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So,
Happy Reading everyone!
Disclaimer : Everything in this chapter is owned by its rightful proprietor. The author owns nothing but the plot and the OC.
Chapter 6
Eleanor woke up to the shrill cries of her daughter from the room at the far end of the floor.
"Aria?" she hurriedly got out of her bed and rushed towards her daughter's room, the robe lying on the chair, completely forgotten.
Arianna crumbled to the ground, clutching her night dress, sobbing uncontrollably. She couldn't identify with her surroundings. An excruciating pain gripped her heart, she felt as if her life force was being plucked out of her, slow and steadily. Her painful screams, emanating from the washroom she had cornered herself in.
"Arianna…" she heard the terrified voice of her mother. She looked at her mother with pleading eyes. "Make is stop maa." She wailed as her mother collected her in her arms. "Make it stop… I can't take this." She wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, clutching to her form tightly. Eleanor did not know what to say to her traumatized daughter. She simply held her close to her heart, swaying her back and forth, running her hands through her hair soothingly.
"Sssh baby, it'll be alright." Eleanor closed her eyes resting her face on her daughter's head. She was trembling, her terrified sobs violent, her body pale and skin deathly cold. She was petrified. "It's hurting me mom." She cried, "It's going to kill me." Her mother couldn't understand much but kept running her fingers through her hair, singing to her the same song she had when Arianna had still been little and had nightmares.
'You are everything I need to see,
Smile and sunlight makes her way to me.'
Arianna's sobs were beginning to visibly reduce. Her skin was still cold as ice, her form still trembling. Eleanor continued.
'Love incarnate looking into me,
Breaths of moonlight washing over me.
Can I show you what you are for me?'
Arianna listened, absolutely unmoving, silent, to her mother's calming voice. Her mind had yet not recovered from her near death experience. She closed her eyelids tightly. The last of her tears escaped and rolled onto her already stained cheek. It reminded her of the wild woods she had envisioned not too long ago. A shiver crept up her spine; she tried to concentrate harder on her mother's voice.
'Angel of mine, can I thank you.
You have saved me time and time again.
Angel, I must confess,
It's you that always give me strength.
And I don't know where I'd be without you.'
She felt stiff and exhausted by the weight of the situation she found herself in, the helplessness that engulfed her. Never before had she experienced such fear – the fear of death.
Back in the arms of my angel,
Back to peace that I so love,
Back in the arms of my angel I can finally rest,
Feeling you again around me.
Eleanor could hear the soft breathing of her daughter, could feel her shoulder muscles beginning to relax, her head resting on her lap after a while. She sighed; an ancient sadness gripped her heart. She did not realize when a single tear spilled from her tired eyes. She felt enormously at bay concerning her daughter's condition. Peter and she had spent years trying to discern the mystery of Arianna's parapsychological condition. Even after attending several medical conferences with regard to parapsychology and reading volumes on the subject, almost nothing had come forth as a solution.
After Peter's untimely death, Arianna had submerged herself in books and surprisingly found solace in them. She would often take to reading the old journals of her deceased father which had often bothered Eleanor but she thought better of it, not too strong to deal with the anomaly of her daughter's unusual psychology. Occasionally Arianna did complain of mild headaches but they had never been too pressing. It seemed now that Eleanor had mistaken it to be the calm at the end of the storm. She felt culpable. Closing her eyes, she rested her tired shoulders against the cold tiled wall of the bathroom. Her hand continued to caress her daughter's sleeping form on her lap.
The following morning, Arianna hesitantly descended the stairs for breakfast the following morning. She wasn't too sure if she was ready to offer an explanation to her mother with respect to her tirade the previous night. She was unsure of her nightmare herself. She couldn't decipher if it had been her subconscious thinking of supernaturalism – vampires and werewolves, what her mother had spoken of the previous night - the secrets of this uncanny little town or if Kol was nothing but a figment of her imagination.
She was fearful however. It made her question her sanity for the first time in years. Could it have been possible she was suffering from an abnormal psychological condition?
Maybe it was paranoia? She panicked momentarily. She was well aware of the consequences, the diagnosis of the mental condition, the drastic limits to which it could drive one.
"Good morning sweetheart." Her mother appeared at the bottom of the stairway. She looked at her mother instantly, visibly disturbed and then her eyes fell to the ground. Her mother smiled at her slightly, putting an arm around her.
"Have breakfast with me." Arianna was taken aback at her mother's unexpected demonstration of affection. She did not resist and smiled weakly at her mother, letting her lead the way.
Arianna was pleasantly surprised to talk to her mother candidly in what had been a very long time. Her mother seemed cheerful and in the mood to talk. She was being generous with her time today, not having glanced at her wrist watch even once. She shared with her the embarrassing long forgotten stories of Arianna's childhood – of the times when Arianna had once taken to violent measures and smeared ice-cream on her classmate's face who she hadn't taken a liking to. She was sure her mother had confused her brother for her, but Eleanor had insisted it was her daughter. Her son, Nathaniel had been a milder, an emotionally weaker child.
Speaking of, he wasn't to be found anywhere. "Where is Nathaniel?" she enquired of one of the domestic helps.
Before the elder woman could respond to her mistress' question, Arianna sprung to the defense of her brother without thinking, "He's sleeping."
Eleanor looked between Arianna and the older woman who simply nodded. "Very well then," she wiped her hands with the napkin on her lap and begun to assemble her belongings, the older woman helping her with her blazer.
"Will you be coming today?" she asked her daughter cautiously. Arianna stole a brief glance at the caretaker before responding to her mother's question. It did not miss Eleanor's experienced eyes however.
"Umm, yeah… I'll stop by to see Mel." She confirmed with her mother.
As she watched the retreating form of her mother, her mind pondered over the whereabouts of her younger brother. She had lied for him to their mother and she was only hoping he wasn't going to let her down.
Melanie's condition had been stable for the past few hours. Although it would take her a few more hours to gain consciousness and recuperate, it was safe to say that she wasn't hanging onto the thin line between life and death anyway.
Mrs. Strider, Melanie's mother had been devastated upon hearing of her daughter's accident. When Arianna had arrived that morning, the old woman had broken down before her and only after much convincing had she agreed to go home and sleep for a few hours. Arianna sat by her friend's bed, contemplating.
Melanie looked so fragile, so pale. She had looked anything but, not twenty four hours ago. Arianna looked intently at the bandages that covered the wounds on her neck and wrist. She delicately placed her hand on the plaster that kept Melanie's left leg still in place. Her right arm was in a similar condition. Arianna felt guilty. If she was to believe that the events her vision had shown her and couple it with the violent nightmare she had, it was true that the culprit of Melanie's condition was Kol. The reason however for his action was her doing. She was clearly at the root of this situation and she loathed herself. Even though she couldn't even begin to process the idea of having been the reason for her friend's horrifying condition, she could not escape the truth. She was responsible.
A wave of culpability plagued her. She was determined nevertheless to right what had been wronged. She couldn't have been sure if it was indeed Kol's doing, but instinctively she knew. She decided she was definitely going to seek help from the authorities concerned. The knowing look on the Sheriff's face last night had made Arianna believe enough that if there was one who could help her, it was Elizabeth Forbes.
"Sleeping beauty still not up?" a masculine voice spoke from the entrance of the room. At the door stood a man dressed in black carrying a bunch of white lilies. His electrifying blue eyes were intimidating, his physique tall and lean. He wasn't slender, no. His shoulders were broad, his hair as dark as the night and his face as divine as that of the fabled Greek gods. "Maybe she needs a kiss from Prince Charming!" he muttered, sighing in feigned exasperation.
"You would be?" Arianna asked suspiciously. The man eyed her when she directed the question at him. Clearly, he hadn't seen her before. He smirked at her slightly, walking to the vase at the bedside of Melanie and placing the lilies in the water that filled it.
"Ah, you must be the sidekick I've heard so much about?" The man had charming wit, Arianna couldn't deny. But Kol had been charmingly witty too. She stiffened at the thought of Kol again. The man noticed her involuntary shift in position. "Don't worry. I don't bite." He smirked at her imitating the action and Arianna felt shaken. A small whimper escaped her mouth upon hearing his words but she was quick to compose herself. She couldn't be weak now, no. The man however had already turned to stare at her with dubious eyes.
"You didn't answer my question." She bit back harshly at the intruder. The man narrowed his eyes at the miffed brunette. "Damon Salvatore." He finally answered without beating around the bush. He was the man her friend had been talking about the previous night. If only she had paid more attention. Arianna felt irritated. Was it common place for the men in Mystic Falls to be ridiculously attractive and exceedingly witty and diabolical?
"It wasn't an animal attack." She didn't know why she thought it essential to divulge that piece of information without knowing the identity of the man she was making conversation with.
"I know." He traced an agile finger on Melanie's cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Arianna was momentarily taken aback by his answer. She hadn't been expecting acceptance. He assessed the injuries that had been sustained by her friend as if he knew the truth. She looked at the soft expression on his face which quickly morphed into anger. He looked upset, like he would detonate, but was quick to conceal his emotions. She wondered who he was to Melanie.
His acceptance only encouraged Arianna further, not knowing how she was going to substantiate her accusation. For a moment she feared he'd challenge her insanity just as much, but she had to take a chance. She had to know that 'Kol' wasn't just a figment of her imagination, that the monster that lurked in her mind truly did exist. "It was Kol." She now had his undivided attention. Damon looked at the girl suspiciously. Her eyes didn't shy away from his stern gaze.
"Are you sure?" He certainly didn't sound too happy about what he had discerned. Arianna merely nodded.
Melanie stirred slightly, her stupor being sidelined momentarily. Arianna was at her side. She looked at her friend's worried face. "Hey…" she whispered weakly.
"Mel." Arianna smiled at her friend. "How do you feel?"
"Stiff." She sighed, trying to push herself to a sitting position. The syringes on her hands made her yelp in pain. "Careful there, baby Denise." She smiled lazily at the man standing beside her who was helping her rectify her position. The moniker had been given to her the first time she had bumped into a very drunk and seductive Damon at the Grill. She apparently had a very striking resemblance to the stunning blonde actress and talked just as much. She was thus rechristened to 'baby Denise'.
"Damon." He rolled his eyes at her saccharine sweet smile. She was well aware it made him uncomfortable. "I thought you didn't care." Her smile widened upon noticing his obvious awkwardness. Arianna couldn't quite understand the dynamics between the man and her friend; he seemed harmless none the less. At least that was what she thought.
"What happened, Mel?" she couldn't hold back the curiosity that raged in her mind. She knew exactly, but she needed to confirm it with her friend.
Melanie was blank. "I don't know. I guess I blacked out… I can't quite… remember." She looked confused, unsure of how she had found herself in this predicament. "Maybe it was the alcohol that got into my system." Arianna was entirely not convinced. She knew Melanie had quite the tolerance to alcohol that would put most men to shame. Why they had consumed not even a single pint of beer that night. The gory scene in of the little washroom could not possibly have been the doing of an excessive bout of alcohol, it was too unbelievable. Damon eyed her skeptically.
Melanie's eyes were drooping again. She yawned. "I hate these meds, they alwa-" her mouth formed an adorable 'o' as she yawned again. "So sleepy…" she whispered, comfortably positioning her head amidst the fluffy pillows.
"Kol?" Damon looked at Arianna doubtfully. "Kol Mikaelson?" she nodded, not knowing his last name, but she believed that a man that notorious could only have had a reputation preceding him.
Damon didn't need conclusive evidence. What he'd witnessed was evidence enough.
Elizabeth Forbes was accompanied by Damon Salvatore and Arianna Griffiths when she happened to meet with the female original. She was still dithering; unsure whether she should believe her friend and the young Arianna Griffiths over the very little evidence she had collected to substantiate their direct accusation. Of one thing she was sure however, it had definitely been the doing of a vampire.
"Ms. Mikaelson?" an oblivious Rebekah Mikaelson turned to look at Sherriff Forbes. An unexpected smile covered her face but abruptly morphed into a frown upon the sight of the man beside her.
"Yes, how can I help you Sheriff Forbes?" she smiled politely. It was uncharacteristic of her, however she was feeling generous.
"I just wanted to enquire with you about the whereabouts of your brother." Elizabeth Forbes was a woman of few words. She believed in approaching the problem at hand directly instead of employing tact and diplomacy. Also, she was a bit reluctant to be questioning this hot-headed original vampire instead of sedating her with vervain and coercing answers out of her. The blonde vampire's face grew hostile, devoid of any friendliness that might have previously been perceptible.
"I'm sure you already know of Nik's whereabouts." She was struggling to keep her temper, narrowing her eyes at the older woman before her. Her smile was sarcastic and she certainly looked very lively with a bit of temper.
"We're talking of your other brother Ms. Mikaelson. Kol Mikaelson." Rebekah's eyes grew steely.
"He's not been in town… for awhile." The sinister smile on her face was familiar to Arianna. She had seen it before. She had seen it on her brother's face. Even though they looked starkly different, there were similarities one couldn't tell without looking too close.
"You're lying." Rebekah's attention was now centered at the brunette who stood before her. She hadn't noticed her presence before, thinking of her as only too trivial to be observed. Her defiance angered Rebekah. She had never been spoken to in a condescending manner before, least of all by a human. Even Niklaus had treated her with more dignity, or so she felt.
"Ah, I remember you." She smirked at Arianna calmly, eyeing her as though the purpose of her existence was only one, and one alone – to satiate the growing need of thirst in her throat. "You were at the Grill last night." She couldn't quite believe Kol had spared her even after making eyes at her the previous night. She wasn't complaining however. She admired her brother's taste. This brunette did look appetizing, seemed like a sumptuous meal.
"If you're looking for Kol, you're looking in the wrong place." She looked at Arianna one last time before leaving. She was itching to kill, but she wouldn't mind sharing with her brother. He had after all been the reason she had chanced upon her meal. Besides, she owed Kol a favor and Rebekah wasn't one who owed anything to anyone. It was the one thing the originals had in common.
Elizabeth Forbes and Damon Salvatore looked at a disappointed Arianna with a glum expression.
"I don't believe her." Damon muttered once the blond had divorced their company, contemplative.
"I've got a gift for you." Rebekah's sly whisper shook Kol out of his reverie.
"What is it 'Bekah?" even though he concealed his agitation, Rebekah knew him better. He was unhappy to be disturbed from his novel.
"Your little mortal – the one who was making you swirly from last night?" She now enjoyed her brother's undivided attention. She smirked triumphantly at him. "I've found her. And I'm going to kill her." Her voice had an air of nonchalance in it as she buffed her nails.
Kol was enraged. He stood towering over his sister, looking down at her with eyes filled of cold admonition. His words however were smooth, composed, almost playful. He was a master at deception. "You will do no such thing, silly 'Bekah." Rebekah was taken aback, not quite expecting the reaction she had received. Then again, when had Kol ever been predictable? It was a trait resident of her nature.
"Why? She looks very, enticing to me." She pushed further, a spark of challenge shone bright in her eye. Kol's hard glare only gave his inner turmoil away. The mortal was his little toy and he never shared that on which he had already staked his claim. She lingered in his senses, he had tasted her and she had been delicious, living beyond his fanciest expectations. He wouldn't allow another to lay so much as a finger on her, pollute the purity, the divinity of the crimson liquid that coursed through her veins, even if that meant rivaling family for it. This, her, he wasn't ready to share.
"Oh, hit a nerve, did I dear brother?" Rebekah taunted him; she was enjoying the sight of a mildly infuriated Kol. She knew she was his equal if it ever came to a battle of words. They took turns at winning the said battles. Kol unlike his sister was adamant. To him, this was no game for more than two.
Rebekah walked away leaving an irate Kol behind her. She knew she had just raised the stakes higher. She also knew her brother's love for challenges. She was confident that he would thank her later.
Kol however, had a mind of his own.
So - what guesses do we have for Kol's plans here?
Please be kind and leave a review. I will always be looking forward to it! :)
