Chapter 5: Don't Let Me Burn
I kept close to Emily as she made her way through the trees. The moon's pale light acted as a guide as the witch walked further into the woods. Worry clawed at my heart as I followed after the Bennett witch as she took her descendants' body for a joy ride in the living world. I could feel the energy wafting around Bonnie and I took notice of the vast difference between Bonnie's energy and the energy her body now had with Emily at the wheel.
"What exactly is your plan here, Emily?" My voice broke the silence as Emily led the way through the trees before coming to a stop in a clearing. The area was bare, except for some old ruins that must have been from an old structure from long ago. "Why did you take over Bonnie's body?" The witch was quiet for a moment as she glanced around the clearing.
"I remember you well, Serena Salvatore." Her words had my head tilting to the side in curiosity as she spoke. "You were a kind girl and those two brothers adored you. But they do not know who you really are."
"What?" My eyes grew wide at her words and I stepped closer to the old witch. "What do you mean by that, Emily? What do you know?" I felt the energy around Emily bend and flow and noticed it held a similar feeling to the energy in nature. She was strong, much stronger when compared to Bonnie.
Emily's eyes connected with my own and I struggled to swallow down the lump that grew in my throat. "When I first met you, I knew you were different. But now I know better. You are not just different, Serena. You are powerful. Dangerous."
My lips tugged down wards in a frown and I took another step closer to the witch. "Dangerous?" I asked before taking one more step. "What do you mean? Please, Emily. I have so many questions."
The Bennett witch shook her head and closed her eyes for a moment before turning her head. Her eyes peered into the trees beyond the clearing and I turned my head to see what she was looking at. "Hello Emily. You look different." Damon stepped out of the tree line and I felt the energy around Emily clash with the dense energy that surrounded Damon.
"I won't let you do it." Emily spoke to the vampire standing across from us and I saw Damon sneer at her.
"We had a deal." Damon stated and I felt the air grow thick. Emily shook her head at Damons words and stood her ground.
"Things are different now. I need to protect my family." I wondered what Emily meant by that as my eyes shifted between the witch and Damon.
"I protected your family. You owe me." Damon growled.
"I know. I'm sorry." Emily looked away from Damon and our eyes once again connected. The witch held out her hands and I felt the energy around her begin to move and swirl as she used her powers.
"You're about to be a lot more than that." My head snapped to where Damon was standing and I watched as he crouched down.
"Damon no!" I shouted as panic rose up in my throat, but it was too late. Damon lunged for Emily and with a flick of her wrist, Damon's body was hurled into a tree. A gasp escaped my lips as a sudden flash of heat went through my body. "Damon!" I shouted for the vampire as he groaned out in pain. He had been impaled on a branch and was stuck to the tree.
"Serena!" I pulled my gaze away from Damon when I heard Elena call out my name. I saw both my sister and Stefan rush into the clearing. Stefan immediately went to Damons side and pulled his older brother from the tree.
"It hurts. This is why I feed on people." Damon grumbled as he righted himself.
"Stefan." Emily greeted the younger Salvatore brother and I turned my attention back to her.
"Hello, Emily." Stefan greeted her back.
"These people don't deserve this. They should never have to know such evil." Emily began to explain in her cryptid way.
"What do you mean? What evil are you talking about, Emily?" I asked and the witch turned her gaze back onto me. Before she could answer, Damon let out a growl of frustration.
"Emily. I swear to God, I'll make you regret this." The vampire threatened. Emily sent him a glare and stood her ground.
"I won't let you unleash them into the world." Emily vowed. I was starting to get frustrated and felt like we weren't getting any answers.
"What's she talking about, Damon?" I looked at my once older brother and questioned him.
"What does it matter?" He hissed as his gaze never left the witch standing in front of me.
"Emily, tell me what you did." Stefan spoke up and took a cautious step closer toward the witch.
Emily's eyes glanced at me for a split second before looking back to Stefan. "To save her, I had to save them." Her words were cryptic, but it seemed like Stefan understood what she meant by the way his face fell.
"You saved everyone in the church?" Stefan asked in disbelief. I looked around at the ruins once against and felt something click in my mind. This was where the old church once stood, Fells Church. This was where the massacre took place.
"With one, comes all." Another cryptic message came from Emily and I looked up at her as everything started to come together.
"I don't care about them." Damon shouted at the witch. "I just want Katherine."
My stomach dropped and blood ran cold as I processed Damons words. No, no, no. She couldn't be alive. She can't still be alive. I stood stock still as the hairs on the back of my neck stood up on end. I should have known better. Katherine was a vampire, but hearing that Damon wanted her back, my killer, it made me wonder if he even knew. Did he not know that it had been Katherine who ended my life as his sister?
"I knew I shouldn't have believed a single word that comes out of your mouth." Stefan glared at his older brother. "This isn't about love, is it? This is about revenge?"
"The two aren't mutually exclusive" Damon muttered at the younger Salvatore brother.
"Damon." I called out my once older brother's name. "Please, you can't do this."
"She's right, you can't do this." Stefan backed up my plea.
"Why not?" Damon turned on Stefan and glared at him. "They killed 27 people and they called it a war battle. They deserve whatever they get."
Stefan shook his head at his brother. "27 vampires, Damon. They were vampires. You can't just bring them back."
"This town deserves this." Damons words were filled with hate and I wonder just how long he had been holding onto all this hate. How long has he been planning this? If those vampires got out of wherever they were being held, they would rip the town to shreds.
"You're blaming innocent people for something that happened 145 years ago." Stefan argued back. But Damon only glared at him in anger.
"There is nothing innocent about these people, and don't think for a second it won't happen again." Damon turned his glare on Emily. "They already know too much, and they'll burn your little grandwitch right next to us when they find out. Trust me."
Emily stood her ground in Bonnie's body against the raging vampire. "Things are different now."
"Don't do this." Damon pleaded with a glare at the witch.
"I can't free them. I won't." Emily took in a deep breath before she looked at me. I stood still in front of her as her eyes grew sad. "I am truly sorry about this, Serena." I felt my body grow stiff at her words, but before I could question her, she shouted out, "Incendia!"
I gasped as heat suddenly flooded my body and I fell to my knees. I barely took notice of the ring of fire that surrounded Emily and I as I collapsed to the ground. Ringing filled my ears as I clawed at my skin. My blood felt as if someone had set fire to me and I was left to burn from the inside out. Heat poured through my blood like liquid fire as Emily's voice pierced the fog my mind was put under due to the pain.
"Mother! Mother, please! Help me!" No, no, please. I don't want to remember this. I squeezed my eyes shut as both Emily's voice and the voice of my past life filled my ears. "Mother! Make them stop! Please!" I begged for it to stop as the invisible flames licked at my skin. I curled up as the heat continued to scorch it's way through my veins.
"Hello, love." A stranger's voice pierced the darkness and I felt the heat begin to subside at the sound. I felt myself falling and as my body grew numb and I knew I was falling unconscious. I heard no other noise as I was met with a peace filled darkness.
Light pierced the dark and I found myself watching shapes of light filter in as I was met with another blurry memory. But this time, something was different. This time I could clearly make out a man's voice. A voice that had a pleasant warmth filling my chest as I felt the air brush against my cheeks.
"You my dear, are walking on thin ice." A giggled flooded up through my lips as my feet rushed away from the man speaking to me. "Come now, Serena. No more games, love." His voice followed after me as I took refuge behind a tree. I did my best to suppress another giggle as I peered around the tree. Blurry images met my vision. "Got you, love." A squeal escaped my lips as arms suddenly grabbed ahold of me and I was dragged out of my hiding spot.
I gasped out in pain as I suddenly found myself returning to the present. The first thing I felt as I woke up was pain. My entire body felt sore and pain flared up in my muscles. I squeezed my eyes closed as a sudden cramp in my calf seized my leg. I did my best to take a deep breath in through my nose as I tried to relax my body.
My body felt like I had run a marathon around the entire town, five times.
I reopened my eyes, and this time, I took my time to take in the unfamiliar room I found myself waking up in. The bed I was laying on was a large four poster bed that faced the large fancy looking bathroom across from it. There was a flat screen tv on the wall to the right of the bathroom and the room was sparsely decorated.
"Good morning, little sister." Damon sauntered into the room with a glass in his hand. I watched as he placed the glass down on the small wooden table beside the bed. I also took notice of the white pills now sitting beside the glass as well.
"What happened last night?" I asked as I carefully reached for the pain pills. Damon saw my slow and careful movement and handed me the glass before I could grab it myself. "Thanks." I took a large gulp of the cold water and swallowed the pain pills.
"Emily happened last night." Damon sat down on the edge of the bed as I finished off the water. I could remember following Emily out into the woods after she took possession of Bonnie's body.
"She did something to me last night." My eyes stayed focused on the empty glass in my hands as I twisted it around. "She used me for something." I glanced up and looked at Damon. "What happened?"
I watched as Damon clenched his hand and let out a scoff. "She destroyed the necklace. It was my one chance at opening the tomb." My fingers tightened their grip around the glass in my hands as I took in Damons words. That's right. Damon wants to free Katherine. I was almost relieved that Damon wouldn't be able to let Katherine out of the tomb. The last thing I wanted was to ever see that woman again.
"What happened back then? With the tomb?" I wanted to know more about what happened 145 years ago.
Damon shifted a little and his gaze left mine as he focused his eyes towards the door leading out of the room. "The townspeople found out about the vampires that had been living among them, including Katherine. They lured them all into the church and burned the building down. They thought they had killed all of them, but Emily was able to protect them."
"She put a spell on the tomb." I spoke up.
"Yeah." Silence filled the air between us before Damon stood up from the bed. "Come down stairs when you're ready. I'll give you a ride home." I wanted to stop my brother from leaving the room. I wanted to ask him if he knew; if he knew that the woman he was trying to save was the same woman who killed me. But I didn't stop him.
My heart ached for my brother. I wanted to tell him, but I feared his reaction to the news. I was afraid that he would still choose to save Katherine. That he wouldn't care that she had killed me. So I held my tongue. I pulled myself out of bed and felt my body shudder as I stood up. The pain pills were doing their job.
My shirt had been changed and I was now wearing a black long sleeved cotton shirt. I figured it was Damons from the smell coming off of it. I also figured that the room I was in was also Damons. He must have been the one to bring me here. I felt warmth bloom in my chest knowing Damon still cared about me like he had when I was born as his sister.
My legs protested as I made my way down stairs and walked into the sitting room where I found Damon standing in front of the large window that showed off the backyard of the boarding house. I let out a breath of relief when I finally collapsed onto the couch. "Hey there, how are you feeling?" I glanced up and spotted Stefan walking into the room, a mug with steam floating out of it in his hand.
"Sore. Very, very, sore." I answered him as he set the steaming mug onto the coffee table.
"Here. Tea might help." He pushed the mug towards me as he took a seat on the couch across from me.
"Thanks." I reached over and took the warm mug into my hands before sitting back. Stefan turned his head towards where his brother was standing.
"So, any idea of where you'll go?" Stefan asked and Damon turned away from the window. I sat with the mug in my hands as my eyes followed the older Salvatore's movements.
"I don't know. London, maybe. See some friends." My eyes stayed glued onto Damons form as he moved around the room. For some reason, I didn't like the idea of Damon leaving Mystic Falls, even after finding out what his big plans were. Stefan and Damon were my brothers once and having them magically walk back into my life meant everything to me.
"You don't have any friends, Damon." I scoffed into my tea at Stefans words. Damon sent his younger brother a look before continuing to talk.
"You're right, Stefan. I only have you." Damon smirked and clapped his hands. "So, where are we going?"
"You guys aren't really going to leave, are you?" I spoke up and Stefan turned his attention onto me.
"Trust me, Serena. It's better this way." I frowned at Stefans words, but nodded my head. The younger Salvatore brother turned his attention back to Damon. "As for you, I'm going to live my life as far away from you as possible."
"But we're a team!" Damon whined as he walked close to the couches. "We could travel the world together. We could try for the Amazing Race." Damon sat down beside me and threw his arm over the back of the couch. "And I don't see why we couldn't include our little sister in on our travels." I rolled my eyes at Damons smirking face and took a small sip of my tea.
Stefan hummed and nodded his head. "Thats funny." He commented. "Seriously, where are you going? Because we are not staying in this town and you are not uprooting Serena's life here."
While Stefan was right about not uprooting my life, I still didn't want either of the brothers to leave. But I understood his need to get space between himself and Damon. The two brothers weren't exactly seeing things eye to eye. "Sounds to me like Stefans breaking up with you, big brother." I sent him a look over the rim of my mug.
Damon sent me a glare and Stefan let out a breathy laugh. Before Damon could say anything snarky back to me the doorbell rang and the three of us turned our heads towards the front door. Stefan stood up from the couch and disappeared down the hallway. When the vampire returned, the last person I expected followed in after him. Sheriff Forbes walked into the living room and Damon stood up from the couch to greet her.
"Sheriff. What a surprise." The Sheriff glanced from Damon down to where I was sitting. I sent the blond haired woman a small wave. I could tell she hadn't been expecting me to be here. Her eyes went back to Damons and I watched the two interact.
"Sorry to bother you, but we need to talk." Damon nodded in understanding as the Sheriff's words before motioning towards the glass doors that led out into the back yard. The two walked outside and Damon closed the doors behind them. I looked over at Stefan who was leaning against the wall as he watched the two speak.
"What's that all about?" I asked.
"The Sheriff and the other heads of the founding families all know about vampires." My jaw dropped at Stefans words.
"What? Does that mean they know about you guys?" I sent a look towards the windows where I could see Damon speaking with Sheriff Forbes.
"No. Damons playing them." Stefan answered. I pulled my gaze away from the windows and glanced back over at Stefan.
"I see." I muttered. "Well then." I reached over and set my mug back onto the coffee table. I pushed myself off the couch and winced slightly as the ache that still resided in my body. "Mind giving me a ride home? Damon was going to do it, but he's kind of busy now." Stefan sent me a small smile and nodded his head.
"Yeah, just let me grab Damons keys." Stefan pushed himself off the wall and I followed him towards the front door.
Once I got back home I dragged myself up the stairs and took a long, very hot, shower. After that, I changed into a pair of sweatpants and one of Jeremys t-shirts that was far too big for me. Then I promptly collapsed into bed and curled up beneath the cover before falling back asleep. I did make sure to send Jenna a text telling her I was home and that I was staying home from school. I fell asleep before I could see her reply and blissfully fell into the darkness.
Flashes of light met me in the dark as I tried to navigate my way through the memory. I could make out the distant sounds of voices trying to speak to me, but they sounded far away and I couldn't make out what they were saying. That is until I found myself blinded by a bright light.
"Hurry Serena. If we don't return home soon, my brothers will no doubt come looking for us." A voice, a girl's voice, called out to me. My legs moved benthe my body as I ran to catch up to her. The sun's shining light blinded me, so I wasn't able to make out my surroundings or catch sight of the mysterious girl speaking to me.
A breathy laugh escaped my lips as I felt the air brush against my cheeks. "Slow down, Bekah, or you'll leave me behind." This time it was my own voice speaking and I felt my lips curl up in a smile as a giggled sounded from somewhere ahead of me. Warmth filled my chest as the memory slowly faded away and the darkness closed in around me.
I woke up with the light of the sun slowly fading from view as it's golden rays shone in through the windows. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as I sat up and stretched out my stiff limbs. Apparently while I was asleep I didn't even move an inch and that in turn left my muscles stiff. But, I did take notice that the soreness was gone and I could move without having to flinch in pain.
I checked my phone for any messages and quickly replied to Jenna who promised me a stern talking to for staying out all night and missing school. I couldn't help but smile at her text before sending her a reply. I then made sure to answer Carolines concerned text before sending Elena a reply as well.
After that I went downstairs to make myself some food before lounging in bed. With a full stomach and plenty of sleep, I pulled out my sketch book from my bag. I placed the leather journal on my crossed legs as I tossed my color pencils out around me.
I worked on rough sketches of figures from my past and lost myself in the movement of my hand as it glided across the pages. The sun went down and I heard Jenna and Jeremy return home. The ache in my chest was mild, but my stomach twisted as I my hand worked on the image before me. I hated that I had to remember this specific memory again; that I had to remember the heat from the flames licking at my skin and the sound of my own voice pleading for mercy. Mercy from my own mother.
"Serena?" I jumped and the pen in my hand flew out of my grasp as I looked up from my sketchbook to find Stefan standing in front of me. I placed a hand over my thumping heart as I took in a deep breath.
"Holy shit!" Stefan sent me a grim look and my face fell. "Stefan, what's wrong?" I pushed my journal aside and moved towards the edge of my bed.
"She knows now." Stefan said as he stepped closer to my bed. "Elena knows about Katherine. She found the picture I kept of her in my room." The vampire paused and I felt my heart sink. "She ran from me."
"Oh, Stefan. I'm sorry. I know this isn't how you wanted her to find out." I stood up from my bed so I could stand in front of Stefan. "But if I know one thing about my sister, it's that she hates secrets." Stefan hung his head a little lower and I reached out to squeeze his arm. "She's confused right now and just needs time to process all this."
"I just wish she gave me a chance to explain it all to her." Stefan started to explain. "She deserves to know the whole truth. She needs to know that I'm not with her because she looks like Katherine. Because I'm not, Serena. She's not Katherine."
I sent the vampire a soft smile and nodded my head in understanding. "I know, brother. Trust me. I know that Elena is nothing like Katherine." I pulled my hand away from him and looked down at the floor between us. My stomach clenched slightly at the thought of comparing Elena and Katherine.
When my memories started to return to me after my twelfth birthday, a year passed and I was forced to remember how I died in my last life. I couldn't look at my sister for a week after having to relive that moment. But I reminded myself who my sister was. Elena is kind and caring, and means the world to me. I trust her with all my heart and know she would never do anything to hurt me. She was not Katherine.
"Listen, Stefan. There's something I have to tell you. Something I don't think you know about." I looked up at the vampire standing in front of me. "I know Elena isn't anything like Katherine, because Elena would never hurt me." I paused to gather my breath. "It was Katherine who did it. She was the one who killed me."
Silence filled the air between us and I watched as Stefan's eyes grew wide with horror and anger. "No. No, she. She said it had been one of the townspeople." Stefan paused and I watched as he put the pieces together. "I'm so sorry Serena. I never should have, you never should have had to go through that." Stefan reached out towards me and pulled me into his arms. "I'm so sorry, little sister."
I happily returned the embrace and held on tightly to Stefan. "It's okay, brother. There was nothing you could have done." Stefan released his hold on me and I took a step back. I blinked my misty eyes and sent the vampire a soft smile. "Now, why don't you get out of here and give Elena a call. Don't let her get away, Stefan. Not if you really care for her."
"Thank you, Serena." Stefan smiled at me and placed a kiss on my forehead before vanishing from my room. I smiled and shook my head before letting my legs give out and I fell onto the edge of my bed. I had been scared to tell Stefan about what Katherine had done to me, but I felt lighter knowing he knew about it. Now I just needed to build up the courage to tell Damon.
I fell back onto my bed and let a sigh escape my lips. Damon was obviously still very much in love with Katherine considering he wanted to open a tomb full of vampires to save her. But would he still want to after I tell him what she had done? Would he even believe me?
I think that's what scared me the most. I was afraid that Damon, my brother, would hate me and choose Katherine over me. That he would choose to still love her after I tell him that she had been the one who had killed me.
I pushed my sketchbook and pencils to the side before curling up under my comforter. I had slept for most of the day, but after the emotional rollercoaster that was the last ten minutes, I was ready for more sleep.
The next day I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. "Hello?" I grumbled into my phone without checking to see who had called me.
"Serena, it's me." Hearing Elena's voice had me waking up a little more.
"Elena? Where are you? It's," I glanced over at my alarm clock. "It's seven in the morning."
"I uh, I hit somebody with my car last night." I sat up fully and felt my stomach drop.
"You what? Are you okay? Who did you hit?" The words stumbled out of my mouth and I heard Elena let out a sigh from the other end of the phone.
"I'm okay. I think I may have hit a vampire. They totaled my car and there was no body in the road." Elenas explanation didn't make the feeling in my stomach go away. "Damon found me and pulled me from my car. Only now," She stressed the word now, "He's taking me on some road trip and now we're somewhere in Georgia. I probably won't be home until later."
"Oh boy." I muttered. Damon just couldn't leave well enough alone. "I guess I'll grab your school work for you. Just, uh, keep in contact. If anything happens, call me, okay?"
"Thanks. I'll talk to you later, okay? Bye." Elena hung up first after I said my goodbyes.
I knew there was no point in going back to sleep after ending the call with Elena. So I got ready for school and headed out early. While I was worried about Elena, something told me that Damon wouldn't let anything happen to my sister. I knew Damon, and even if he wasn't the same person I once knew, I knew he was still the same brother I once knew.
When I got back home later in the day the house was empty and after setting my bag down on the couch, I headed straight for the kitchen. Just as I finished pulling out some leftovers, there was a knock at the door. Sadly, I abandoned my food and made my way towards the front door. I already knew who was standing on the other side because of the energy wafting around her. "Hey there Bonnie? What's going on?" I haven't seen Bonnie since the night with Emily and I could tell there was something on the young witches mind.
"Hey, Serena. I, uh, I need to ask you a favor." The young witch twisted her hands together as her eyes wandered around.
"Yeah, sure. What do you need?" The energy around Bonnie had changed since the night Emily had taken over her body. I could tell she was getting stronger.
Bonnie let out a sigh of relief and let her shoulders sag. "Thanks. I didn't know who else to ask, and I wasn't really comfortable doing this on my own." I understood where Bonnie was coming from. I knew what it was like to go through something like this. I could sympathize with her, granted, things were different between us, but it still applied. She had been thrust into a new life with the fact that she came from a line of witches.
I ended up just grabbing my phone shoving the leftovers back into the fridge before joining Bonnie outside. I walked beside the teen as we walked into the woods behind the house and followed a familiar path that Emily had taken the night she destroyed the necklace.
"Not that I don't trust you, Bonnie. But where are we going?" I asked and Bonnie turned her head and shot me a small grin.
"What, afraid I'm leading you off to your demise." I let out a breathy laugh at her words and shook my head.
"Not exactly, but some information would be nice." I bumped shoulders with the girl and we both let out soft laughs. It felt nice being able to act normal with Bonnie again. We were never really close, not as close as she was with Elena, but I always considered her a friend.
Bonnie looked forward as she led the way through the trees. "It's my magic. I can't seem to tap into it anymore." She began to explain. "I went to my Grams to ask for help, and she said it was because I'm afraid. She told me that I needed to go back to where it started and face my fears." My lips curled downwards as she explained herself. I had a gut feeling that some of her fear stemmed from a certain dark haired vampire. "I asked you to come with me because, well, I think you understand better than most people what it's like to be like me. To be different."
She was right about me. I knew what it was like to be different. To grow into something that wasn't considered normal. We grew silent when Bonnie slowed down her footsteps. The ruins of Fells Church came into view and we both took the time to glance around the area. A shiver ran it's way down my spine as I remember the pain I went through due to what Emily had done to me.
I followed after Bonnie as she walked further into the clearing. "Did you hear that?" Bonnie suddenly stopped walking and I searched around the clearing for any signs of someone else. "Hello? Anybody here?" Bonnie called out. I couldn't hear anything other than the sound of our own breathing and our footsteps crunching the leaves beneath our feet.
"I don't hear anything Bon- ahhhhh!" The ground beneath our feet gave way and the two of us were sent tumbling down into the earth. "Ouch. That hurt." I groaned out as I pushed myself up into a sitting position. I rubbed at a sore spot on my back as I took in the hole we had ended up in.
"Ow." Bonnie grounded out as she pushed herself up onto her feet. She walked over to me and offered me a hand. I took the offer and the young witch pulled me up onto my feet. When I was finally up on my feet, Bonnie looked up at the sky above us and called out, "Hello, anybody! Ahhh!"
Bonnie's sudden scream made me jump and turn around to face her. Before I could ask her what was wrong, I took notice of the stone door. There was a pentagram carved into the stone and I could feel, familiar, dense and cold energy wafting from the other side of the door. Bonnie and I both glanced at each other and quietly decided to stay far away from the door.
"Come on phone!" Bonnie held her phone up towards the sky. "Are you getting anything?" She asked as I did the same thing with my own phone, trying my best to get any sort of signal.
"No. Nothing." My arm fell and I stared at the screen of my phone. "Please tell me someone knows we're out here?" I looked over at Bonnie and she gave me a strained look.
"Grams is the only one who knows that I came out here." She shook her head and glanced around the hole. I let out a sigh and slid down the wall and sat down on the dirt ground with a plop. We were going to need to come up with a plan. We couldn't just stay down here.
There was a sudden thump as a body dropped down into the hole. Bonnie let out a scream and I jumped up to my feet at the sudden arrival. "Bonnie!" I shouted the girl's name as she continued to scream.
"Get away from me!" Bonnie screamed and stepped away.
"Bonnie! Bonnie, relax, it's only Stefan." I rushed to the girls side and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Deep breath. Relax."
"It's only me, Bonnie." Stefan reassured the teen and stepped closer to us. Bonnie let out a breath.
"Stefan?" The teen visibly relaxed and leaned against me. "The ground gave way, and we, uh, fell."
"It's okay now. I'm going to get you guys out of here." Stefan explained.
Bonnie looked at him strangely. "How?" She asked.
"Just close your eyes. Trust me." Stefan took Bonnie into his arms. "I'll come right back down for you, Serena." I nodded my head in understanding and with a great leap, Bonnie and Stefan were out of the hole. Stefan reappeared only a second later and gathered me into his arms before jumping back out of the hole.
"How did you know where we were?" Bonnie asked as soon as Stefan released me from his arms.
"Well, your grandmother told me what you were doing." Stefan explained. "I guessed where you would be. Granted, finding Serena with you had been a surprise." I simply shrugged my shoulders.
Bonnie glanced back down into the hole and wrapped her arms around herself. "I heard them, down there, behind the door." She paused and I felt a shiver go down my spine, again. "Are they in pain?"
"In the beginning, yes." Stefan answered. "But not anymore. They've starved to the point of desiccation."
Bonnie frowned and glanced back over at Stefan. "But if they have blood…"
"That's not going to happen, Bonnie. They can't get out. Emily saw to that when she had you destroy the crystal." I stood close beside Stefan as he spoke and reassured us. "You're safe. Both of you." I glanced up at Stefan and saw that he was looking down at me. I nodded my head and he sent me a nod back. I understood what he meant. He wasn't going to let Katherine hurt me, not again.
The three of us made our way out of the woods and I waved goodbye to Bonnie and Stefan as I walked up the front porch steps and opened the front door. The first thing I did when I got inside was take a shower and change my clothes. I sat on my bed with a towel in my hands as I rubbed at my wet locks.
I headed down stairs after my shower and my hair was partly dried. I found Jenna sitting on the sofa with her phone in her hand and a magazine beside her. "Hey there, everything alright?" I asked as I walked into the living room. Jenna looked up at me from her phone. I could tell she looked stressed over something.
"Elena is still not home. She's been out all day and I've barely gotten a single phone call from her." I sat down on the couch beside my Aunt as she spoke. I felt guilt rise up inside of me as I sat beside Jenna. I wanted to say sorry to her, to reassure her that everything was alright, but in reality, it wasn't alright. Elena and I had found ourselves wandering into a life neither of us thought even existed.
"I'm sorry, Jenna." I muttered the words quietly and Jenna sent me a tight lipped smile. I could tell she didn't quite understand what I was apologizing for, but before she could ask, the front door opened and in walked Elena.
Jennas head snapped and her eyes zeroed in on my twin as she closed the front door behind herself. "I don't set a lot of rules, Elena. Not with you." Jenna crossed her arms over her chest. "I trust you to tell me the truth. Where were you? Why would you lie to me about it? I thought that we were closer than that."
Elena's face grew cross and I frowned at the look my sister sent our Aunt. "Now is not the time you want to talk to me about lies." I watched as Elena made her way towards the stairs and felt Jenna rise up from the couch.
"Don't do that. Don't turn this back on me. I didn't do anything." Jenna argued back and I stood up to follow after her. Elena turned around on the stairs and glared down at Jenna.
"Okay. Question, are we adopted?" Elena gestured between the two of us. My eyes went wide at her words and I found myself stunned into silence. "I trust you to tell me the truth too, Jenna. How could you not tell me? I thought we were closer than that."
"Elena, I didn't…" Jenna paused and I saw her shoulders sag. "They asked me not to."
"I don't want to hear it!" My eyes followed Elena as she stormed up the stairs and I flinched as her bedroom door slammed shut.
Jenna and I stood there in silence before I finally set a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'll talk to her." Jenna said nothing as I made my way up stairs. I rapped my knuckles against Elenas door while standing in front of it. "Elena. It's me. Can I come in?" I listen for any movements on the other side of the door. Soon I heard footsteps and I took a step back as the door opened. "Hey." I gave Elena a tight smile and my sister stood aside so I could step inside her room.
With the door closed, Elena stepped around me and sat down on the edge of her bed. It was quiet for a moment. "Did you know?" She asked suddenly. I shook my head.
"I never suspected anything like this. But I've always felt like the odd one out because of my looks." I answered her truthfully.
"Oh." Elena looked down at her feet. "It was Stefan who found out. He was there when the car went over the bridge. He saved me that night." Elena lifted her head and our eyes connected. "Why do you think she did it? Our real mother."
I let out a sigh and sat down beside my twin. "I don't know. But whoever she was, she doesn't compare to the mother we got to have." Elena nodded her head.
"You're right." Elena sent me a smile, but not a second later, her lips formed a tight frown. "I know about Katherine. I look like her. Exactly, like her."
"I know." I muttered. Elena sat stiffly beside me. The air grew tense between us. I found that I had nothing more to say. I couldn't find the words to comfort my sister. So I stood up from the bed. "It's going to be alright, Elena."
I walked out of her room and made my way towards my room. I slipped inside and leaned back against the closed door. There was no hope for things going back to the way they were, and honestly, I didn't want it to.
A/N: Its Monday! Thank you for to all the new followers who have joined us on this journey. I've been having a lot of fun creating this story and I feel like were now really starting to get into. So thank you for sticking around.
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