Chapter Two: Belle of the Ball
A thin spray of Vanilla Noir perfume coated Elena's neck as she crushed the tinseled applicator with her delicate fingers adorned with freshly painted, blush colored nails. Her long brunette tresses fell down her back in loose curls and her perfect, pouty lips were painted a deep red that stood out vividly against her pearl white teeth. Elena trailed her hand along the French ivory lace corset that made her waist delectably narrow and pushed her breasts up high to create generous cleavage. She raised her arms up high as her handmaid lowered a fitted crimson gown over her tiny frame and laced it up tightly from behind her. The red hued satin clung to her skin in all the right places, and the scrunched lace bowed out at her hips and pooled majestically around her in a full circle of fabric. Elena pulled on her handmade black translucent gloves and finished the look with a diamond beaded black chocker necklace. Admiring her flawless appearance, she allowed her handmaid to escort her down the marble stairs of the mansion and into the exquisitely decorated ballroom. There, awaiting her at the bottom of the staircase was Damon Salvatore.
The moment Elena's eyes met his, she stepped back in sheer terror. She reached down and picked up the bottom of her dress, clutching it high to avoid tripping as she flung herself around and retreated hastily up the steps. She speed by door after door, but all of them were locked. Finally, she reached the end of the hallway and turned to the last door on the right. Her trembling hand reached up and curled around the knob, and her heart beat fast with anticipation knowing this was her last chance. As she turned it slowly, the white wooden door gave way and creaked open loudly as she shuffled through and locked it behind her. She fell against it and collected her breathing, attempting to subdue her hyperventilation.
Looking around the room for the first time, she recognized where she was. Her bedroom. And sprawled across her bed was a beautiful brunette with flawless, olive toned skin and thick eyelashes framing her warm doe eyes. Elena looked at the lady in confusion; she was an exact reflection of every single one of Elena's own features. A perfect twin. Elena watched as her duplicate sat up on the bed and motioned for her to come closer and sit next to her. Elena hesitantly did as she was asked to, and she felt the mirror image's hand come up to gently touch her cheek. She leaned her luscious lips by Elena's ear and whispered three words. "You're in danger."
Suddenly, I was falling. I was plummeting down into an endless dark abyss, vaguely aware of the voice calling out to me; screaming my name. I heard the frantic pleas, desperate to save me from this blackness.
"Caroline! Caroline! Wake up!" Caroline darted up from beneath Bonnie's cream-colored sheets and took calm, slow breaths as she assessed the situation. Her best friend's hazel eyes looked back at her impatiently, and Caroline could tell Bonnie must've been shaking her for a while.
"Finally. I thought you'd never get up." Bonnie rolled her eyes. "My dad made us breakfast, care to attend?" She joked as Caroline rolled out of bed and groggily made her way to the bathroom to get ready for the day.
Bonnie followed her and closed the door gently behind them. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, the girl brought up something that had been bothering her.
"Car, I'm worried about Elena. I know she missed our sleepover, but doesn't it seem a little suspicious? I mean, you can't be mad at her if it isn't her fault. It doesn't make sense. Jenna hasn't seen her since yesterday morning when she left for school, but she isn't worried because she thinks Elena's with us. And Stefan offered to drive her home from school yesterday but she backed out because she had her car there from Thursday. So, where is she?" the hazel eyed girl looked up at her friend, genuinely concerned.
Caroline smiled and laughed lightly as she combed her soft honey hair. "I think you're reading to much into this Bonnie. I mean, she obviously ditched us to hang out with Stefan; she just doesn't want to admit it to us. She's probably over them thinking up a good excuse right now. I guess she's just proven that she isn't interested in being our friend." the blonde finished quietly, trying to spare her friend's emotions.
"No, I don't think that's it at all, she wouldn't lie to us, and neither would Stefan." Bonnie answered.
"Well, maybe we should call him? I doubt trying Elena's cell for the hundredth time will get us anywhere."
"Or.. We could go to the boarding house. "
The blonde huffed. "Bon, It's been one day. She could be anywhere. Vampire speed? They could be on a date in Japan for all we know."
"I know, but it's just.. I had this really strange dream about her last night, and it was kind of scary. It was a dream, I know, but it was so real. Like a vivid memory. I know the difference between Katherine and Elena, but it was like there were two Elena's, and she was running from something, she was scared, and one of the Elena's told the other that she was in trouble."
The blonde froze and dropped her hairbrush to the ground. The handle made a hissing noise as it cracked slightly against the tiled floor.
"Was.. was she wearing a red dress? At a dance? Before she ran?"
Bonnie nodded slowly. "…How did you know?"
She looked up and met Bonnie's eyes. "Because I had the same dream."
Elena's eyelids felt as if they had ten-pound weights resting on each one. Her back was sore and aching, and she couldn't remember a thing from the night, or day before. It could've been 2:00pm or 3:00am and she wouldn't have known the difference. All she could think about was how much sleep she wanted and how exhausted she felt.
She shifted slightly under the soft object that lay underneath her and felt resistance from her wrists and ankles. Mustering all of her lackluster strength, she opened her eyes slowly and moved her throbbing head upwards to get a look at her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was the antique, four-poster bed that she was sprawled awkwardly across. Countless pale pink plush pillows and a matching feather stuffed, silk embroidered comforter surrounded her.
Elena sat up slowly to get a better look around, tensing slightly as her aching body screamed at her to lie back down. The room she was was rather large. She took in the window seat in the corner framed by delicately sewn curtains, and gasped at the numerous pieces of hand carved gold trimmed ivory wood furniture scattered throughout the room. From the identical night stands placed on each side of the bed to the armoire, the room was fit for a princess. Elena's gaze finally landed on a deep beige and pink colored chaise lounge. There was a deep green and white camisole and matching bra and underwear set laying angelically across the chair. Something about it strangely called to her, she knew she was supposed to put it on. Preparing to slide off the bed and get up, she felt the resistance around her ankles once more and when she tried to pull back the comforter to reveal the inconvenience, she felt it against her wrists, too. Elena looked up cautiously and gasped in surprise.
Handcuffs. She was handcuffed to this bed. By her hands, and her ankles. This was enough to snap Elena out of her dream like trance.
"What the hell .…where am I?" she thought aloud.
This couldn't be good. Everything about this was out of place. This room was decorated like a palace, and it certainly didn't look like anywhere she had ever been before. Tears collected against her lids and threatened to spill out across her cheeks. Confusion overtook every functioning part of her brain and her body was screaming with pain. She couldn't remember a thing about what had happened, or anything for that matter since she got out of school.
"School," she whispered breathlessly as the memories flooded back to her mind. Now she remembered. She had last been at school. She was helping someone.. who was it? She was getting something for them, from her locker. Homework! That's what it was, she was giving someone an extra copy of the homework. Elena raked her brain desperately, looking for answers to her overwhelming list of questions. Little by little, everything started coming back to her. She recalled giving the homework to a girl.. Brittany.. and than everything went black. What had happened? No matter how long she sat there thinking, she couldn't figure it out. After she had gotten the page for Brittany, she had entered the pool room and tried to hand it to her. She was attacked from behind when she realized what had happened to Brittany (she had been bitten on the neck.)
Elena closed her eyes tightly. She remembered seeing the face of the thing that had grabbed her. The thing that had taken her necklace. The thing that had hurt Brittany and was probably behind the situation Elena was now faced with. She filed the attacker under "thing" because she wasn't sure if her assailant was really human. Vampires bit humans. Vampires drank human blood. But, then again, vampires have super speed and super strength.. why would they need to wear a mask?
Just then, Elena heard a blood curdling scream. She flexed against her restraints wildly, trying to get even one hand or ankle free. The screams continued and Elena gulped. They were coming from the hallway outside the door to her room. Outside the door that was padlocked and sealed with cement.
Why hadn't she noticed that before? Of course the door was reinforced, whatever had taken her here didn't want her to get away. Just then, Elena remembered the window seat. Although there were no other windows or ways of entry beside the door to the room, there was the window seat window. And there was no padlock on that... If she could somehow get out of these handcuffs, she could run to the window and escape. She could run and find help, she could save whoever was screaming. Just then, even more high pitched sounds erupted though the door.
"Aggghhh," someone shrieked, "Stoppp, please! Nooo," the sounds echoed inside of Elena's room.
Her body went stiff. She knew who's voice was screaming. Brittany. And she had a feeling she also knew who was next.