This chapter is a lot shorter than usual, but I honestly couldn't think of making it any longer, so this is hopefully just one of few shorter ones. As promised, though, this is where the action picks up!

Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries


This night was not a good one. In the afternoon, the sky had exploded and it had been pouring non stop since then, and the temperature had dropped way down. Driving in this weather was probably not the best idea. I squinted to try and see the road in front of me more clearly, but it didn't help much. The rain pouring down had my windscreen wipers going crazy. I sighed. This was hopeless – but I had told my mum that I'd pick her up at work, so I obliged.

I pulled my scarf closer around my neck and buried part of my face in it for warmth, keeping my eyes on the road. The heater was broken and we hadn't gotten around to fix it, so my breath came out in puffs of smoke.

As I pulled up on the parking lot by the hospital, the downpour increased. I quickly got out and fumbled with my keys, and when I'd finally managed to lock the car I sprinted across the lot and only stopped for breath when I'd gotten through the entrance. I was leaving a nice and pretty water trail behind me, and my wet hair stuck to my face. I was not thrilled. I was supposed to meet up with my mum by the night surveillance, and that wasn't right through the main entrance. Most of the hospital staff knew me by now though, so I was let through.

It was usually the same people who took the night shifts, so the nurse seated by the desk was familiar. She lit up when she saw me approaching.

''Hi, Evangeline!'' she looked up at me under the brim of her glasses and smiled. ''You want to see your mum?''

''Uhu,'' I replied, looking around to see if I could spot her. ''I'm supposed to pick her up.''

''She's with a patient right now, but if you wait here she'll probably be only a short while.''

I nodded and sat down in a sofa by the desk. I removed my scarf and took of my jacket. It was a whole lot warmer in there compared to outside. I looked at the clock on the wall. Half past seven. I leaned back against the chair with a sigh. If I knew my mother right, she would be longer than 'a short while'. I figured I might as well make myself comfortable, so I stuffed the jacket behind my neck and closed my eyes.

The next twenty or so minutes, I spent drifting in and out of a light nap. I was only properly woken up when I heard the nurse talk loudly with someone. I yawned and opened my eyes to see what it was all about, only to find one of my English students, Caroline Forbes, standing a few metres away in a hospital gown, looking distressed.

''I-I need to go home,'' she said, taking a few staggering steps towards the desk where the nurse sat.

''Honey, what you need is to go back to bed,'' the nurse ordered and went to help her return to her room.

The blonde looked a complete mess – which was the complete opposite of how she normally looked. She was after all, the belle of this town. She was ghastly pale, her skin tight on her skull and with dark circles under her eyes. Her hair fell in limp strands down to her shoulders.

''No,'' she refused, her eyes darting all around, as if she was blinded by the sterile hospital lights. ''No, I need to go home. I have to go home.'' She rambled in a croaky voice. She really didn't look too good.

The nurse started walking up to her, but when she did, Caroline started begging her no, no, no. I looked from Caroline to the nurse and back. Maybe she would feel safer with someone she knew?

''I can walk her back,'' I offered. Caroline's eyes were immediately upon me, though, she still seemed to have trouble focusing her gaze.

''Miss Moreau,'' she whimpered. ''What are you doing here?''

''I'm here to pick up my mother,'' I replied with a warm smile. ''How about we go back to your room?''

''O-oh... o-okay,'' she stammered and nodded shakily. I kept the smile on my face and put my jacket and scarf over one arm, got up and walked over to her.

I grabbed her arm to support her, and helped her staggering form back to a room a few doors away. I made sure to grasp the fabric covering her upper arm, since the hospital gown she wore was short-sleeved. She clutched my arm so tight that it hurt, but I bit the inside of my cheek and didn't say anything.

''Is this it?'' I asked and pointed at the one door in the hall that was open. Caroline nodded meekly and she clasped her hand around my arm, digging her nails into my skin. I suffered through it though, and supported her all the way to the bed, where she sat down.

''How did you end up here, Caroline?'' I frowned.

''I-I...'' she sniffled. ''I don't remember.''

''I'm sorry,'' I consoled and looked at her sadly. She looked so lost. ''You should get some rest, okay?''

She nodded shakily. Her blonde hair fell in limp tendrils down her head, some strays etched on her teary face. ''Y-yeah.''

''If you need anything, the nurse is still right outside, okay?''

''Mhm.'' She stared blankly in front of her. Her whole body shook in tiny tremors, if they were the cause of something that put her in the hospital or her crying, I couldn't tell.

I gave her a small smile and went to leave. I was just about out the door when I suddenly heard her whimpers behind me.

''It burns,'' she cried. ''Please make it stop, it burns.''

I turned around, feeling more and more anxious as the seconds ticked by on the clock on the wall. She was sobbing quietly after saying those words, not uttering anything else. Her whole demeanour had changed in the blink of an eye.

''Do you want me to get the nurse?''

Caroline was still on her bed, but she was grasping at her throat and her breathing had started to get really heavy. Tears were streaming down her face, which was contorted in agony. ''It b-burns...'' she sobbed. ''It burns...''

I immediately went over to her and felt her forehead. She was scorching. I bent down so that I was on eye level with her. ''Caroline? I'm going to get a nurse, okay?''

She was shaking. I didn't care if she wanted me to or not, I was getting help.

''O-okay,'' she stammered and groaned in pain. ''P-please, it... it hurts so bad.''

''I'll be right back,'' I tried to comfort her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. When I touched her, her head snapped in the direction of my hand in the blink of an eye. Her sobs quietened. And then she sniffed my wrist.

''Caroline?'' I asked worriedly. ''Hey, it's going to be okay. I promise.''

And then she opened her mouth, her breaths coming out in heavy rasps. She cried out in pain.

''Caroline...'' I whispered and stared at her in fear. ''Your teeth...''

I swear, my heart stopped. When she'd opened her mouth, two... two teeth, no, not two teeth – two fangs had grown out with a painful crunching sound.

''Oh my god,'' I breathed.

Caroline brought her hands to her mouth and her fingers gently touched her teeth. New tears fell like waterfalls down her cheeks. She looked at me with pleading eyes, eyes from which dark lines grew, spreading down her cheeks.

I couldn't move. I didn't know what to do, I was by fear frozen to the spot. All I could bring myself to do was stare, wide eyed, in absolute terror at what I was seeing.

Caroline's eyes zoned in on my neck, and her face was so distorted I didn't know if I was looking at Caroline or a... a monster.

''C-Caroline,'' I finally managed to get out. ''Please, calm down.''

Her eyes were still focused on the thin skin on my neck, the skin left completely bare after I took my scarf off earlier. ''I-I'm so hungry,'' she growled. My eyes widened.

And then she jumped on me. All I saw was her wild blonde hair and all I felt was a piercing pain in my neck where she... where she was biting me. Biting me. A disgusting slurping sound made me think that she was actually drinking my blood. I felt my body growing weaker and weaker by the second, and I fell limp in her grasp.

''Caroline,'' I tried, my voice coming out a weak whisper. ''C-Caroline, please...'' A part of me was hoping that she'd hear my pleas and stop.

She didn't.