took a deep breath. She started to run for dear life. Sounds of falling rocks surrounded the tunnel. The ground underneath her shook. She turned her head back and saw the corridor behind her filled with falling debris. Before she could turn her head a small rock fell in from of her. She stumbled forward. She quickly got up. She had to get up. She had to get out of here. She flashed forward as fast as she could. She panted as she ran. The tunnels were filled with vibrations of tumbling stone. The foundation under her was collapsing. The ground underneath her separated she jumped forward before the earthquake consumed her.

She continued to run until she there was a light. She ran towards it. It got brighter the closer she was to it. The light she had to get out of this god forsaken tunnel. Her eyes opened wide. Oh thank god. It was the trapped door. She stopped front of the hidden door. She put her hand over the surface. "Where are you?" She felt the texture of the wall. Rough. Jagged. Smooth. "Here you are…" She pushed her hand on the wall. She stepped back watching the wall open. She looked back. She flashed forward and kicked one of the side walls. The force created a ripple in the wall. The wall shook breaking off a large boulder. The boulder fell and covered the entrance of the secret tunnel. She flashed to the opening of the secret passage and gave the tunnel one last look. It was sealed. "Good." To the untrained eye it was just a nook. She flashed out the passage. She took the door and placed it in the opening. She secured it before she flashed out of the cellar. Once she reached the surface she started to run home. She flashed in front of her house and quickly locked the door behind her. She pulled out her phone and texted Klaus.

-Klaus I need to see you, ASAP! I'm home.

-See you in 5.

Caroline exhaled she hoped Klaus would be there soon.

Caroline walked into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator. She took a blood bag and sank her aching fangs on the crimson elixir. She let out a soft sigh. The cool liquid quenched a thirst that laid deep inside of her. She needed to take her time sipping it but her darker urges over came her. She was about to finish the blood bag when her vampire urges alerted her. The front door squeaked open. She flashed towards the kitchen counter and grabbed a few steak knives. She hid behind the fridge and waited for the intruder.

Caroline flashed forward and started throwing the knives one at a time.

"Ahh…Caroline….love…"

Caroline stopped and dropped the knife. "Oh, I'm sorry…I thought…I thought…" Caroline covered her mouth. She was starting to tremble. She was at her wits end.

Klaus had one of the knives on his shoulder blade. The other two were next to his feet. He groaned and pulled out the knives one at a time. He walked to Caroline slowly. She was shaking like a leaf.

She covered her eyes and started to sob. Klaus flashed over and held her . Caroline flinched and tried to flash away from him. He held her. She shrugged his shoulders from his grip hitting and slapping him. He kept his patience on check. She needed him right now. She hit and punched until she couldn't any longer. Her hands felt heavy she was having trouble keeping them up. Her body felt numb. He caressed her hair whispering in her ear, "It's okay…everything is going to be alright…I'm here love."