Katherine laughs and it feels like ashes in her mouth.
Katherine smirks and it feels taut and plastered.
Katherine walks and lives and breathes and feels like a shell of herself. Katherine despises Elena for all the wrong reasons.
(But they're also right)
She hates because she knows how to. She knew how to love once and she knows how to be loved, but that's not the same.
A lifetime ago she loved Stefan, the same lifetime ago Damon loved her and oh, how she adored the both of them.
Stefan and his forever reason behind everything, Stefan and his guarded desires for everything he didn't understand. Curiosity killed the cat.
(Stefan who never drank the vervain infused tea his father tried to make them drink.)
Damon with his pleading eyes, Damon with his headless devotion. Damon with the milkmaid's blood trickling down his jaw.
(Damon whom she never had to ask twice for anything.)
Katherine runs, Katherine endures. Katherine never backs down. Never.
It takes more than Klaus and his family of ancient vampires to take her down.
(It takes more than Elijah for her to settle down.)