Stefan drove out of town heading south down the highway. The radio was on, and he was happily tapping his hands on the steering wheel along with the beat of the music. This was a good day for him. The kidnapping had gone off without a hitch so far. It would be hours before Damon even knew Elena was gone.
About an hour and a half into the drive, he heard a rustling coming from the trunk. He'd dumped her SUV in the woods, opting instead for a car he'd compelled from a dealership. He wasn't taking any chances of being tracked down. From the trunk, he could hear Elena's muffled cries for help. He'd gagged her mouth so she couldn't scream for help. He just smiled and turned up the volume on the radio. No one would be able to hear her with the loud sound of cars and trucks whizzing by. He'd bound her hands and feet tightly with vervain soaked ropes. She wasn't going anywhere.
Elena's eyes fluttered open, but she couldn't see anything through the darkness. By the cramped space and rocking motion, she knew she was in the trunk of a vehicle. Sadly, this hadn't been the first time she'd been kidnapped and locked in a trunk. Her head was spinning. She was confused how she'd gotten there. The last thing she remembered was talking to Stefan at her house. She hugged him and then everything went black.
WTF? He vervained me! She lifted her head up and smacked it against the hood of the trunk. She cursed. She'd foolishly believed his story about wanting to reconcile with her and Damon. Anger roiled inside her. He'd played on her compassion and guilt to trick her into trusting him. Damon had tried to warn her to be careful around him, but she hadn't listened. She'd been so foolish. She'd fallen for his fake sincerity, probably because she never believed Stefan would do anything to hurt her. Obviously she'd been wrong.
The ropes were digging into her skin, stinging and weakening her. Still, she tried to push against the hood of the trunk but to no avail. With as much strength as she could muster, she kicked at the tail light. Maybe if she broke the tail light, the police would pull him over. It was no use. Between her lack of strength and the limited space in the trunk, she couldn't create enough force to even crack the light. It didn't matter anyway. He'd just compel the cop to go away. That's one of the perks of being a vampire. You can do whatever you want and compel it away, so long as the person wasn't on vervain.
The tension in her muscles relaxed as she accepted defeat. She'd just have to wait until he opened the trunk. Perhaps she could talk him out of whatever he had planned. It was long shot given her previous attempts to make amends had failed. She doubted anything she had to say would change his mind. He had more resentment and anger than she'd ever seen in him before. If he can't be reasoned with then she'd have to find an opportunity to distract him long enough for her to make her escape.
The drive seemed to go on forever. For the last few minutes, she'd been bouncing around while the car drove over some rough terrain. She swore he intentionally hit every hole he could to make the ride more painful. Suddenly, Elena felt the car come to an abrupt stop. Her body lurched forward. She heard the driver's side door open and then close. Footsteps crunch on the brush underneath, as he walked around to the trunk. The trunk yanked open. The bright light was blinding after being locked in the dark for so long. Elena raised her bound wrists to shade her eyes. A silhouette standing above her came into view. It was Stefan. As her eyes adjusted, she could make out the menacing smile on his face. She'd seen that look before when his humanity had been turned off by Klaus. This didn't bode well for her.
Back then, she knew in her heart that his love for her was strong enough to bring him back. This time it was unlikely she could reach him. She and Damon had meant the most to him, and he felt they had betrayed him. It didn't matter to Stefan that he knew she was in love with Damon before they got back together. What mattered was she'd chosen him over Damon, yet she still hadn't been able to let Damon go. Choosing meant being committed to one or the other not having them both. It's why she'd stalled making the decision in the first place. In hindsight, she'd behaved more like Katherine than she'd cared to admit. She cursed herself for the mess she'd created. She'd allowed her guilt and loyalty to Stefan to overrule her heart. She knew what she felt that night her car went over the bridge. It was Damon she wanted. Instead, she had returned to Stefan, giving him false hope. This all could've been avoided if she'd just been honest with them both. It still would've hurt Stefan, but in time he may have accepted it. They had all suffered the consequences because she didn't want to be the bad guy.
Stefan's smile broadened, "Now for the fun part." He yanked her out of the trunk, taking pleasure in her head hitting the lid of the trunk. "Oops, sorry," he said sarcastically. He chuckled at her dazed expression. "Nah, not really."
Behind the gag, she mumbled a protest. Her body thrashed around in his arms, trying to break free. Stefan shoved her hard to the ground. Her body skidded on its side across the dirt. When she regained her balance, she quickly sat upright and glared up at him.
He turned serious. "You have no idea how hard it's been playing it cool. I had to pretend to be oblivious while you spewed your lies about how much you both 'cared' about me." There was bitterness behind each word. "All the while you were spreading your legs for Damon every time he snapped his fingers."
Elena shook her head, uttering incoherently beneath her gag. He made it sound like some tawdry affair not a once in a lifetime love.
Stefan's anger level jumped. He clenched his fists and screamed, "Don't try to deny it." He took a step closer to where she sat on the ground. His rage filled form towered over her. "I saw you!" Her eyes widened. No explanation would appease him even if her mouth hadn't been gagged.
His voice was filled with disgust. "You couldn't even wait until the dust settled before you jumped into bed with him. That's how much you both 'cared' about me." He scoffed, taking another step closer, and squatted down in front of her. "Did you really think your pathetic attempts at being discreet were fooling me? How stupid do you think I am? I could smell you all over each other."
Elena's eyes widened. They'd been so desperate for each other that they'd ignored obvious clues that they were together. She shook her head frantically again. They hadn't been trying to play him for a fool. Yes, they'd lied, but it was to avoid hurting him any further. They'd wanted to give him time to heal before they let him know they were together. And yes, he was right they hadn't been able to wait. She'd fought her feelings for Damon far too long already for Stefan's sake. A new feeling overshadowed the guilt. Anger. Stefan didn't understand that it wasn't just a want. Their love was all consuming. She and Damon needed to be together. For the first time, she was free to love him. It was selfish of Stefan to expect her not to act on her feelings. Her eyebrows furrowed in resentment.
Stefan regained his composure. Her hair was wet with sweat, between her anxiety and being locked in the trunk. He gently brushed away a piece of hair that was stuck to her face. Elena flinched at his touch. She didn't trust what he might do. His thumb slid sensuously across her bottom lip. Elena jerked her head away. His touch turned her stomach. Stefan cocked his head to the side, scanning her face. She caught a glimpse of the Stefan she once loved. For a brief moment, the hollowness in his eyes faded and was replaced by sadness.
His voice remained calm and controlled. "We were soulmates, Elena. Nothing should've come between us." And just like that, Elena's anger subsided and the guilt resumed. With the back of his fingers, he gently stroked the tears that ran down her cheek. She had thought that too at the time. That is, until she'd experienced the kind of love she had with Damon. There was no comparison. Damon made her feel alive in ways no one else ever had. He had made her feel more alive as a vampire than she ever had as a human. It's why she couldn't go back to Stefan. She couldn't live a bland existence.
He smiled genuinely. "You know what I loved about you most? It was your innocence. You had real integrity. You were honest and loyal," he said softly. "It was so refreshingly human. I hadn't seen that in anyone since I can't remember when." He gazed off in the distance without focus, as if he were recalling a fond memory.
When his eyes turned their attention back to her, his mood suddenly shifted again. He grabbed her jaw firmly in his hand. Elena let out a whimper. The hatred returned to his voice. "But you let my brother corrupt you while I was gone." He tightened his grip on her jaw, sending searing pain through her entire face. "I sacrificed everything to save my brother's life. And how do you both repay me?" He snarled, visibly shaking with rage. "You let him turn you into one of his whores!"
Despite the instability of his emotions, Elena was growing angry and defiant. She jerked her face from his grip and sniffed back tears. She was tired of being berated and guilt tripped for moving on. After all, he was the one who left her without so much as a goodbye when he ran off with Klaus. It was Damon who had always stayed by her side.
Stefan's eyes narrowed. He stared at her a moment without speaking. Appearing serene once more, he gently ran his fingers down her neck. He spoke with an eerily calmness about him. He crept closer to her. "Damon stole you from me." His eyes followed his fingers lasciviously along her cleavage. "Now I'm going to steal you from him," he said matter of fact.
Elena shuddered. There was a time she was certain that Stefan would never do anything to hurt her. But the man before her now wasn't the man she once loved and trusted. This man was broken, devoid of his humanity. This man had once been a ripper. She always knew this. But she never believed he was beyond redemption, even when he had tried to drive her off of Wickery Bridge in a power play with Klaus. Now, she no longer knew what he was capable of. With as much strength as she could muster, she slammed her head into his, sending him flying backwards.
Stefan landed flat on his back. At first, he was stunned. A little disorientated, he pushed himself up to a seated position. He could taste the familiar flavor of copper in his mouth. He whiped the blood from his lips and laughed. He looked over at Elena, who had flipped onto her stomach and was trying to crawl away. With her hands and feet tightly bound, Elena hadn't inched very far. Stefan lunged forward, grabbing her ankle, and dragged her back to him. She screamed through her gag. He flipped her onto her back, pinning her to the ground with his body. Elena struggled futilely beneath him. Stefan smirked. He'd had no intention of sexually assaulting her. But he'd enjoyed watching her rising fear that he might violate her out of spite.
He jerked her wrists roughly in his grip, showing he was the one in control. His face was mere inches from hers. "Do you honestly think I would touch you after my brother has been all over you?" He laughed in her face. "You're less than nothing to me now, trash. But to Damon," he gloated, "you mean everything." There was something ominous about the way he made that statement. It was apparent that whatever he had planned for her, he was deriving pleasure at the effect it would have on Damon. He let go of her wrists and leaned back on his haunches.
Guarded, Elena remained unmoving on the ground. "You see I thought about ripping your heart out, you know, as a metaphor for how you ripped out my heart with your betrayal." Stefan rose to his feet. Elena slowly sat up. "But then I thought that would be too swift of a punishment." Stefan paced in front of her as he went over his thought process. It was reminiscent of a speech Klaus might give. "Sure, Damon would be devastated," he shook his finger at her, "but you would get off too easy." He stopped in front of her again. He leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees so he could look down at her better. "Real revenge comes from drawing out the suffering." He smiled, wiggling his eyebrows. "So," he stood upright, making a grand gesture with his arms, "here we are. Your new home."
Elena looked around confused. They were in the middle of nowhere surrounded by overgrown trees and wild foliage. Upon closer look she realized that wasn't all. She noted large stones, some of them broken in two, with weathered writing, randomly set in the ground around them. At first she was puzzled then it dawned on her. Headstones. He'd taken her to a remote cemetery, one that looked as though it hadn't been used in centuries. She was too preoccupied with escaping to notice earlier. Several yards from them, she saw a mound of dirt. Next to it was a hole and a pine box. A chill ran down her spine. Her head whipped back to look at Stefan.
"That's right Elena, that's all for you." He grabbed her by the wrists and dragged her to the box. Her hands were locked under his grip. She tried digging her feet into the ground, but couldn't get enough leverage with them bound together. It barely slowed him down.
When they reached the box, he gave her wrists one last yank before letting go. He enjoyed hearing her scream in pain, as the vervain ropes dug further into her skin. He pulled the lid off of the box and tossed it to the side. "I thought about putting you in a coffin, but I think the pine box is better. The water will seep inside through the cracks when it rains. Bugs and worms can keep you company while you spend eternity desiccating, damp and alone in the dark." He snickered. "All the while Damon will be frantically searching for you. We both know he'll never give up looking for you. It'll slowly drive him insane."
A flash of Damon desperately searching for her went through her mind. She knew she was his entire world. It wasn't the physical pain she would endure that frightened her. It was what it would do to the man she loved so deeply. It would destroy him and all the progress he'd made with his humanity in the process. Damon could handle any physical pain thrown at him. He would sacrifice his life for the people he loved. It was his heart that was vulnerable. And Stefan knew how to hurt his brother most. Damon would pay for her mistake with emotional torment. Elena screamed angrily beneath her gag.
"What's that?" Stefan put his palm behind his ear, teasing as if he were trying to hear her. "Oh that's right. The gag is in the way. Here let me help you." He removed the gag. He wanted to hear her plead for her life one last time before he put her in the ground.
Elena coughed once the gag was finally off. Her voice was raspy from the vervain that had dripped from the cloth down her throat. The corners of her mouth were burned as well. It was painful to speak yet she forced the words out. "Stefan, please don't do this. I'll do whatever you want just don't do this to Damon."
He scoffed. He mocked her tone, "Damon, Damon. You know, you really are something. It's ok to put me through emotional anguish but not my brother." He shook his head. "I already told you, it's too late. You made your choice. And now I've made mine." He picked her up and placed her inside the wooden box.
Her body squirmed with as much strength as she could muster. She pleaded between her sobs. "Please Stefan! I'm begging you. If you ever loved me, you won't do this. This isn't you. Don't do something you'll regret."
"Oh, I assure you I won't regret this. In fact, just the opposite. I'm thoroughly going to enjoy every minute of pain you both endure for all of eternity." As he reached over to lift up the lid to the box, Elena continued to plead with him. She thrashed around inside.
He placed the lid on top with a thud that startled her still. The lid was positioned at an angle so that she could still see his face. Looking down at her, he smirked. "You know you should be thanking me."
Elena looked back at him puzzled. "You should be glad I didn't bury you with the gag in your mouth." He took the nails he had in his pocket and placed a few between his lips. He spoke out of the side of his mouth still holding the nails in place. "It would've been more painful." He slid the lid in place and began hammering in the nails to seal it. After everything they'd been through, those were his last words to her.
Elena screamed, kicking her feet repeatedly against the wood. She pushed at the lid, trying to get it open. "Stefan!" One by one, Stefan tapped the nails into the lid. She jumped with each pound of the hammer. Each nail driven in was one more obstacle to getting free.
When the last nail was hammered down, she felt the box shove forward. She could hear Stefan grunting as he pushed the coffin closer to the hole. The coffin tilted backwards, so that the head of it dropped into the ground first. Elena's head smacked against the wood, when the box hit the hard ground. She bounced hard inside, feeling her spine crack, as the foot of the coffin fell in shortly after.
The dirt plopped onto the lid with a thud, shovel full after shovel full. With the last drop of it, she felt the box shift. The wood creaked around her, as the ground shook repeatedly. Dirt sifted in through the cracks between the box and the lid. She began coughing from all of the dust. It dawned on her what was happening. Stefan was jumping on her grave, packing the dirt solidly down. She pictured him smiling gleefully.
Suddenly, the shaking stopped and her coughing subsided. She heard the car door slam shut. The engine revved and the tires squealed as Stefan drove away.
She was in full panic mode now. There was no way for her to escape. It was hot and musty inside the wooden box. She was sweating profusely. The walls felt like they were closing in around her. She couldn't breathe. She started to hyperventilate and then it occurred to her. 'Wait, I'm a vampire. I don't need oxygen to breathe.'
After a few deep calming breaths, her breathing regulated. But it didn't lessen her fear much. In fact, it would almost have been better to suffocate to death than to linger in pain from starvation indefinitely. At least then she wouldn't be aware of how much she would miss Damon, and how much he'd suffer in her absence. Despair set in. Her only hope was that somehow, some way Damon would find her one day. Until then, she would remain alone in the dark, starving, and longing for the man she loved more than life itself.