Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Kill
What if I wanted to break, laugh it all off in your face? What would you do?
What if I fell to the floor, couldn't take all this anymore? What would you do?
Come break me down. Bury me, bury me. I am finished with you
What if I wanted to fight, beg for the rest of my life? What would you do?
You say you wanted more, what are you waiting for? I'm not running from you
~30 Seconds to Mars
Nilin laid back on the grass. Her eyes closed as she basked in the sun. Music filtered through the earphones plugged into her ears.
What if I wanted to break?
Laugh it all off in your face
What if I fell to the floor?
Couldn't take this anymore.
What would do?
The cemetery was peaceful. Nilly had always thought that about this place, ever since she was a little eleven year old who would cry here until her uncle found her and brought her back home. The crying had stopped long ago, but still she would sit here till the sky purpled with evening.
But maybe that wasn't such a smart idea nowadays. Especially since she was alone and she had been gone for a while. With that thought Nilly pulled one of her earphones out and sat up. Out of habit she scanned the cemetery, nothing but tombstones and trees.
She was just paranoid, not that she didn't have good reason to be. Still, Nilin found it harder and harder these days to tell the difference between when to be scared and when not to be. Packing her bag back up and turning her iPod off, she stood. Traditionally, she added a pebble to the growing piles on top of four headstones, sending silent goodbyes.
Retracing her steps back out of the cemetery, she began to hum the song stuck in her head,
"Come, break me down
Bury me, bury me
I am finished with you."
Nilly continued her way up the gravel path when she heard something; a hitch of air. It was a slight intake of breath that otherwise would have gone unnoticed if she wasn't the only living thing in the cemetery. But Nilin was pretty sure she was, she hadn't seen anyone else all day. There was a pause from her, a moment of a held breath, a skipped heartbeat, a hesitant step before she kept on walking.
She played it calm though, no other indication that she was aware of her surroundings. She continued singing,
"What if I wanted to fight?
Beg for the rest of my life?
What would you do?
You say you want it more,
What are you waiting for?
I'm not running from you."
Her voice echoed in the distance, the words bouncing all around her. She knew she was being followed now. The flip in her gut and the tingling on the back of her neck confirmed it. It might seem like nothing, but to someone who's been around vampires as much as Nilin was, it was something. Her feet carried her quickly but not in a haste. She still didn't want to give herself away, playing the unsuspecting victim.
"Look at my eyes
You're killing me, killing me
All I wanted was you."
A twig snapped behind her, Nilin flinched and stopped in the path. Slowly she turned to find nothing behind her. Not that she expected to see anything. Gripping the strap of her bag Nilly turned back around and kept walking. No amount of control could stop her erratic heartbeat at this point. Her eyes scanned to the left and right of her for any signs. She desperately tried to keep herself calm.
"I tried to be someone else
But nothing seemed to change
I know now,
this is who I really am inside
I finally found myself
Fighting for a chance
This is who I really am."
Her voice quavered in the air at the end as she heard movement behind her. She crested the hill and now only had to round the Lockwood mausoleum before she would be able to see the cemetery gate. Something deep in her gut told her she wasn't going to make it.
"Come break me down
Bury me, bury me
I'm not running from you.
You say you wanted more.
What are you waiting for?"
That's when she saw it, a long thick stick laying in the gravel. Nilly's eyes stayed glued to it, her speed picked up. Finally it was in reaching distance. She bent down to grab it but a hand shot out, locking around her wrist. Nilin gasped and tried to pull her arm back but it was in an iron grip. "Ah ah, you don't need that, do you?" Nilly looked up, a scowl of disgust already in her face.
"Let me go," she said sharply. Suddenly she found herself up against the old brick wall of the mausoleum. Her head hitting it hard caused a hiss of pain to escape between her teeth.
"Not this time," the devil himself said with a sickening smirk.
She was being shaken. She could hear her name being called in the distance as her eyes stay fixed, mesmerized by the scene in front of her. Suddenly she was back in her body.
"Shells? Shellie, what did you see?" the voice continued. It was no longer in the distance though, it was booming in her ear. Why was she still being shook? "What did you see Shells?" Magnolia asked, her usually cool diameter slightly panicked. Shellie opened her eyes.
"Gimme a second," she said sitting up. How'd she end up on the floor? She went to rub her eyes with her hand when she felt a sting in her wrist. "Ouch," she hissed. Then she looked to Magnolia. "What happened?"
"You kinda fell down the stairs," she explained, still kneeling next to Shellie. She looked around, slowly coming back to herself. She was indeed on the old wood floor of the shop, the box she had been carrying slid across the room with its contents scattered everywhere.
"Now want to tell me what your vision was about?" Magnolia asked, snapping Shellie's attention back.
"My vision?" she asked, still slightly dazed. That hadn't felt like a vision. It was almost as if she was really standing in the cemetery with... "Nilly!" Shellie suddenly shouted, scrambling to stand up.
Magnolia was on her feet now, too. "What about her?"
"She, in the- Christian!" she answered finally, stumbling over her words. "We have to go, he's in town." Shellie started for the door, trying to remember where her car keys were. Magnolia stopped in her haste, placing a hand on Shellie's shoulder.
"What exactly did you see, Shellie?" she asked slowly, emphasizing each word.
"Nilly, she's at the cemetery alone. And Christian found her! He's going to hurt her again. We have go Mags." Shellie said, grabbing her cousin's wrist and pulling.
"Wait Shells, you know what the rules say. We can't intervene with fate!" Magnolia reminded her, their heritage poking its ugly head out.
"Screw the rules!" Shellie nearly screamed.
"You know what our job is, we can't mess with the balance of fate. It never turns out well," Magnolia tried to urge.
"He's going to kill her this time! I saw it, Magnolia. If we don't help her, Nilly's going to die!" Magnolia paused for a second, the battle between what they were always told to do and what they should do raging in her head. Magnolia had always been the moral one. "Why would I get a vision if we weren't supposed to intervene?" Shellie pushed.
A blink later and Magnolia nodded her head. "Screw the rules," she repeated, a determined look coming over her face. Shellie bobbed her head, the same expression on hers as they headed for the exit.
Nilin could feel the hard cold bricks forcefully pressing against her back, the roughness scrapping her shoulders as she struggled. She thrashed her head back and forth, causing the pain in the back of her head to worsen. "Oh, now stop that," Christian cooed, grasping Nilly's wrist in an iron grip. When she didn't comply he slammed her into the mausoleum wall once more. Nilly heard a sharp crack as stars danced in her vision.
"I said stop," he roared, and Nilly stopped. As her vision clear she could see the smirk on his face. His hand came up to stroke her cheek and she let him. Her movements and thoughts were becoming sluggish.
"Just do it already," Nilly whispered, glaring at him. "What are you waiting for?" her voice raised.
He laughed and Nilin noticed his grip on her loosen. "Because that would ruin my fun," he answered. "You know how I like to play games. So why don't you just be a good girl and play along," he smiled, his grey eyes glistening. He got closer, leaning into her.
Then his lips slammed into hers as he forced a kiss. Nilly tried to turn her head away but his hands held her still. Tears welled up in her eyes and she continued to struggle. In a last ditch effort, as she felt his hands travel down her waist, Nilly clamped her teeth down. She bit as hard as she could until she drew blood from his bottom lip.
Then suddenly she felt a ripping pain in her scalp as he grabbed her hair and threw her down. She rolled and slid on the gravel, feeling the shards dig into her arm. But she didn't waste more than a moment to think about the pain, she rocketed off the ground and dove down the path into the old cemetery.
Her feet stumbled slightly as she raced through the headstones. Nilly slid to a halt and ducked behind a large old tree. Chest heaving, she pressed her back into the tree. "Oh Niiiiiilly," she heard her name being called.
"That wasn't very nice, dear." She began to tremble as she squeezed her eyes closed. "Do you really think I can't find you?" Christian asked her, his voice getting closer.
She heard a loud crack of something breaking and clamped a hand over her mouth, holding in her gasp. "Come on, Nilly. Let's not make this harder than we have too." Another crack, this one closer.
She sunk closer into the tree, cringing away from the sound. "Don't make me count to three." Christian warned. Her heartbeat immediately picked up pace. Her hands still clutched over her mouth and her back pressed to the bark.
"One," his voice rang, accompanied by another splintering sound. Nilly slowly crouched, sliding down the trunk.
"Two," he called as she heard something being smashed. The noise only a few yards away this time. Slowly, she unclasped her hands and let them feel across the ground. Her fingers tips touched something.
"Three," Christian said on the other side of the tree. Nilly shot up just as a hand wrapped around her throat. She was pinned to the tree now, Christian's seething face inches from her. She wheezed out a breath, his fingers digging into her skin.
"You're mine now," he smiled. Nilly's lungs fought for air, she could feel her legs starting to weaken. If she fainted now, she knew it would be over. He was getting closer to her and her chest was beginning to burn. Then she saw the veins creep out from under his eyes.
Just as he ducked his head to her shoulder and she felt the pierce of his fangs, Nilly jammed her arm into his side. The branch she managed to find buried under Christian's ribs. His head shot from the wound on her shoulder as he roared in agony. Nilly didn't give in. She dug the piece of wood deeper until he stumbled back from her.
Then she was running again. She knew she didn't kill him, and she knew that wasn't going to slow him for long so she sprinted with all her power. Her hair whipped around her face as she looked back and forth. She could either sprint across the open felid, hoping she'd make it to the other side, or she could take her chances in the Old Wood. She only spent a second considering it before she dashed into the forest.
She weaved through the trees, heading towards the setting sun and hopping to find her way to the bridge. Her body was beginning to wear down as the adrenaline wore off. As she pumped her arms and legs she could feel every scrape, cut and bruise. She could feel the thick wetness of blood running down her arm and collar bone. Still she ran, even though her speed was faltering, because if she stopped she knew her fate would be sealed.
Nilly was beginning to get a case of déjà vu as she went through the trees. Just as she was expecting to break through the tree line and into that meadow that's haunted her dreams, her feet hit asphalt. Skidding to a stop, she looked up and down the road only to find it empty. She let out a helpless sob.
Materializing from the trees behind her, Christian stepped onto the road. His eyes were burning silver as he stared at her. "You are going to be so sorry, you're going to beg for death," he swore.
Then he was across the road, his hands pulling her head to the side to expose her neck and his teeth ripping into her skin. She let out a scream, hoping anyone would hear her. He drank from her, not stopping or slowing. She began to weaken, her knees wobbling, her eyes shuttering close.
She heard something. It sounded like a car engine coming towards them, but Nilin couldn't open her eyes. Then she heard a loud bang, an explosion going off. Christian let out an angered wail. He threw her backwards and she hit the pavement hard.
The next thing she knew she could feel hands on her, pulling her up and dragging her. She tried to struggle and fight, her arms whipped out in attempt to stop whoever had her. But then she felt the feeling of leather cushions under her and someone stroking her hair.
"Nilly, Nilly its okay. We've got you," someone was saying. She couldn't open her eyes, she couldn't answer. "Oh god Mags, what do we do?" Nilly realized it was Shellie's fingers running through her hair and she tried with all her might to grab the girl's hand. Nilly could only manage to slide her hand on top of Shellie's, but it was enough. Nilly felt Shellie squeeze her hand back.
"Don't worry, we're almost there," a voice said from the front seat. Magnolia, Nilly let out a breath of relief. She opened her eyes and tried to lift her head up. She groaned in pain, her entire body radiating with it.
"Ow," she mumbled. Nilly managed to slide up the seat, untangling her legs from Shellie's lap. She leaned her head on the window of their car. "Thank you," she said, her voice hoarse.
"Don't thank us until we get you fixed and safe," Magnolia said as she maneuvered the car down the long road. Nilin chuckled a little just to feel as if her ribs were cracked.
"Here," Shellie said, as she untied the bandana around her head and handed it to Nilly. Nilly took it and held it to her neck, trying to wipe up as much blood as possible. Her hands were cold though, her fingers weren't working right. Shellie saw that and took over, taking the piece of cloth and managing to clean most of the blood from Nilly's face.
"How'd you even stop him?" Nilly asked, trying to remember the hazy moments before her rescuers showed up.
"I shot him," Magnolia said nonchalantly. Nilin's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You shot him?" she repeated. "How did you— wait, I don't want to know," she said, leaning back on the car window again. She was beginning to get that dazed feeling again as fatigue overcame her body.
Finally, the car stopped with a jerk and Nilly turned her head to see where they were; the boarding house. Somehow, with the help of Magnolia and Shellie, she made it to the front door. Each girl supporting Nilly on both sides, Magnolia used her free hand to bang on the door. After a moment, there wasn't an answer.
"Damon, open up! I know you're in there," her voice rang as she banged on the door again. "It's Nilly." Almost immediately after the name left Magnolia's lips the door swung open, reveling the elder Salvatore brother.
He took one look at Nilly, who was leaning sluggishly on Shellie, and asked, "What the hell happened?" Instantly Nilin was in the house, Damon looking her over. Shellie and Magnolia followed in after her.
"Christian happened. I thought she was supposed to be watched." Magnolia said furiously. She crossed her arms over her chest.
"I thought so, too," Damon said, not taking his eyes off Nilly.
"I'm fine," she tried to smile.
Damon just eyed her. "Just don't," he said. "This is the second time I've left someone else to look after you and you've nearly died!"
"Damon, please," Nilin laid a hand on his chest.
"Wait until I find my brother, I'm going to—"
"Already called them," Magnolia said, stepping closer. "They should be here any second."
"They're pulling into the driveway now," Shellie said, her eyes refocusing. A few moments later Stefan and Elena came through the door.
Author's Notes:
Happy Friday, guys! Here it is, chapter 59. This is the chapter that sets everything into motion. From here on out, hell's breaking loose. So keep on reading, sending me your reviews and bringing new readers. I'll see you lovelies on Monday! Favorite, Follow & Review!
RLS
Featured Songs:
The Kill by 30 Seconds to Mars