The girl walked through the ball, her crimson dress matching her mask perfectly. Only the dim light of candles illuminated the magnificent ballroom. Columns supported the circular dome roof, and the marble floor echoed the footsteps of those dancing. She watched the jestures juggle knives or even fire, and the dancers synchronized movements with their partners.
"A penny for your thoughts?" she heard him ask from behind her.
Elena rolled her eyes before turning to see Stefan, the man she had once been so certain she loved. He had always been so simple. There was a time when she thought he was what she needed. The girl forced herself to smile at him, not wanting to break his heart. His genuine grin planted regret in her mind. She had no idea how to tell him what she wanted, but then again, she herelf had no idea.
"I'm simply watching, Stefan," she said coldly, with no possible sign of affection in her words.
"I see," he replied, pain obvious through his words, "Would you like something to drink?"
"Yes," the girl answered quickly, wanting to get him as far away from her as quickly as she could.
"I'll be back," he nodded, walking away with his hands folded behind his back.
Elena sighed, wondering why she had forced herself to continue to lie to him. A timid part of her mind finally gathered the courage to decide she would tell Stefan how she truly felt, how she no longer loved him the way he loved her. She searched for him at the counter, seeing the bowl of fruit punch but Stefan was nowhere to be seen.
The girl's voice rose in her throat, about to call his name. She felt arms slowly slither around her waist, shivering at their chilled temperature. They pressed her against the body of the stranger standing behind her, but that was no stranger. She closed her eyes, leaning her head against the shoulder covered by the familiar black cloak.
She was pulled into a darker area of the ballroom, barely visible to others through the shadows. Angelic lips pressed against her neck, the kisses like whispers against her skin. Their bodies swayed to the music that streamed from the piano.
"My Angel," she breathed into the darkness.
"Ma cherie," the woman whispered into her ear, sending shudders down the girl's spine. "You look delicious."
Elena sank further into Katherine's embrace, feeling the warm breath of the dark temptress on her neck. The dark cloak wrapped around her, pulling her further into the darkness. It was futile to resist the temptation, futile to resist the seduction, futile to resist the urge.
Her Angel's chilled finger lightly traced her collarbone, slowly and teasingly moving towards her neck. The girl leant into the touch, desperate for more, as she felt Katherine's finger slither across her once drumming artery. She arched her back as the other woman's hand pressed tenderly on the pressure point in her back. A moan passed her lips as she rested her head on Katherine's shoulder.
"Katherine," she sighed, pulling away to be able to take in Katherine's beauty. The cloak covered her usual black attire, and the white mask still covered half her face. Elena knew the mask was there for good reason.
"I must get back to the party," the girl felt further need to explain as her Angel's red lips crawled slowly into a pout, "There are people expecting me."
The woman sighed, "One day I will finish what I have started."
Red creeped to Elena's cheeks, knowing exactly what the dark temptress had in mind. She opened her mouth to respond but her Angel had disappeared. A sigh of relief came from her throat as she walked back into the dim light to meet Stefan.
The girl knew what she had to do. She refused to continue lying to him, using him as an excuse for her behavior. She had to tell him, all of them. Something stopped her, a nagging in her chest, a pull that could not be ignored.
"I finally have your drink," Stefan said, handing her the small plastic cup. She allowed a small smile to show her appreciation.
As she brought the cup to her lips, Stefan put an arm around her shoulders. How she repulsed it. The girl wished she could have thrown him off of her, but the nagging in her chest forced her to remain still. After several swallows of the fruit punch she felt something stir. Elena was certain it was something in her stomach, but as she looked to the ceiling she saw the crystal chandelier tremble.
Soon everyone gathered in the ballroom had turned their heads up to stare. A clicking noise caught everyone's attention. They turned and saw the doors shut and lock along with all the windows. The candlelight began to flicker and for a brief moment the ballroom was consumed by darkness.
"Did I not instruct you to stay away from her?" a voice boomed from the shadows before the flicker of flames illuminated the room yet again.
Only after hearing the voice did the girl realize what was happeneing. As the realization dawned her eyes widened with fear.
"No," she whispered, "It's her. I know it's her."
"Who, Elena?" Stefan asked, having heard her whisper.
She backed herself into a corner, the very corner she had last been with her Angel. The voice that reverberated through the ballroom could only belong to one person: Katherine. Elena knew what had happened. She remembered the note sent to Stefan. It had clearly instructed to leave Elena alone, but they did not listen. Now the party guests also had to pay the price.
Some screamed. Some tried to open the doors or windows. Some stood huddled in the center of the room, praying to escape. Elena sat against the wall in the shadows, watching everything take place. She saw Stefan trying to calm people down, telling them it would be all right. The girl knew better, though she had never seen Katherine's true rage, she knew this was close.
The room shook again, causing more screams from party guests. Crystals from the chandelier jingled above their heads, candle flames flickered, and people panicked. Elena could only sit, huddled in the corner, to afraid to do anything to deny her Angel.
"Elena," Stefan said, kneeling down beside her, "What is going on? Do you know what is causing this?"
"I can't."
"Why? What is going-"
"Stefan, I can't!" Elena yelled. For a moment she stared into his eyes, and felt a piece of her heart torn away when he turned his back on her to walk over to the group of people huddled in the center of the room. She did not understand, how could he turn his back on her for complete strangers?
The room shook one final time; it shook harder than it had before. The quake sent everyone tumbling to the floor. The crystal chandelier broke from the ceiling before anyone had time to stand.
"No!" she heard Stefan yell before the crash came.
Crystal fragments flew around the room. They ended on the floor, injuring people, or protruding from the walls. In the center of the room lay a crumpled heap of what used to be something beautiful. The gold metal frame of the chandelier had been cracked, bent, and broken from the impact of the fall, but more had been destroyed than the chandelier.
Those who had huddled in the center of the room, those who had trembled in fear, had been crushed. Blood had stained the once white marble floor. She watched as Stefan stood, standing ten feet away from the wreckage. The girl saw the grief and pain in Stefan's eyes as he turned to look at her. For this, she stood. Elena walked to him, but made certain not to stand so close.
Elena stared at the bodies. She stared at the bones jutting from flesh and the eyes that held life that were now pale and empty. Putting a hand over her mouth covered her gasps and small sobs. They were people with families and others who loved them. It was cruel.
The flames suddenly snuffed out, and in the few seconds people had to begin their screams they returned, but there was something new in the room. Someone stood by the chandelier in front of the bodies, glaring at Stefan: Katherine. The girl's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the anger in her Angel's eyes. She wished she could calm the woman down, but she couldn't, not in a public place.
"You will curse the day you did not do all the Phantom asked of you!" Katherine yelled. The candles snuffed out and in a matter of seconds reappeared, but the dark temptress was gone.
She stared at the spot where Katherine stood. There was more to come, she was sure of it. Elena knew what she had to do, but something in her heart stopped her from doing so. Before the woman left Elena had seen something. She saw her glaring at Stefan, but just before she left Katherine sent a look Elena's way. A look that clearly stated:
You're mine.