Disclaimer: See prologue.
AN: soooo we still have some readers?
and on another note, you should know that I have published my original fiction. epub anyways. It's available at Smashwords and is shipping to all retailers this week. I currently have 25% sample for free and it's only 99 cents to buy right now, if you're interested, let me know, I'll send you the link. or you can go to my profile page and follow the links. It's been "shipped" to all major retailers. The book is called Cursed. the author is C.D. Blaire so look for it on any ebooks site. let me know what you think.
thanks
... ... ...
Time stands too still
Left you there for the kill
But this hope that sorrow bleeds
Leaves a man with nothing
There's just no mercy in your eyes
There ain't no time to set things right
And I'm afraid I've lost the fight
I'm just a painful reminder
Another day you leave behind
Kenzie woke up to someone shaking her and quietly crying her name. Her eyes fluttered open to see Caroline above her, crying, as she tried to wake her up.
"Oh my god, your head." Kenzie whispered as she got a look at the blonde. She pushed herself up as Caroline let out a grateful sob that her friend had woken up.
"I was more worried about you." Caroline cried. "But it hurts, it hurts so much Kenzie."
"It's okay." The redhead replied, slowly pushing herself to a sitting position as her head throbbed painfully. She ignored it though, taking a better look at the bullet in Caroline's head and wincing at how awful it looked. Knowing what she would have to do, she bit hard on her lip as she lifted her hand, digging into the wound to pull out the bullet. She dropped it on the ground, turning to the side as she tried not to gag.
"You didn't have to do that." Caroline quietly said.
"I'm not going to let you sit here with a bullet in your head. We need to find a way out of here. Can you bend the bars?"
"I'm too weak." The blonde replied. "The vervain and the bullet weakened me too much."
Kenzie was about to offer her wrist for the vampire when she gasped and pulled them back away from the bars.
"I see you got the bullet out." A voice said and Kenzie looked to see it was the man who had shot Caroline. "That was nasty. I got lots of wooden bullets, other toys. It's gonna be a long night, sweet peas."
He lifted his gun and Kenzie screamed as he pulled the trigger, the bullet hitting Caroline in the shoulder. Kenzie threw herself in front of the blonde before he could get off another shot as she glared at him.
The guy stopped, aiming the gun down as he let out a small chuckle. "You really think that's going to stop me from shooting her? You really think I care if I kill you to get to her?"
"Kenzie." Caroline sobbed, her hand holding her shoulder. "Please don't."
The door to the RV they must've been in opened and Jules walked in.
"He wants proof." She said.
"The little one is in the way." The guy replied.
"She does that a lot, it's her own fault."
The guy pulled the trigger and Kenzie was shoved across their little cell as Caroline let out another scream of pain.
"I hurt her again and she's dead. Bring Tyler to me, the clearing by Wickery Falls. You have 20 minutes until one of them dies, 21 minutes until they're both dead."
Kenzie scrambled back over to Caroline, looking down at where the bullets had hit her. "Don't push me out of the way." She hissed.
"He'd shoot you." Caroline whispered as Kenzie kneeled over her, digging the wooden bullets out.
"So? We need to get out of here."
"You ladies aren't going anywhere."
Kenzie turn around to glare at the guy. "Listen, you sick sadistic bastard, the more you do, the worse you're making it for yourself. The moment Damon gets here, he'll pull out every single tooth, one at a time and shove it so far up your ass, they'll be in your mouth again."
"We'll kill him and his brother and every single vampire they bring." The guy replied with a twisted smile. "By the way, how many are there in this town?"
Neither girls answered and he raised a squirt gun, pointing it at Kenzie who was trying to put as much of herself in front of Caroline. When they still didn't answer, he squirted the gun, hitting Kenzie in the forehead. She wiped it away with a glare.
"Seriously? Did that stupid bitch not even tell you I'm not one of them? I'm human. How could you not know this? Are you seriously that mentally retarded?"
"Just double checking." He said, dropping the squirt gun and picking up the real gun. "You must be the bitch my girl told me about, the one she bit, to save a Vampire of all things. As far as I'm concerned, you're just as bad as one of them." He pulled the trigger again and Kenzie felt searing pain in her arm, letting out a scream as the bullet tore through muscles and ligaments. He shot Caroline once more in the neck before smirking at them. "Have a great time ladies."
He walked out of the RV, leaving both girls writhing in pain on the ground.
"Kenzie." Caroline cried. "your blood, it's- it's too much right now."
The tiny redhead rolled onto her uninjured arm, the tears pouring down her face, "Take it."
"No." Caroline pushed herself as far away from Kenzie and the blood as much as possible as she reached into her neck and pulled the bullet out with a scream.
Kenzie gritted her teeth as she looked at Caroline. "You're our only hope for getting us out of here and you can't do that when you're weakened, now drink it."
The blonde was still hesitant and the other girl pushed herself up, dragging herself over to the Vampire.
"Now." Kenzie snapped.
"I'm so sorry." Caroline cried as veins appeared around her eyes and she showed her fangs, leaning down to drink some of the blood.
She finally pulled back, using her speed to move to the other side of the cell, so as not to drain her friend dry. Kenzie laid there, her eyes a little glazed from the pain and the loss of blood.
"Give me a minute and I'll try to get us out." Caroline promised.
"Damon will come." Kenzie whispered, her words slurred but her faith in Damon unwavering. She knew he would rescue them, that's what they did. They rescued each other and looked out for each other and they would search hell and high water if something happened to the other. She just had to hold on.
"But in case he doesn't, we need to be ready." The blonde took a few deep breaths to calm and center herself before trying to find a way out. She reached an arm out of the cell, trying to reach for the hook and latch that would let them out. She was a few inches too short and let out a frustrated cry before grabbing the metal bars and trying to bend them but to no avail. Whatever the wolves used to make the cell, it was able to withhold Vampire strength.
She gave up, turning back to Kenzie whose eyes were closed, and she hurried over to her, shaking her, worried because her heartbeat was fading.
"Kenz? Wake up, please?" Caroline sobbed, pulling the bullet out of her friends arm before ripping open a vein in her wrist and holding it to the girls mouth, willing her to drink it. It took a few moments but the smaller teen finally gulped before turning away with a cough. Caroline sighed in relief.
"I'm sorry, I can't give you much, I'm still working on my strength but I can't get us out."
"Damon will come." Kenzie whispered, again.
"They're here." Caroline whispered, hope returning to her voice. "They're outside."
"What are they saying?" Kenzie asked as Caroline lifted her head into her lap.
"Stefan is trying to negotiate our release, Damon is threatening to rip out their spleens through their back if one hair on your head is hurt."
There was an ear piercing whistle and Kenzie rolled her eyes up to look at Caroline, who was looking towards the door of the RV in shock.
"There's more, the wolves have a lot of them out there. Damon and Stefan are in trouble."
Both girls jumped as they heard the fighting start and all of a sudden a body stumbled into the RV.
"Tyler." Caroline cried, placing Kenzie gently back on the floor as she moved to the bars, Kenzie rolled onto her side, struggling to sit up. "Tyler, there's a latch on the door and I can't get to it."
He looked away and Caroline's face dropped. "Tyler? Tyler please. Kenzie's hurt."
He turned to look at them, a war silently playing on his features as he tried to decide what to do. Finally he moved forward and unlatched the cage, lifting the door so they could get out. Caroline went to grab Kenzie but she waved her off.
"I'll be fine, go help them."
Caroline nodded before quickly scrambling out of the cage to go help the brothers and Tyler held the cage open still so Kenzie could crawl out. She did, her arm still throbbing as pulled herself up.
"Are you okay?" Tyler asked.
She nodded. "Just give me a moment, maybe you can see what's going on?"
He nodded, leaving the RV just as a gun shot sounded and Kenzie's eyes widened as her hand grabbed the nearest weapon, which happened to be a gun that she had no idea how to use. Shemoved towards the exit, pushing on Tyler's back who blocking it. He finally moved out of the way and she stumbled to the ground, seeing Caroline up against the RV, looking terrified as a gun was held to her head by Jules.
"You're seriously going to just stand there?" Kenzie hissed at Tyler before glaring at the she bitch. "Let her go."
"No." Jules replied.
Kenzie glanced around, seeing Stefan on the ground and the guy that had tortured them above Damon, a stake raised. She inwardly sighed, knowing she would hate herself for this and hoping she really didn't screw this up as she raised the gun that was hidden behind her to the back of Tyler's head. He froze and Jules looked over with surprise.
"Let's try this again, let Caroline go, back away from Damon and I won't put a bullet through Tyler's skull."
"You do that and I'll put one through Caroline's." Jules warned her.
"But Caroline can survive it, can newly turned werewolves?" Kenzie asked raising an eyebrow at Jules, her voice steady as she released the safety on the gun.
Jules glanced back at the guy and with a small nod, he backed away from Damon as Jules lowered the gun.
"Let Tyler go." Jules snarled at her.
"Step away further, I'm not that dumb." Kenzie replied with a small snort.
Suddenly the wolves began to scream and clutch at their heads, leaving only Caroline, Kenzie and Tyler standing, looking around and trying to figure out what was going on. The wolves writhed on the ground as Damon and Stefan pushed themselves to their feet, looking towards a newcomer. Seeing that he was the one doing it, Kenzie put the safety back on before she lowered the gun, dropping it in the RV. She wiped her palms off on her jeans as though that could wipe away the memory of holding a gun.
"Elijah made a promise to Elena. I'm here to see it's upheld. You need to go." The newcomer said.
Stefan nodded and Caroline grabbed Kenzie's arm, pulling the girl to where the brothers were. Damon quickly grabbed her other arm, causing her to hiss in pain. The wound was mostly healed but still tender and he looked down at her arm, his eyes darkening even more in anger.
"Get out of here. Now." The stranger told them.
The three vampires looked at each other and Damon scooped Kenzie up before the three used their speed to take off out of the woods. When they reached their cars, the brothers exchanged a look, before Stefan steered Caroline towards his car and Damon put Kenzie in his.
"No." Kenzie told him. "Can I go with Caroline? Please?"
"Are you sure?" Damon said.
She nodded. "We shouldn't be alone."
"I'll be with you."
She reached up and grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers. "I know, but I think we need each other right now."
Damon looked over at Stefan who was already looking towards them.
"Caroline wants Kenzie."
"Same." Damon replied, not looking too happy about it.
Stefan nodded, seeming to understand. "Why don't we meet at Caroline's house."
"Fine." Damon said, getting into the car and watching them drive off before turning to Kenzie to look her over. "How are you doing Redbird?"
Kenzie shook her head, looking down at her hands. "I'm fine Damon. Just a little knocked up."
"You don't seem fine." He noted.
She looked up at him. "I held a gun to someone's head. Actually, I held a gun, that right there gives me the heebie jeebies. But I held it to the head of someone I know, what if they tried to call my bluff?"
"Would you have shot him?"
Kenzie could only frown, looking down at her lap again. "Maybe, if it meant saving you."
"Why is it so important to save me?"
She shrugged. "You're my friend. You accept me in all my bitchy glory. It would suck if something happened to you."
He shook his head, letting out a low chuckle as he started the car and pulled it out onto the road. "I was going to kill them for hurting you. I heard you scream on the phone, I heard you hit the ground and if I see any one of them again, I'll rip their hearts out."
"Actually, I told the guy you would pull his teeth out one by one and shove it up his ass."
"Where do you get these threats?" He asked, clearly amused.
She shrugged, sending him a sidelong glance. "When I was in there, all I could think was, you were going to come, that you would do everything in your power to save me and you didn't disappoint. It almost got you killed. Why is it so important to save me?" she mirrored him.
"Same reason. You think anyone else would give a shit if something happened to me? Maybe my brother, maybe, but no one else. Face it Red, no one quite gets us like we do."
She gave him a ghost of a smile. "I know. We need to stick together."
"That we do." He agreed. "Are you sure you want to go to Caroline's"
"Tonight, yes. She's hurt, maybe more than me, she shouldn't be alone but tomorrow, okay?"
He nodded, pulling up to the curb of Caroline's house. "Call if you need me, I'll be here in an instant."
"I know." She whispered, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. He turned towards her and at the last moment, she changed her mind, kissing him on the lips. She pulled away with an almost shy smile on her face and opened the door. He gave her hand a small squeeze, letting his hand fall away as she got out. She closed the door, leaning in to the window he had rolled down.
"I knew you'd come. I'd never lost faith." She whispered, before leaving the car and walking to the door of Caroline's house.
She didn't even get a chance to knock when the door opened and the tall blonde pulled her into the house, leading her into the living room before they hugged each other hard.
"I'm so sorry you got involved." Caroline cried.
"Shut up." Kenzie mumbled against her. "If it saved you some pain, then good, I wasn't letting those assholes take you without a fight."
Someone knocked on the door and the girls pulled apart as Caroline went to answer it.
"Are you okay?" A male voice asked, one that Kenzie recognized as Tyler's.
"I'm fine." Came Caroline's cold reply.
"I had no idea they would come for you."
"Do you know what they did to me?" Caroline asked and Kenzie could hear her voice breaking.
"I'm sorry but it's crazy now okay? I don't know who to trust. You lied to me."
"I lied to protect my friends. I lied to protect you. Don't you get that?" Caroline cried.
"Caroline-"
But the blonde cut him off. "You just stood there when they were going to kill us. You just stood there! You didn't do anything!"
"I didn't know what to do." Tyler protested.
"You help your friend, that's what you do. Instead you left it up to Kenzie, who is just a human. She's just a normal human girl, who had been knocked out and shot trying to protect me and you forced her hand to the point that she had to hold a gun to someone's head to save her friends lives because you just stood there and did nothing. Do you have any idea what this could do to her?"
"I'm sorry." Tyler whispered, looking extremely guilty.
"No it's too late because we're not friends anymore and what happened to us tonight, that will never happen again. So you take that back to your little werewolf pack and you get the hell out of my house!"
She slammed the door and when she didn't turn around, Kenzie moved towards the front door, seeing Caroline holding a hand to her mouth as she silently cried. Kenzie rushed forward, wrapping her arms around her friend and holding her while she sobbed. When she finally calmed down, she pulled away, wiping at her face.
"I didn't ask how you were doing with everything." Caroline whispered.
Kenzie shrugged. "I'm fine. I could use a shower and some clothes though."
"Nothing will fit you but we can make do. I'll use the shower in my mom's room." She led Kenzie upstairs, showing the girl where everything was and giving her a spare robe, promising to find her something to sleep in when they were done.
Kenzie stepped into the shower, turning the water on as hot as she could stand and stood under it, watching the blood turn the water a pinkish color as it washed away. She wiped at her eyes, vaguely noticing that it wasn't water from the shower but her tears and she abruptly sat down, letting the hot water hit her as she stared at the wall and cried. She didn't know how long she stayed there for but the water was just starting to cool when she wiped the last of her tears away and turned the shower off, getting out and drying off. She put on the robe that was too big on her and walked down the hall to Caroline's room, hearing the other shower still on.
When she entered, she stopped at seeing Damon sitting on the bed, a bag beside him, her phone in his hand. "Thought you could use a few things, plus I found your phone and shoes, did you throw them or something?" He asked before noticing her red, puffy eyes. "You're really not okay, are you?"
She bit her lip and shook her head and he stood up, holding out his arms. She rushed into them, burrowing her face in his chest.
"What if I had to shoot him?" Kenzie asked. "What if they killed Caroline, or Stefan, or you?"
He sighed, petting her hair as she cried. The door opened and Caroline stood there, waiting for the other vampire to look at her before giving him a small nod and holding up a hand, indicating she would give them 5 minutes. He mouthed the words thank you to her as she crept back out of the room.
"Redbird, you didn't have to and we're all fine."
"It's my fault. I told Caroline to wait for me so we could talk and because of that they got both of us."
"They would've taken Caroline regardless. You just had the bad luck of being there when it happened."
Kenzie just shook her head, her arms wrapped tight around his middle. She finally pulled away, wiping at her eyes. "Thanks for the clothes." She whispered.
"You going to be okay?"
She gave a faint smile. "You know me, nothing really bothers me. I should go check on Caroline."
He kissed the top of her head, pulling her in for another quick hug. "Call me. You'll be safe here, Red, I promise."
"I know." She looked up and placed a hand on either side of his face, going up on her toes, to kiss him sweetly on the lips. "Thank you, for always being there."
He gave a small half smile as she took her bag and left, changing quickly in the bathroom before trying to control her hair. She had given up and was just coming out of the bathroom as the doorbell rang. She met up with Caroline in the hallway who looked around the corner and announced that it was Stefan.
Kenzie stood back as Caroline opened the door.
"What's going on?" The blonde asked.
"I was a bit worried about you two after everything you went through tonight."
"We're fine." Caroline assured him.
"Good but just in case, I brought some back up."
He stepped away and Caroline opened the door wider to reveal Bonnie and Elena standing there with pillows.
"We're gonna slumber in." Elena announced.
"We haven't done it in ages." Bonnie agreed.
Kenzie watched as Caroline broke down again and both girls rushed forward to embrace her. Suddenly, she wished that she had friends like that who would be there for her like the two were for Caroline. And then she felt awkward. Bonnie and Elena were here and she was no longer needed. She figured she would just call Damon to come get her and turned to move back to Caroline's room when Elena called out to her.
"Come here." Elena said, "You're a part of this too."
"I don't really think I am." Kenzie replied, "I was just going to-"
"Come here." Bonnie gently told her. "We can't even begin to imagine what you girls went through."
She hesitantly stepped forward and Caroline blindly reached an arm back, grabbing for Kenzie and pulling her closer into the circle of friends. Their arms wrapped around her and Kenzie broke down.
… … …