Author's Note: Hi, on the off chance this somehow becomes somewhat popular I want to give a warning that I am very inconsistent, and regular updates are unlikely. Also, it's been a minute since I watched the show so some things that happened in the show might show up, but a lot of it will probably be my own. Ok, enjoy guys. This starts when Caroline almost dies in the car crash.
Updated 3/24/21 I don't know if I'll update the other chapters, but this one bugged me.
Caroline's POV
You never see it coming. You wake up. You get dressed. You head out the door and you get in a car. It's the most popular form of travel in America. It's a rite of passage. Driving. It makes you feel free like you can go anywhere, you can do anything. When you're in the driver's seat you feel like you're in control. Where you go, what you do, and what you're leaving are all up to you. It's not exactly true, but it feels that way nonetheless.
When you're in the passenger's seat it's a different story. You're not in control. You're at the mercy of the driver. If they're a little tired, a little tipsy, a little upset, you can find yourself in a dangerous situation. You comfort yourself by telling yourself that everyone knows the importance of safe driving. It's beaten over our heads every day. Our parents, the driving instructor, PSAs all stressing don't drive drunk, high, or while texting. But the truth is we all get complacent, and accidents happen, every, damn, day. When Tyler started freaking out at the wheel, I knew what was coming, but there was nothing I could do to stop it.
That's all I remembered after waking up in the hospital, Tyler freaking out and losing control of the car. Memories of the crashes came in vague flashes that made my head pound. A faint incessant beeping is what roused me out of my sleep. It was slower and less abrupt than an alarm clock, but it was just as annoying.
I tried to ignore it for a while, but then a chill ran down my spine. I felt another presence in the room with me. That chill and the eyes burning a hole in my body were the final straws. I decided to get up and unplug whatever was making that damn beeping and tell that person to take a picture I'm sure it'll last longer.
Trying to pry my eyes open felt like an Olympic sport. When I finally managed to crack them open my retinas were burned by bright fluorescent lights. Everything was blurred, but my eyes caught the dark silhouette of a feminine figure. Well, I think it's feminine, but I probably shouldn't assume.
When my eyes stopped burning, and my vision finally focused I was graced with the presence of a familiar face. Elena, my best friend since childhood came to see me. At first, I was relieved to see a familiar face, but after closer inspection, something felt wrong.
Under my scrutinizing eye, I noticed that she had this aura around her that put me on edge. There were many people in this town that had it. It was intoxicating, yet dangerous. It often drew me to people, it had this allure. It's what drew me to Stefan at first. It's what drew me to Damon. But it wasn't what drew me to Elena. Elena had kind eyes and emitted a feeling that made you feel comforted. That was gone now.
Beyond that aura, she had physical differences too. I'll admit it, I always feel the need to prove myself when I'm around Elena, so I tend to pick her apart. With Elena, I notice almost every detail, from how her hair falls, to how she tied her shoes. But that's normal right? Everyone did that? This time, her usually straight hair looked like it was curled in a salon. Her normally comfortable attire and posture are more elegant and refined. She dressed in dark colors, and her shoulders are straight and back. Her face is blank, absent of her typically kind eyes, and sweet facial expression. Did something happen to her? Is she mad at me? None of those seemed right, but after my quick assessment of her, it became harder to think any further.
"Elena?" I groan out when I finally find my voice. Her face contorts into a smile. But it's not her usual smile. Elena's smile could get her out of a prison sentence, this smile could convince you to do something worthy of one.
"Hi, Caroline." Her voice puts me on edge. It's chocked full of that dangerous aura I was talking about. It's smooth, clear, and kind of… sexy. Were my problems with Elena rooted in some deeply suppressed attraction towards her? I give her a millisecond long once over. No… Maybe? Ugh, why is everything so off? I must've hit my head hard.
"What are you doing here?" I groan out. I don't have the brain power to contemplate newly discovered Bi-panic, if it's suppressed it'll stay that way.
She sashays towards me, making her heels click on the ground as she does so. When the hell does Elena wear heels outside of a school dance? She walks as if she's an off-duty model. She walks with the purpose and sophistication of a model, but it's not a full-out strut. Ok, now something is definitely up, Elena, as wonderful as she is, never walks with that much grace.
"My name is Katherine. I was hoping you could give the Salvatore Brothers a message for me." Katherine? Salvatore Brothers? A message? I'm only half listening and catching a couple of words. Did Elena change her name? New clothes, new hair, new name? Is she going on the run?
"What are you talking about? What message?" I say confused as to what the hell she is going on about. Len- sorry 'Katherine' had to come bug a hospital patient for a message? She couldn't have written a note? Sent an email?
She narrows her eyes and puts on a frighteningly composed expression. Like the calm before the storm. I've never seen that expression on Elena before. In fact, I doubt Elena even knows she was capable of making that expression. Maybe it really isn't Elena. So she has a double? A lost twin? Wait till she hears this. I wonder why she's talking t-
"Game on." Her words break me out of my internal rambling. I'm confused by them and start to question her.
"Wha-" I am cut off by her grabbing a pillow and smothering me with it. I fight against her with everything I have, but I am no match for her strength. I scream to try and draw attention to the room, but the pillow muffles my screams. But surely someone has to hear something? A nurse? A security guard? A fellow patient? But apparently, I'm wrong. No one hears me scream, no one hears my thrashing on the bed, no one hears my murder. My struggle is only making me lose air faster. If I was smart, I would have stopped struggling soon into the attack, held my breath, and played dead until she left. I should've known better, they never came before, no one's ever heard me screaming. Why would they now? I should've played dead. I should've been smart.
But I'm not smart, and now it's too late. I don't know how long it's been, but it feels like hours. I know it's only could've been a couple of minutes, maybe seconds. I never thought I'd die like this. I always saw myself growing up going to college, coming back here, starting an event planning company, getting married, having kids, then dying peacefully in my sleep surrounded by people I loved. I was smart, ambitious, helped the community, unlucky in love. But who wasn't? I was catty, but I never thought I was mean enough to warrant murder. Yes, I said a comment here and there and was probably annoying, but I never went out of my way to bully anyone. But maybe I'm wrong, maybe I was a terrible person, maybe I deserve this.
There's an aching pain in my lungs from being without air for so long. The white pillow I've been desperately trying to fight against begins turning black. After what felt like hours, but in reality was about 1 minute and a half I give up, realizing my pathetic plight is hopeless. I spent all my air fighting, so when I finally stop fighting, I completely give into the darkness. It's kind of poetic when I think of it. Being killed by one of the faces I trusted the most. A face who was in a bad car wreck as well. A face who almost drowned and probably felt a similar feeling. Elena, my tragic friend who shared a face with my murderer. I now know that this is a completely different person. Elena wouldn't do this, no matter how annoying I was to her, she would never be so cruel.
They always say before you die your life flashes before your eyes. My flashes were quite disappointing if I am being honest. It was filled with me being disregarded and abandoned by the people I care about. It started with my parents. I saw my dad leaving the family for his boyfriend, and my mom continuously choosing work instead of spending time with her daughter. Then, my friends, I saw Bonnie choosing to spend time with Elena. Stefan rejecting me then choosing time with Elena. Hell, even Damon seems to have kicked me to the curb for Elena. And Matt, sweet Matt, finally chose me. Why? To get over Elena. I'm always the second choice, the distraction, the relief, but never the one people care about. And if they did choose me, I was the cheap replacement. I tried so hard. I tried to be the perfect student, the perfect daughter, the perfect friend, the perfect girlfriend, but I always fell short. They always preferred someone else, they always preferred Elena. I wanted to be her, I compared myself to her, I tried harder, did more, but it was never enough. And now, now I'm dead. Murdered by someone who shared the face of my fiercest competition. There's a metaphor in there somewhere. Maybe it's my fault, maybe I do deserve it. Envy is one of the deadliest sins, and I am guilty as charged. I guess it was time to receive my sentence.