Chapter 10: Welcome to the Dead
I hated the fact that this had to happen. I hated that Damon was in pain. I hated that I was upset with him for what he did to Jeremy, and I hated what I was about to tell him. The timing could have been better, but unfortunately I didn't have the convenience to wait for the right moment. Damon had crossed a line last night, and while I knew he was hurting, it was wrong of him to take his pain out on my family. While I blame Katherine for all of Damons pain, I had a bad feeling that I was about to add to it.
The large wooden door of the boarding house stood between me and an emotionally unstable vampire. With a deep breath, I gathered as much courage as I could muster, and pushed open the door. The large house was quiet, but I knew Damon was here somewhere. No doubt drowning his sorrows in some sort of liquor.
I found the vampire I was looking for in the living area. He was nursing a glass of bourbon as he stood looking out the window. His eyes didn't leave the view of the back yard as I walked into the room. "Here to tell me off, little sister." Damon took a long sip of his drink before he finally turned away from the window and looked at me.
"I didn't come here to talk about what you did last night, even though it was a dick move." I muttered the last part and saw a small smirk curl up on Damon's face. "Listen, Damon, I need to tell you something." My words seemed to grab the vampire's interest as he gave me his full attention. "You need to know the truth about what happened that day. The day I died."
A look of confusion passed over Damon's face before a deep frown curled the corners of his lips down ward. "What do you mean, the truth? The townspeople rioted against the vampires that night, you were a casualty, that's it."
"So that's what you think happened." I shook my head as the words slipped from my lips in a quiet whisper.
"Thats what happened, Kather-" His words cut off and I felt my heart sputter in my chest as Damon's face went blank. "That's what she said happened."
I shook my head again. "She lied to you." I said to him "She lied to you, because it was her fault I died. She killed me." I had to remind myself that this was the right thing to do, but as I stood there and watched the look of betrayal on his face turn into pure rage. "I'm sorry." The words just fell from my lips as I apologize for something that wasn't my fault, but I couldn't stand to see the heartbreak on my brother's face.
Damon's eyes snapped up and he pointed at me. "Don't. Don't apologize." His other hand tightened and I heard the glass begin to crack in his grasp. I jumped when Damon suddenly moved and threw the glass tumbler into the fireplace. "She's dead." He growled. "If she ever comes anywhere near you, I'll kill her."
I stood there watching Damon as he processed another betrayal from the woman he thought he loved. I thought back to my life as a Salvatore. My birth had sparked a flurry of rumors throughout the town. People spoke of the baby with white hair and red colored eyes. They thought I was the devil's child, and if it hadn't been for my fathers money and status, I would have been killed right after my birth. Giuseppe had all but disowned me and ignored my existence. It had been Damon who stepped up and took care of me. He protected me, loved me, and I knew hearing that the woman he gave his heart to, someone he trusted, had been the one to kill his little sister must have devastated him.
It's one thing to be betrayed and lied to about being trapped in a tomb for over a hundred years, but it's something else to be told that it was that same woman who killed his little sister. I had been too afraid he would choose her and deny my words, but that was strupid of me. When the memories of my life as Salavaotre came back to me, Damon was the first person I remembered.
"I'm sorry." I muttered once again. Damon sent me another look but I stopped him before he could say anything. "Not because of my death, but because of everything you have to feel because of what she did. She never deserved your love, Damon." The vampire looked away from me. "Just, don't keep going down this path. I don't want you to do something that you'll regret."
There was silence for a moment as the both of us gathered ourselves. I knew Damon knew I was talking about his actions from last night. He nodded his head and I felt the air around us grow less tense. This conversation has not been an easy one and I knew Damon was going to have to deal with the rising turmoil he felt within himself somehow.
I left with only a quiet goodbye and headed off to school. I had only missed my first two classes when I finally showed up. The hallways were filled with students making their way to their next class, as well as teens helping to decorate for the tonights annual carnival.
"There you are! I've been looking for you all morning." I turned around and found Elena, along with Bonnie, walking up to me. My sister held a clipboard close to her chest as approached. "Listen, we need some extra help with setting up for tonight, you mind skipping class and giving us a hand." I couldn't help but quickly glance over at Bonnie who was standing slightly behind my sister. Her gaze was focused on the ground as she refused to look up at me. The Bennett witch and I hadn't spoken to one another since she lied to us about taking the spell off of Johnathan Gilbert's invention.
"Uh, yeah, sure, I don't mind helping out." I sent Elena a small smile as she sighed in relief.
"Great, thank you. They could really use some help setting up the game booths. Jeremys somewhere over there so find him and get him to help out too." I nodded my head at Elena's orders and sent her a parting wave before I headed for the school's exit.
I couldn't help but send Bonnie one last look before I walked away from my sister and the witch. I hated the feeling of distrust that rose up within me when I looked at Bonnie. I had put my trust in her when everything inside of me was telling me not to. I had every right not to put my trust in Bonnie, not after what she did. She went back on her promise and I ended up paying for it. Not only that, but with all the power flowing in and out of Sheila, it ended up being too much and the older witch had died because of it. While I felt no guilt over her death, I still felt empathy for Bonnie, and yet, she still lied to me, to all of us.
I've known Bonnie just as long as Elena has and while the two of us have never been real close, I still considered her a friend. But now I was starting to see something in the girl I hadn't noticed before. Her powers had opened up a world so different from what she once knew and now she had to navigate it with only the help from her ancestors' witchy guide book. So while she may have thought she was doing the right thing, she ended up hurting me in the transaction, and in turn losing any and all trust I once had had in her.
The sun had set and I helped finish up with the game booths. When Jeremy finally showed up just after sunset, I stuck him on game duty so I could wander around and find myself some food. I actually found myself enjoying the night as I watched the people of Mystic Falls enjoy the event. I ended up hitting the jackpot in my search for food and found a booth selling an entire plate of loaded fries.
"Yum, carnival food." I muttered to myself I happily took the plate from the food vendor. I headed back towards the game booths to check up on Jeremy, and if he was lucky I might even share with him. As I walked through the aisles and headed towards the center of the carnival, I felt a change in the air. My feet stuck to the ground as the hair on the back of my neck stood up. There was something in the air, something I had never felt before.
I turned around in a circle and tried to pinpoint where the shift was coming from. People continued to walk past me as I peered through the crowd. Something wasn't right. Something was wrong and there was this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that this feeling was a familiar one. I turned around in another circle before I felt a sudden force ram into the side of me. My plate of fires fell to the ground and I snapped my head to see who had just run into me.
My eyes went wide as the feeling in the air completely surrounded me. "Oh man, I am so sorry." My eyes focused on the person's face and I found myself staring into a pair of light blue eyes. My mouth felt dry as I tried to swallow so I could answer the man without seeming like a total crazy person. .
"Um, it's okay. It was an accident." I offered the older man a small smile, one that he returned with a smile of his own. Something about seeing his teeth sent a shiver down my spine. I felt like I was staring into the eyes of a predator. While I knew for sure that the man wasn't a vampire, the energy that filled the air around us was still filled with something that sparked with danger. I knew it was a long shot, but the energy surrounding the stranger was one that reminded me of an animal. An animal with a lot of teeth.
"Well, accident or not, at least let me replace your food." He sent me another charming smile and I had to force myself to keep my own smile on my face. The stranger definitely had a sense of charm around him. He was well built and had a mop of brown curls on the top of head that gave him a more boyish look to his large figure.
"Oh no, it's fine, I promise. I was pretty much done with them anyway." I waved my hands slightly and took a step back. The air was slightly suffocating being so close to him. The stranger shook his head and glanced down at the ruined food before looking back up at me.
"I really am sorry about that. I should have been watching where I was going." I shook my head at his words.
"Honestly, it's okay." I took another step back. "Anyway, I should, um, go. Bye." I sent him a small wave before quickly walking around him. I did my best to give him a large berth as I left. I was suddenly startled when a hand shot out and grabbed a hold of my wrist. I gasped and pulled back before looking up at the stranger. Our eyes met and he took in a deep breath through his nose and looked down at me in confusion.
Fear filled my stomach, but I did well to hide it. I cleared my throat and tugged on my wrist. "Um, is everything alright?" The man shook his head before finally letting go of my wrist. He sent me another smile.
"Sorry about that." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "See you around." With one last smile he turned and walked away. I found myself frozen in place for a moment as my other hand rubbed at my wrist. Clearly there was something off about the man and from the way the air around him shifted, he wasn't entirely normal.
I started making my way toward the parking lot as I pulled out my cell phone. I decided my best bet was to call Damon and let him know what had just happened. I glanced up from my phone quickly to watch where I was going, but something caught my eye that had me slowing down. Caroline was making her way towards me and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the blond haired girl, because of course she would pull something like this and figure out away to get released from the hospital early.
"Caroline, what are you doing here?" She sent me a sheepish smile as she made her way closer to where I was standing. As she approached, I felt the air between us grow dense. I frowned and titled my head as I glanced around us, but there was no sign of the town's resident vampires anywhere near us. Then my eyes went back to Caroline as she stood in front of me. The smile on her face fell a little and I felt my entire body go stiff.
"Serena, are you alright?" Her voice sounded slightly muffled as Caroline spoke. My eyes ran up and down her as I tried to put all the pieces together. I knew what this all meant, but I couldn't get my mind to actually say the words in my head. This wasn't right, this wasn't supposed to happen, not to her.
"Oh my God." The words came out of mouth in a gasp as my hand flew up to cover my mouth. "Who- How did this happen? Caroline, who did this to you?" The dark predatory energy that came wafting off the teenager girl sent my stomach rolling. The air was filled with a familiar hunger that I felt when I was near Damon and Stefan. Carolines eyes went wide and she took a step away from me.
"I, uh, I have to go." Caroline was gone before I could even blink and I found myself staring at the spot she once stood in with my hand now reaching out toward her. No, no, this couldn't be happening, not to her. My hands fell to my sides as I took in a deep breath. My fingers clenched and I felt an angry heat fill my body. I was enraged that someone would do this to her. But I also felt heartbroken for Caroline. What she must be feeling, it was something I knew she wasn't going to have an easy time dealing with. I had to find her.
Without giving it a second thought, I hurried off after her. I searched the carnival for any sign of her until I felt a familiar energy when I made my to the edge of the parking lot. I came to a stop in the dark parking lot and felt my chest tighten as Caroline sat on the edge of a flatbed truck. She was sobbing into her hands and I immediately knew why. There was a man lying dead beside her on the truck bed.
"Oh, Caroline." As gently as I could, I approached the girl and pried her hands away from her bloody face so I could look her in the eye. "It's not your fault, Caroline. None of this is your fault." Sobs tore through her lips. She moved off the truck bed and wrapped her arms around me. I held the crying newborn vampire close. I knew deep down that she wouldn't hurt me and I knew she desperately needed this. She needed someone to be on her side when it felt like the entire world was against her.
"Serena." I looked up and saw Damon standing in the dark as I held Caroline close. The vampire in my arms rubbed at her eyes before pulling away and truing around to face the older Salvatore. Damon's eyes shifted away from the two of us when he spotted the dead body still laying on the bed of the truck.
"I killed him." Caroline croaked out as more tears gathered in her eyes. I could practically feel the despair Caroline was feeling over taking the stranger's life.
Damon raised a steady hand. "Hey, hey it's okay. I can help you." The vampire took a cautious step forward and for the first time I noticed that his other hand was hidden behind him. I felt my eyes narrow at the missing appendage before looking back up at Damon's face.
"You can?" Caroline asked with a hopeful tone. I felt my stomach tighten when Damon took another step forward.
"Yeah, I have to." Damon's voice dropped the fake tone as he showed what he was hiding in his other hand. I sent the vampire a glare before angling myself so I slightly shielding Caroline. I felt my jaw at the same time Damon's hand tightened around the wooden stake in his hand.
"What are you going to do?" Carolines voice cracked as she spoke and I knew she had also taken notice of the stake in Damons hand.
"The only thing I can do." Damon started. "I'm gonna kill you."
"No." I finally spoke up and ended the conversion between Caroline and Damon. "You're not going to touch her." I announced. Damon sent me a look and I met his glare with one of my own. "No, Damon. She didn't ask for this! She needs our help, not a death sentence!"
"I don't want to die." Caroline choked out from behind me. Damon didn't look convinced by my words as she shook his head. I pushed Caroline back as the vampire in front of us took another step closer.
"Serena, she's already dead." Damon argued. "She's going to be a liability if she isn't put down before it's too late." Damon gestured to the dead man on the bed of the truck. "She's already killed someone."
I scoffed at his argument; like he was one to talk. "That's really cheap coming from you, Damon. You've killed more than your fair share of people." I countered. "She's a vampire, nature for her has shifted. She needs help."
I was begging at this point, but I could see it in Damon's eyes, he was convinced that the only way to fix this was to kill Caroline. But I wasn't going to let that happen. Caroline wasn't like Vikki, and I wasn't about to let her become another dead body to be buried in Mystic Falls. She deserved a fight chance, and I was going to make sure of it.
"It's the only way." Damon said. I shook my head and held my ground. I didn't have a whole lot of hope that I could take on Damon. I had no real grasp on what I was capable of, but I'd be damned if I didn't try to protect my friend. Before Damon could make a move, Stefan suddenly appeared and stood in front of Caroline and I. I couldn't help but let my shoulders slump in relief at seeing the younger Salvatore brother show up.
I kept my guard up as Elena rushed onto the scene. Her eyes found mine before she glanced behind me at Caroline. Before Elena could even open her mouth to say anything, I felt the energy behind me grow tense as Caroline clung onto my arm in apanic. "Get away from me! You killed me!" The air in my lungs came out in a startled gasp as I processed what Carolines words ment.
"Caroline, it's okay. It's only Elena." I turned around and gripped at the teens shoulders, forcing her to look at me. "It's Elena, your friend. I promise you, she isn't going to hurt you." Carolines eyes were filled with a wild fear as she tried to regain her panic.
"It wasn't me. You know that." Elena tried to reassure the newly made vampire, but I could tell Caroline was still struggling to understand what was happening. "It was Katherine, not me."
Caroline shook her head before looking up at Elena in fear and anger. "No!" She shouted as she took a step back. "Then why did she look like you?! And why, why did she do this to me?!" Heart wrenching sobs broke through Carolines throat and she collapsed back into my arms as a wave of unfiltered emotion rose up within her. I felt my heart breaking in my chest as I held the blonde girl close.
A hand on my shoulder pulled me from the despair Caroline was feeling and I looked up at Stefan. "We need to get her inside. Away from any prying eyes." He said and I nodded my head in agreement. We needed to get Caroline somewhere she felt safe and comfortable, somewhere we could explain to her what was happening without anyone accidentally stumbling onto us. "She's going to need time and guidance." Stefan looked at the crying girl and carefully placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before prying softly pulling her off of me. "It's alright, Caroline. Come with me."
Caroline sniffled and slowly backed away from me and allowed Stefan to pull her closer to his side. I nodded my head at her in encouragement and she allowed the vampire to pull her closer.
"She will die. It's only a matter of time." Damon pointed out. I turned away from Stefan and Caroline, to look at Damon.
"You're right." I started. "All things must die, even vampires. But her time could be years from now, or less. But right now, tonight, she's alive, and I'm going to make sure she stays that way." All things must die, that was the balance that kept the world in working order, and while vampires were ever living beings who had very little weaknesses, they could still die, making them a part of the balance. "It's not going to happen tonight, Damon"
Damon's fist clenched. "Oh, yeah, it is." I watched with wide eyes as Damon gripped the stake in his hand tighter and made a move to strike, but before he could make his way across the parking lot, Elena stood in his path.
"She's my friend, Damon." Elena argued as she stared the vampire down. Damon locked eyes with my sister and I could see the conflict rise up within him. I felt nervous for a moment as the two stared one another down. I knew Damon wasn't willing to push Elean any further away then he already had. So I felt relieved when the older vampire lowered the stake in his hand.
"Caroline?" All of us turned to see Bonnie walking up. I felt a sense of dread rise up inside of me as I watched the witch walk up. There was no mistaking the bad blood Bonnie had when it came to the undead, and the last thing I wanted was for her to make Caroline feel worse than she already felt.
Caroline and Bonnie stared at one another and I felt the tension begin to rise. "It's okay. Come on, let's go." I was grateful for Stefan in that moment as he tugged on Caroline and steered her away from the witch.
But before Caroline could turn and follow Stefan, Bonnie spoke up, "No, you're not, you can't be." The Bennett witch shook her head as she stared at Caroline in shock and disbelief. It was clear that the witch knew what was going on and could feel the change in Caroline, just as I had.
"Bonnie?" Caroline watched as the witch took in the scene and I felt my chest tighten as the witch saw the unmoving body laying still on the truck bed.
"Oh God." Bonnie gasped and held a hand to her mouth as she stared at Caroline in disbelief. Before things couldescalte, I quickly sent Stefan a look, and without saying anything, the older vampire led Caroline away. I stayed behind and set my gaze upon Bonnie.
"Caroline isn't a monster." I stated. I looked away from Bonnie and glanced at Damon. "She's a teenage girl who just had her future ripped away from her. She needs her friends now more than ever, and if you can't be there for her, then don't." I looked directly at Bonnie and the witch held my gaze. With that said I turned away from them and sent Elena a softer look before following after Stefan and Caroline. I found the two in the public bathroom near the football field. The new vampire was now cleaned up somewhat and looked more at ease.
Caroline and I held one another gaze for a moment before I offered her the best reassuring smile that I could. "Come on, I'll give you a ride home." The new born vampire silently agreed and headed for the bathroom exit. I said nothing to Stefan but I did give him a thankful smile as I followed Caroline out.
The car ride to the Forbes residence was a quiet one. I could tell there were a million things Caroline wanted to ask, but the newly turned vampire stayed quiet. Guilt was eating away at me as I drove further and further away from the school. I could only imagine the pain and confusion Caroline was going through, I mean, she killed someone tonight and taking someone's life was never something I ever imagined crossing Carolines mind. But that wasn't the case, at least not anymore. Being a vampire ment the constant need to feed, and unfortunately with a vampire's diet, that ment running the chance of taking someone's life.
I was relieved to see that no one was home when we arrived at Caroline's house. The thought of running into Sheriff Forbes right now wasn't something I wanted to dwell on. Caroline took a shower and before crawling into bed and curling up under the warmth of her covers. I sat quietly on the edge of the bed and waited for her to say something.
"Why aren't you afraid of me? I'm a monster." Her voice came out in a quiet whisper and I felt my heart clench at the broken tone of her voice. I moved closer to Carolines head and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. I hated that she called herself a monster, but I could only imagine what she was feeling after what happened tonight.
"Caroline, you're not a monster." I wanted my words to reassure her, but I could tell that statement was one that was going to take some time for her. "I know all this must be scary, but I promise you, you're not alone. I'm going to help you, as much as I can."
Tears slipped out of Caroline's eyes and I carefully moved so the girl could rest her head on my lap. I felt lost as Caroline sobbed. This wasn't something I was used to dealing with. Caroline was the strongest person I knew and nothing had ever fazed her. But this, being turned into a vampire, it was life changing.
"I am so sorry, Caroline." I whispered softly as the vampire cried. "I'm sorry this happened to you." She let out another sob before rubbing at her eyes and sitting up.
"I don't understand why this happened, why did she do this to me?" Caroline stuttered out. A deep frown curled at my lips and I shook my head.
"Katherine had never been one to show anyone any amount of kindness when it comes to getting what she wants. She did this to send us all a message, to let us know that she's near." I hated the fact that Katherine had done this to Caroline. I had tricked myself into believing that the vampire who killed me could never hurt me again, but it seems that I was wrong. "Katherines manipulative and she'll do whatever it takes to get what she wants."
"Why do you know so much about her? And why does she look exactly like Elena?" The questions were now rolling off of Carolines tongue as her sobs subsided.
I couldn't help but give her a sad smile as I thought about how to best answer her questions. "There's a lot I have to tell you, are you sure you're up for it tonight?" There was a pause before Caroline nodded her head. "Okay." So I told her. I started with Damon and Stefan being vampires and how Stefan only drinks from animals. I also told her about Bonnie and the tomb as well as what happened on the night of the Founders Day parade. She sat there quietly as I told her what's been happening behind the scenes of Mystic Falls.
When I got to the device, Caroline finally spoke up. "But why did the device affect you? Wasn't it made to hurt vampires?"
"Well, we think the invention was made to incapacitate all supernatural creatures, not just vampires." Caroline raised a perfectly blonde brow at my words. I could see the questions forming in her head as she tried to understand what I meant. "Caroline, I know this is alot to take in, but I don't want you to be blind sided by anything that may come to light after tonight." I wanted to tell her everything about me, but I also didn't want to overwhelm her. "I've always been different from everyone else, you know this. But those differences run deeper then just my looks. Care, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I need you to understand. I'm not exactly human."
Carolnes eyes narrowed in confusion. "What do you mean? What are you then?" She asked in a soft voice.
"I don't know." I answered honestly. "I've spent my entire life trying to understand what I am. I can do things no normal human can do. I feel things differently. I can feel you, feel how you're no longer human." Caroline cringed slightly, but I kept talking. "I have this connection with nature, one that I can feel deep in my bones. It's hard for me to explain, but I can feel things. I can feel you in the room right beside me. And for whatever reason, after dying in a previous life, I keep coming back."
It was almost comical the way Carolines jaw dropped at the bomb I had just dropped on her. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she finally swallowed and said something. "What?" She croaked out.
"It's true." I said with a soft smile. "I wasn't alway a Gilbert. Before Elena and I were born, I lived a very different life as Serena Salvatore. I was the younger sister to Damon and Stefan, back when they were human." I looked down at my handt with a thoughtful look as I continued to tell Caroline my story. "I died in 1864. But you know what's even crazier than that?" I looked up at the shocked teen. "That wasn't even the first time I had been reborn and died. This is my fourth life now, and I still don't have any answers as to why this is happening." I didn't want to overwhelm Caroline with everything I was saying, but I couldn't help but feel a weight lift itself off my shoulders as I spoke. It felt good to finally say all this aloud.
"Oh my God." Caroline rushed out as she took in my story. "Serena, I, this- it's so…" I shook my head.
"Relax, Care. It's okay, you don't have to think too hard on it all." I did my best to give her a reassuring smile and gently patted her on the hand. "Just focus on yourself right now, my problems are mine to figure out." Caroline frowned at my words, but she stayed quiet on the matter. "Get some rest, okay." I stood up from the bed and before I could walk away, Caroline spoke up.
"What about Katherine?" She asked. "Who is she?"
I stood beside the bed as I thought about the best way to answer her. "Katherine is the one who changed Damon and Stefan. She used the two of them in her own twisted game. She, um, she's also the one who killed me in my last life, before she turned Damon and Stefan into vampires."
"What?!" Caroline excalined suddenly. "Why? I mean, why would she kill you?"
"That's something I'm hoping to find out." Another question to the ever growing questions that filled my head. "Get some rest, Caroline." The teen readjusted herself in her bed and laid down.
"Thank you, Serena." She spoke softly and I gave her a small smile before turning away and leaving the Forbes house. As I walked to my car my shoulders regained the heavyweight that dragged me down with it's concerns and questions. Caroline was a strong and determined girl, and I could only hope she didn't let being a vampire drag her down. But then again, if anyone could handle becoming a vampire, with their heads held up high, it was Caroline Forbes.
The next morning, after a less than restful sleep, I found myself being dragged out of bed by Elena. She said something about asking Alaric about Isobels research on Mystic Falls as she drove to the boarding house. I followed my sister inside and made myself cozy on the couch as the two vampires and my sister waited for the history teacher to show up.
"Thanks for coming, Ric." Damon greeted Alaric as he walked into the living room of the boarding house. "Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, bourbon? Bourbon in your coffee?"
Alaric glanced around the room where we all sat. I was seated across from Elena and Stefan on the couch closest to the fireplace. "Elena mentioned you needed my help." Were Alaric's only words to the vampire as he ignored Damon's drink offer.
"We were hoping you could help shed some light on the Lockwoods," Stefan answered. I raised a brow at the younger Salvatore brother.
"The Lockwoods?" I asked and Stefan nodded his head. With everything going on, I had forgotten about the strange circumstances of Mayor Lockwoods death and the accident Tyler had caused when John used the device on the night of the Founders Day parade.
"Alright then, now why would I know anything about the Lockwoods?" Alaric asked.
"You wouldn't." Damon spoke up and we all turned our heads to look at the vampire. "But your dead, not-dead vampire wife might."
"Isobels research from when you guys were at Duke together." Elena explained.
"You said that she had spent years researching this town." Stefan added and my eyes shifted over the history teacher.
"Isobels research here in Mystic Falls was rooted in folklore and legends, but at the time I thought much of which was fiction." Alaric admitted and I couldn't help but smirk a little at that, considering that was no longer the case.
"Like that amazing vampire story." Damon brought up.
"Aside from vampires, what else?" Elena asked. That seemed to be the questions on everyone's mind as we looked at the history teacher.
Alaric let out a sigh and the next words out of his mouth had me sitting up a little straighter, "The lycanthrope." It was silent for a moment as we all took in the word.
"Werewolves." I muttered out and everyone shifted at the implications of what this could all mean.
"No way, impossible, way to Lon Chaney." Damon spoke up and I glanced back at him with a frown pulling down at the corners of my lips. While Damon didn't seem to believe in the possibility of werewolves, something inside of me told me that werewolves were only the start of what else was out there in the world.
I turned back around and crossed my arms over my chest. "I don't think it's really that far off. I mean, if vampires are real, what else could be out there?"
"I've been on this planet one hundred and sixty odd years, never came across one." Damon pointed out as he walked around the couch and stood near where I was sitting. "If werewolves exist, where the hell are they?"
"Why do you suspect the Lockwoods anyway?" Alaric asked. Damon leaned his hip against the arm of the couch and took a drink from the glass tumblr in his hand.
"Because vervain did not affect the mayor at Founders day, but the Gilbert device did and it affected his son Tyler." Damon explained for the history teacher.
"And at the school carnival his uncle Mason exhibited inhuman behavior when he fought with one of the carnivals workers." Stefan added. I looked over at Stefan and uncurled my arm from around my chest.
"Wait, what did Mason look like?" The memory from last itched at the back of my mind as I leaned forward. Stefan and I locked eyes and the vampire sent me a curious look.
"Tall, blond curly hair, and blue eyes." As he described Tyler's uncle I felt my blood run cold.
"I ran into him last night, at the carnival. There was something different about him, something that put me on edge." I started to explain as I looked around at the other faces in the room. "His energy, it wasn't like a normal humans, it wasn't anything I can remember ever feeling before."
"What about Tyler? Have you noticed anything weird about him?" Alaric asked and I shook my head at the question.
"No, I've never felt anything off about Tyler." I answered. "We don't have all the information, but I have a good feeling there's something definitely going on with Mason. I just don't think we have enough proof to call him a werewolf."
"We're hoping that Isobels research could help us figure out what we're looking for." Elena said as her eyes sought out Alaric.
Alaric, in turn, let out a sigh. "Well, all her things are still at Duke. I mean her office is still there. She's technically still missing."
"So can we get access to it?" Damon asked the history teacher and Alaric stayed quiet. "Ric, we need to know what we are dealing with. If this wolfman thing is true, I've seen enough movies to know it's not good. It means Mason Lockwood, is a real-life Lon Chaney and that little Tyler punk may just very well be Lon Chaney junior, which means Bella Lugosi, meaning me, is totally screwed."
"We know Mason isnt human." I pointed out. "We just need proof that he's actually a werewolf and not something else entirely."
The others looked at me and took in my words. They knew I was right. Because if werewolves were real, what else was out there? What else did Isobel discover in her search for answers? We were going to need to find out and a part of me hoped that when we did go looking for answers, I would find my own, waiting for me to uncover them.
A/N: Its Monday! Like always, thank you for all the support and shout out to all the new followers. Also this story just reached 100 followers this week, so yay!
I'm feeling real good about the next few chapters to come and if anyone had any questions or comments, feel free to leave a review and thank you so much for reading this story.
Post days will continue to be on Monday.
Stay safe everyone.