AN: Hey everyone..So here's chapter two. Thank you so much to those how reviewed my story...My first every reviews so they really mean a lot. And to the people who faved and followed it, means a lot to know that there is actually people interested in reading this when there is so many good stories out there. :) Hope you like this part also.
A week had passed since Donna's death. Elisa, another long serving maid named Christine and the butler Kevin had all succumbed to the illness. She tried to put on a brave face but Kara could see that her mother was tired. She stayed up at night watching over whoever it was that was sick and spent the days bleaching sheets, scrubbing floors and walls and scrimping together whatever was in the cupboards for meals. Kara tried to help but she mostly stayed up in her room and out of direct contact with other people, just as her mother had directed her to. Every day Kara would awake and gaze longingly out the window for any new carriages on the streets or people in traveling cloaks to see if there was any indication of the quarantine being lifted. No such luck.
More and more smoke could be seen bellowing from behind nearby houses. She knew from their own experience what that meant. The burning of bodies.
She sighed to herself only praying that wherever her father and brothers were, that they were safe. She had begun writing in her journal several times of the events but she didn't know how to start. The book she had been reading 'Jack and the beanstalk' lay untouched on her bed-side table. She didn't have the heart to continue it without her mother reading it to her. All in all she felt utterly useless. Sometimes, when she knew everyone else was otherwise occupied she would venture out to the stables and spend her days with the many horses there. Some days she would be gone so long that the skies would be a darkened grey colour when she would return. No one would notice her absence, they were occupied with much more imported things. But today, however was different.
Maisie Hale the fifteen-year-old daughter of their closet neighbour had died late last night and so no one was allowed to venture outside while the remains were being disposed of. It was the norm and somehow something the eight-year-old had now come accustom to. She prayed every night, much like she suspected everyone in the town of Mystic falls did for this nightmare to be finally over.
A sudden scream in the hallway directly outside her bedroom made her heart jolt in fear and break her out of her trance. She had been trying to write in her journal once again but threw both book and quill to the floor as she got up.
"Quick…fetch Dr Marsh right now" a panicked voice yelled from outside her room. She couldn't tell who the woman was speaking to only the fact that hurried footsteps followed immediately after that. Kara rushed closer to the door and turned the knob slowly afraid of what she might see. Two servants were now gathered around someone who had collapsed on the floor. Kara could see that it was a woman, pale skin, light hair, rings on her finger that looked almost like her Mother's wedding ring. Her dress was a pale green, one that sort of looked identical to the one her mother wore sometimes except her mothers' had a small stain on the hem from when she had spilt a well of ink on. Exactly like this one seemed to have.
Kara moved closer to the strange woman, whose face she still hadn't seen. This strange woman whom her mother had given her dress to. It was then when one of the servants turned to see her. It was Alice, Her and Stefan's nanny. She was one of the youngest on staff but the now the worry lines on her face made her look ten years older.
"Daisy" she said referring to the other servant that had gathered on the floor with her.
The other woman looked at her through tearful eyes.
"Get her away from here"
It took Kara a moment to realise that Alice was referring to her.
'Why?' she thought to herself. She had seen poor Donna when she had passed. The last week the house had been full of death. Why now should she be sheltered from the effects of this disease?
It was as soon as Daisy stood from her position on the floor that she realised why. It was like a wave of ice water had hit her. Her arms and legs covered themselves in goose bumps and shivers shot up her spine.
Tears pooled in her eyes almost immediately as her heart wrenched.
"Mama?" she asked moving closer to the still figure.
Her mother lay motionless on the wooden floor. Her golden hair askew around her face and neck and had come loose from its restraints on her head to pool around her. She was pale and sweaty and her lips had gone an ungodly colour of blue.
"Mama!" she screamed trying to alert her mother, trying to awaken her from her deathly slumber.
It was at that point, with Kara struggling in the arms of Daisy who was trying to wrestle her back to her room that Alice intervened and helped her friend.
Kara was screaming and crying so much that she didn't hear what they were trying to say to her. All she wanted was her mother to come and hold her.
"Shh child shh" Alice tried to console wiping her unrelenting tears from her eyes and trying to brush her hair from her face "Listen, you need to listen to us".
"No" she screamed trying to get passed, trying to get to her mother.
"Your mother is gone now sweetheart, she's in a better place" Alice said in the most soothing tone she could muster.
"No" Kara cried crumbling in Daisy's arms "Mama!"
She must have blacked out after that, fainted from grief for the next thing she remembered was awaking in her bed. It must have been hours later for the sky was darkening with charcoal and blue tones. Her face was still wet with tears and she had made a small puddle on her pillow from the steady stream of moisture from her eyes. Alice sat on the small green armchair across the room. Her position upon it looked uncomfortable indicating that she had fallen asleep of pure exhaustion. It was when Kara tried to conceal a sob that she awoke.
"Miss?" she asked groggily "Is there anything I can get you? A meal perhaps?"
Kara shook her head. The last thing she could think about was food. Her throat felt sore and scratchy. She supposed that was from the screaming she had done earlier.
"Where's Mama?" she asked her voice sound reflecting on how it felt.
Alice didn't answer for a moment, only looking at her shoes and rubbing her hands together nervously. When she did reply she couldn't seem to look at Kara in the eye. No one had even noticed that Georgianna Salvatore had contracted the influenza and so shame was now shared throughout the staff.
"We put her….remains in her bedroom for the time being miss" She replied standing and fidgeting nervously.
"So it was not a dream"
"No miss"
"When will my father return?" she asked the dischevelled maid.
"I'm not entirely sure, some say that the quarantine will be lifted soon but so many people are still sick.
"I just want my family back" she cried into her pillow.
Alice looked upon her unsure of what to do, of where to place herself to make the young girl feel better.
"Sleep now miss, it is getting late. Things might be a little better in the morning, just wait and see". With that Alice departed the room leaving Kara to hopefully better dreams.
When she awoke again she was standing in the middle of an unlevelled field which was strange since she vaguely remembered going to sleep in her own bed and she was never one to sleep walk.
"What the..?" she asked herself gazing around her. Her estate was nowhere to be seen from where she was standing and she had no idea how she had got here. Her attire was unusual, nice but extremely old fashioned, something someone donned in the dark ages she would have thought maybe even before that.
'I must be dreaming' she thought to herself. It was odd, the dream felt very lifelike. She could feel the crisp air on her face and feel chills every time the wind blew her hair. The clouds were grey and full in the sky and she could almost feel the dampness in the air.
As she squinted at her surroundings two figures could be seen running out of a tree-lined area of the meadow. They were shouting and waving at her, broad smiles on their child-like faces.They were around her age, maybe a little older but not by much.
As they got closer she began to hear what they were shouting to her.
"Kara, what are you doing?!" the girl yelled, giddiness in her voice "Run, Elijah is sure to find you there". She didn't know how but her body took over, seemingly knowing exactly what to do, like it was a play acted out every night and she knew her part from the beginning.
"I was awaiting you two" she said her voice betraying her confusion as she ran with the boy and the girl "If you ran any slower you would be traveling backwards" she laughed taking off across the field.
They were playing a game of sorts she understood now. They were to run and hide while another by the name of Elijah was to come and find them. They had obviously had a head start because she could not see Elijah anywhere behind them.
Suddenly the boy grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along another path, unseen by her at first. The little girl travelled on ahead not once glancing back at where her two comrades had gone.
"Kol where are we going? I do not know this route" she said still running fast behind him.
He smiled looking back at her his dark hair brushing into his face at times.
"I have a secret hiding place up ahead" he said smiling broadly "Only I know about it, it'll be a perfect spot to hide. Trust me"
She smiled back, like she had been suddenly invited into a masterful plan.
"I always do"
They ran on for a few metres until they were in a small clearing concealed by tall trees. She could hear the rushing of water and knew they were somewhere near a stream or waterfall.
Kol released her and ran up ahead to a hill like area that was covered in shrubs.
"What about 'Bekah?" she asked in hush voice afraid they might be uncovered by the dawdling Elijah.
"She always claims victory in this sport, but this time is different, no one knows of this place but I and now you" he smiled.
It was now she only noticed what he was doing. He was removing large branches from a concealed opening of a large cavern in the rocks.
"Goodness" she gasped at the find "However did you find this place?"
"I stumbled across it when I was gathering fire wood for Father one day, I covered it up to hide it" he beamed at her interest in his new fort.
"Is it a wolf hide?" she asked curiously knowing full well that every full moon her family, the Mikaelson's and a few others had to take shelter from a curse that turned some of the villagers into deadly beasts that would hunt them down and kill them if they were seen.
"I'm not sure" Kol answered gazing into the caves dark interior "It looks like one but it is certainly not one that any of us created".
"Maybe it's older" Kara suggested happily entering the confines of the cave interior.
"Careful Kara we do not know what's in there" he warned although still following her lead.
"Well I think it's perfectly safe, if a bear or such creature were to inhabit the place I'm sure we would have been mauled to death already" she smiled walking a couple of feet more before sitting on the cold stone ground.
"That is comforting" Kol joked sitting with his back against the wall across from her.
"Why did Nik not venture out with us today?" Kara asked unsure why the third eldest Mikaelson brother did not come out to play with them.
Kol sighed and found interest in his fingers.
"Father gave him extra chores, something to do with speaking him in a tone he did not like"
Kara nodded. She knew Mikael was a strict parent but when it came to Niklaus he seemed to double his punishments.
"How long for this time?"
Kol shrugged.
"Until father thinks he learns his lesson I suspect"
"Well that means never" Kara laughed and Kol laughed with her. It was true, no matter what harsh punishments Mikael seemed to cook up for Niklaus he always found a more unique and original way to rebel.
"Come Kara" Kol said suddenly standing up holding a small jagged rock in his hand "We must mark this place as our own". They set to carving their names on the inside of the cave walls along with forged warning symbols telling intruders of unending pain and suffering if they were to enter without permission. They laughed at their work after. It was messily etched on the walls but was still legible.
"No one would dare to enter now" Kara laughed wiping the dust from the stone from her hands.
"Do you think Elijah has found Rebekah by now or do you think he has given up?" Kol asked moving to the mouth of the cave to see if he could hear Elijah's voice of surrender.
"Kara!" Kol called from the entrance "Come here a moment, look at these"
Kara joined Kol at stopped to see what he was pointing at. There were bushels of some sort, many of them the same, scattered in the clearing outside the cave. A purple flower sat upon it.
"They're pretty" Kara concluded looking at them in turn to see if there was anything spectacular about them.
Kol scoffed.
"Does your Father not teach you anything of witchcraft?" Kol asked moving closer to study the plants.
"Kol you and I both you that your Mothers magic and my Fathers magic are not one in the same" Kara replied squinting her eyes at the weeds trying to see what Kol was so eagerly trying to point out.
"It is, its wolfs bane" Kol concluded with a smile holding up the stem to her so she could study it.
"The plant that Ayana said could deter the wolves?" taking it off of him and holding it delicately in the palm of her hand.
"Come" Kol said picking a bunch "We must bring some back to the village"
"Kara? Kara can you hear me?" a voice asked.
She looked around her to see no one, curiously Kol didn't seem to hear.
Suddenly Kol and the clearing, the field, the feeling of the air on her face disappeared.
She felt tired, and hot and everything ached. Somehow she couldn't open her eyes.
"How long has she been like this?" a male voice asked. It was the voice of Dr. Marsh she realised. Was he referring to her?
"Since last night" the voice of Alice responded "We didn't think anything of it, we thought she was just upset about her mother".
She felt something cool on her chest and realised that Dr Marsh was trying to listen to her heart.
"Will she be alright?" Daisy asked knowing full well of the chances of surviving when having contracted this ailment.
"She has a fever that we must get down and those chest noises are a sign of chronic pneumonia. I'm afraid it doesn't look good".
Dum dum dummmm…..Haha so I'm ending this chap on a cliff hanger…..don't hate me. JBut yay we had a glimpse of Kol, and it was little Kol so awh cute! JI hope you liked it, please please let me know. If you have any comments or even ideas please also let me know! I will update as soon as possible! Thanks for reading! xxxxx