The questions seemed to never end but eventually, they slowed down enough as the adults started to focus on Tanner's body. Elena took her chance and grabbed my arm to lead me to where Matt was waiting, a sullen look on his face. I shook Elena's hand off and reached out to grab Matt in a hug. He hugged me back and I melted in his firm arms. He was a pillar of strength I needed to leech off of after this whole ordeal. I felt him rest his cheek on the top of my head (my halo was knocked off sometime during the Tyler influenced riot) as he looked to my twin.

"Stefan got out all right. But he told me to take care of both of you and I want you two to stay here." At his words, I frowned and pulled back from the hug. A quick glance to Elena and I can tell she wasn't pleased with his words either.

"Mattie, I love you and really appreciate everything you did today but you have to remember what happens when you try to tell me what to do. I don't like it." He glanced away with a scowl as he rubbed his hair with frustration.

"I know Stacy but something serious happened tonight and I'll be damned if something happens to you again. Either of you." He snapped. The lump in my throat appeared again as I saw his pretty blue eyes start to tear up.

"Mattie, Matt. Look at me." I cooed, forcing his face to look at me. "I swear to you, nothing is going to happen to me or Elena. Not tonight or anytime soon."

"You can't promise me that, Stacy! If Tanner couldn't defend himself, how the hell are you supposed to defend yourselves?" Elena sighed and joined our little group hug thing. Matt wrapped one of his arms around her and the other around me, his grip hard as he tried to reassure himself that we were safe.

The adults worked around us in a wave of anxious energy as everyone and their parents were outside, waiting for answers. We were lucky not to hear Aunt Judith's voice yet; she must still be trick or treating with Margaret and Bob. That was a stroke of luck considering what I was planning to do. I grabbed Elena's hand and she looked back at me, a determined glint in her eyes. I gave a slight nod and pulled away from Matt.

"We need to go to the bathroom. I got blood all over me and Elena. We'll be right back." I murmured and we walked away from him immediately, not waiting for his refusal. We hurried to the girl's locker room where a teacher was standing guard. We held up our bloodied hands in a silent explanation and with a grimace, she let us in. I thought about briefly washing my hands but shook my head and headed to emergency doors. Elena looked at me slightly shocked but I gave her a wry grin.

"You think you're the only one worried about Mr. Salvatore?" She gave half a smile and grabbed my hand again as we walked into the darkened hallways of the school and into the night, avoiding anyone who could've stopped us.

The thunder rumbled ominously above us as we walked through the woods; Elena was leading the way seeing as I have never been to the boarding house before. I tried to keep a brave face but inside I was still freaking out. This was not how Halloween was supposed to go by even a long shot. And now there were two blondes in heavy dresses, traipsing through dark woods where there have been attacks before like the stereotypical horror movie girls would do. This wasn't affecting my anxiety at all. But still, while all this was running through my mind; I still couldn't help but worry about my friend. Even at the beginning of this night, he didn't look good. And now with a full-on mob after him; the worry is high. And he was so shy too, that this whole ordeal is going to destroy any friendly relationships he might've gained because of all this negative attention. People are always going to second-guess him now that Tyler screamed about how he was a murderer. And honestly; my heart hurt for him. His and Elena's relationship is going to be so strained once Aunt Judith hears the gossip from everyone else. Who knows if Aunt Judith would even let them continue after this night, no matter what we tell her about what really happened. I'm not sure who is going to be hurt worse by that; Elena or Stefan. Elena bit her lip, focused in her little world rather than make conversation with me. I couldn't decide if that was good or bad as we walked closer to our destination.

A particularly nasty bout of thunder rumbled across the sky once we reached the boarding house. I took a deep breath to calm myself as Elena knocked on the door. We waited for a minute but when no one answered, Elena tried the door. It opened with surprising easiness. We hesitated but entered anyways, our worry too high to worry about propriety. I gave a silent apology to the one who was running this lodge; if I remember correctly. We walked up the stairs in unnerving silence until we reached the attic's door.

"Stefan?" Elena called out quietly.

No answer.

"Stefan, it's us." I tried next.

Silence again.

I reached forward to turn the door's knob. It swung open easily and we stepped inside, quickly stopping at the chaos the empty room was in. I blinked multiple times in shock. Big, heavy trunks were thrown on their sides; their contents were strewn about all over the floors. There was glass shattered dangerously; some for his objects but a majority coming from a broken window. Elena swallowed nervously as she turned her head towards an open trap door I didn't notice. It would explain why it was freezing in here. Besides the broken window that is.

Stepping carefully over the bits of broken glass, wooden shards, and clothes, I followed Elena as she climbed up the ladder that led to the trap door. I paused slightly when I saw the dark figure in the corner but Elena headed straight for it. It did take me a second but I soon recognized it as Stefan and relief flooded my heart. He was safe. I let Elena have her moment as she walked to her beau, looking off to the side. My heart skipped a beat when I realized how high we were on the widow's walk.

"Stefan? We had to come-" Elena started but her words ended with a shriek. I quickly turned my head and gasped loudly, my hand reaching out to grab my sister. It was Stefan. But not the Stefan I knew. Not the one who I teased just hours earlier. He was dressed in that familiar leather jacket, his hair tousled the same way but his face! It was twisted in animalistic fury with blood staining his lower face! I whimpered as I noticed the poor mourning dove limp in his hands and another one at his feet. I couldn't process what I was seeing. I just couldn't understand!

"Oh God no. Oh, God no!" Elena whimpered, falling backward into my grasp. She looked just as afraid as I felt and she couldn't stop repeating the same words over and over again. The doppelganger that looked like my dear, shy friend blinked and recognition came across his eyes as his face twisted in horror.

"Elena! Stacy!" I flinched as he said our names as he fluidly stood up. We took another step back as he took a step forward, reaching a hand out to us. A hand splattered with dark red. "Please- be careful!" He looked at us in desperation.

"Elena, please. Please don't." He begged, hand still outstretched. The body double's brilliant oak eyes burned as he tried to get closer once again.

"Don't touch us!" Elena screamed as we kept walking backward until we hit the iron railing. A weak, rusty railing. A different sort of terror washed over me as I felt it give. And by the body double's face, he felt the same.

"Girls!" He screamed as our panicked weight fell backwards. My grip tightened on my sister as we screamed in horror as we were forced to look up at the deep purple clouds above us. The wind was pulling harshly at our dresses as we were falling...

Falling...

Falling...

And then there were arms going around me and clasping at Elena. A dull thud resounded a tiny terrifying second later, something absorbing all the shock that was supposed to be the impact of two teenage girls falling to their death. Dead silence rang out as I tried to gather my bearings. I was sure my heart was about to leap out of my chest. Another second passed before I looked behind me to see the solemn expression of Stefan, the blood still stained on his beautiful frown. I gave a half-hearted smile before I just had to get out of his arms. I lurched forwards and knelt on my knees; pressing my forehead to the cool ground, timing my breaths to match the thunder strikes still going on. I had to ground myself before I had a full-on panic attack.

I heard Elena whispering to Stefan but he didn't respond. I took a few more deep breaths, calming my heart rate as much as I could before sitting back up and looking at my savior. A slightly hysterical laugh escaped as I thought back to our first meeting. I called him my savior once I heard his last name and now here he is, doing just that. I might not know what he is and what he was doing with those doves but I couldn't refute how he saved my sister and I. He jumped off the roof to save us from a horrifying death. He did it even though we were terrified of him. My eyes welled up and I lept forward and smothered him (and Elena who was in the middle) in a tight hug. He might not be human but he was still one of my best friends. My best friend who just friggin saved my life.

He tentatively hugged me back but withdrew after a few moments. Elena looked up to him and cupped his cheek, bringing his sad eyes down to her level. She frowned compassionately and sighed.

"Oh, Stefan." He stood and helped Elena up as I followed their example and tried to smooth out the wrinkles in my (frankly ruined) dress.

"Come." Was all he said and he walked inside the boarding house. Elena and I exchanged another look and after we clasped our hands together, followed him. We needed answers and if we had to ask the devil himself, we were going to get them. The sound of wings fluttering away as we walked inside seemed so loud in the deafening silence in between the thunder rolls. A wave of uneasiness filled me but I'll be damned if I let Elena do this alone.

changed the story title again. I am very indecisive lol

5.30.20