Chapter 14
Monster
I knew I would get burned eventually. I don't know why I thought I could avoid it. I'd pressed my luck with Jason, slapping him, setting off an explosion. It's like I had lit my own match, throwing it on top a stream of gasoline. I had set up my own destruction. I had run and hid for as long as I could, but in the end I had failed, I had succumbed to my fate.
"Damon…" I whimpered, laying there sprawled out on the ground.
I should have never left that house. I should have stayed instead of going out for a walk like an idiot in the evening. If I hadn't, then I wouldn't be in this situation right now. If I'd never come back, then I would have never had to see Jason's face again. The problem was, I had come back. I'd come back to face my demons, knowing full well the possible risks of doing so. In the end though, I was still somewhat happy that I'd come back. If I hadn't, then I'd never have met Damon. I would have never found the courage to step out of that darkness. Ironically, that vampire, that creature of darkness, he'd pulled me back into the light.
"Just it give up already," I heard Jason growl. "He's not going to save you, so just accept it already."
I narrowed my eyes at him, pushing myself up off of the floor a bit. My head still hurt, a wave of nausea washing over me for a moment.
"The monster's not going to save you," he sneered. "In fact, when I see him, he won't be walking around anymore," he chuckled.
"He's not the monster here, you are," I hissed, glaring at him.
Within seconds, he was in front of me, his hand wrapped tightly around my throat.
"So, what? He bit you and you're still siding with him?" he asked angrily, squeezing.
I gasped for air, my hand grabbing at his wrist as I tried digging my nails into it, blood becoming stuck beneath them as I broke skin. He then threw me to the ground, a groan rising inside of me as I slowly turned on my side. That would bruise for sure.
"Don't worry, when he gets here, he'll be dead on the ground."
"You won't touch him!" I growled, pushing myself up off of the ground, my legs shaky.
"Really now?" he inquired, stepping toward me.
I found myself backing up, trapping myself against a wall. I hated being cornered, it was too dangerous.
"And you're going to do, what, exactly?" he asked, cornering me against the wall.
I stood there for a moment, my body shaking. I'd had a nightmare like this once before, finding myself with nowhere to run.
"Well?" he pushed, his face inches from mine. "You seem scared," he grinned.
I just stared at him, hands shaking.
"There is nothing you can do," he whispered in my ear, his body close to mine.
Without thinking, I brought my knee to his crotch, watching as he fell to the ground in pain. My mind screamed at me to run and I did, peeling out of the room as fast as I could, the adrenaline pumping through my veins the only source of energy that I had.
"Get back here!" he yelled, running after me after picking himself up off of the floor.
T
Stefan paced through his bedroom, his arms folded behind his back. He still hadn't heard anything from Elena and he was freaking out. The moment that Damon got back, he was dead. His phone rang then, sending him scrambling to answer it.
"Elena?" he breathed.
"Nope. Sorry."
"Damon," he growled, eyes narrowing. "I want to talk to Elena."
"Sorry, but that will have to wait," Damon replied, before getting serious. "I need you to do something for me."
"Not until I talk to Elena," Stefan said firmly.
"Again, with the Elena longing," Damon groaned out. "Put that to the side for just one moment, alright?"
When Damon received no answer, he continued.
"Kali's gone missing," he informed him.
"What? What are you talking about?" Stefan asked.
"Yesterday."
"But she was just here yesterday. She went home," Stefan told him.
"She never made it back," Damon said grimly.
"And how exactly do you know this?" Stefan asked skeptically.
"Because, brother, I was on the phone with her when it happened," he ground out.
"What?" Stefan gaped, eyes widening. "Do you know who it was?"
"Sadly, yes," Damon nodded. "And when I get a hold of him, I'm going to tear him apart," Damon imparted. "I need you to start searching for her ex, Jason Hunter."
"But I know practically nothing about him."
"And that's where Elena's little family comes in handy," Damon reminded him. "I want something done when I get back, Stefan," Damon said firmly. "I'll be there in a couple hours."
T
"Kali, I suggest you get back here!" Jason yelled, pushing forward.
I just ignored him as I continued to run, stumbling over my feet as I went. There was no way in hell that I was going to stop. Not when I knew what would happen if I did. What didn't make any sense though was how forceful he was being about everything. It was like something was pushing him, forcing him forward and making him more determined than ever. Even without that, he was still scary though.
"Kali!" he growled following as I ran down the stairs.
I cried out as I over stepped, sending me tumbling down the stairway. I landed with a thud, a groan reverberating through my body.
"Mmm…" I grunted, slowly pushing myself back up.
My body was on autopilot as I drug myself to the door, pulling at the handle, the will to survive the only thing pushing me forward. I almost had it open and then I was attacked, plummeting to the floor, Jason on top of me.
"Time's up," he glared, pulling me up by my wrist and tossing me harshly across the room.
I rolled until I finally came to a stop, groaning as I pressed my hand into the floor weakly, my hair covering my face and blocking my view. I heard him come closer, his foot making contact with my stomach causing me to cry out.
"Just so determined," he sighed, leaning down and pulling me up a bit by the collar of my shirt.
Tears were in my eyes as I looked up at him, the expression on his face dark and threatening. It was like a demon, like he was being possessed.
"I gave you a chance, Kali, but you just had to run. Didn't you?" he narrowed, shaking me a bit.
"P-please…" I choked out.
He just glared at me before tossing me back to the floor, my head striking the wooden flooring. He started circling around me slowly, watching me.
"I wanna go home…" I whimpered, screwing my eyes shut as I attempted to push myself up.
He merely kicked my hand out from under me, sending me back down, my cheek resting on the floor. I stared up at him through tear filled eyes, my breath heaving in and out painfully. My throat hurt.
"Please," I whimpered, curling up as he shoved me onto my back.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of ringing, my eyes flickering around the room for the familiar ring tone. Jason then pulled my phone from his back pocket, glancing down at the caller ID. A smirk formed on his face when he saw who it was, a dead give away to me as I lay there.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Damon!" I cried desperately, the muscles in my throat straining.
T
"Damon!" he heard Kali cry out in desperation.
He felt his grip tighten on the steering wheel as he drew in a sharp intake of air.
"Damon!" she cried again, a sobbing in her voice.
"What have you done to her?" Damon ground out, the sound of Elena shifting in the seat next to him catching his attention.
"Not much. Yet."
"I warning you Hunter," Damon growled lowly. "She better be in one piece when I get there."
"Oh, she will be. Physically anyway," he chuckled.
"Have I mentioned how dangerous I can be when upset?" Damon inquired.
"Oh, the vampire is making threats now?" Jason chuckled, a teasing tone in his voice. "I think he's becoming upset, Kali."
"Let me talk to Kali," Damon glared.
"Fine," Jason replied as though he didn't really care. "Here, Kali, I think someone wants to talk to you."
"Damon…?" she choked out.
T
"Damon…?" I choked out, cradling the phone in my hands.
"Kali, are you all right?" he asked anxiously.
"Damon, I'm scared," I cried.
Jason stood there watching the whole time as he continued circling. It was like he was waiting for something.
"It's okay, Kali, everything is going to be okay," he promised. "I need you to calm down and breathe, alright?"
I nodded my head slowly, my shoulders shaking as I turned myself onto my side. I winced as the muscles constricted.
"Mm-hm," I whispered.
"Now, can you tell me where you are?" he asked slowly. "Tap the speaker once for yes, two for no," he instructed. "Alright?"
I tapped the speaker once, glancing Jason.
"Is it someplace small?" he asked.
I tapped twice.
"Big then?"
I tapped it once.
"Where are you?" I asked, my foot pressing into the floor a bit.
"I'm coming, I promise. I'm almost back to town," he told me. "Now, are you inside somewhere?"
I tapped once, my hand shaking.
"Is it a warehouse?"
Twice.
"A house?" he asked quickly.
I tapped it once, curling up a bit more.
"It's probably old and abandoned then," Damon concluded, resulting in a single tap. "How many stories is it?"
I tapped it twice.
"What are you doing?" Jason asked, stepping forward to take the phone away.
"N-nothing," I stammered.
"Give me the phone," he growled.
"Damon. Damon, help!" I cried, trying to move away from him. "I-I wanna go home," I choked out, holding the phone close. "Damon, please?" I pleaded, tears falling.
"I'm coming for you, I promise," Damon said firmly.
"Give me the phone!" Jason demanded, grabbing my leg and pulling me across the floor.
I screamed, kicking at him as hard as I could.
"Damon!" I cried helplessly.
He gripped my ankle roughly, twisting it in order to turn me around.
"Give it to me."
"Stefan's out looking for you right now," he said fervently. "Just hold out a little longer, okay?"
"Damon…" I cried, the phone pressed close to my ear. "Damon…I-I lo-" I was cut off as Jason tore it from my hands, tossing it to the other side of the room. "N-no!" I cried, struggling as he shook me against the floor.
T
"Damon…I-I lo-" her words were cut off, the sound of the phone being set flying echoing through his soul. " N-no!" she screamed, his body going ridged.
It was like something in a horror film, her screams filling his ears as she fought. He couldn't bring himself pull it away from his ear, his hand twitching at the wheel. It was scary how this was affecting him. It was something that he'd never felt before. Sure, he'd heard women scream, but he was normally the one causing it. Now, someone else was causing them, threatening to tear him apart as she screamed.
"Damon?" Elena nearly squeaked, hesitantly touching his arm.
The line went dead then, silence filling the air. She had nearly confessed something to him when the phone was taken away from her. It left him yearning for more, yearning for her to finish her words.
"You care for her, don't you, Damon?" Elena asked quietly, looking up at him.
He remained silent for a moment, the phone now resting in his lap as he stared at the road.
"I…" he swallowed, his hand gripping the wheel tighter. "I don't…"
He tried to find words to speak, his emotions in a tailspin. He'd never been so unsure of what was going on, so not in control.
"I can see it," Elena said softly. "I wasn't sure before, but…after all of this," she paused for a moment, wetting her lips. "I don't know what went on between you and Katherine all those years ago, Damon, but…" she tried to find the words, before settling on something. "I'm actually glad that Kali has you," she admitted.
T
Alaric let out a sigh as he walked outside, his bag over his shoulder. Kali still hadn't shown up. This left him searching for answered. He didn't know where to start though.
"Huh?"
His eyes suddenly caught sight of Stefan. He was talking to Jeremy about something and he seemed to be worried about something.
"Look, I'm sorry, but I don't know much about him," Jeremy told Stefan.
"Please, Jeremy, I need something," Stefan said anxiously.
"He's her ex. What can I say?" Jeremy sighed. "All I know is that he did something to her a long time ago and that's why she left," he imparted. "Look, maybe you should my Elena or my aunt Jenna?" Jeremy suggested. "They'd be able to tell you more about Jason than I can."
With that, Jeremy walked off, making his way toward home.
"Damn it," Stefan groaned, pulling his phone from his pocket.
He dialed a number before pressing it to him ear, his hand dragging over his face for a moment.
"Damon, it's Stefan. Look, I couldn't find anything out. Maybe you should ask Elena," he sighed. "Wait, slow down, she's where?"
Alaric stood there, watching him carefully.
"Old two story house?" Stefan inquired. "Yeah, there's probably a few around. Maybe on the outskirts," Stefan said thoughtfully. "Alright, I'll take a look. I swear, this guy has a death wish."
With that, Stefan hung up, quickly making his way away from the school.
"The man really does have a death wish," Alaric agreed quietly.
T
"No. No!" I screamed, struggling as he tied my hand to the bed.
"Stop struggling," he said gruffly, twisting my wrist.
"No!" I yelled, wincing as I kicked at him.
He grunted when I got him in the gut, his hand flying out across my face, quieting me for a moment.
"Let go!" I cried, pulling at the bonds.
"It'll be just you and me," he grinned, securing my other hand.
"W-what's wrong with you?" I cried. "Th-this isn't you!"
I continued to fight as he sat on top of me, his hand going to my throat. It was like he'd lost his mind. Yes, he could be rough at times, but he was never like this. There was something not right about all of this, something out of place.
"Jason, please," I choked out. "I loved you."
It didn't seem to do me much good as his hand tightened on my throat, his face coming down to mine.
"You're mine," he ground out, his lips crushing down on mine.
I felt even more tears spilling down my face as I struggled to free myself, my eyes shut tight, memories flooding my mind. I didn't want to be here. I just wanted to curl up and disappear.
T
Stefan made quick work in his search, checking every place that fit Damon's description. He was frantic as he searched the rooms, calling out Kali's name, the echo of his own voice being the only answer he received. He only hoped that he wouldn't be too late.
T
The moment Damon got back, he dropped Elena off at the boarding house, giving strict instructions to stay put. He's about to let anything else happen to her today. After that, he began running his own search, using the information that Elena had given him to his advantage. When he found Jason, he was going to kill him.
T
I laid there quietly on my bed, headphones on my head as I listened to my CD player. I was reading a book for school, The Great Gatsby. It wasn't my favorite book in the world, but I still had to read it regardless. I just wished that it was more exciting to read. I didn't even notice the door to my room opening as I flipped the page, glancing through the text.
Suddenly, the door slammed shut, causing me to jump. I practically tore my headphones off as I looked to find Jason standing there.
"The heck is wrong with you?" I asked, looking at him like he was crazy. "You scared the crap out of me."
T
"Kali?" Stefan called out, looking around him.
He had to check every room to make sure she wasn't there, his heart pounding in his chest. He was growing irritated, the thought of his brother popping into his mind. If he knew Damon, he was likely tearing things apart at the moment in search for Kali.
"Some how, I feel sorry for what that guy is going to get," he sighed, shaking his head. "Kali?" he called out again.
No answer. The house was empty.
T
He stumbled over to me, flopping down on the bed. He was out of it, that much was obvious.
"Jason, I think you should go home," I told him, moving to get out of bed.
He grabbed my arm, pulling me back down, and pressing his lips to mine. I nearly gagged at the smell rolling off his breath, my nose scrunching up in disgust.
"Jason, stop it," I groaned, trying to wiggle out of his grip.
T
I felt his hand on my leg, his other in my hair, gripping it roughly as he kissed me. This wasn't right, it wasn't him.
"Jason, stop it!" I cried, his lips pressing against my neck.
T
He held me tighter, squeezing me.
"Jason," I gasped.
I pushed against him as he grew a bit rougher, his hand gripping my arm tightly. He was out of his mind.
"Jason!" I yelled, bringing my foot up and knocking him back.
He fell to the floor with a thud, groaning as he pushed himself back up. I didn't even think twice as moved off my bed, grabbing the bat from the corner of my room. The only reason I even had the thing was because of when I would play baseball with Jeremy.
T
Damon tore through the house he was in, a chair flying across the room.
"Jason!" Damon growled.
He was still in a bad mood as a result of being attacked prior to coming back, so everything else just made it worse.
"Kali?" he called out, tearing open a door and tossing it aside.
The room was empty, completely void of life. There was nothing there, leaving him with one final option.
"You're dead, Hunter," he growled lowly, quickly zipping from the house.
T
"Jason," I said warily, the bat held tightly in my hands.
I watched as he pushed himself up, a glare on his face.
"You need to leave," I said firmly, watching as he drew closer.
"Why is it you never want to have any fun?" he exclaimed.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
"You know I'm not into that stuff," I said pointedly. "If you wanna have fun, then go do it with one of those little bimbos of yours," I said curtly.
"Come on, Kali, don't be that way," he groaned, moving closer.
T
"No. No. No!" I screamed, my head thrashing back and forth.
It just wouldn't go away, no matter how much I willed it to disappear, the memory just wouldn't go away.
"Shut up," he grunted, his hand moving on top of me.
I screwed my eyes shut, tugging as hard as I could.
T
He reached out for me and I swung at him, watching as it missed him by a hair.
"Get out!" I screamed.
He made a grab for me then, catching me off guard and sending my back into my little display shelf, glass crushing against my shoulder. The pieces fell to the floor. I could feel the sting as a small patch of blood formed at the back of my shirt, plastering it to my back.
"Get away from me!" I yelled swinging the bat again.
He caught it though, pulling me closer. His eyes were on me and then…
T
I screamed, shaking the memory from my mind, tears in my eyes. I wouldn't succumb to this again. I refused. I'd gotten away last time and I'd do it again. I'd do it just to spite him.
"Kali!"
"Stefan…" I cried.
I heard the rush of wind, the sound of footsteps, and a loud thud as Jason was pulled from me.
"Kali…"
A second figure stood in the doorway, their expression dark. In the pit of my stomach, I knew all hell would break loose.
"Damon…" I whimpered, feeling as Stefan torn the bonds from my hands.
Before I could say anything else, shots were fired, bullets shredding through Damon's jacket as he fell to his knees. His eyes were wide with pain and shock as he gripped his chest.
"Damon!" I cried out.
With my bonds broken, I pushed passed Stefan, who was frozen in place. I could practically hear the shock of the gun as the trigger was pulled for the intended final blow, the echoing click reverberating throughout the house. It was then that I finally felt the pain, a feeling like fire spreading through me.
"Kali!" Stefan cried out, an instinct clicking in him that I didn't know he had.
He'd snapped Jason's neck without a second thought as I fell to my knees as I slowly fell to my knees, the pain white hot.
"Pull it out! Pull it out!" Damon shouted, quickly grabbing at my shoulders before I could fall forward.
Fire flooded my veins as the pain spread, blood seeping out from the wound. The pain was tearing me apart on the inside.
"Stefan!" Damon yelled.
"I-I…"
It was like he was frozen at the sight of the blood, my vision going blurry.
"Damon…" I whispered.
T
"Damon…" she whispered.
Damon's eyes flashed down at her, her eyes fighting to stay open, before finally flickering shut.
"Damn it, Stefan!" he hissed, snapping his brother out of his little trance.
He then bit into his wrist, his brother dropping down beside them and digging into the wound.
Blood flowed freely, coating Stefan's hands, along with her clothes. His eyes closed, veins slowly creeping up.
"Stefan," Damon growled, a reminder to keep him on track.
Within a few moments, the bullet was pulled out, the wound free of the wooden debris. Damon wrist was pressed to her mouth in seconds, tilting her head as so that the blood could flow down her throat.
"I swear, if this ends badly, I will kill you," Damon threatened, staring at his brother.
They heard her cough after a few moments, but her eyes didn't open, a faint groan escaping her lips. Both brothers sighed in relief, her heart still beating in her chest.
"Kali?" Stefan called quietly.
He slowly peeled her shirt up off of her back, the wound that had been made, slowly closing and healing. It was slowly rebuilding itself.
"Take her," Damon ordered, carefully pushing her toward Stefan. "I'll take care of this. Just get her outside."
With a nod of his head, Stefan scooped her up in his arms, slowly making his way out of the house. That left Damon behind, pulling the bullets from his chest, his eyes darkening as he gazed over at Jason's motionless body. He had to admit, he never thought that Stefan would have the guts to go through with something like that. He was only angry that he hadn't had the pleasure of doing it himself and making it more painful. Stefan had been merciful in his death.
"Here's to ending a nightmare."
Alright everyone, that was chapter 14. I REALLY hope everyone liked it? :) Anyway, thanks for the REVIEWs. CHAPTER 15 is about half way done, so REVIEW this chapter. If you have ANY IDEAS let me know. Even if they are small.
Also, let me know what you think about Kali and Damon's relationship. How should it progrss?