Um, short chapter, but meh.

It was Monday and Elena was still at the boarding house. Her phone had long since run out of battery and her family and friends were probably fretting about where she'd got to. Or they'd better be, she grumbled to herself. If they were busy having fun while she was stuck in this gloomy hell hole then she was going to disown them. Huffing she blew a strand of long hair off her face. Loud music thumped through the floor and was giving her a headache. Her present housemates were having a party between the two of them. Zach had seemingly vanished. She hadn't seen him since the night she arrived. Well at least someone had managed to escape. She kind of wished he'd offered her a lift or a tow to the nearest civilisation though.

There was a brief pause between songs and Elena used it to sigh before the next track came on, blaring at full volume. She didn't dare venture downstairs. When she had gone down to get a meal she had seen a lot more of Caroline than she bargained for, as she and Damon 'danced' around the living room, hence Elena's self-inflicted isolation. However she had snagged a beer to make the day more bearable. She took a loud slurp from the bottle, not bothering with manners since she was well and truly alone. Nothing like being a third wheel to highlight loneliness.

Apparently the house didn't have a landline. Bullshit. Elena stretched out across the double bed with a yawn. How did Damon arrange for groceries to be delivered if he didn't have a phone? Landline or cell, he could, no, should, have offered to call a mechanic. Caroline also didn't have her phone with her, which struck Elena as odd, seeing how Care seemed to be such a social butterfly. It must be killing her to be so isolated. Mind you, she seemed to be connecting pretty well with a certain lady-killer. Either way, Caroline was screwed. Elena gave a dark chuckle that turned into a snort. Maybe she'd had enough beer for now. Knowing Damon it would probably be triple strength stuff.

She felt like pounding the walls with her fists. Boredom had set in days ago and she was this close to losing her mind. Just the sight of the floral wallpaper she had initially liked now made her want to vomit. It felt like she could probably leave and in forty years time replicate the exact same pattern to perfection. Oh, how she wanted to leave. At this point she would happily resort to Grand Theft Auto and hijack Damon's car. She had seen the car sitting outside the garage yesterday so she knew one existed. From the looks of it Damon looked after his car(s?) and she was willing to bet that it would have a full tank of gas just waiting to power the path to freedom.

Sod it. She would give it a try whilst Damon was otherwise occupied. For once Elena was happy to support the objectification of women. The feminist inside her let out a baleful howl. Note to self: burn bra as penance for betrayal of beliefs. She took another quick glug of the bitter tasting beer for courage, wiping her mouth on the back of her arm.

The music was loud enough to cover the noise of her door creaking over and the rattle of the key in the lock. There hadn't been a time since the first night that her door was unlocked. She even left the key in the door in case Zach or Damon had a spare and tried to use it. She shook her head as she considered the lengths she had to go to just to feel safe.

Tip-toeing down the stairs, she made a mental of every step that creaked, causing her to flinch every time, even though the pulsating music droned on, making her eardrums beg for mercy. She quickly darted past the doorway to the room where Damon and Caroline were bumping and grinding; bottles of beer clutched in their hands, and ran out the front door, being careful to click it closed gently.

Outside the air felt cool against her skin and she heaved a breath of much needed fresh air. Here the music was reduced to a dull throbbing noise that was barely noticeable amongst the hooting of owls as darkness slowly swept across the sky.

Barely sparing a second glance for the boarding house, Elena crouched down and sprinted awkwardly across the grounds to the garage doors on the far side, they were so tall they were more like an entrance to a barn. Maybe it was a renovated barn. She had no idea how old the building was. Reaching up she grasped the large brass handles and yanked with all her might, almost tasting freedom on her tongue.

Nothing.

The doors didn't have the decency to budge even just an inch. Gits.

Dejected, Elena kicked the gravel that paved the driveway, sending up a cloud of dust that concealed all that she was running from. If only it were that easy. She wished she could just click her heels together and whisper "There's no place like home", but alas, things were never that easy. As the dust cleared she was left with her very own white gravel road, illuminated by the lights in the room where Damon and Caroline occasionally cast a shadow dancing across the ground.

Just as Elena was mentally preparing to re-commit herself to her floral cell, she caught sight of a car sitting at the edge of the gravel, just under the trees of the woods that encroached upon the Salvatore grounds. Jackpot! The muffled sounds of music and laughter told her that she was good to go for grand theft auto.

A last glance at the window and she was off, running unashamedly towards the vehicle that was her one-way ticket out of there. Her feet crunched the little stones noisily, her leather jacket flapping around her arms as she set her sights on the car. Her breath came out in little puffs of condensation in the cool night air. It was shocking how unfit she'd become after just a few months off from cheerleading.

Her legs worked hard to carry her across the property... almost there... SLAM.

Elena's feet stuck to the ground as though they were nailed in place, making her fall backwards onto the damp ground as she windmilled her arms in an attempt to compensate. Shock washed over her as she lay on her back, limbs trembling at the impact. What the hell? Shakily she pulled herself up into a standing position, tugging her long hair behind her ears as she scrutinised the darkness in front of her. There was nothing there that could have tripped her. The only thing different was the gravel had given way to solid tarmac that signalled a return to the path out of here. The car sat just out of reach at the side of the smooth road.

Ugh. Shaking her head, Elena strode forward only to encounter the same problem. This time her feet stayed in place whilst she wobbled precariously. Confused, she tried to step forward, nudging her right leg. It was as if her legs were made of concrete, they felt so heavy and unwilling to bend to her will. Sluggishly her left leg moved forward to line up with the right, but wouldn't make that little extra step onto the tarmac. Anxiety started to build up. What was going on? Elena waved first one hand, then another and then her arms across the boundary line with no problem. Yet every time she tried to shift her whole self across her body refused to cooperate.

She strained against the invisible barrier that seemed to be restricting her legs, sweat beading across her forehead with the effort, blood rushing to her face. Excruciating pain flowed from her toes to her thighs as she felt the burning of trying to pull her body apart.

Finally she collapsed in a heap on the ground, tears of frustration trickling down her cheeks as she stared silently down the road that she desperately wished she was on.

Back in her room Elena lay on her bed staring hopelessly at the ceiling, beer back in hand. It wasn't like her to mope, but dammit, she was so confused right now. Everything seemed to be going wrong. Every single attempt to leave this dull, gloomy and quite frankly boring, yet somehow creepy, house ended in failure. Elena was not used to failing. Just last week she had been looking forward to mucking around with her friends at the lake in the warm summer sunshine. Now she was avoiding watching two other people getting hot and heavy. The only use she would have for her sunglasses would be to block any accidental glimpses of potentially mentally scarring images of her new friend and her... whatever getting it on.

A headache started to encroach upon her thoughts, scattering them like leaves in the wind. She groaned and yelled aloud 'Damn it!'

All her thoughts were messed up. It had to be more than just alcohol. She fingered the scarf that was wound around her neck with a frown. Why the hell did she need a scarf indoors? No amount of fashion points would make up for the lack of comfort. She tried to flick it off but her hands paused of their own accord and refused to go any further. Tears of frustration pricked her eyes. What's happening to me?

She tried to recall if she had had a bad fall recently that might explain her appalling motor skills, but came up with a blank. Literally. She couldn't remember most of the weekend. The realisation hit her hard, her pulse thumping in her ears. What was going on? Shaking, she rolled onto her side, tears finally oozing out and trailing a path down her face. Through the watery haze she managed to make out the glint of her bracelet sitting on the bedside table, the one piece of home she had left. Seeking comfort she reached out and held it as she fell asleep.

Thanks again for the reviews for last chapter :) Please review this one too, the button's ticklish!