AN: I've written part of this chapter the way I usually write, when I write in Danish. I wanted it to be a different experience. But if you dont like it don't worry; I don't think I'll be writing many scenes like that, because it took me nearly 10 hours.
Chapter 31: Ashes to Ashes.
As twilight came creeping, five people were gathered around the newly filled-in grave in the backyard of the Boarding House. Finn kneeled, marking it with a stone, then stood back up, sending a sombre look around the small group. "Anyone want to say something?"
Darwin crouched down, touching the stone lightly. "Goodbye, my friend. I am going to miss you."
Damon's shoulders were shaking and Elijah was staring straight ahead, holding himself perfectly still bordering on rigid.
"Maybe you should say something, Stefan, "Damon said, sounding a bit strangled. "You did spent a lot of time with him."
Stefan glared daggers at his brother, until he realized Darwin was looking at him expectantly.
Then he sighed. "Goodbye, Diefenbaker. You were a good friend."
Damon snorted and Elijah pressed a fist against his mouth, turning his back to them.
"I'm sensing some of us are not taking this seriously, "Finn remarked solemnly. "I personally am going to miss him. He taught me a lot about this century ... Attention, please."
"It's his fault, "Elijah claimed indicating Damon, who gasped in mock offence.
"It wasn't my idea to begin with, "he pointed out. "And I wasn't the one that couldn't stop snickering all the way through 'Amazing Grace'."
"This funeral is over, "Finn concluded tersely, putting a hand on Darwin's shoulder and leading him back to the Boarding House."
Stefan followed them, sending Damon one last dark glare over his shoulder.
"You know, I don't think laptops are biodegradable, "Damon noted, when he and Elijah were alone."
"I'll dig it up and throw it in the garbage, when he's asleep, "Elijah said, still unable to look directly at Damon.
"I still think it was a waste to bury the adapter with it."
"Yeah?" Elijah crossed his arms over his chest, looking almost as if he were in pain. "Maybe it'll need it in the afterlife."
Damon was starting to shake again. "You don't think they use special adapters in Hell?"
Elijah finally looked up at him. For a second their eyes met and then they both cracked up, laughing hysterically.
(Break)
This was the world, Hanna wanted to show him and it was unlike any he had ever seen before.
The music hit him like a tidal wave. It was relentless and beat his ear drums in a wild, constant rythm and pounded like an insane heartbeat in his chest. The club was packed with humans, many of them with a lot of uncovered glistening skin. They reeked of alcohol, sweat and blood. Shouting and screaming, ruddy and bright-eyed like children on a playground. For some reason, it all seemed very repulsive to him.
Kol held his hands over his head to keep from touching their disgusting, sticky skin, while he moved toward a dimly lit corner, searching for a unoccupied table. Hanna followed him so closely that he could feel her toes on his heels every once in awhile.
As he sat down on a bench with cheap velour upholstery, he lamented the fact that he hadn't simply stayed at Hanna's apartment. The humans, heat and alcohol were producing such repugnant smells he wondered how they could stand it themselves. And even less how Hanna could.
She sat down across from him, the small, round table between them overflowing with empty bottles and glasses.
They had a great view of the crowded dancefloor. Hysterical lights were twirling and blinking in all the colours of the rainbow over the many writhing bodies. At the back he catched a glimpse of two, man and woman, who were obviously a couple, but each caught up in their own individual dance, hardly acknowledging the other's presence. The woman's long, auburn hair cascaded around her shoulders, and she whipped it around energetically, as if her life depended on it.
Not far from then stood three tall, skinny girls. They were all dressed in jeans and pieces of fabric that covered them from collarbone to right above the navel and were held in place by two strings; one around the neck and one around the waist. They were were writhing their bodies provocatively, but seemed to be more interested in whether or not they were being noticed than keeping the beat. They tossed their hair like restless horses, casting searching glances among the other humans. One of them rested her eyes on Kol, and he couldn't help but throwing an equally searching glace back. If she had known about the bottomless deep of his interest, she wouldn't have been so obviously inviting.
Or maybe she would.
Humans had a wierd ability for detecting danger, even though very few of them were aware of it. They knew vampires were different; Vampires stared to long without blinking, remained dry on hot summerdays, and moved too fast and too silently.
Vampires were decent imitations of humans, but that was it. Decent, not perfect. And still or maybe for that reason, they arose humans curiosity. At that moment, there were probably nothing that girl wanted more than to die in Kol's arms and he hadn't even started manipulating her yet.
He looked back at Hanna, who were smiling knowingly at him. She made up quite a pretty picture herself. She looked like one of those women, eager mother's pointed out to sons, who were in their late thirties and still hadn't had a long term relationship. She wasn't vain, but still unusually neat and well-groomed. Her hair wasn't the modern mess, older humans found untidy, but combed back from her face and fell in glossy strands around her shoulders. The only imperfections were her eyes. Impossibly blue, but like bottomless holes. They reflected everything and revealed nothing about the person behind. One saw only oneself in them.
She smiled, leaning back and away from him as to indicate to the girl that he did not belong to her. She would never come between a hunter and the prey that by its own will had chosen him.
"Take her, if you want her, "she mouthed to him.
Kol let his eyes wander up the girl's long legs to her body and then up to her neck, where he could see her veins as strings under her almost translucent skin. Her quick hearbeat was rythm, not even the crazy music could drown out.
He exhaled slowly. How could everything outside seem so unreal in the middle of this artificial world? Synthetic, mechanic, electronic. Had he even been born on this planet? No had he even been born and not simply produced? Was there blood or oil in his veins?
His hunger became more and more alive and started undermining his will. His reason disappeared in an intoxicating wave of desire. His body took control as his brain went on stand-by
It never really occured to him that he had stood up and now was standing side by side with Hanna, his hands gripping her velvet jacket.
"What do I do now?" he mumbled, more to himself than anyone else. He did not know how to keep himself from jumping forward like a monster and bite into the first warm, living creature he could get his hands on. The surreal surroundings and pumping hearts drew him into a hurried frenzy.
"Calm down." Hanna's calming hand onhis shoulder strengthened his featherlight hold on reality. "Here."
She pressed something into his hand, and when he looked down he was quite glad to see good old Jack Daniels. A long drink made the desire for blood a lot easier to hold. It turned into a pleasant throbbing in his chest and Hanna had no problem controlling him.
The floor vibrated under his feel, as she pulled him with her into the dancing crowd. He breathed in the scent of human and it was no longer unpleasant. It was familiar and much needed. The heat of a hundred bodies embraced him, and feeded him with its power. He still had Jack D. in his hand and took another drink, before looking around for Hanna, who had let go of him and sailed off.
She was dancing with the girl, and even though she had her back to him, he could sense that the girl was happy. They were close together, moving like one whole, one new beautiful creature. Hanna smiled at him over the girl's hair and with one caress over her shoulders, she repeated the invitation she had issued earlier.
Take her!
The flashing, colourful lights were no so beautiful, he couldt not take his eyes of their dance over the girl's skin. They made her veins stand out so much more clearly under her skin.
He moved up behind her, reached out and swept her long, brown hair away from her neck, as to see more of this wonder. The girl stiffened for a moment, but Hanna's long fingers with the black painted nails ran down her back, turning her fright into a blissful shiver.
Kol moved closer, until the girl was capured between Hanna's body and his own. He wrapped his arms around both of them, resting his hands on Hanna's back. The scent of living human was almost unbearable. He pressed his face against the girls neck, moving with her and Hanna to the beat. The second his fangs pierced her skin, their minds blended together and seconds later a third mind joined in, as Hanna bit into the other side of the girl's neck. And as the emotions started washing over him, he digged his nails into Hanna's back.
He felt warm and drunk and alive. Human and immortal, frightened and ecstatic, hungry and sated all at the same times. Hanna's mind glowed with satisfaction, which completely overtook the girl, until she was radiating pleasure. Their dance became slower and slower dying out along with the girls heartbeat. And as her mind shut down and her body stilled, he licked her neck to get the spilled blood.
This girl had died with a blissful smile on her face. What better way to leave this world?
He and Hanna carried her to the bench and placed her upright, closing her eyes and resting her hands in her lap.
Fifteen minutes later, they were sitting on the sidewalk outside in the cool night, leaning against the wall and drinking beer from bottles.
Hanna smiled at him. "How was that?"
He shook his head. "Unlike anything I've ever experienced before. Surreal."
"Humans made these small worlds of light and sound for their own amusement, "Hanna told him. "But their effects on us with our heightened senses are so much greater."
"I can believe that, "he conceded.
She drained her bottle and set it aside. "So, you want to find a new place for a second round?"
But Kol shook his head again.
"No, I think it may be time for me to go home, "he sent her a questioning look. "Are you coming with me or are you going to keep cowering in the darkness?"
And for a long time, she said nothing.
(Break)
Klaus woke early in the morning. A small, warm body had taken up residence on his chest. He had felt it settle down hours ago, but decided it wasn't worth waking up that early over. Now he stroked the rust-coloured fur, two eyes with slitted pupils blinking happily at him.
"You know, "he said conversationally. "Women are insane and unpredictable. They will do anything they can to rattle your world."
He sighed, deeply. "One minute they are yelling at you for walking in on them, the next they are getting naked in your office. " He gave the kitten a serious look. "You and I, we are men. We need to stick together to end this madness."
His eyes travelled up to the ceiling. "We must stay ... cool."
"Rebekah! I need you to tell me if this outfit is too revealing."
He winced at the loud yell.
"If you're in doubt, then it's probably not revealing enough."
He made a mental note to strangle his sister as soon as the opportunity presented itself. He grabbed the kitten in one hand and sat up.
"You and I we must be strong, "he mumbled. "We will prevail."
"Rebekah! Do you have anything with feathers on it?"
" ... Or maybe we're doomed."