Chapter Sixty-Eight: Seize the Day

Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost
It's empty and cold without you here, too many people to ache over
Trials in life, questions of us existing here, don't wanna die alone without you here
Please tell me what we have is real
Silence you lost me, no chance for one more day
I stand here alone, falling away from you
No chance to get back home
~Avenged Sevenfold

Once more they stood around that table in the bookstore, six of them this time. They stared and listened as plans were made and strategies were thought up. A various assortment of weapons laid on the table, on top of the maps that had been marked with a red sharpie. Circles encased the two areas Shellie was able to pin down as possible meeting spots.

Bonnie, Magnolia and Shellie were to head towards to the cemetery, scanning the old and new parts. Damon, Stefan and Elena were to scour the Old Wood, searching for the meadow. Stefan made it very clear that their mission was to get Nilly and get her to safety as soon as possible. Christian could be dealt with later. Still there were some in the group who were personally out for the manic vampire's head on a stake.

Shellie gathered what the three of them would need, shoving it all in a knapsack and slipping it on her back. She looked to her left where Bonnie stood, her hands tossing a sharpened stake back and forth, eyes set. Then she looked to her right where her cousin's hands were braced on the table as she and Damon spoke. Feeling eyes on her, Magnolia looked up at Shellie and gave her a soft smile, nodding her head once.

Shellie let out a low breath before shifting the bag on her shoulders and tightening her ponytail. Just then Elena came up the steps, her own chocolate hair pulled back into a low ponytail. "Alright, everything's ready," she said as eyes snapped to her.

"We meet back here in five hours. If anything turns sketchy you get out, if you find something you call the others, if you have a shot take it." Magnolia said, straightening up. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked around. A silent agreement passed between everyone before Magnolia nodded and headed for the stairs. Bonnie and Shellie followed after.

They slid into Mags's car and started towards the cemetery. The ride was silent. Shellie sat in the backseat her eyes closed as she tried to search for any pieces of information. Bonnie was in the passenger seat scanning over a map of the cemetery. Mag's clicked on her car radio and music began to over take the cadence.

Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost

It's empty and cold without you here

Too many people to ache over

I see my vision burn

I feel my memories fade with time

But I'm too young to worry.

She turned it up slightly as they turned on the narrow road that lead to the main gates of the cemetery. Magnolia caught herself humming along and heard an exasperated sigh in the backseat.

"Really, Mags? Avenge Sevenfold?" Shellie questioned, eyeing her through the rearview mirror. She gave her cousin a tired smile.

"Nothing better to get you in the hunting mood," she said over the music. Bonnie gave a little chuckle next to her but Shellie just rolled her eyes and shut them again. Mags's hand flicked the volume knob again.

Not long after the song ended the car rolled to a stop in from of tall iron bars. Magnolia pulled the key out of the ignition and immediately the music cut off. The three witches stared out the dashboard window before they simultaneously got out of the car.

Easily the girls slipped through the gates and started up the gravel path way. They made their way through the rows of headstones and creaking oak trees. Everything was serine and quite.

"I don't feel anything," Bonnie said softly. Magnolia scanned their surroundings.

"Yeah, me neither." Mags said, she looked at the other two. "But give it time, he'll show up."

Then she turned back and made her way down the hill cautiously.

So what if I never hold you,

Or kiss your lips again?
So I never want to leave you

And the memories of us to see
I beg don't leave me

Seize the day or die regretting the time you lost

It's empty and cold without you here,

Too many people to ache over.

Damon snapped the radio off, slipping the car ride back into silence. He clutched his hands on the steering wheel a little tighter as he focused on the road. He felt his brother's eyes on him. "That song was annoying me," he said simply, staring at Stefan in the rearview mirror. His brother sulked back, and Damon returned to the road.

"Turn right up here," Elena's voice came from behind the map she held up. Damon complied turning the steering wheel on to a rocky road. The car jumped and jostled for a while as Elena navigated them through the back roads. Finally the road came to an end and the car stopped.

"And now we walk," Damon said, sliding out of the front seat. The three started their way through the Old Wood slowly. Damon led several feet ahead of Stefan and Elena.

At one point Stefan veered off, calling that he wanted to loop around quickly to see if he could pick up on anything. Damon agreed, leaving Elena to stay with him. He'd pick up speed causing Elena to stumble more through the dense forest.

At one point when Damon suddenly disappeared, Elena tried to catch up with him. She felt her ankle snare around something and then she found herself falling forward. A hand shot out and gripped her shirt, stopping her fall short. Damon straightened her up and steadied her back on her feet.

Letting out a low breath, she looked up at him and smiled a little.

"Thank you," she said. Damon nodded and for a minute Elena thought she saw his features soften as he did so. But the stern look that had been on his face since Nilly had left quickly returned. "We're going to find her, Damon," she promised.

"Hope's a bitch, Elena. Be careful," he told her.

"She's my family. I care about her," she shot back. Her frayed nerves were wearing thin. "Why don't you just admit that you care about her too? Why won't you let other's see your humanity? I know it's there, Damon. And so did Nilin," she pushed.

Suddenly Damon was in front of her, nose to nose. "We are not talking about this, understand? Humanity in vampires is a fallacy. I'm here to rip the throat out of the prick who thought he could come into my town and screw with my life. I would like to do so without your irritating questions. So please, stop talking," he growled on her.

"Fine," Elena bit out. Damon took a step back from her and continued on with the hunt. She followed silently, watching him closely. He didn't say another word to her after that.

Stefan returned shortly, brushing against Elena softly. "Did you find anything?" she asked, coming to a stop. Suddenly Damon was standing on the other side of her, peering at his brother.

"Well?" Damon asked, impatiently.

"I think I found the meadow." Stefan said. Elena noticed the ting hope and apprehension in his voice. She felt a chill as the breeze picked up. A worrying smirk curved on Damon's lips.

"Let's go," he grinned.

The cellar door slammed open, the sound reverberating throughout the small room. Nilly's eyes shot open just as she felt someone rip her upwards. "Come on, we're going on a field trip." Christian snarled at her as he effortlessly prodded her around like a rag doll. He dragged her through the cellar door and forced her to stumble up the stairs.

Nilin felt his hand snake around her arm, gripping it painfully. She wrapped her hand around Christian's to steady herself as he continued to pull her through the house.

"What's going on?" Nilly asked. Her voice was breathless. Pain shot through her body with every step she took. Christian didn't answer as they made their way through the kitchen and living room of the cabin.

He only released the grip he had on her to rip open the front door. Nilin jumped at the sound of creaking metal and wood as he easily yanked it. He looked down at her and Nilin saw a crazed spark in his eye. She couldn't tell if it was from anger or excitement, and that terrified her.

"They didn't listen to our warnings, Nilly. We're going to have to deal with them," he said as he pushed Nilly on to the front porch. She was momentarily distracted by the feeling of the fresh air on her skin and the warm rays of sun peeking through the giant trees. But then she was roughly pushed forward. Her weakened mind was too slow and she couldn't catch herself. The world rushed towards her. Her knees and palms hit the gravel driveway hard. "Stand up," he snarled.

Nilly let out a shaky breath but managed to rise to her feet. "Who? What are you talking about?" she asked.

Christian laughed as he made his way down the porch steps, grasping her arm again. "Guess," was all he said as he grinned sadistically.

Nilin stared at him confused as he began to lead her towards the woods. Christian's hand was in an unbreakable grip around her arm as he dragged her through the woods. He held her up so only the tips of her toes touched the underbrush. At that point she was just gliding across the ground."I don't understand," she said. Again he let out a bellowing laugh.

"Do you honestly think I would only have one witch under my services? Hmm?" he asked her. "Don't be so stupid Nilin. I have to cover all of my bases, especially with you. I had some eyes watching your friends and they decided to make a move. We're going to stop them."

Her heart rate immediately picked up, her already labored breathing grew shorter. "Why don't we just leave? We can go somewhere far away." Nilly tried. She chose her words carefully. She needed to play along with her being compelled, he couldn't find out about her necklace.

"That's boring," he told her as they started up a large hill. "We can do that after I rip a heart out or two." Christian smiled sickly. Nilly forced herself not to scream and kick and fight, she just let him pull her along as she stared ahead.

The sun trickled faintly through the tree tops, causing everything around her to dim. The trees and bushes passed by her quickly as Christian sped up. Nilly had no idea where she was going. She hadn't been sure they were still in Mystic Falls up until now, but this was where she grew up. This was the Old Wood.

"Where are we going?" she tried again, forcing the words to sound dreamy as he all but lifted her off the ground. His eyes flashed down at her, a wide toothy grin on his lips.

"Don't you worry, we're just going to see some old friends of yours," he smirked as they finally broke through the tree line. He pushed her forward and Nilin stumbled through the long grass. Again her palms and knees hit the ground, the damp grass and dirt cooling her skin. Gnarled hair tangled in front of her face, she tried to push it out of her eyes.

Her eyes widened in horror as she looked up. Her mouth opened in a terrified gasp. She stayed on her knees in the grass, looking around the meadow.

"No," she whispered in shock.

Author's Notes:

Guys, only four chapters left. I can't believe its come down to the end. This has been incredible and I can't wait to show you all the sequel. Thank you for being on this journey with me. Was that cheesey? That was cheesey. I'm sorry, anyway... Have a fabulous week and I'll see you next Monday!

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RLS