Chapter 14: bat's out of the cave
We arrived at the hotel late on Sunday night. After a quick room service dinner in dad's room I retreated to mine and promptly fell asleep. After a particularly nasty dream of Damon trying to bite my neck but unable to thanks to a bubble surrounding me I woke up.
Ok I've had weird dreams before but that's new. After a quick visit to the bathroom I felt I was being watched again and headed to the window. A large black crow sitting on the windowsill. It locked its eyes on me. I noticed it had bright green eyes, like someone else I know.
"Hello Damon"
The crow turned its head to the side and then flew away, I remained there. A couples minutes later I saw Damon coming up to sit on the tree branch outside the window. He leaned in, locked his eyes on mine and his pupils grew wide. He spoke with a seductive and commanding voice and while I found myself eager to comply I could easily squash it.
"Invite me in"
I leaned in and replied
"No."
He jumped back surprised
"But I broke your bracelet, did you fix it?"
"No, I guess I don't need it. Wouldn't be the first time. Can we talk?"
"Of course we can. Invite me in"
he replied with a small kinda arrogant smile
"No. Meet me in the lobby in five minutes"
I closed the window and went to get dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple white tank top, sneakers, ponytail, my cell in my pocket and I was ready to play 'confront the vampire'.
Damon wasn't in the lobby but in the bar. Big surprise there, he always seemed to be drinking something. I sat on the stool next to him and ordered a soda.
"Don't be a pansy. She'll get a beer"
Smiling I nodded to the bartender and turned to Damon. I took a deep breath
"so..."
"You know"
"Yep"
"How do you know?"
"Long story, what is going in Mystic Falls?"
"Long story"
"I can always go back in my room and call it a night you know"
"And I can kill you before you have time to reach the elevator"
"Not smart. I've told dad and Sheriff Forbes where I'd be. You'll be staked.
After a stare down he grabbed my hand, the beers and leaned in to lock eyes with the bartender, using the same voice as before he told him we were never here. The bartender nodded and in a metallic voice repeated Damon's statement as in a trance and we headed out to Damon's car. A sleek black Lotus Elise, I recognized thanks to Jake's obsession with cars. We got in and he drove us to a park in the center of the town where the waterfalls were. We sat on a bench with our beers in hand.
"You're not scared"
"noop"
He seemed surprised by that
"You're not the first vampire I've met. Although the ones I knew weren't like you"
"They drank bambi blood like Stefan?"
"Yeah"
"Pansies"
"They also have too pale, rock hard and ice cold skin. Red or gold eyes that would fade to black, move too fast, never sleep, can't consume human food, sparkle in the sunlight, cannot bite without either kill or turn"
He turned to look at me
"Are you serious?"
"Yep, from what I know you're not like that"
"No we're not."
"Aren't you gonna share?"
He took a deep breath
"We have cooler body temperature which is disguised by caffeine. We have normal eyes, fangs and we undergo a facial transformation when we feed, smell blood, or experience particularly strong emotions. This transformation includes a paler complexion, blood rushing to our eyes with small veins protruding around the area, and fangs appearing on our canine teeth."
He snapped his teeth at me playfully. I simply raised an eyebrow.
"Do I look scared? I saw Stefan drink from that girl in the parking lot. How does that work?"
"We need to drink blood in order to survive. While any animal blood will sustain us, it is human blood that gives us stronger powers.
"You're drinking beer"
"Consuming alcohol can help a vampire with keeping the bloodlust under control, presumably dampening it for a while. We can eat normally as long they drink enough blood. Plus we can also ingest alcoholic drinks for pleasure with no side effects,
"Do you have any special abilities? I mean individually"
"Not that I know of. Just accelerated healing, controlling animals, Dream manipulation, Fast reflexes, mind compulsion, sensitive hearing, speed, superhuman strength, Weather manipulation. More human blood you drink the stronger you are. Animal blood can sustain us but also keeps us weakened."
"You can get hurt? How? by whom?"
"By everything. Once I stabbed Stefan with a knife, fun times."
"Yeah. That doesn't make any sense. The ones I know are not like you. Can you get killed? How?"
"Yep, by stake and the sun"
"Stake and the sun?"
"Sunlight is lethal to vampires, and a wooden stake through the heart will kill a vampire pretty instantaneously, causing the body to turn grey and veiny"
"But I've seen you in the sun"
"Well I have this." He showed me his ring "It's enchanted and protects me from the sun"
"Do Stefan, Isabelle and Anna have rings as well?"
"How do you know about them?"
"I'm observant, now tell me"
"Stefan has a ring like mine and I guess Anna and Isabelle have protectors too. Keep in mind I'll ask the questions after"
"Yep. How does one become like you?"
"It's a whole ordeal. A human has to bitten by a vampire and then feed on the blood of a vampire and die while the vampire's blood in still within his or her system. It takes approximately 24 hours to for vampire blood to leave a human being's system. The human being is then "turning" where he or she is still not a vampire although has died but appears alive. Also during the "turning" phase, a person is in great pain from sunlight as well as their gums and the hearing abilities and physical strength increases. The "turning" phase is not long and a person must decide whether to feed on the blood of human. If the person does not feed, he or she will dead but if he or she does feed on blood before that happens, he or she becomes a vampire. No other blood but that from living human being will turn that person into a vampire."
"What is this about vervain and telling me to invite you in?"
"We have weaknesses"
"Please explain"
"We cannot go into places we're not invited in even our own homes if we live alone. Vervain is a plant that makes the human resist our mind compulsion and works as poison if we drink it."
"Is this why you broke my bracelet?"
"Your dad took care of your own 'animal attacks'. Do you really think I wouldn't want to know about it?"
"He didn't. Our animal attacks were different. Let me start at the beginning, ok? It will make more sense"
Damon nodded and I started talking about the last year. I told him about my parents splitting, Renee taking me with her, me visiting dad, dad visiting me, Renee getting remarried, me moving to Forks, making friends there, Edward and his cold attitude and then warming up, Tyler's van and how Edward got me out of the way, the night in Port Angeles, me finding out what they were, watching them play baseball, James and the whole running to Phoenix, James biting and Edward sucking the venom out me and me ending up at the hospital, my summer with Edward, my birthday nightmare, Edward leaving me, my zombie months and how I found help in anger in January, how gradually I took control of my life and got my friends back and the phone call from Liz Forbes, Victoria and her quest to get me and then us talking, our trip here for 2 weeks until this weekend with my mom. When I was done I looked at him and he looked lost in thought.
He started talking about his human life. How he and Stefan were as close as wall and paint, Katherine, how she caused him and Stefan to drift apart, his change only to find that Katherine was dead when actually she was trapped in a tomb with 27 more vampires, how he and Stefan decided to die but in the end Stefan fed and brought him his first meal, how in time he found out that Katherine was alive, Isabelle coming to ask him to turn her, moving back here to open the tomb to get Katherine, open the tomb and free all vamps only to find out Katherine was never in the tomb and simply didn't want him, meeting Elena, worming his way to the council and finishing with how he got a device from vampire pearl only to give it to vampire Isabelle to hand it to vampire Katherine after witch bonnie broke it so it wouldn't work. But apparently uncle John (who actually is Elena's dad) handed it to the council and plan to use it to locate and get all the vamps together to set them on fire on founders day.
"Founder's day. That's today. What are we gonna do?"
"We?"
"Yes, we. I'm not letting my dad get hurt. By the way what does my dad know about all this?"
"Everything. Besides me & Stefan that is."
"Everything" I scoffed. "Well he has no idea about the vampires back in Forks"
the sun was starting to rise.
"What happens now?"
"According to the neighborhoods unfriendly witch the device is deactivated and won't work."
"Do you believe her?"
"I don't know. Can I see your scar?"
I extended my right arm. He touched it.
"It's cold."
"A little yes. It also burns when I'm near a vampire. It was my first clue that day at the founder's pageant. I saw Stefan right after so... not to mention you're not exactly hiding here. You only have to be a little observant."
After talking some more it was time for me to get back at the hotel to get ready and have breakfast with dad. After that I'd spent the morning with blabber machine, Caroline I mean until it was parade time. There was no school today and taking the coldness between Elena - Bonnie - Caroline in consideration it was up to me to help her to get dressed. Damon said it'd be better if he didn't drive and thought he'd run me. I gulped. But apparently Damon's kind of vampire didn't run per se. It was so fast it looked and felt like teleportation. One blink here, the next 20 blocks away outside my hotel room window. I hopped in and went straight to shower. Got dressed in jeans, a dark red leotard top, black heels and was ready.
I went to Caroline's to help her get ready. When I saw the dress it was simply a pain. A ridiculous huge yellow fabric that I'm sure once was used to cover a huge balloon. You know the kind that travels. It took us almost an hour to put it on her after some grumping on why it doesn't have directions and how she couldn't breath it was on. I may not be as good as Alice is but I did a pretty good job on her makeup and hair.
What I didn't count was that Caroline wouldn't approve of my outfit.
"What's wrong with jeans and a top?"
"Not mystic falls parade appropriate"
"Not mystic falls parade appropriate? I'm not in the parade Caroline. Just gonna watch"
"Don't care Izzie, you're changing."
"I didn't bring clothes and it's Bella"
"You can take mine Izzie"
"They're too small for me Carrie"
She cringed at the nickname
"I hate Carrie and they're small for your bust, you'll look sexy"
"I don't like Izzie either and bring them"
She smiled and run off, well tried to run off. She came back a few minutes later with a bright yellow one shoulder knee length dress and a white halter dress with small crystal like thingies on the bra part and it reached my mid thigh. Thinking we'll look as twins' wannabes I put the white one on.
"I feel naked, I'm too exposed"
"Nuh, you look hot, you and the girls"
"Girls?"
She gave a pointed look at my bust. Oh those girls.
"And the shoes and purse."
"If I fall off these and break my neck I'll come back and haunt you. Got it?"
"got it, now sit down time for hair and makeup"
"I already did my hair and makeup!"
She gave me a look and returned with a straightening iron to do my hair and darkened my makeup. I looked dramatic, luckily the dress is white!
Matt came to pick her up and I got back in the car to meet them at the plaza out of school. We all arrived at the same time and met up with Bonnie who was in charge of taking photos. I looked around and saw Damon and Stefan in a heated conversation and then staring at Elena like they've seen a ghost. She looked beautiful in a dress also shaped like a huge traveling balloon in deeper yellow-olive color. I remember Damon said that Elena looked like Katherine. I chuckled and promptly turned to Caroline who was adamant that Matt should hide his cast in the photos because 'it's not era-appropriate'. She then insisted she should take photos with both me and Bonnie and after a nice small heated interaction between Tyler and Matt we parted ways for the parade to begin. I didn't see dad around so I stayed with Bonnie a few steps behind Damon who was doing his best to piss off
Stefan. I smiled when Damon came up to us and thanked Bonnie for deactivating the device. She snapped to look at me and I simply said
"I know everything."
"How?"
"I'm a smart girl, figured it out"
She didn't seem happy and Damon turned to walk away grabbing my hand and dragging me along.
"You do know you can just ask me to follow right? You don't have to grab me"
"Yeah yeah. You look hot"
"Caroline's dress. She didn't approve my jeans and top"
"I agree with our queen"
He leered. I hit his arm lightly. I shivered and looked around
"I feel like I'm being watched"
A few moments later my cell rang
"Bells?"
It was dad and he sounded broken.
"Daddy? What happened?"
"Billy called me"
"Oh, he learned how to use a telephone?"
"Harry's dead."
"What? How?
"Heart attack. I need to leave after the celebrations today" aka the device
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"Can you?"
"Definitely. I'll book us plane tickets for the first flight to Port Angeles or Seattle, ok? Meet me at the plaza and we'll head to the airport"
"Ok bells"
I hung up and looked at Damon.
"A good friend of my dad's passed. I'll be right back."
I went to my car. I was still carrying my laptop bag everywhere I went so I used my laptop to book us two seats to a direct flight to Port Angeles. On the backseat there was a bag of the clothes I worn earlier so I'd be ok for the flight.
I texted Caroline to tell her I had to rush home and that I'd be back with her clothes in a few days, and she told me not to worry, since the outfit looks better on me anyway.
We went back to watching the parade. When it ended Damon went to the Grill. I wasn't hungry and opted to stay out for a while. Some time later I watched him mock and warn Jeremy until Stefan stopped him. Watching the anger in Jeremy's face reminded of me and I went after him. We talked for a few moments and he told me about Vicki and Anna & I told him about Edward. He told me that he read Elena's diary and found out Damon erased his memories and I told him that a part of me wishes someone had erased my memories. I reminded him that after you were changed you couldn't go back and that he should think it very hard. To change for the right reason. God knows what I'd do if Edward left me after changing me. After a while I think he understood me. He wasn't ready to forgive Elena but was getting there. I told him he could talk to me if he needed someone and we exchanged numbers.
At that moments Damon called me saying he talked to Anna and that after the fireworks started the tomb vamps would attack the founding families. The same time the Gilbert device would go off. Supposedly the vampires would hear a high pitched sound that would expose them, the sheriff's v5 deputies would inject the vamps with vervain and get them to an old building. At that time my dad would come get me to head to the airport and wait for sheriff's phone call to tell him if the plan went ok. The tomb vamps wanted the founding families dead and since the device wouldn't work a lot of people would die. Including my new friends. I told him I'd make sure Jeremy stayed with me and he'd send Stefan and Elena to get his and get out of the way.
During the mayor's speech I got a text from Caroline telling me the mayor sent Tyler, herself and matt home for some reason she didn't know and I breathed in relief. At least they'd be away from the vampires and protected by vervain in the extra protection of a house. I took a deep breath and looked around for dad. The fireworks started.
First my scar was burning almost as much as when James bit me, it made sense the plaza was full of vampires. Then I heard a high pitched noise from afar almost bringing me to my knees, like a migraine. Actually more like someone was blowing a whistle next to my ear. Not too bad but I couldn't ignore it either. I slumped against my car trying to act normal knowing there are deputies around here but it hurt too much. I felt an arm wrapping around my waist and dad was talking to me.
"Bells what's wrong?"
"My head... hurts... noise... migraine"
"Are you...?"
"No! Dad please make it stop"
Dad lifted me and opened the passenger door of the car and put me in.
"Stay quiet and I'll get us out of here, ok?"
I nodded & moaned trying to stop the noise. Finally it stopped as we reached the hotel.
"What was that?"
"The device for the animal"
"The word is vampire dad. Damon told me. Why did it affect me?"
"I don't know Bells. It's supposed to only work on vampires. Are you...?"
"not that I know of. So it worked."
"Shouldn't it?"
"It was supposed to be de activated. Did they round all the vampires up?"
"I think so yes. Liz will call me as soon as they've been disposed"
I wanted to ask about Stefan and Damon but couldn't.
"We have time to go back and see. The flight won't leave for 2 more hours and we'll have enough time after we land to go home and freshen up before the funeral."
Dad didn't reply just turned the car around.
"Are you mad at me?"
"No Bells, I just don't understand"
"Me either"
We didn't say another word. We reached the park and dad left to go to the station to meet up with the others and I looked around to see if I could find anyone. In the distance I saw Elena and Stefan running off somewhere and i followed them. I saw a building go up in flames. No!
"Elena! Elena!"
"Bella?"
"Where are they?"
She was looking at me all confused.
"Stop looking at me like that I know ok?"
"Damon was taken with the others; Stefan went to get him out"
"It's up in flames, he's gonna get killed"
We saw Bonnie try to stop Stefan but fail. We run up to her and I let Elena talk to her, it wasn't my place although if it were up to me I wouldn't just talk. She grabbed Elena's arm and started chanting. When she stopped Stefan was howling Damon out. Elena and I reached to them and helped them to sit down
"Are you ok?"
Damon and Stefan nodded. Damon said he had to go and left and Elena turned to Bonnie to tell her to leave as well. I went for a walk and some time later my cell rang. It was Jeremy telling me that Anna was dead. He had the vial of her blood and was thinking of taking it. I tried to talk to him and change his mind by reminding him about our conversation this afternoon. He seemed to cool off and we hanged up.
What was Damon thinking?
I got back to the car to wait on dad. He was disturbed when he came back. He said there was an accident and Caroline was at the hospital in ICU. Liz would call him with news but we had a flight to catch. The closest airport was in Richmond 1 hour away and thankfully we made it to the airport with plenty of time. I used the nearest bathroom stall to change back to my own clothes and wait for the long flight to Forks.
