Back to Caroline:
Have you ever gotten a papercut? They're a real bitch, because for such a tiny injury they sure do hurt. In fact, they hurt so much that until they heal you're constantly making sure that the split skin doesn't come in contact with anything. Like, for example, air.
Now, imagine a papercut but expand and open it wider, then add about nine more. That's my back at the moment.
He'd used a poison marinated whip to create the wounds. So my skin wouldn't stitch back together for some time, and even when it did I wasn't one-hundred percent certain that the ghost of pain would ever leave. Numbness filled me, like a cancer eating its way at my sanity. The numbness was leeched away when the pain returned. He released my wrists and I fell forward on a silent cry. My throat was too raw to form words and my mouth to dry to emit sound. I was disabled by the one thing keeping me sane.
I needed the pain, but I also needed blood. So badly that my thoughts overlapped and meshed together until the heavenly sweet, metallic liquid was the only thing I could focus on. My father left me there, bent completely over with my chest flush against my knees and drool spilling from my mouth. Apart from my helplessness, a slow fire burned. I was angry. No, I was a level beyond angry, beyond fury. Hatred no longer existed because the blackness swirling inside my soul was a vile thing I had never felt. I needed blood. Even if it was just a drop, something to give me an ounce of strength.
There was no more waiting for Klaus. I couldn't do that anymore, because to be completely honest, I had no idea if he even realized I was gone yet. He more than likely assumed that I was still ignoring him, he knew I was a stubborn bitch when it came to my emotions. With this mindset, my mind cleared and I opened my crusty eyes. Bill moved around, situating torture devices of all sorts. Okay, what the hell was he doing?
"Eh . . ." The sound came from me desperately and he glanced over, frowning. I looked up toward the water. Water wouldn't grant me energy, but it would release the dryness in my mouth. He seemed contemplative before shrugging and walking over. He wasn't gentle about it, he basically threw the water in my face, but I licked my cracked lips and was granted a bit of moisture on my tongue.
"Why?" I choked out, not allowing myself to move an inch. The torturous reminder of my destroyed back a constant in the back of my mind, just behind these burning questions.
"I . . . I never did anything to you." I coughed, trying to inhale past the mucus clogging my sinuses.
"I mean, you raped me. Repeatedly. You beat me. You hated me before you even knew me, before I was even capable of being known. Now you act as though I had been the abuser and you the victim, when in fact we both now it had been the complete opposite. So, why?" My voice was throaty and light, as if it needed to be cleared from a night of deep sleep. Except my screaming, vomiting, and crying had merely destroyed my vocal cords and I doubt they'd be working for a while.
"You betrayed me before you were even born, Caroline." He informed me, not bothering to look back. I scowled, feeling my face contort in confusion.
"How?" It was a broken whimper. The sound didn't even come from me. It came from the child within and here I thought she was dead.
He threw a knife against the wall and pointed a crazed finger in my direction. "You are the result of all my failures. My failure to be a good husband. To be a father." He spat out, pacing feverishly and running hands through his hair like a maniac. I was still so confused.
"I am not the result of anything but your cruelty." I gargled, choking on air. He looked down at me, hatred clearly burning in his eyes.
"Caroline, your mother has green eyes and I have brown. Where did your blue come from?" He asked and I blinked.
"That makes no sense." I coughed, blinking past the haziness.
"You could just have a blue recessive gene." I say, wondering why in the hell we were going in with genetics. Especially about something as stupid as eye color. His gaze turned condescending as if I were the child I felt like.
"No one in my family has blue eyes. No one in your mother's family has blue eyes. So, try again." He urged.
"Freak of nature, what are you even getting at here?" I snap, wincing when my flesh rubs together, like nails against a chalk board, except this was imbedded into my flesh.
"Caroline, you have fair skin. You are small in nature. We have no likeness." He says.
"I am a girl. I resemble my mother, sorry I don't have penis." I snap and he rolled his eyes.
"It's not about your gender, Caroline." He says and I scowled.
"Then what?" I grumble.
"Oh, c'mon, you still don't get it?!" He roared and I did my damnedest not to flinch. He squatted next to me so he could speak into my ear.
"You are not my child." He stroked my jaw and I wanted to say I was shocked, but I couldn't, because I wasn't comprehending what he was saying. He was insane. Simple. Through and through.
"Yes, I am." I say and he shook his head.
"No, you're not. Your mother and I could not produce a child with the power magnitude you possess. It's impossible. She has blue blood and I have red, the best we could have gotten would have been blue. Silver is unheard of. Impossible, and your eyes glowed the color from the get go." He fisted my hair and I shut my eyes tightly, tears slipping from them.
"You are not mine. You are the result of my whorish wife. And my incapability to produce children. I found out when you were four, turns out that I had a rare disease that was manifested at the age of ten. And since I wasn't nine when you were conceived . . ." He trailed off obviously, before standing and moving toward his table of tricks. The numbness was back and it came with a ringing sound radiating in my ears.
"Who is my father?" I ask and he shrugged.
"At first, I thought it was the devil. Your mother always had some sort of fascination with him, but then I found out that Elizabeth had been running from him since she was fifteen and blah, blah, blah. I'm sure you know the story." He shrugged, obviously not caring.
"Who?" I demanded.
"Some upper class demon with a lot of power. Your mother is a whore, honey, who is desperate for immortality. She would have fucked slime, if it meant she would be granted an endless life." He shrugged and ran the tip of some blade down my arm. Of all things, relief filled me. At least it wasn't Klaus. Jesus Christ, I was going to throw up again.
"So, you raped and beat me because Elizabeth couldn't keep her legs shut? You blamed me for something I had absolutely no control over?" I demanded. He squatted again and shrugged.
"Yes and no. I knew it wasn't your fault, but I couldn't exactly go after the demon who used my wife. He would've killed me right off the bat. I was left with the one thing I knew demons cherished most, their child. You. I ruined you, Caroline." He chuckled softly.
"That's about the best revenge a person can give to another. Destroying their child." He kissed my temple and stroked my hair. I shut my eyes tightly and he stood up before moving around my back.
"Don't." I try, but he ignores me.
"You want to destroy me, Bill? Well, you can't exactly destroy me if I'm dead. I need blood or one of your little games is going to result in my death." I say and he scowled before moving to grab my wrist. He sliced it open and dropped it on my knee near my mouth.
"There." He shrugs and I frowned.
"I need actual blood. I can't just recycle blood. It won't work." I grunted. He grunted in return as he started to pace. He sighed before moving over toward a metal container. He pulled out a blood bag and moved back toward me. He opened the blood bag and poured a tiny bit into my mouth. I shut my mouth as euphoria filled me. The blood slipped easily down my throat and along with it, came my energy. I kept my body completely still, not giving away my newfound strength.
I could do a lot of things. Painful things, but I was just too tired to do any of that. A part of me found this entire situation to be old. I was sick of letting him control my life, a man who wasn't even my father. He was an angry, bitter man who was completely and utterly insane. So, with a contented sigh I sent my energy toward him. It was invisible to all eyes except my own.
I watched it travel like twin snakes through the air, silently wrapping around his body. All I did was watch as he was encased in a brilliant silver glow. It shimmered like glitter all over him and covered him entirely until he was nothing more than a large ball of glowing power. With a smile, I watched as he melted. The power seeped over him, like tiny particles falling away. It was silent, but so satisfying.
His body lost its shape and when the power was done eating away at him. The only thing left of Bill, the only reminder of the man who caused so much heartache, pain, and misery over the years, was a pile of ash. My energy was drained again, but I had enough strength to squeeze my hands through their metal bindings and rip away the ones around my ankles.
I didn't dare straighten my body, still fully aware of the gaping flesh of my back. Instead I fell forward and crawled toward the metal container which I now knew was filled with blood bags. When I was done, I was covered in blood that was finally not my own. The blood bags were gone and I could finally stand up straight.
Okay, time to get the fuck out of here. I nodded to myself and stumbled toward the exit, working on auto-pilot in my haste to get out. Just to get out. I ripped through the door, stumbling over the metal door. I grunted and pulled my ripped shirt farther up my shoulders. A loud slam caused me to flinch, but I shook it off as I moved down the hall. I was still dizzy and achy, but I really wanted to leave.
A loud, demonic roar filled my ears and caused me to stumble to a stop. I looked up. Just in time to see Klaus, Esther, and two other men moving quickly down the hell. Well, actually, they all seemed to be following Klaus. Esther hung from his bicep as he continued to move while trying to shake her off.
"I don't know where she is, darling. Please, you are too worked up." Esther tried to reason desperately. She was rather convincing. Klaus slammed her into the wall and bared his fangs, hissing dangerously in her face.
"Brother." A tall, dark haired man said calmly while glancing at me.
"What?" Klaus clipped.
"Is this woman you are looking for blonde?" He asked, sounding both bored and elated.
"Yes, so?" Klaus snapped.
"Does she normally go around half-dressed? Because if so, I adore her already." The younger, dark-haired version of Klaus grinned at me. Klaus dropped his mother and was in front of me in a flash.
"What happened?" He asked, going to grip my jaw. I took a step back and gave him a wary look.
"Are you my dad?" I croaked out and he glanced to the side.
"Are you drunk?" He asked and I glared.
"No, fucking hell, Caroline, I am not your father." He says, looking completely confused. With those words firmly set in mind, I smile and then promptly pass out.