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CHAPTER 5:

PLEBEIAN RUSH

Nightmare (noun): a frightening or unpleasant dream, experience, or prospect

"My dreams are so vivid and so real, when I wake from a bad dream my heart pounds with anxiety."

"Bad dream? Do you know how easy it was to get in your head just now?"

"I'm every nightmare you've ever had. I am your worst dream come true. I am everything you ever were afraid of!"

"When the darkness creeps in, I feel my nightmares watching me. And when my dreams are sleeping, I feel my nightmares watching me."

Snow found herself walking through the deserted hallways of Mystic Falls High. She scrutinized her surroundings, completely freaked out at the eerie silence. The hallway was empty, no one stood by the lockers and there wasn't a single student in sight. Brushing off her discomfort, unaccustomed to her beloved school taking resemblance of a ghost-town, Snow proceeded onwards; however, deciding to err on the side of caution she kept her pace slow and her eyes sharp and wary. The only sounds permeating the air were her light footsteps, and her rapid, shaky breaths that accompanied them. Snow shivered at the ominous feeling in the air and hugged herself.

She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed, and in her paranoia, every couple of steps she took forward, Snow would snap her head to look behind her… only to see no one. She could hear her heartbeat thudding loudly and the blood rushing in her ears as her fear spiked to an unnaturally high level.

"Elena?" Snow flinched when her voice rang through the halls, echoing disturbingly in her ears, and bouncing off the walls. The stillness was unnatural. "Bonnie?" Nothing. "Caroline?" she whimpered. There shouldn't be an echo, the place should be bustling with students; there should be a cacophony of voices chattering, and laughter should fill the halls.

"Hello? Is anyone there? Please… somebody?"

Snow jumped half a foot into the air and leaned against the wall, clamping her mouth shut, when she heard a door slam loudly, the thud reverberating menacingly in her ears. Realization dawned on her…Somebody was toying with her. She was the prey, and she was being hunted. Closing her eyes, she inhaled and exhaled repeatedly, a mantra dancing in her head: she could do this, she could do this, she had to do this!

Resolved, Snow's eyelids flew open, her violet eyes fixated on the path that lay ahead and she followed the direction of the slammed door. Upon reaching the door, Snow hesitantly brought her trembling hand forward and gripped the door handle, her hand bone-white as she tightened her hold on the metal and slowly, she tugged it downwards and entered the classroom, the door creaking ominously as it swung open.

The sight that met Snow's eyes prompted a loud, earth-shattering scream to erupt from her lips, the frequency nearly deafening her. Violet eyes were incapable of closing, wide with unadulterated horror as tears began to form and one hand automatically sprung upwards to cover her gaping mouth that yet to stop emitting the banshee-like screams, while her other hand clutched at her thudding heart.

Caroline's wide cornflower-blue eyes collided with her violet orbs – wide, glassy and unseeing. Her usually lustrous blonde hair was matted with an abundance of blood, half of which were congealed while the other was still fresh, and her body lay crumpled on the desk, spread-eagled with her back flush against the teacher's desk, blood crawling down and dripping loudly as it connected with the puddle of crimson amassed on the floor. Snow couldn't peel her eyes from the large pool of blood that stained the white-polished floor, accumulating from the three stab wounds inflicted on Caroline's stomach.

"No! No! Caroline!" Not caring about the probability that the killer might still be in the school, or the fact that there was blood everywhere, Snow ran toward her best friend and frantically felt around for a pulse. There wasn't any. "You can't be dead! Please, Care!" Snow cried loudly, her body convulsing with vicious sobs as she shook the lifeless body of her best friend.

"Snow Silverstone…"

Snow froze, her sobs subsided. She recognized that voice. She knew its owner. Turning around, her eyes widened at the sight of Damon Salvatore, a sinister smirk on his face and a knife held aloft in his hand, its steel blade coated with Caroline's blood.

"You're next," Damon growled, kicking the door closed with the heel of his foot, the door making a loud, reverberating bang–

BANG!

"ARRGHH!" Clutching her chest, the raven-haired girl lurched forward, and in the process, nearly toppled off her bed. Closing her eyes, Snow inhaled and exhaled sharply, the cruel sounds of laughter piercing her eardrums, and she looked up to see Haisley and Paisley holding onto each other to prevent themselves from collapsing on the floor due to their uncontrollable laughter.

Masking the hurt from her eyes at their unnecessary act of cruelty, she narrowed them at her evil stepsisters, not appreciating what they considered to be a 'morning prank'. "What do you want?" Snow hissed through gritted teeth. The nightmare had really shaken her and she wasn't in the mood to entertain them or their foul humor.

"You slept in. There's barely any time for you to make us breakfast!" Haisley sneered.

Studying her crudely bitten nails, Paisley sent her an ugly smirk, "Yeah, Mother isn't thrilled. Not. at. all." Oh! What she loved the most was when Snow, the goody two shoes with her holier than thou attitude, slipped up and got into trouble; however, much to her irritation, the priggish bint was too meek and submissive, she rarely ever got into any.

"Wow, somebody's been reading the dictionary lately," Snow muttered under her breath.

Beady eyes narrowed, Paisley sneered, "Watch your tongue, Cinderella. Lest you lose it!"

The second her evil stepsisters abandoned the threshold of her bedroom, Snow scrambled out of bed and dashed into the bathroom, ripping her pajamas off and showering quickly, not bothering to wait for the hot water in her frantic haste. Tears blended with the ice-cold water, but Snow ignored them for the sake of completing her morning routine before she got into deeper waters with Lucille.

Sliding on her pair of ripped jeans and a plain red T-shirt that was snug on her body, she deposited herself on the edge of her bed and quickly donned her red ankle converse. Leaving her room, she stuffed her cellphone into her book bag and descended the stairs two at a time, her heart beating in a frenetic tempo.

Shortly after, the sibilant sizzling of the bacon and the distinctive sound the spatula made as it scraped against the bottom of a frying pan pervaded the kitchen as Snow hurriedly prepared bacon and scrambled eggs for the twins. Two ivory plates, sprinkled with gold inlay, sat on the ebonized-oak island in front of Haisley and Paisley, both of whom were dully scrolling through their respective phones – the latest edition of the iPhone; a gift from the step-monster to her 'precious darlings'. Dark eyes flickering from their phones' screens to their no longer empty plates, identical malicious smiles curled on their lips and they scarfed down their food before leaving the house, all the while fighting over which one of them would be driving to school – again, none of them bothered to spare her with so much as a 'thank you'.

Like in almost every single thriller movie the raven-haired girl watched, a cold voice spoke from the shadows, prompting her to jump in unmitigated fright. "You were late today, Snow," Lucille stepped into the kitchen, her jaw tight and muddy-green glare unforgiving.

Snow dipped her head in apology, "I-I'm sorry Lucille. I had a nightmare and–"

"I. don't. care. if you have night terrors, you stupid girl! You actually think I care? What, are you expecting me to hold your hand and read to you bedtime stories, so you can have an undisturbed rest?!" Lucille snapped, icy eyes boring into violet orbs. "Why should my precious girls suffer because of you," she sneered.

Desolate, Snow retrieved her book bag as the telltale arrival of Bonnie's pervaded the air, courtesy of the honking car horn from outside. Looking at her step-monster, she timidly asked, "Do you need anything before I leave?"

"No! Just get out of my sight! And you best make sure we do not have a repeat of this morning, or next time, I won't be so forgiving."

The two girls stopped by the Forbes House as Caroline was carpooling with them to school. The blonde sat cross-legged in the middle of her bed, impeccably dressed and looking as though the incident at the party never occurred. This was the first time Snow was seeing her since the party and she almost broke down with relief at the sight of her bubbly best friend alive and whole.

Offering no warning, Snow crossed the room and tackled the blonde in a suffocating embrace. "Oomph, Snow?" Caroline giggled, instantly wrapping her arms around the docile girl, "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I was terrified for you. I feel much better knowing you're okay." And she did; her nightmare infected her already chaotic thoughts in regards to the entire ordeal between Caroline and Damon. She still found it hard to believe Damon Salvatore hurt her friend or even had the capability of hurting someone – but then again, Snow generally had issues believing the worst in humanity. While Damon gave off a manipulative and slightly creepy vibe, he had treated her with kindness, and due to that, Snow had an exceptionally hard time accepting he had harmed her friend.

Understanding Snow's desperate need for reassurance, Caroline steered her so that she sat beside her on the bed, an arm still looped around her shoulders, "Snow, come on. I'm fine, I'm here. Don't worry."

Joining them, Bonnie leaned against the window, her arms folded and eyes intent on the blonde, "What happened last night, Care?"

Violet eyes lifted to meet cornflower-blues, sharing Bonnie's curiosity. When Snow and Elena found Caroline by the Lockwood's lawn, the weeping blonde remained inarticulate, confused and crying and hysterically mumbling Damon's name and "he bit me" over and over like a mantra. By the time they dropped her off and tucked her fully-dressed form into bed, Caroline had been reduced to zombie-like state. If Snow didn't know how anti-narcotics the blonde was, she would have assumed drugs.

Blonde brows knit together, "I remember the party. Damon came up behind me, and he was kissing my neck… or biting my neck. I passed out. It's like there's holes in my memory lately." She shrugged, wholly unconcerned by the anomaly, "It's just weird. Maybe I let him bite me."

Bonnie couldn't help but scoff. "Why would you do that?" she demanded, directing an incredulous look Caroline's way. However, Caroline responded with a groan, clearly uninterested in rehashing Damon's abuse and mistreatment of her. "Can we not talk about it, ok? Don't want to talk about Damon. I don't want to talk about any of it. Just want to go back to normal," she then frowned in confusion. "What are you doing with that candle?"

Bonnie nervously averted her gaze from the candle to meet her two friends' confused expressions, "Um… nothing. What's this?" Snow peeked over Caroline to see Bonnie pointing at the amber necklace that hadn't left Caroline's vice grip when they had found her. Whenever she or Elena made an attempt to confiscate it from her hold, the blonde would scream bloody murder. Eventually, Caroline fell asleep with the necklace wound tightly around her hand.

She shrugged, her tone nonchalant, "Damon gave it to me. Or he was going to give it to me. All I know is, it's mine now."

"It's ugly," Bonnie stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, get your grubby hands off it," Caroline retorted.

"The sexy suds car wash is tomorrow. The football team and the band have committed. Well, not all the band. Just the ones who could pull off the bikini. I want, in your face, sexy. I mean, it's a fundraiser, for God's sake." The trio sat congregated around a picnic table at school, observing in disbelief as Caroline performed last minute plans for tomorrow's car wash. The blonde's behavior was becoming increasingly worrying. Elena shook her head, disbelief heavy on her features, "Unbelievable. It's like nothing happened."

"She's in denial," Bonnie commented.

The raven-haired girl was quick to come to Caroline's defense. "Come on you guys, she's just trying to distract herself from all that's happened," though she didn't sound certain of her own hypothesis. "I mean… it must have been horrible for her…what she went through," Snow suppressed a full-body shiver, her nightmare flashing before her eyes.

"Hey." Hearing Stefan, the trio whirled around and smiled at him, "Hey, Stefan!"

Checking the time on her phone, Snow sighed, "Sorry, I gotta dash. My shift at the Grill starts soon."

"I was just about to head home. I'll drop you off," Bonnie linked arms with her gentle friends. The two girls waved goodbye to the couple and went on their way.

It was only an hour into her shift when Elena walked in and approached her at the bar, "Hey Snow. Have you seen Stefan?"

She smiled in apology, "Nope. Sorry, Lena."

Smiling at Snow, Matt joined them, or well, to be more precise, the only reason he came over was to spend time with Elena. "If you want to kill some time, um, you can rack," Matt offered, a sheepish smile adorning his handsome features. Elena let out a small laugh, and just as she was about to reject his offer, Matt utilized a great method persuasion by evoking her competitive side, "Come on. We haven't played in forever. I'll let you break. Maybe this way, you'll win this round."

A faux-gasp left her lips and Elena tossed him a stubborn glare, "Oh, you're on, Matt. Bye, Snow!"

Giggling at their banter, Snow shook her head, a fond smile coloring her lips as she watched them approach the pool table. Unfortunately, her good mood shattered at the sight of the bright smile lighting up Matt's features, suddenly feeling bad for the quarterback. It was obvious to the snow-kissed girl that Matt still hadn't gotten over Elena, despite the fact she had moved on with Stefan. Everybody knew the two were dating, and yet Matt still held onto false hope. …And pouring more salt to his metaphorical wound, as Elena's best friend, and having been around for the development of their relationship from the very beginning, Snow knew Elena was really into Stefan. She hoped Matt's pining over Elena will be short-lived and that he'd find somebody to help him move on.

Another hour passed before Stefan finally arrived, and Elena was anything but happy – not that Snow blamed her. Sighing to herself, she occupied herself by clearing out a recently vacated table, shaking her head the whole time at how messy people could be when, all of a sudden, an African-American man, who appeared to be somewhere between his sixties or seventies, disrupted Stefan and Elena's heated conversation.

"I know you. My God!" his eyes were fixated on Stefan, staring at him as though he were a ghost.

Snow tried to tune them out, but they stood a few feet away from her and the old man wasn't making any attempts to reduce the volume of his voice. "I'm sorry?" Stefan looked perplexed, Elena's reaction almost identical to her boyfriend's as her confused orbs traveled between the old man and Stefan.

"I know you. How can it be?"

"I think you have the wrong person, sir," came Stefan's adamant rebuttal giving Snow the feeling he was nervous.

Ignoring Stefan's denial, the old man spoke over him, "You haven't aged a day."

"I'm sorry. Excuse me." Stefan outright ignored the old man, turning his back on him to meet Elena's bewildered gaze, "Hey, can we… can I take you home and we can talk about it? Is that ok?" All the while Stefan endeavored to steer the brunette toward the door and out of Snow's hearing range. Returning to the bar, balancing a tray of dirty cutleries, violet eyes turned sad at the sight of Elena walking away from Stefan, leaving him to stare at her retreating back, his expression resigned and shoulders slumped.

A soft sigh escaped her. From the very start, Snow had been rooting for Stefan and Elena. But lately, they've spent most of their time together arguing when they should still be in the Honeymoon phase. Snow had high hopes the two would set aside their differences and attempt to work things out. Drawn to another table, Snow turned to see Jenna and Logan Fell enjoying their lunch date and she couldn't help but smile to herself at the fact that not all romance was dead in this town.

Hmm… maybe all they needed was a little push.

And just like that, a brilliant idea materialized in Snow's head. "Hey, Stefan!" she called out to the younger Salvatore, who had yet to move an inch from where Elena last left him. Turning at the sound of his name, Stefan advanced toward her, "Yeah, Snow?"

"Elena likes Chicken Parmesan," she got straight to the point. Confused, Stefan shot her a questioning look. Smiling pointedly, Snow elucidated, "One of her favorite meals is Chicken Parmesan. Just thought you should know for future reference." Parting him with a conspiratorial wink, Snow left to take an order.

Smiling in comprehension after her retreating back, Stefan yelled after her, "Thank you!"

Purse looped around her shoulder and phone in hand, Snow headed toward the front door, her other hand an inch away from the knob, when Paisley's unwelcome voice sneered from the living room, "And where do you think you're you going?"

"Um, the-the sexy suds car wash is today, Paisley," was Snow's soft response. She wasn't in the mood for the evil stepsisters' toxic presence and she had been hoping to depart the Manor without any confrontations with them or Lucille.

Unfortunately, the universe appeared to be working against her today.

"What?!" Haisley hissed, her surprise prompting her to spit out Coke. "You cannot go! Mother! Mother! Moooommmm!" she yelled, the sound of her nasal voice almost eliciting Snow's ears to bleed and every glassed structure to shatter.

The ominous clicking of heels against the marbled floor permeated the interior of the Manor. Snow's heart started beating wildly, her anxiety threatening to make a hasty comeback at the incoming confrontation. "What? What? Haisley, what is with the racket?" Lucille descended the stairs and stood between the foyer and the living room, her glare unwavering at the offending twin in a mixture of concern and displeasure. "A lady must never yell like a commoner, I taught you better than that, Haisley."

Haisley grumbled and Paisley quickly rose to her sister's defense. "Cinderella is going to that stupid car wash. Tell her she cannot go," she whined in a fashion similar to a petulant child.

Lucille stared pensively at Snow, who cowered under the full force of her stare, her posture defeated. However, the step-monster was full of surprises, "By all means, let the girl go."

Vehemently taken aback, Snow's jaw dropped. The twins weren't faring any better as emitted an incredulous gasp, "What?"

"But, Mother–"

"The poor girl's used to performing all the grunt work around here, she simply wants more. I believe it would be quite amusing to permit her to wash peoples' cars like those plebeians in nothing but her underwear," a sinister smirk materialized on Lucille's face. "I know for a fact she doesn't own a decent bikini."

The evil twins burst out into fits of uproarious laughter, "Have fun, Cinderella!"

The step-monster's ruthless cackling, intermingling with those of her evil stepsisters, echoed in her ears as Snow ran out of the Manor. She took her time trekking to school, tears falling rapidly from her eyes, but it was no use, every time she wiped them off, more took their place. She felt so humiliated and angry. Lucille was right; Snow didn't own a single bikini, not even a one-piece. But she had promised Caroline and Snow never broke a promise; also, she didn't want to disappoint her best friend, who had worked tirelessly over the event's success, regardless if it was a form of distraction or not.

According to Caroline, she had the perfect form for a bikini and since she needed extra hands, Snow volunteered. Letting out a sigh, Snow hoped the blonde wouldn't object to her washing cars in denim shorts and a tank top. However, upon reaching the school's parking lot, Snow was surprised to see Caroline waiting for her, a bag in hand. "What's this?" Snow sniffed, dragging a hand across her tearstained face.

"Why are you crying?" Caroline embraced her friend in concern.

Grumbling, Snow patted the blonde's back and slowly pulled away, "Stupid step-monster and evil stepsisters."

"What did they do now?" Caroline demanded furiously.

The raven-haired girl sighed and shook her head, "Something along the lines of cleaning cars like a plebeian in my underwear."

"Hmmm. Well, for starters, the step-monster only said that because the step-bitches could never, and I mean not even in their dreams, pull off a bikini. I mean…ick! And B.T.W., I have a bikini for you right here," an ebullient smile brightened the blonde's already luciferous features as she dangled the bag under Snow's nose, her eyes alight with excitement.

For a moment, Snow found herself devoid of any words as her eyes widened in joy. She peered into the bag and withdrew a lilac bikini the blonde had bought especially for her as the particular shade accentuated the color of her eyes. Snow couldn't help but tackle Caroline in a massive hug, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You, Caroline Forbes, are not only a lifesaver, but the bestest friend in the whole entire world!"

"Hey, what are sisters for?" Caroline shrugged with a wink, "Now go sexy yourself up, girlfriend! Go!" she smacked Snow's derriere, eliciting a giggle out of her as she ducked into the closest bathroom to get changed.

Soon after, she stood beside Elena in silence as they allowed Caroline to give them the pre-sexy suds rant, "No friend discounts. No freebies. No pay ya laters. We are not running a charity here. No, we are not."

"No we are not," Snow and Elena obediently chanted after her as Stefan approached them, an amused smile playing on his lips. Staring Stefan, and then Elena, down, cornflower-blue eyes raking their respective forms in disapproval, Caroline proceeded to roll them, "The event is called sexy suds, you know." Her blunt statement was promptly followed by another look-over, while Snow bit down on her lower lip to repress the bubble of laughter that threatened to be released. Completely dismissing the dress code, Elena decided to come in a light cardigan and shorts, while Stefan paired his jeans with a jumper.

The moment Caroline departed, her hair whipping around angrily, Stefan shot Elena an amused look, "Did we get scolded?"

"And judged, yeah," Elena giggled, though she didn't look bothered by Caroline's attitude.

"And that's my cue. I'm going to leave you two lovebirds alone," Snow winked. Before she could leave, Elena stopped her by throwing her arms around and gratefully whispered, "Thank you for yesterday. Stefan told me you helped out."

Snow smiled, "Anything for you, Lena. Besides, he's a good guy."

She chose to hang out with Bonnie, both of whom started washing a car by Matt and Tiki. A car that looked like it was surviving its last years and in desperate need of a complete paint job parked in front of them. Snow smiled at the owner while Bonnie addressed Tiki, "This one's yours."

Scandalized, Tiki glowered at the car, then its owner, "Why do I always get the homely ones? Just to be clear, your car's a P.O.S. I mean, we can wash it, but it's still a P.O.S."

"Tiki! Don't be so mean!" Snow gasped in horror. She quickly shot the disgruntled and deeply offended man an apologetic look. "Sir, we are so sorry—"

Tiki scoffed at the kind-hearted girl, "Rude is uglying up the road with that junk." Bonnie glared at Tiki, fury brewing in her eyes when all of a sudden, the hose turned on by itself and drenched Tiki in water. Snow had to admit, it was kind of cool; almost like the Karma Gods were listening in on them, doling out their brand of retribution.

"Whoa! What the Hell?" Tiki screeched, frantically shielding her face from the water with her bare hands. Matt quickly came to her aid and closed the hose, laughing good-naturedly, "Wet and wild, Tik."

Meeting Bonnie's gaze, Snow realized her friend had frozen in shock, "You okay, Bon?" In response, hazel-green orbs met her gaze and she shook her head in confusion, allowing her shoulders to rise in a shrug.

Halfway through the car wash, Snow had started on her fourth car, nerves infiltrating her system. She felt extremely troubled with the male population's constant attention – they kept flirting with her and stalking her with their eyes and dropping innuendos that made her blush and ache to disappear or at least cover herself up from their unwelcome stares and drooling mouths. Thankfully, Elena unwittingly came to her rescue and dragged her away, "Caroline left me to mind the money, so you, my friend are going to keep me company."

"I could kiss you right now," Snow sighed in relief. At Elena's questioning look, Snow emitted a groan, "Nearly half the guys in here wouldn't stop flirting and asking me out. One guy even tried feeling me up! I feel so exposed."

"Well, minding the money is safe," Elena laughed in amusement. She glanced up and smiled kindly, "That'll be $20." Snow let out a gasp that blended with Elena's, instantaneously recognizing him as the old man from the Grill who wouldn't stop harassing Stefan the other day. "I saw you last night. You were talking to a friend of mine. At the Grill," Elena further elucidated when he simply looked at her, confused.

A tentative smile on his face, he shook his head, "Well, I-I thought it was somebody I knew."

"Stefan Salvatore," Elena stated, a calculating glint in her chocolate eyes, searching his expression for something. Recognition flared in the old man's eyes at Stefan's name, but he repeatedly shook his head, "Nah, it can't be. It's just my mind playing tricks on me."

"Where did you think you'd seen him before, sir?" Snow decided to contribute to the intensive questioning Elena was putting him through, ensuring her tone remained respectful. Her inquiry, however, prompted feelings of confidence to radiate from the old man.

His gaze flickered onto Snow, "When I first moved here, I stayed at the Salvatore Boarding House. Stefan was just passing through to visit his uncle. I mean, none of us knew he was even here until the attack."

"The attack?" Elena pressed.

"His uncle got killed. Mauled by an animal in the woods," the old man nodded, adamant on the veracity of his story.

Looking lost, Elena asked, "His uncle? Zach?"

Snow didn't know what conclusion Elena was waiting for or why she was interested in the strange man's tale… he could simply be confusing Stefan with an ancestor that shared a great resemblance to him. In fact, it was quite normal for individuals to inherit features from their ancestors. It's a rule of life, after all.

The old man shook his head, "Mm-mmm. Joseph."

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't think we're familiar with the story," Elena flicked her index finger between herself and a still bemused Snow.

He chuckled, "Oh, how could you? I mean, this happened years ago." Suddenly, Tiki obstructed their vision as she placed an arm around the old man, carefully escorting him away from them, "Grandpa, you gotta go. Mom wants you home. Ok?" He nodded and moved to leave. Tiki glanced apologetically at Snow and Elena, "He wasn't bugging you, was he? He's a little alzy-heimer."

Snow smiled sweetly at the old man. Poor guy; Alzheimer was horrible. Snow couldn't imagine what it felt like to live a long and rich life filled with memories of people, places, experiences, and family, only to one day begin forgetting everything, memories trickling away slowly like sand in an hourglass. To Snow, Memories were one of the most precious attributes of life, and without your memory, you are nobody but a husk of your previous-self.

She was abruptly dragged out of her thoughts by Elena's hand circling her wrist, just before she yanked her forward in order to follow the old man. "Elena-, what–"

"Hey, sir, I'm sorry. Um, are you sure that the man that you saw, that you knew, his name was Stefan Salvatore?" Elena wouldn't let it go. She'd make a good reporter…

His nod was firm, eyes alight with recognition, "Yes. I remember his ring and his brother–"

"Damon?" Elena's voice was unsteady. Snow's eyes widened… okay that was too much of a coincidence. No way did the old man live through the first founder's council where the original Salvatore brothers, Stefan and Damon, had died.

"Yeah. Stefan and Damon Salvatore." Snow gasped once Tiki's grandfather confirmed it. Too much of a coincidence. No friggin way!

"When- When was this?" Snow hesitantly spoke up, desperate to know. She could now understood and appreciate the reason behind Elena's tenacity and single-mindedness to receive answers regarding Stefan from this man.

He took a moment to ponder before answering in a gravely tone, "It was early June, 19…53. Yeah, June, 1953."

Snow and Elena exchanged identical looks of shock before the latter told her to meet her by Jenna and that she was going to feed Stefan some excuse so she can leave without making him suspicious. Snow had no idea what Elena was planning, but nevertheless, she instantly agreed.

Despite shocking events, Snow still found it in her to give Jenna, who was flirting with Logan Fell, her famous luciferous smile, "Hey Jenna!"

Taken aback and brows furrowed, Logan stared at her. "Snow Silverstone?" he squinted at her.

Offering him a half-wave, she nodded shyly, "Yeah, that's me. And you're the reporter, Logan Fell. It's nice to meet you."

"Actually, we've met before, you were nine. I was there for your father's funeral. I'm sorry for your loss," Logan's smile was kind, yet strained.

A pang of hurt struck her at the mention of her father; despite the years, she hadn't stopped missing him, or gotten over his abrupt death. "Thank you. It was a long time ago. Did you know my father well?" she inquired politely.

"As a matter of fact, I did. We were both members of founding families so we ran in the same circle. Anyway, I want to thank you for convincing Jenna here, to give me another chance," a charming smile took over Logan's face, enhancing his good looks. Snow blushed, a nervous laugh escaping her, "Oh, um, it was nothing. I've always been an avid believer of second chances."

At that moment, Elena, her somberness concealed, joined them, throwing Snow a furtive look that had her instantly recalling their previous conversation with Tiki's grandfather. "So, Jenna… Is Logan enough in your good graces that I can ask him for a favor?" Elena inquired cheekily.

Logan smirked at the object of his affection, "If I do her a favor, will I get back in your good graces?"

Despite her uncertainty, Jenna couldn't refuse the tantalizing amount of charm Logan was exuding, and her lips curved into a smile on their own accord, "Uh, a very reluctant maybe to both."

"Done!" Logan promptly exclaimed. Before Jenna could change her mind, he added a stipulation of his own, "Wait. One condition. Dinner, tonight. Your house." A part of him felt bad for deceiving her, and while he wanted nothing more than to rekindle their relationship, Logan needed that compass… it was life or death situation, and the safety of Mystic Falls and its inhabitants depended on his success.

"Fine," Jenna rolled her eyes, exasperated. "But you're eating leftovers."

"Oooh!" Logan chuckled. He focused his attention on Elena, "What do you need?"

Hesitantly, Elena asked, "Do you have access to old news stories, say… fifties."

Not thinking much of Elena's inquiry, Logan nodded, "Yeah, at the station. Between the archives and the internet, we pretty much have everything."

"Snow and I have this report way past due. It'd be a lifesaver," Elena smiled disarmingly, and Snow rearranged her face to look as convincing as possible.

Logan checked his watch, "Heading there now. Let's go."

Turning to Jenna, Elena looked dead serious, "If anyone asks, you don't know where we went. We don't want Caroline to know that we left." Certain that Stefan wouldn't suspect anything of their disappearance, the two girls climbed into the news-van with Logan, and headed off to the TV station.

Snow and Elena sat in front of a computer, Logan leaning over them as he instructed its correct usage, "We digitalized our archives last year. You can pull all the remote footage right up on screen. What is it exactly you're looking for?"

"An incident from 1953, if it even happened, at the old Salvatore boarding house," Elena revealed casually. Clicking open the video file, Logan answered a call and ducked into his office, leaving the girls to observe the footage and satiate their curiosity.

In the screen, the reporter stood before the familiar dwelling, his expression grim as he broke into speech, "This is Franklin Fell reporting to you from the Salvatore Boarding House, where a brutal animal attack has ended in a tragedy. Okay, they're bringing out the bodies. See if you can get closer. Is that the nephew?"

A loud gasp sprang forth from Snow's lips, her eyes wide on the screen and her finger reflexively halted the footage. All Snow and Elena could do was stare at the screen in an amalgamation of unmitigated shock and stark horror, their eyes incapable of moving from the devastatingly handsome brown-haired boy's frozen face who seemed to be, hands down, a carbon copy of the Stefan Salvatore they left at the car wash not long ago.

"Elena! Elena, what's happening, how is that even possible?"

After having witnessed the footage from 1953 starring Stefan Salvatore, the two girls left the TV Station as though it were on fire and drove straight to Elena's. Currently, the raven-haired girl was pacing around the middle of her friend's room like a maniac possessed, a hand occasionally pulling at her long locks, while the brunette stiffly sat on her window seat, her vacant stare fixated on a blank page of her diary.

"I'm not a believer Snow," Elena finally spoke up, her voice a mere whisper.

"Believer of what? What, Elena!? Tell me, 'cause I'm, I'm way past freaking out and, and you know I'm not good with tension," Snow blathered hysterically, she looked close to tears, and had inadvertently pulled out a few strands from her scalp.

Slowly, Elena placed one foot on the floor, and then the other, before she abandoned her window seat and stood up, her diary sliding from her lap onto the floor. Her eyes never left Snow's terrified orbs, "Someone who never grows old… I mean Stefan looks exactly like the Stefan from 1953."

"It-it could be an ancestor and the name is just a, a coincidence," Snow wasn't even convinced by her own words, she was merely grasping for straws so that her world remained the same.

Elena continued as though Snow never interrupted, "Someone who changes in ways that can't be explained. Sometimes, I'd see his eyes turn red and, and these dark lines creeping under his eyes. …but I thought it was just my imagination playing tricks on me." Head shaking rapidly, the brunette approached her vanity and stared at her reflection in the mirror, index finger drawing lines under her eyes. Hair whipping in the air, she recaptured Snow's terrified gaze. "And those girls being bitten! Vicki. Caroline. Remember her-her back," Elena stuttered, memories flooding her mind as she proceeded to connect the dots and make sense of the strangeness that had taken over their supposedly idyllic town.

And finally, Snow's expression flared with realization. Taking a few steps forward, she gripped Elena's hand, a sense of urgency on her face, "Bodies drained of blood!"

"Exactly! Remember when you asked Matt what attacked Vicki, and she said—"

"Vampire," Snow breathed out, pressing both hands to her mouth. The moment the word left her lips, Elena strode to the door. "Where are you going?" Snow cried out, running after her.

She shortly stated, "To the boarding house. You with me?"

Like she even had to ask. While completely frightened to death, wanting nothing more than to hide under the duvet until the problem went away, Snow wasn't about to let her best friend confront Stefan without her…without backup.

In record time, the duo parked haphazardly in front of the Boarding House, and just as they shortened the distance to the door, it flew open and Stefan, his features compressed in palpable fury and eyes dark with malice, stormed out, a wooden stake gripped tightly in his hand. Elena's arm was captured in Snow's vice grip, never before having seen Stefan look so…so menacing and angry. "What are you?" the brunette spat out, her eyes narrowed at Stefan.

For his part, all fury melted from his features, replaced by shock. Their abrupt appearance and the stark fear coloring their visage had him frozen, speechless.

"What are you?" Snow shrieked, a tremor in her voice as her grip on Elena tightened.

"During the dark ages when a vampire's actions threatened to expose or bring harm upon the entire race, they would face judgment. They sought to reeducate them rather to punish them … You'll grow weaker and weaker. Eventually you won't be able to move or speak. In a week your skin will desiccate, and you'll mummify. A living corpse." – Stefan Salvatore

"I'm a drug-using delinquent. A girl in bed doesn't really rank." – Jeremy Gilbert

"You know, I was going to write in my diary this morning and then I thought, what am I going to write? Honestly, I'm not gonna be one of those pathetic girls whose world stops spinning because of some guy." – Elena Gilbert

"Stefan, where is Damon? He has some serious apologizing to do." – Caroline Forbes

"Out of all people, Selene trusted you with her daughter! Was she even a part of the reason you came back?!" – Richard Lockwood

"Reward implies recognition for some awesome achievement; Lucille gave them the latest iPhone as a reward. For what, you may ask? Lazing about, doing nothing, and getting subpar grades. She's encouraging failure." – Snow Silverstone

"We're not family, Damon. Only in the most dysfunctional sense. In fact, I avoided having a living, breathing, loving family because of you." – Zach Salvatore

"And then there's Vicki, all nonchalant in the bathroom like it's no big deal that they're hooking up." – Elena Gilbert

"He's great at football. A little bit of a loner. And as much as I hate saying it, he might be a nice guy." – Matt Donovan

"I knew the Gilberts. That watch is passed down to the men in the family. I'd start with Jeremy." – Liz Forbes

"I keep waiting for that bus to hit her." – Haisley Styne (about Snow)

"She was…the most beautiful girl that I had ever met. She had this perfect olive skin. And she had this laugh. It was ridiculous. I mean, her laugh made you laugh. And she was fun. She knew how to have a good time. But Katherine was also very impatient and entitled and selfish, and um, impulsive. Enter Damon. He claims that he was with her first. I don't know. I do know that I did some things that…I'm not proud of. And my biggest regret…is not being able to make it right before she died. I miss her, but…I'm no longer crippled by her loss." – Stefan Salvatore

"I really hope you're not one of those guys who, now that we're together, tries to change everything about me." – Vicki Donovan

"I think that my paranoia has turned into full-blown hallucinations." – Elena Gilbert

"Mom, if I want to talk boys, I'll call Dad. At least he's successfully dating one." – Caroline Forbes

"I don't know what's happening to me." – Bonnie Bennett

"Pace yourself, Sheila Bennett. The Pure is awakening." – The Spirits

A/N: Okay, so done with this chapter. Next chapter Logan dies. I hated that. I like rooting for the underdog, and I saw a lot of potential in his character.

Okay, pace yourself, we're nearly approaching Supernatural & deviation from Canon! YAY!

R&R.