*Ava*
I don't mind driving by myself, truly. I get to play my music, sing as loud as I want, and stop or stay where I want. But sometimes it can be hard, just sometimes. Being alone all the time, never settling down, constantly hopping from town to town. It would be nice to be able to call somewhere home, to be safe.
This drive was lovely, the trees just getting their leaves, flowers coming out. Quiet road. The next town on maps was Mystic Falls, had a nice name so I thought why not. Besides I'd never been to Georgia before. I'd already googled a cheap hotel in the area, so here we go. I wander if this will be the town, I'll finally settle down in?
I had another dream last night; I saw him again. We walked around the forest, talking and laughing. It was like a lovely date; everything was so beautiful. And then I woke up to brown walls and yelling from the adjoining room.
I pulled up to the hotel. It was obviously old, lovely bones, but it hadn't been looked after very well. The only restorations done, were the obvious ones. Anything that you'd need to do to keep it liveable.
*Niklaus*
In a locked room, no one is allowed to enter, I keep my paintings, sketches, art. Everything I hold close to me. Every memory of her lies in this room, kept safe.
There are very few who have been in here, who have seen her, met her through my eyes. Elijah has, Rebekah too, although she only saw one drawing and believed the mystery girl was just a passing fancy. And then there were these two from a long time ago. From when Katerina Petrova was human. They got hold of a sketch book of mine; it still makes me furious. When they took off, I hunted them with Elijah for decades, we still have people in place to let us know if they come across any mention of them. One day I will find them. I will find Trevor and Rose.
*Ava*
The next morning brought pale yellow walls to view this time. I wonder if hotels try and choose a colour no one would choose for their home? Make it appear completely different from home for a reason? Or if it's in a secret hotel rule book somewhere, a limited number of colours they're allowed to choose from to paint the walls.
Skipping breakfast, I dress and choose to go for a walk first aimlessly around town and shops, and then towards somewhere with a coffee machine.
At first it was just a feeling, that feeling that makes the hairs stand up on your arm. You know the one that feels like you're being followed? It made me a bit jittery for a while until I spent some time in a clothes store and no one seemed interested in me being there. When I went back outside the feeling came back in full force.
I'm paranoid, that's it. New people, new town, it happens.
Coffee, that's the plan!
I wander around some more seeing the sights before a little coffee shop comes into view and with it my dreams fulfilled. I could live off coffee, I reckon. It was a lovely little place, nice people, if a little nosy, but that's normal when a stranger comes to town.
And most importantly the coffee smelled amazing, so I didn't care. Although the staring was annoying, so I guess I can walk around drinking my coffee or find a nice place under a tree maybe.
Suddenly, hands grabbed me from behind, causing me to gasp and drop my beloved coffee. Before I could scream a tight hand comes down over my mouth and nose. I kick with everything I have, adrenaline rushing through me. I'm running out of air, but I can't give up. All I can think about are the horrible stories you hear about on the news. I'm going to be one of them now. Passing out from oxygen deprivation is so simple in the movies, they squirm around for a few seconds and then go limp. In real life it was a lot longer, my vision was tinged red, my head was pounding, lungs thumping. But the end is inevitable.
When I woke up my neck was stiff, and I could already feel a killer headache coming, but I had bigger problems. I was lying on the ground, in what looked like a ball room that had clearly seen better days. Or maybe a smaller version? The place looked really old and decorative, falling to pieces in some places. Looking to the top of stairs, was a girl in a pink shirt. I went to yell out to her, ask her what she wanted with me, when I realised, she was walking away. No, she was creeping, there were voices ahead. What is going on?
"It's not too late. We can leave them hear. We don't have to go through with this." What? Who was that? What do they mean leave them hear? Were there more girls kidnapped?
"I'm sick of running!"
"Yeah? Well, running keeps us from dying."
"Elijah's old school. If he accepts our deal, we're free." What deal? Who's Elijah?
"You!" Her voice rang out and my spine snapped straight thinking she was yelling out at me. But there was nothing, no one ran out or came into the room, just mumbling.
Everything went quiet after that. I spent the time wandering around the room, looking for a way out, a window open. Nothing. I knew I could sneak through the house, try and find a door, but that option was a tad scary. I didn't know who else was here, or how many.
The girl in the pink shirt came back in, distracted thinking about who knows what. She walked right past me, over and sat on the couch in the middle of the room before noticing me standing near the window. I hadn't moved a muscle in case she was part of a group that had kidnapped me.
"You're awake"
"Who are you? What do you want?"
She went to say something before pausing, pulling something out of her back pocket. Why is she so surprised? Did she not know what was in her pocket? Maybe she just didn't know what the paper said?
"I'm Elena, I know you're confused right now, but everything's going to be okay, alright? Do you know why you were brought here?"
"Brought here? You kidnapped me. You brought me here." Her shoulders seemed to drop further at that. Sighing she continued.
"I wasn't the one who kidnapped you"
"They got you too. Who are they? What do they want?"
"It's ….. complicated. Look just keep calm and quiet. I have friends that are coming. We're going to be okay."
We both settled in after that, her on the couch. I wasn't willing to move from my corner, still not completely trusting her. She seemed to know that and didn't say anything when I sat down on the ground my back against the wall.
I soon found out who they were, a woman with spiky, short, dark hair and a skittish man. Neither looked like how I'd imagined a kidnapper would look like, but I suppose I haven't seen many kidnappers.
He was really nervous too, telling the girl that someone named Elijah was here and talking about how it was all a mistake. What did he have to be nervous about? We were the ones he was probably about to sell to this Elijah.
"He wants us dead"
"He wants her more"
Her? Who was the pink shirt girl? Elena? Why did Elijah want her? Did that mean I was just a mistake? Would they let me go after all of this was done?
"You're scared" Elena said to them. I wanted to shout to her YES, THEY'RE SCARED. AND THEY'RE NOT ABOUT TO BE SOLD! WE SHOULD BE TERRIFIED!
"Stay here with them don't make a sound."
We all stood where we were for a minute or two before I couldn't take it any longer.
"What's going to happen to us?"
"Shut up!" He whipped around to snap quietly at me.
It hit me then that he was trying to be quiet, he was truly terrified of this Elijah. Maybe I could escape now, whilst he's too scared to move.
I walked as slowly and as quietly as I could, but he wasn't paying any attention to me. His eyes were glued to the stairs going to the doorway. I was just passing the couch when I felt something tear at my hand. Trying not to make any noise, I looked down sucking in air through my teeth.
The air around me moved and Elena gasped out loud. Looking up at her, all I could see was the skittish man an inch from me. Black veins around his eyes and fangs were all I could see. Before either of us could say anything, he had attached himself to my neck pressing us both against the back of the couch. The pain hit me a moment later, I must have been in shock because, no sound came out of my lips. I could Elena out of the corner of my eye, she looked shocked and conflicted over what to do. I wouldn't blame her if she took the chance to run for it. Instead, she came over trying to pull him off me.
"Stop, stop, you're killing her" she screamed constantly, trying to get his attention. But at this point I knew it was too late. I could feel the exhaustion coming over me, the urge to go limp, go to sleep.
His mouth was ripped away from me and I fell to the floor with a thud. In his place stood a different man, brown hair and eyes looking down at me. His eyes held surprise for a moment before he knelt pulling me into his arms. I was getting closer to sleep with every step he took. I blinked desperately fighting to open my eyes again. Only this time, I was lying on the couch with his wrist bleeding in front of me. That's strange. Why was he bleeding? This must have been Elijah, the man who came for us, or at least for Elena. I blinked again and his wrist was against my mouth, his blood going down my throat. What was going on, was he insane? I wasn't a vampire, although by the looks of things they are. I blinked again, and my eyes didn't open again.