Chapter 4: The Witch
Life in Mystic Falls was no longer the same. Things between my sister and I were tense now that she knew the truth, and while it felt like the weight of the world had finally been lifted off my shoulders, the cost almost didn't seem worth it. My sister and I have always been close, so I knew it was going to take time for us to get back to where we once were. Elena wasn't one to take things lightly and I had no doubt that she's been thinking about what I told since Halloween night. I could only hope she will forgive me for not telling her the truth in the first place.
With Elena and Stefan broken up, I had taken sanctuary at the boarding house to escape the awkward tension between my sister and I. I did my best to ease Stefan's worries about Elena, but he was caught in a bind when it came to my sister. While Damon on the other hand, was being nothing but trouble. I knew my once older brother was up to something, but I wasn't one to pry; and as long as he didn't try and kill anyone I cared about, I was willing to let the dark haired vampire do whatever he wanted.
While I knew Elena openly disliked Damon, I couldn't bring myself to hate him. Even after having to lie to the Sheriff about Vicki leaving Mystic Falls. While I knew it was wrong, and I should feel terrible about the whole ordeal. I found myself getting over Vicki's death faster than I would have thought. In life there was a balance; one I felt strongly about. Death would come for us all one day, that was the way the world worked. It was the way the balance worked.
I had no real connection to the girl, and while I hated having to lie to Jeremy about the girl he cared about, I knew Vicki was only the beginning. I had this terrible feeling that the once calm life in Mystic Falls, was about to experience a barrage of life altering events. As much as that frightened me, I was also, oddly enough, excited about these changes. Because another part of me hoped that in time, all the questions I've had rattling around in my mind would be getting answered.
I pulled up to the boarding house sometime around mid afternoon in hopes of catching Stefan at home. I had remembered something from my life as a Salvatore and I was hoping he could help me find something. I had journals that I had religiously written in during my life as a Salvatore, and while it was long shot, I was hoping that maybe Stefan still had them around.
As I parked my car at the end of the driveway, I noticed a familiar car sitting in front of the boarding house. I stepped out of my car and walked up to the drive side window and saw Elena lost in thought as she stared up at the boarding house. I gently knocked on the window and grinned when my sister jumped at the sudden sound.
"You know, you can't hide in your car forever." I watched my sister sigh and shake her head at my words before she finally unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. I offered her a smile and the two of us walked up to the front door. I didn't bother knocking and let myself in with Elena trailing in after me. I didn't question why she was sitting outside the boarding house. "Stefan, you home?" I called out in hopes the vampire would appear.
I felt a shift in the air and knew someone was coming down stairs to meet us. I knew it was either Damon or Stefan due to the familiar energy, but the second the figure appeared before us, I felt eyes go wide and my mouth fall open slightly. The person standing in front of Elena and I was definitely not one of the Salvatore brothers, but a woman. A woman currently only wearing a towel.
"Um, hi." I sent her an awkward wave and glanced back at Elena.
The woman's eyes went wide as she took in the sight of us and I watched as her gaze flickered between my twin and I. "Oh my God!" She exclaimed as she took a step back. "How? Uh-wh-. Who?" The vampire looked like she had seen a ghost and I suddenly felt my stomach clench. I knew why she was looking at us like that.
"Hi! My name is Serena, and this is my sister, Elena." I spoke clearly and with a slightly higher tone so the woman would focus on me. "Were looking for Stefan. Is he home?"
It took the woman a second to school her expression as she composed herself. "Uh, yeah. He's here. Sorry, my name's Lexi. I'm a friend of Stefans." She introduced herself and I could feel Elena grow slightly tense behind me. "Stefans in the shower. Do you want to wait for him?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but Elena was quicker to respond before I could. "No. That's okay." I glanced over at my sister and titled my head in confusion before I realized why she was so tense. She came to see her ex and got a woman in a bath towel instead. I cringed slightly and before I could stop her, she was out the door.
I watched my sister flee from the boarding house and let out a sigh as the front door closed behind her. "Uh, sorry about that." I turned back around to face the woman and sent her a small smile. "She's usually a lot nicer, but it's been a tough couple of days." Lexi nodded in understanding. "So, uh, yeah. I guess I'll just go ahead and get out of here." I sent the still shocked vampire a wave and turned around.
"Wait." I paused and glanced back at Lexi. "Are you-" She paused. "Are you really her?" She looked slightly uncomfortable as she asked her question. As if even she knew how strange it sounded. So I did my best to send her a reassuring look.
"Yeah, I am. Crazy, right?" She nodded her head at my small joke of a question. "Well, hopefully we'll meet again. Bye." I sent her a small wave and opened the door before finally escaping outside. While I was sure Lexi ment me no harm, and she didn't seem ready to attack me at any second, I wasn't used to being around a vampire that wasn't Damon or Stefan. Vampires were still uncharted territory for me.
With the afternoon sun shining down through the trees, my leisure walk through the woods felt all the more peaceful as I made my way towards the oak trees clearing. I was hoping I could clear my thoughts, but the metaphoric cloud hanging over my head still hovered with ever darkening clouds. With Elena knowing the truth now I should have been feeling less dismal about everything. But I wasn't. I felt anxious and stressed out. I felt like I had an anvil hanging over my head and I was just waiting for it to drop.
There was just something eating at me. I felt like something was coming, something I knew wasn't anything good.
I felt my phone vibrate in the pocket of my jeans and I was pulled out of my thoughts. I glanced down at the screen and saw Caroline had texted me. "Party at the Grill tonight! Please say you'll come!" I couldn't help the small smile that curled up at the corner of my lips. Even when I'm feeling miserable, Caroline Forbes was like a bright sun lighting up the dark. I sent her a confirmation text and slipped my phone back into my pocket.
When I finally took a moment to glance at my soundings I felt my cheeks grow warm. I had been so lost in thought that I had unknowingly been walking circles around the clearing where the oak tree grew tall. I let out a sigh and shook my head. My thoughts were no less jumbled, but I did feel a little bit better.
With a deep breath I turned around and headed back towards where I parked my car. By the time I ended up at the Grill, people were just showing up. I didn't see Caroline anywhere so I took refuge at an empty booth.
"So, you really are their baby sister?" My head shot across the table and I took notice of the vampire sitting across from me. I found myself slightly shocked that I hadn't felt her sit down or even noticed her get close to me.
"Uh, yeah. I am." I answered and Lexi sent me a reassuring smile. I figured Stefan told her who I was. "So, how do you know Stefan?"
Lexi's smile grew and she let out an airy laugh. "We've known each other for a long time. We're best friends." I titled my head and found myself relaxing in the vampire's presence. "So, how did this," She waved her hand and gestured at me, "happen exactly?"
"I wish I knew." I shrugged my shoulders. "Life is full of mysteries and I seem to be one of them."
"Interesting." Lexi said in a low voice. The vampire turned her attention when a waitress walked by. She grabbed the waitress attention and I watched as the vampire somehow convinced the woman to give her two free glasses of whiskey.
"Uh, how did you do that?" I asked as the waitress walked back towards the bar in some sort of daze. Lexi let out a laugh and sat back in her seat.
"It's called compulsion. All vampires are capable of doing it." I raised a brow at her titled my head. "All it takes is a little eye contact, and boom," The waitress returned and placed two glasses of the amber colored liquid in front of the two of us, "free drinks."
"So that's how he's been doing it." I muttered under my breath as I twirled the glass around in my hands. "Thanks for the drink." Lexi smiled at me. I felt the air shift slightly and I couldn't help but roll my eyes when I felt someone slid into the booth beside me. Pushing me until he fit on the seat.
"I see you've met Lexi, little sister." Damon smirked at the other vampire sitting across from us. Lexi sent Damon a glare and I had a feeling she didn't approve of the dark haired vampire. Granted, if she's known Stefan for a hundred years, then that meant she was also acquainted with Damon. "Hope she hasn't been too much trouble."
Lexi gave Damon a tight lipped smile. "No trouble." Her gaze left Damon as she sent me a smile. "Serena, it was nice meeting you, officially." Lexi stood up and disappeared into the crowd.
"You know, it seems to me that Lexi doesn't like you." I commented as I took a sip of the drink Lexi had been kind enough to get me. The whiskey burned on the way down and I hoped my face didn't show how uncomfortable it was.
Damon scoffed at my words and snatched my drink out of my hand. "That's an understatement." He muttered. "She's all team Stefan. To goody two shoes, for me."
"Ha, right." I gave my once brother my own scoff as I stared out into the growing crowd. "Hey, listen. I was wondering." I glanced up at Damon as I spoke. "My journals, do you have any idea if they're still around."
Damon swirled the last of the whisky in the glass around as he stared at the amber liquid. "Can't say I've seen them around." I frowned and glanced down at my folded hands on top of the table. "Hold that thought. I'll be right back." Damon stood up from the table and I frowned as I watched him walk off. I caught sight of a head of blond hair and frowned slightly. Hopefully that wasn't something I should be concerned about.
I sat in my booth and watched the crowd of people. The energy that filled the restaurant was starting to become suffocating. Just as I was about to stand up and high tail it out of there, Bonnie slipped into the seat across from me. I raised a brow at the girl as she glanced around before her gaze finally settled on me.
"Hey, can I, uh, talk to you for a minute?" I nodded my head at her question and I watched as Bonnie shifted in her seat and clenched her hands above the table. "Elena told me something, about you." My gut clenched and I felt my blood run cold.
"What did she tell you?" My nerves almost had my hands shaking and I really hoped that the next words out of her mouth had nothing to do with what I told Elena a couple nights ago.
"She said something about this not being your first life. That you think you've been reborn." My mouth went dry and my eyes went wide. "She also said that you can feel things. She wouldn't go into detail, but I was thinking, maybe you're like me. Maybe you're a witch."
I titled my head and thought about her words. Bonnie must have finally come to terms with what she is after what happened at the car wash. "Oh. Bonnie, I'm not a witch. At least I'm pretty positive that I'm not a witch."
"How do you know?" Bonnie asked. I glanced down at my hands and twisted my fingers.
"I, just do." I looked up at Bonnie. The air around us felt stiff, but the air was different around Bonnie now. It wasn't like before, now there was a hint of something else. It reminded of the trees in the woods and the air that flowed around us. "I know I'm not a witch, because I can feel it." It was the truth. I was something else, something no one seemed to understand.
"Do you have any idea of what you are?" Bonnie leaned forward on the table as she asked. "Elena only told me about you being reborn."
I frowned at her words and felt slightly heart broken knowing Elena had told Bonnie something that I was hoping to keep secret. "My memories are what help me somewhat understand things about myself. I know theyre real, and each memory means more to me than anything." Another true statement. My memories were the one thing I held closer to me then even my family. My memories meant the world to me, and I hoped one day they would lead me to the truth.
"I think I understand." Bonnie mumbled. "What else is there, besides your past life?"
"Listen, Elena had no right in telling you any of this. But, you're right, it isn't just my past lives." I admitted. "I can feel the energy around people, but it's more than that." I glanced at the crowd. "I have a connection to nature, one that allows me to do things, that I can't really explain."
"Is it, like magic?" Bonnie asked.
I shrugged my shoulders. "I can't be sure. I don't have all the answers yet." Bonnie slumped slightly.
"Maybe I can help." Bonnie said. "My Grams has been teaching me some things." I sent Bonnie a small smile.
"Thanks Bonnie. That actually means a lot." The two of us shared a smile. The dark haired teen left after that and I was once again sitting alone in the booth. I stood up after a few minutes and decided it was time to head home.
I walked towards the front doors of the Grill, but before I could make it any further, I was stopped. "Sorry, you can't go out this way." I glanced up at the officer who was standing guard at the doors and raised a brow. I didn't bother questioning the man and just stepped back before looking around the Grill.
I pulled my phone out of my bag and pulled up Elena's number before sending her a text. I knew she was here somewhere and I was hoping she knew why no one was being let out. I didn't receive a reply before I overheard the officers com go off and he headed outside. Quickly, I followed him out and headed around the building.
I collided with another body and stumbled back slightly. "Serena?" Elena and I stared at each other before my sister took hold of my wrist and started dragging me away from the Grill.
"Elena?" I tried to grab my sister's attention. "Whats going on?"
"It's Lexi." Elena answered as we walked up to my car. "Damon, he killed her." I pulled my hand out of Elena's grasp and stared at her.
"What? Why would he kill her?" I couldn't wrap my head around what my sister was saying.
"I don't know, but Stefan isn't doing well. He's so angry at Damon. I don't know what's going to happen." Elena wrapped her arms around herself.
"Hey, hey. It's going to be okay." I rested my hand on Elenas shoulder and squeezed. Hoping that I could comfort her as best as I could. "I don't know why Damon did what he did. But Stefans not going to kill him, at least not tonight." I hoped that I was right, and that Stefan wouldn't do something he would regret. Elena nodded her head, but I could tell she was still worried about the younger Salvatore brother. "How about we head home, huh?"
Elena agreed with the idea and we headed towards where we parked our cars. I followed after Elena's car and let my thoughts run away with me. Why would Damon kill Lexi? The female vampire seemed nice enough and I could tell she cared about Stefan. I could only imagine how broken up Stefan was feeling over all this. I was worried about him and what the consequences of tonight would mean for both of the Salvatore brothers.
When we got home, Elena went straight to bed and I slowly followed after her. My thoughts were over run with the scenario after scenario for why Damon would do what he did. I knew Damon and Stefan were no longer the brothers I once knew. They were vampires, ones that have been alive for the past hundred years. The two of them have probably gone through a lot.
I changed out of my clothes and slipped on an oversized t-shirt before slipping into bed. As soon as my head hit the pillow I felt my eyes grow heavy and sleep begin to drag me down. My eyes closed and within the dark came a kaleidoscope of light. I heard voices and the soft rustel of the wind in the trees.
"Serena." A voice called out to me and I felt my eyes slowly blink as the light around me grew brighter. "Wake up, Serena." The voice grew clearer and I felt my heart grow warm at the sound. "Come now, it's time to wake up, Elskan." A shadow came over me and the light was blocked out. I blinked again and my vision cleared up a bit. What I saw, hovering above me, had a warmth filling my stomach and a smile curling at the corner of my lips. Deep brown eyes, ones I have dreamed of before. I felt myself falling into those fathomless orbs. "Come along, Elskan. It's time to go home.
I woke up and felt my whole body flinch as I was suddenly brought back to the present. The morning sun shined in through the windows and I let out a soft groan as my body caught up with my mind. I felt that dull ache that made its home in my chest start to flare up as I thought back on those brown eyes I saw in my dreams. My hand aimlessly rubbed at my chest as the ache flared. I knew it would continue to hurt throughout the day, as it usually did after I remembered something from my first life.
My first life is filled with blurry memories that I've been trying to put together since I was twelve. But thats hard to do when all I can remember are blurry faces and muffled voices. It was all a mystery to me, one I wanted to know so badly.
The loud chatter of teens talking filled the hallway as I made my way towards my locker. School was a good distraction and I was actually able to ignore the ache that had flared up in my chest throughout most of the day. My fifth period class rolled around and the class was introduced to the new history teacher. Alaric Saltzman was the school's replacement history teacher after the sudden death of Mr. Tanner. He seemed like a nice enough guy. I only hoped this town didn try and eat him, literally.
"Hey, can we talk real quick?" Elena's voice pulled me from my thoughts as I stood in front of my locker. I turned around and found my sister standing behind me and gave her my full attention. She looked bothered by something.
"Yeah, sure. Whats up?" I asked as I shut my locker.
"I'm sorry about telling Bonnie your secret." Elena started. "That was wrong of me. But I needed to talk to someone and get all this drama off my chest." While I understood where she was coming from, I still felt slightly betrayed that she would tell Bonnie. Then again, I had been keeping this a secret from her for a long time.
"It's fine, Elena." My sister frowned at my words and I did my best to give her a reassuring smile. "Really. It's fine." She still didn't look convinced, but I could see the argument dying her eyes. "I'll see you at home." I didn't like walking away from my sister, but this was no time to be arguing about keeping secrets from one another.
With the school day over, I made my way outside and headed towards the parking lot. As I walked across the asphalt, I noticed a familiar figure leering over Bonnie by her car. I walked closer and heard Damon say something to the teen.
"Don't!" He hissed. "No threats. Look, A, you hurt me last time. B, I wish you no harm. Believe it or not, Bonnie, I wanna protect you. Let me help you get Emily off your back." I paused near the witch and the vampire and titled my head in confusion at Damons words.
"How do you know about her?" I heard Bonnie ask.
"I know a lot of things, and I know more about that crystal than you do, and I know that she's using it to creep inside of you. See how scared you are?" I could see the fear clearly written out on Bonnie's face as Damon spoke to her. "And, you should be, because I will get that crystal, even if I have to wait for Emily to give it to me herself. So, next time she comes out to play, you tell her that a deal's a deal."
"Damon!" I called out the older Salvatore brothers name and walked closer to the two. "Leave her alone." With the vampires attention turned onto me, Bonnie quickly climbed into the safety of her car and drove off. Damon narrowed his eyes at the retreating car before turning back towards me. I narrowed my eyes at him and he rolled his eyes.
"Don't give me that look. I wasn't going to hurt her." Damons words didn't reassure me as I found myself rolling my own eyes at the vampire's attitude.
"Damon, you said that wouldn't hurt anyone else, and threatening Bonnie isn't really helping your reputation." I started walking towards my car and Damon fell into step beside me.
"Ahhh, I see. You're worried about me, aren't you, little sister?" Damon smirked down at me and I let out a sigh.
"I am." I admitted. "I care about you, Damon. But you need to be careful that you don't end up becoming the villain in this story."
"Who says I'm not already the villain?" Damon pointed out with a raised brow.
"I do. I know you're not a bad person, because I know you." I stopped beside my car door and turned to face Damon. "I'm trying really hard to stick up for you Damon. Please, don't make me regret it." Without saying anything else, I climbed into my car and pulled out of the schools parking lot. I wanted to believe that the brother I once knew was still in there. But, Damon really wasn't making this easy for me.
I parked and locked my car in the usual spot before making my way into the woods following the hiking trail. I veered off the dirt trail about twenty minutes into walking and made my way through the trees. My feet knew the way by heart and I relaxed my shoulders as I made my way further and further into the woods. I needed this. I needed time alone and time to gather my thoughts without feeling the presence of so many people around me.
Out here, amongst the trees, I felt free of the pressure of normal teenager life. I took in a deep breath and filled my lungs with fresh air as I caught sight of a familiar bunch of trees with green peeking out between their trunks. A smile curled at my lips as I pushed my way through the tree line and stepped into the clearing of the oak tree that made its home in such a magical place.
I let my bag fall to the ground and sighed in relief as I slumped against the oak tree's trunk and let my body slide down it until I was sitting on the ground. My eyes closed and I leaned my head back so my face was upturned towards the sunlight streaming in through the branches of the oak tree.
There was so much on my mind but, being here, under branches of the large oak tree that has followed me through my life times, it eased the tension I had been feeling inside of my body. It was here that I felt the connection between now and my past lives the strongest. I could feel the pure energy of nature flowing around me as I sat amongst the woods that surrounded Mystic Falls. Not even the ache in my chest could ruin the feeling of peace I felt in this moment. But I knew this wasn't meant to last. I was going to have to return to the real world, even if I didn't want to.
The sun began its descent in the sky only a couple hours after I arrived in the clearing. I knew it would be stupid to stay in the woods after dark, so I forced myself to stand up and grabed my bag before making my way back though the tree line.
When I got back to my car I felt my concerns and worries crash back onto me like a tidal wave. Everything was changing now and I had no idea what to do. The relationship between my sister and I was strained and I knew she was itching to talk to me about it, but I was afraid. I'm afraid to lose her. Elena and I have been close since the day of our birth. But that didn't mean something could rip us apart. She was my family. Jenna and Jermey were my family. I don't want anything to happen to them.
Then there was Damon and Stefan. The memories I have of the brothers were ones I hold close to my heart. They meant the world to me, especially Damon. He had taken on the responsibility of taking care of me after our father brushed me aside. Damon meant everything to me, but would that keep me from hating him if he were to do something drastic? I didn't have an answer for that question, but I had a feeling I was going to need one, and soon.
When I finnlay pulled up in front of the house, the sun had set and the night sky was filled with stars. As I walked up the front porch steps, just before my hand touched the door knob, I heard screams coming from inside of the house. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I quickly pushed open the door.
"Elena!?" I called out my sister's name as I flew into the house. I heard pounding coming from upstairs and I quickly rushed up the steps. When I reached the second floor landing, I found Elena pounding on her bedroom door as Caroline stood off to the side.
"Bonnie! Bonnie! Open the door!" Elenas fist pounded on the door.
"What the Hell happened here?" I asked as I rushed to Elena's side.
"It's Bonnie. Something happened and the door just closed on it's own." Elena quickly began to explain. "It's locked and I cant get it open." I reached out for the doorknob, but before my hand touched the metal, I felt a sudden increase in energy flex around me. I gasped and pulled my hand back as heat flashed through my body.
Before I could say anything, the door finally opened and Elena and I jumped back. Bonnie stood completely still on the other side of the door. She looked unscathed, but I knew something wasn't right.
"What happened? Are you okay?" Elena began to question the teen. I stood still, my eyes never leaving Bonnie's figure as her gaze flicked towards Elena. The air around us grew stiff and I felt my flesh break out in goosebumps.
"I'm fine." The monotone sound of Bonnie's voice had a shiver running down my spine. While it was her voice, it sounded nothing like Bonnie.
Caroline let out an irritated huff. "Unbelievable. You were totally faking it." The blond haired girl stepped up beside me and glared at Bonnie. Elena shook her head at our friends words and stayed close to Bonnie.
"Caroline, come on." Elena begged.
"No! You scared the hell out of me." Caroline snapped back. I took a cautious step towards Bonnie and reached a hand out towards her.
"Bonnie, are you really okay?" I asked her. Bonnie's gaze flickered to me and I felt the air in my lungs get trapped.
"I'm fine. Everything is fine." She answered once again in that monotone filled voice. I knew everything wasn't fine. My heart shot into my throat as I felt the energy around Bonnie shift and flow around the girl. The energy around her didn't feel familiar, because it wasn't her energy.
I watched as Bonnie walked out of the bedroom and started to make her way towards the stairs. Something inside of me told me to keep close and follow after her, so I did. I could hear Caroline complain about this being a terrible prank as I followed Bonnie down stairs.
"Bonnie, wait." Elena called out as she rushed after us.
"I must go." Bonnie, or not Bonnie, answered back.
"If she's leaving then I'm leaving too." I heard Caroline state as I continued to follow closely behind Bonnie.
"You guys can't leave." Elena argued and I heard them following us down the stairs.
"I can. I've had enough freaky fake witch stuff for one night." Caroline argued back and continued down the stairs.
Bonnie reached the front door and looked back at me. "Thank you for having me." She glanced up at Elena who was still on the stairs. "I'll take it from here."
"Where are you going?" Elena asked her.
"Back to where it all began." Bonnie's eyes shifted from Elena and landed on me as she spoke. I felt my heart pick up speed and I wondered just what she meant by that.
"Bonnie!" Elena called out as the dark haired teen opened the front door. "Oh my god. Emily!"
"I won't let him have it. It must be destroyed." I felt my throat close up as, who I couldn now properly call Emily, spoke to me. She opened the door wider and slipped out it, but before it could close, I quickly followed after her.
"Emily." I called out after her as I followed her from the house and into the woods. I remembered her. She was always with Katherine and much like her lady, she had a strange energy about her, and now I understood why. She was a witch, one that was powerful enough to come back from the dead and take over her descendants' body.
The witch said nothing to me as I followed her through the trees. I worried for Bonnie and kept close to Emily as she led me further and further into the woods. Fear bubbled up in my stomach and I hoped I wasn't making a mistake in following after her. But, I had a feeling that I might have jinxed myself.
A/N: Thank you for reading. I really appreciate all the new followers and shout out to everyone who has left a review. If you have any questions feel free to ask them and leave a review.
Stay safe everyone.