CHAPTER FIVE
Hi everyone. This is chapter five for you. Let me just forewarn you that there will be some Elena bashing. Oh and also Stefan. I personally don't like the two characters. Also everything about what Carter is will be revealed bit my bit in the coming chapters.
(CHAPTER SONG: RADIOACTIVE BY IMAGINE DRAGONS)
A FRESH START HAS NEVER HURT ANYONE.
A wise man once said that dealing with a problem is a lot wiser than running from it. Then you'll realise that it wasn't all that bad. But what if 'dealing' wasn't an option? What if you already know how bad the problem is? And what if dealing with it brought more harm than good? What if it's insolvable, what then?
Those were the questions no ancient genius bothered asking. It was easy to dish out quotes but never decent answers.
Carter sighed in frustration as yet another car filled in the slot she set her sight on. This has been going on for a good twenty minutes. Every time she spotted an empty slot, another car occupied it.
She never thought that a small, off-the-raider town's college would be this full. In all honesty she imagined it to be close to empty with a few students here and there, nothing like this madness.
She sighed for the millionth time and muttered a few curses loud. Normally she would scold herself for such vulgar attitude but she couldn't bother with such trivial matters today. She had other problems.
Her head pounded due to lack of sleep and the enormity stress was feeling lately. She was certain she would get sick very soon.
After driving around for another five minutes, she found an empty spot and didn't waste another second before parking her car.
With a sigh of relief Carter exited her mini-cooper and withdrew a basket containing some of her clothes and toiletries and slammed the door shut.
Walking up to the building, she stopped just outside the campus' main entrance. She looked at the billboard that read 'Whitmore College campus' and wondered if she had made the right choice.
The past summer was more difficult on her than ever. After discovering the mark on her arm, strange unnatural things started happening to her. She was constantly on edge, constantly in a bad mood. Her body temperature was awfully high and she often had nosebleeds; something she never had before.
All of that was bearable compared to what she felt when she got mad. Her head pounds, eyes burn like they've been exposed to blazing fire and her vision shakes like it was hit by an earthquake. Sleeping at night became a luxury she could not afford and not to mention she had to look over her shoulder at all times.
There was only one reason Carter chose to attend college in this scanty town; it barely existed. It was located in central Virginia with a population of 6, 923 people. It was small and drew in very little attention which was what she needed. They wouldn't come looking for her here.
Technically Whitmore College was located just outside Mystic Falls although that doesn't make any difference, it's still considered to be part of the small town.
Taking one last glance at the exterior of the campus, Carter gracefully walked into the dorm, double checking her room number. She's supposed to be residing in room 28 with two other roommates. She wasn't happy about that but there's nothing she could do because she was two weeks too late.
Tightening her grip on the basket, Carter lifted her left hand and knocked on the door before opening it. She poked her head in to see if anyone was in, then spotted a blond girl standing by one of the beds.
She opened the door wider and fully stepped into the room.
"Who are you?" asked the blond girl rather rudely. She was tall, a little taller than Carter herself, with shoulder length blond hair and a pale skin colour much similar to Carter's. Her eyes were the colour of the sea compared to Carter's crystal icy blue ones. She was pretty in a blond way, still lacking that one essence that would render her truly beautiful.
Carter frowned at her up-front rudeness. She didn't quite appreciate it. "Your new roommate." She moved further into the room examining the two other beds in the room. One was made while the other bore no covers, clearly indicating that that would be hers.
She dropped her basket on it and turned her attention back to the blond girls.
"I wasn't aware we were getting a new roommate." The girl said. She was eyeing Carter sceptically, her sea-blue eyes sizing her up. Her expression was that of a detective eyeing a suspect.
"I'm sure you're aware now. If you'll excuse me, I have some unloading to do." She wasn't about to enter into some petty confrontation with a blond who is clearly fond of drama. She had bigger problems to worry about. The last thing she needed was girl drama.
Opening the boot of her car, Carter withdrew a large, heavy suitcase. It landed on the ground with a thud. She sighed and attempted to load out the other one, a smaller, but failed. Groaning loudly, Carter slammed the boot shut and started dragging the large suitcase all the way to the dorm.
It was heavy and with her lack of energy, she struggled to pull it but she didn't stop. She was determined to get it into her dorm room.
However when she reached the stairs she realised that she couldn't carry it up all by herself. She definitely needed help. She sighed in raw frustration as she let go of the suitcase and kicked it. Great! She thought.
In an attempt to calm down, Carter sat down on the steps, taking deep breaths. As of late her temper became horrid and she often lost it in the span of five seconds over trivial matters. She was always on edge, like the slightest prick and she would explode.
But that is what she was afraid of; exploding because she loses all control and Carter hates that. She hates not being in control.
"Need some help there?" She was snapped out of her musing at the sound of another voice. She stood up and looked at the figure before her.
It was a young boy, around her age or maybe a year or two older. He had sleepy eyes and a sad mouth.
"Yea actually I do need help carrying this dastardly suitcase up the stairs. Think you can help me?" she asked politely or at least what she thought was polite.
The boy nodded immediately and reached down for her suitcase. "Sure."
She murmured a 'thank you' before following up the stairs. Once he was done climbing, she quickly took it from him, saying that she could take it from there.
"Thank you…?" she drawled.
"Aaron." He quickly filled in. Carter gave him a charming smile.
"I'm Carter." She introduced herself for the first time since she arrived here.
Opening the door once again, Carter wasn't surprised to see the blond girl still in the room. She ignored her presence though and started unpacking boxes and suitcases.
She was lucky she arrived on a Friday afternoon because she would die if she had classes the next day.
Unpacking proved to be a hell of a job and her excessive collection of novels only worsened things. By the time she was done, she felt like an empty battery in desperate need of a boost.
She collapsed onto her bed and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. She was extremely hungry and exhausted beyond imagination. She wanted to get out and eat but she was just too tired to move a muscle so she fell into oblivion for the first time in four days.
Darkness plagued the night with the crescent moon serving as the only light.
It was cold and snowy. There were trees all over the place and not a single building in sight. The night was silent except for the occasional whoosh of the winter wind.
Then chanting began and the night was silent no more. It began slowly and softly but with each passing second, it gained speed and volume. The voices were loud, piercing the winter air.
The chanting just got louder and louder.
"Keep going!" shouted a familiar female voice.
And with that command the chanting got louder and stronger. Although the voices were heard, there was no sight of a single being, only trees.
As abruptly as it began, the chanting stopped. Pin drop silence fell over the forest.
"What is it? What have you seen Silar?" again it was that very same female voice. There was a pregnant pause before another voice was heard.
This time it was a man who spoke.
"It is what I didn't see Mistress. I am sorry to tell you this but there is something cloaking the girl. Something I cannot identify."