Chapter 8

Dear Elena,

We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Hearts are never broken
Times forever frozen still

-Ed Sheeran

I miss dreaming. I miss memories…I miss everything.

The last time I wrote in you was about a month ago. Thanksgiving is close by and the weather is terrible. However I can't stay in the cabin doing research, so every day I go for walk. I call Caroline at least twice a week during these walks and we talk and talk and talk. Like this is normal. It feels weird though but nice. It's like we graduated from school and college and got married like we planned. Caroline was the first one to get married and I'm working on some interesting career right now. Right we just pretend that you're in some exotic place with Matt (things are supposed to be normal in this fantasy). He just proposed to you and you said yes. Oh Elena you look so happy. Caroline has just sent you million and millions of copies of wedding magazines. She wants to travel to New York, for a dress.

In that fantasy everything is perfect. We are all perfect. Grams is there, my dad is there, Jeremy is there…you're there. I still see Jeremy as your little brother. I guess that's all he will ever be.

I know, I know…All the craziness, the vampires…my magic; it all had to happen for a reason right? I'll leave that all to you. The point I'm trying to make that with Thanksgiving coming up…I feel like all documentation in my life is being wiped away. I feel enclosed and sheltered and scared that whatever past life or fantasy life I'm hanging onto will fade away the more I just engross myself in this research.

I think Enzo started to notice that.

Yes weird, Enzo noticed. I think it was the one night that I was crying and I hadn't heard him come home. Needless to say that I cried myself to sleep and the next morning I woke up with a cup of coffee and a plate blue berry muffins on my bedside table. Alongside the plate was a large blue and white gift box and a small note. I frowned at the gift and gestures and everything. I slowly picked up the note and read it:

It's not Christmas yet…but I thought you might need something to make you smile, Love.
E
PS: Say Cheese is it?

I frown at the note and look at the box. I cautiously take it and stare at the box. I was afraid to open it. What if it was something horrible, like a dead man's hand or something or his heart (I really shouldn't have watched Pirates if the Caribbean last night). Wait he said 'say cheese', Oh mu god its disgusting cheese. Wait, I was thinking about all the horrible, well it was Elena. How about you give him the benefit of the doubt Bonnie, you would probably say to me. I sigh heavily and then slowly take the lid of the box. There are wraps and wraps of white tissue paper. I swallow hard as I lift the paper and gasp loudly at what I see.

A camera?

When I lift it up to examine it, I'm in complete shock. What the hell. I had not owned or used one these since I found out I was a witch, except for extremely important occasions. I was actually very skilled, once upon a time in my life I thought I was going to become a professional photographer. Something about capturing each moment seems beautiful to me. Well you knew that already. It became a bit difficult to capture a moment while frying someone's brain I guess.

My question is…How Enzo would know I loved photography once upon a time is beyond me. I've never mentioned it. I looked up in my bedroom at the pin wall I have in my room full of pictures I've taken and an endless amount of selfies with you and Caroline. Was he in here? I'm trying to figure out if I should be offended that he came into my room or not. Bonnie, I can hear you rolling his eyes, this was his room once upon a time, it is his cabin after all. True, Enzo could be creepy but a gift like this would require for him to look around and make sure I love it.

I then realize that he would've had another clue. I open the draw at my bedside table and pull out the light lime green scrapbook. Please tell me you remember the scrapbook? Anyway, it has everything Elena. From you and Matt, to Matt and Caroline, to Caroline and Stephan, TO Stephan and you and even you and…you know who. I'm starting to see why Enzo always complained that I never had a life.

I close the scrapbook and turn my attention back to the camera. I switch it on and find that there are already pictures on it. I frown as I see the one where I'm sitting on a rock in the forest and smiling at something at ground. I remember that day. It was the day I spoke to Caroline about a thanksgiving photoshoot that she wanted to do for the girls. I remember rolling my eyes when she suggested I take time from my research to take the pictures. I obviously had to say no. I was staring at a family squirrels running to a nearby tree from the ground. I smiled at the baby squirrel that had dropped his acorn and was trying to decide to retrieve it or just run because of me. I just made it look like I wasn't paying attention and before I knew it he had his acorn and was up the tree. I was smiling at how innocent they all were. That was about three days ago. I would have loved to capture that moment.

But I didn't…

Like everything in my life, I had forgotten to enjoy each moment that I allowed for the bad moments to take over. I flip through the camera and find more of me just walking and looking around. It looked like some were taken from a high angle. I didn't even hear him at any of these moments. Pesky damn vampires. In most instances, someone would have considered this "stalkerish" and crazy and also creepy. For some reason Elena, I was touched. It was like Enzo didn't want me to forget to capture each moment. Like he knew that I needed to be happy and somehow knew that this would make me feel better. If not completely…a little bit.

I decided the first memory that I would capture was my breakfast with the note and box next to it. One day, I will print all of these pictures Elena and when you wake up…you can have them all. I promise.

B

Authors note

FYI, I'm literally working on Chapter 9 now :) So you won't have to wait that long, so you better be excited ;)

Once again I have been receiving very positive reviews...I love that. I'm also working on that sneaky sexy scene so please get excited.

I hoped you like the camera scene, I obviously had to add my own little twist to it. So let me know what you think. Also danger scene coming soon...so yeah:)

xxx

C