The sound of a heart monitor beeped out all other sounds in the Beacon Hills Hospital. The nurses check on their patients non stop. Loved ones visit as much as they can. Lydia Martin was no exception. Even in her over flashy get up, she was sitting in one of the recovery rooms where a girl a few years older than her lay in the hospital bed, motionless. Tubes and wires covered the woman's arms and chest, feeding her medications and fluids to keep her alive. A breathing tube was upon her mouth like a snake trying to slither inside of her.
Her once radiant, beautiful chestnut brown hair is now dull from the lack of care. Her skin ashy and pale, veins popping out from the strain. Her eyes slightly sunken in, hidden from her eyelids, dark bags covered her eyes. She looked more like a corpse instead of an actual person. Lydia picked her nails like she had better things to do then sit in a depressing room with a corpse- like woman.
But she came anyway because this was her sister. Meredith Martin. "So Jackson won the championship… again. Obviously." She sassed, still looking at her nails. "The school is the same as usual, not that you would really care." She looked over at Meredith with a small smile.
"…."
"You would probably ask more about how I'm doing and not about the dumbass Jackson . Which his is not dumb by the way. What new Latin words did I learn? Or how is the future professor doing in Chemistry? Do you need me to beat Mr. Harris up?" She laughed but there was no humour behind it.
"…."
Lydia rested her hands on her lap and looked over her lifeless sister. Meredith was the oldest in the family. She was the genius in Beacon Hills Highschool. She was beautiful yes but everyone valued her mind then her looks. She could've gone to any college she wanted but she threw it all away to join the military. Lydia's parents were furious at Meredith about her decision but when she puts her mind to it she goes through with it, no matter what. It took a lot of stubbornness but Meredith was shipped off to Afghanistan for two years. Lydia didn't want her to go. She loved her sister, she wanted to be just like her. She even suggested that she would go with her but Meredith straight up told her no and said " Show the school who us Martin's are little sister! I promise I will return home with a bunch of presents for you.". Two and a half years later she was gone… and look at her now.
She gently grasped Meredith's cold hand into her warm one. Her thumb rubbing circles against her hand. "When are you going to wake up? Your little Ariel is waiting for you.." Tears slowly came down Lydia's brown eyes, each one landing on Meredith's hand. Mascara ran down her face but she didn't care. "Excuse me." Someone knocked against the railing of the door. Lydia looked up in surprise and began wiping her face to hide the fact that she was crying. A nurse in purple scrubs looked at Lydia sympathetically. Melissa Mcall would love to give Lydia more time with her sister but sadly she got news that hikers found a dead body in the woods and the authorities told everyone needs to stay indoors for the night until the investigation is done. "I'm sorry Lydia but visiting hours are over." That was a lie, it was around 10 o'clock in the evening, she had at least another hour but Lydia was too flustered to notice. "Okay." She said. She gathered her purse and swiftly left the room without looking back. Melissa's light brown eyes followed her until she was gone. She felt so sorry for the Martin's but until Meredith woke up there was nothing she could do.
Melissa walked in, checking the machines and vitals while looking at Meredith. "Wake up soon honey. There are people who love you and are waiting for you."
"…."
Melissa sighed and left the room, with a heavy heart. Lydia began driving back home with tears still pouring down her face, messing up her makeup even more. She slammed her hands over the steering wheel in anger and frustration. "Why won't you wake up!?" She screamed. While she was letting out her frustrations a deep howl echoed throughout Beacon Hills with the full moon at its highest.
~Southern France, 1002 A.D~
Meredith stood transfixed in the middle of a field. The grass soft against her bare feet. Her mouth was slightly open, tears trickled down her cheeks. Her chestnut brown eyes wide in horror as she witnessed bodies piled up in a heap. Blood spilled from their necks and wrists. Someone tried to hide the bodies but sadly Meredith finds them no matter what. She doesn't try to, it just happens. Her loose hair flowed in the dark night air but she paid no mind. Her thin purple dress hugged against her body like a second skin, barely keeping the cold out but once again she paid no mind. She slowly walked closer to the lifeless bodies, the smell of blood and dirt getting stronger the more she walked closer.
She was soon able to identify the bodies. Two males in their early 20's and an older male in his 60's. Probably a father with his son's out coming home from hunting. All slaughter without a care about their lives. Meredith stops, sobs escaping past her lips. With a deep breath she let out an ear piercing scream.
"AHHHHHHH!!!!"
The scream spread throughout the night, until maybe an hour the scream died down and Meredith stopped entirely. She looked down at the bodies with sympathy. "I'm so sorry." She turned around and walked over to the wagon while wiping away her tears, that the men were riding on, the horse long gone. Ignoring the blood stains on the wood she hopped on and began searching into the wagon to find something of use. It was wrong, she knew that but what can a Banshee do in a period where women had to do as they were told and obey orders and get married in order to survive? You heard it right. Meredith Martin is a Banshee. A banshee was considered to be a harbinger of death and doom and if you or any family member spotted one, you would be doomed for death. Apparently she has been transported in a time where there was no technology, running water, or rights for women! She couldn't believe it herself for a time but with having no way back home and literally had no one to help her she had to go into her survival instincts and adjust.
For over a year she has been stealing from dead bodies of people she predicted would die. Even from a sweet old man who took her in when she was out in the woods, starving and alone. He had a wooden cottage close to the castle of Count Montel. He took her in as his own daughter. Feeding her, bathing her, clothing her. She could not be more grateful to him. He asked her once why she was out in the woods in the first place. "I don't know. All I could remember is waking up in the woods alone." Was all she said. It wasn't a lie, she really couldn't remember. All she knew was that she was not in this chain of time. The old man sympathized and asked no more questions of that kind and continued on with their lives. The two of them grew very close. He taught her everything about the customs and culture and where she was. He even taught her how to track and hunt, noticing that she had a knack of taking care of herself. He also realized she was very skilled with a knife as they caught their first rabbit of the season. She was able to gut it and skin it with ease. "I don't have to worry about you at all do I?" He whistled. She only laughed it off. He asked her if she remembered anything about her past. Family, friends, where she lived but Meredith remained silent. "How about your name?" He asked. That was one thing she did remember. "Meredith." She could never forget the big bright smile he gave her when she told him her name. "Meredith. A beautiful name to a beautiful woman." She smiled brightly. "And clearly you know how to take care of yourself! Without a man no less! Your father must've taught you well." He said. Her smile faded a bit at the mention of her father but thought nothing of it. Right now the man who saved her was her father. Which made his passing even more tragic.
It was a late spring evening. The fireplace was blazing with light as Meredith was just setting up the dinner table. All of a sudden she felt like she couldn't breathe. Her throat felt like it was being squeezed. She grasped her throat, her fingers feeling her pulse quick at each desperate breath she took. Her knees buckled and she got down to the ground, clawing for breath. Hot tears swelled in her eyes. Before she felt like she was going to pass out from the lack of oxygen she saw the sweet old man's body lay down before her in a pool of blood. "AHHHHHHH!!!!" She screamed and passed out. The next morning she found herself laying down on a bed in her room. The old man asked what happened when he walked in with some tea. Instead of answering him she ran into his arms and gave him a big hug, knocking the hot tea to the ground. She begged him not to go out hunting tonight. He tried to calm her down, not understanding what was going on but agreed anyway. Meredith felt such relief but the anxiety of that vision didn't leave her. She was busy preparing the food for dinner till she heard him start coughing. She thought nothing of it since he was close to his 70's and smoked on a pipe. Many times she told him to quit but he didn't listen. But the coughing didn't stop. "Father?" Meredith asked in concern, she stopped what she was doing and stepped into the living room where she found him hunching over a table coughing up blood. "Father!" She ran over to him and held onto his chest and tried to straighten him up but he was too heavy. Soon both of them fell over from his constant hacking. She gasped when he fell on top of her. He slowly got up slightly, still coughing. Splatters of blood landing on her face. His body is still on top of her. She looked up in horror. His eyes were glossing over, he began to wheeze. "Father.." she cried. He gently placed a hand on her cheek and smiled, rubbing the blood off her cheek. He closed his eyes and fell onto her chest. She gasped his shock and then sobs passed her lips and she cried for the rest of the night.
She buried him the next day and lived in his cottage ever since. It wasn't technically stealing but to her it was. She blamed herself for not trying hard enough to save him. That's why she devoted herself to heal as many as she can. So she went to town and to the churches to learn from the nuns and other healers in the ways of healing. From different types of herbs to flowers and what types of advantages do they give to the human body. She was ridiculed for even trying to be a healer, mostly by men but she didn't care. She sort of became a hermit healer. Living by herself in the woods and only coming to people who were in most need of her aid. There were rumours that people thought she was a witch but she didn't care. As long as she could save as many people as she could, that was all that mattered. Meredith was able to find a bow with arrows, blankets, a jug of wine, and a couple of dozen rabbits. "What luck." She mumbled. She grabbed as much as she could carry and got down from the wagon. She took one last look at the bodies and apologized again and left without another word. Unnoticed by her, her scream still echoed far and wide. To a point where a family of five were bickering over a couple of bodies. "Kol are you quite done?" Elijah asked in mocked irritation. Kol laid down the males body with an irritated huff, blood dripping from his lips to his chin. "Oh bother Elijah is all this truly necessary?"
"Brother! The road is a major route, if the bodies are found… word of our presence will spread to Mikael." Everyone winced at the mention of their fathers name.
"We have run through autumn and winter. Through sleet and snow, are we cursed forever to live in fear of our father?" Rebekah asked. "I would say yes sadly." Finn huffed in exhaustion. "Finn please! Niklaus!" Klaus looked at his siblings while rubbing the neck of a stunning white horse. "Do we have any idea of where we are running to next?" She asked exasperated. "Why not do what we all thought of doing? Split up!" Kol really had enough staying with his siblings, we wanted to kill and feed without someone nagging his ear off while doing so. "We swore a vow!"
'Again with the stupid vow!" Kol thought, irritated. "Your vows haunt me more than father himself!" He yelled back. "At least he can't chase us all. I say we take our chances." He reasoned. He knew he was right, they were more of a target to their father when they were together but apart they can survive. Before anyone could comment on his proposal an ear piercing scream passed through them. "Bloody Hell!" Kol howled, covering his ears to block out the horrible sound. The scream shook the ground, making it seem like it was getting louder. Everyone covered their ears, hoping the sound would stop. With being a vampire their hearing was heightened. So the scream was ten times worse than normal. The horse reared and whined in fright. What felt like forever the screaming finally stopped. Everyone pulled their hands away from their ears and looked around in confusion.
Silence passed through them. "What the hell was that?"