Chapter Two
If You Go Into The Woods Today
Damon was sitting, bobbing his head along to "Hang Me Up To Dry" by Cold War Kids when Stefan walked into the den. Frowning, the younger brother motioned for him to lower the volume. To which Damon held up his middle finger of the hand that was clinging to the bottle of bourbon.
"Your girlfriend doesn't get much right," Damon said over the melodious crooning of the vocalist, "But her music taste is on point." Stefan growled as he came to sit next to his brother, snatching the alcohol away easily considering how wasted Damon was.
"Leave Bonnie alone." Stefan snapped. Damon snickered.
"Why? You seem to be doing enough of that for the both of us, tell me, when did you realise that her friendship with the spawn of Satan was borderline Sapphic?" Damon snickered as reached down to his feet where more bottles were at the ready. Stefan rolled his eyes and took a sip from the one in his hand. Damon held up two bottles, one more aged than the other but he shrugged to himself, taking the younger brew, he didn't want to waste the good stuff. Especially considering how he wouldn't be able to tell the difference at this point. He bit down on his tongue curiously, amused when he felt nothing.
"So that's what this is about," Stefan said with a bitter chuckle, "You and Elena have got to stop dragging Bonnie and I into your messes." Damon looked at Stefan askance, as if what he'd just said was the single most idiotic thing ever to be uttered by a person.
"Stefan, for once in your pathetic life could you please put your foot down and mean it?" Damon snapped, "Bonnie's with Elena right now because you let it slide, yet again…" Damon began laughing then, "Or did she finally realise how small your dick is?" Stefan sent a swift smack to the side of his brother's head and shook his own in disappointment; though he knew somewhere in there Damon had a point. Not about his dick…about him not pushing to spend more time with Bonnie and letting Elena dictate the comings and goings of their relationship. His phone vibrated before he could think of berating his brother. It was Bonnie. "Let me guess, Bonnie's apologising for putting Elena first again – god, that girl is as predictable as she is tiny."
"She's perfect." Stefan snapped, "Hey!" he called out when Damon grabbed his phone away. Damon held out a pointed finger as he used his other hand to hold both his booze and the cell phone.
"If you text her back you're condoning her behaviour, plus," Damon went on intercepting Stefan's every attempt to get his phone back with impressive sloppy agility, "If you kept trying to get your phone back I'll just call her myself and tell her how you really feel."
"How the hell would you know how I feel Damon?" Stefan growled, officially annoyed as he stopped trying to get his phone back, "That would require you looking up from between Elena's legs or pulling your mouth away from the nearest bottle of booze long enough to be my brother." Damon laughed even though his eyes had turned sad from Stefan's words.
"Someone's got to get some between the two of us." Damon slurred and Stefan exhaled exasperatedly. "It's not my fault you don't know how to grab the opportunity when it writhes underneath you like I'm sure Bonnie does." Stefan's jaw ticked.
"Stop talking about her like that," Stefan hissed his hand suddenly at Damon's throat, "You might not respect women at all, or yourself for that matter but I won't stand for you disrespecting the woman I love." Damon held his hands up in defeat, taking another sip of his drink before throwing Stefan's phone against a far wall, an unsteady grin moving his mouth as the device smashed to pieces.
"How's that?" Damon hissed, shoving at Stefan and wobbling to his feet, "I'm going to bed." Stefan watched as Damon ambled off, teetering this way and that as he tried to walk up the stairs. Hands balled into shaking fists Stefan made his way to the study. Chuckling dryly to himself he pulled out the spare phone that Bonnie had convinced him to buy after the first time Damon had broken his phone. Her number was already saved into his contacts and he sent her a message explaining what had happened – he hadn't even gotten to read her original message but he was sure Damon had been right when he said she was probably apologising. Bonnie always made things right in the end, it was who she was. It was also probably why she put up with Elena's shit; Bonnie could forgive just about anyone for just about anything. Stefan both loved and loathed that about her. Stuffing the phone in his pocket he went back to the den to clean the place up before heading up to Damon's room to make sure the idiot didn't choke on his inevitable vomit. Damon had had a good old time in the den; Stefan observed as he swept up a broken tumbler, ash and cigarette stubs that littered the floor as well as the ashtray they were originally in along with what he could only assume to be spilled weed. He was just done with Damon when his phone rang. Smiling broadly he swiped the screen to answer.
"My love –" His words were cut off when there was a loud bang in the background and he heard Bonnie shout out in surprise, her breathing tickling his ear as he heard movement on the other end of the line, feet digging into loose gravel to run away, "Bonnie? Bonnie! What's going on?"
Earlier
When the band started playing Bonnie's brows flew to her hairline; they were actually decent. Nikolai, the slimy bastard was actually an exceptional vocalist and Bonnie watched as the crowd in the Grille eased themselves on board to the impressive sounds of Low Shoulder. Bonnie's gaze flickered up to Elena's when the girl, who looked like she was seeing a Unicorn for the first time, had reached out to intertwine their fingers. Bonnie started to smile but then she noticed how dazed Elena's features were, like she was high or something. Had she taken something, had her drink been spiked? Fear made quick work of Bonnie's thoughts when she remembered Nikolai and the other guitarist talking about girls like Elena 'never giving it up'. Bonnie squeezed her friend's hand to try and get her attention but Elena's smile only stretched a little further as she swayed lazily to the deceptively soothing sounds of the song that they were playing. Bonnie opened her mouth to say something, to tug Elena to the bathroom where the light was brighter and she could see if Elena's pupils were dilated or not. Then something else caught her attention. The smell of something burning. Bonnie frowned as a flicker of a flame caught her eye on stage.
It all happened fairly quickly after that. The fire curled up and around the stage, travelling from one of the sound cables, to the walls until it reached up to like the shabby curtains framing the stage. People gasped; some backing away, others moving forward to warn Low Shoulder. Bonnie pulled on Elena's arm, grunting with effort when she realised that not only couldn't she move Elena on her own but the girl was physically staying put. Like being inches from an open flame was exactly where she wanted to be. Bonnie heard a creaking in the wooden rafters above them were the fire had spread to and pure panic kicked Bonnie into gear.
"Elena!" Bonnie barked, using all her strength to pull the girl away as a fluttering strip of burning curtain danced past them. Alarm snuck its way through the crowd, most of the drunken patrons stumbling over one another to get to the only exit of the building, which was the narrow entrance where the phlegm-ridden doorman had already abandoned his station. Bonnie didn't bother looking around, trying to see through the thickening smoke as she pulled Elena to the bathroom where she knew there was a window they could crawl through. As she ran, tugging Elena who had yet to react to anything around Bonnie screamed out in horror when a flaming wooden beam landed on Ahmet and Gale who hadn't even had time to cry out for help. Rearing backwards Bonnie had to steady herself before she slipped into a blind panic like everyone else. Weaving through the scattered chairs and overturned tables Bonnie pushed Elena into the bathroom with a huff and kicked the door shut behind them. "Elena! Go through the window!" Bonnie screamed, her adrenaline spiking and rising, making her jumpy and slightly hysterical at the horrifying turn of events. The smoke was quickly seeping into the bathroom as well, throwing an eye-burning haze in front of Bonnie, who was already struggling to see through her glasses. Elena nodded her head dreamily, like she was only just waking up. Bonnie pushed her none too gently and lifted her up onto the closed sticker toilet seat, patting the backs of her legs to spur her on. Once Elena had fallen through Bonnie hurried after her.
Landing with a shoulder-cracking thud Bonnie flipped herself over and sought out Elena who was sitting staring at the burning building. Knowing she should be calling the police or the fire brigade Bonnie yanked her phone out to call Stefan. Seeing she had a text from his second number she gritted her teeth, knowing Damon had picked a fight with him. She pressed dial but as she did someone behind her came out of the building, screaming, covered in fire. Bonnie's eyes bulged and she hustled over to Elena, pulling the girl to her feet and dragging her a good distance away from the building. She hadn't even realised the call to Stefan had connected when she shoved at Elena, making the girl run further into the parking lot. A loud bang went off and Bonnie shouted out in surprise, doubling her efforts to put as much distance between Elena, herself and the fire. Elena toppled over and sank to her knees, legs folded under her as her head lolled this way and that. Dropping to her haunches Bonnie lifted Elena's head to get a better look at her face as she pressed the cell phone between her shoulder and her ear.
"Stefan!" Bonnie half screamed, "Stefan's there's been a fire… The Grille it's… people are…Elena's not okay, I mean she didn't get burnt but something's wrong with her she's not saying anything…I don't know what to do… Oh… shit." Bonnie wailed the last part, her hysteria fully settling in. Stefan leapt down the stairs and grabbed his keys, forgoing his jacket as he sped to his car.
"I'm on my way." Bonnie sagged with relief at his words as tears streaked her face. Hanging up she tossed her phone aside and held both of her hands on either side of Elena's face.
"Elena! Elena, say something." Bonnie begged when she noticed something black stumbling into view to her left. She looked up to see Nikolai dusting off his jeans as he toyed with a tumbler of brown liquid in his one hand. He spotted Bonnie and his face lit up, like he was seeing a friendly face at a neighbour's barbeque. The rest of his band casually patted his back as they headed to their nondescript van. Could they get any more creepy?
"There you are!" He called out, taking quick strides towards them, Elena moved then to face him and Bonnie wanted to smack her, "I've been looking everywhere for you." Bonnie scowled and jumped when there a loud groan as a part of the building's roof caved in. "Here, you look like you're in shock," Nikolai said as he moved the tumbler to Elena's lips who drank at it with surprising desperation. "There you go." He crooned as she guzzled it down in record time. Bonnie shooed at him and pulled Elena closer to her side. Nikolai looked at her then and Bonnie's chest constricted when he smiled at her. It was like looking into the mouth of a dead shark; all the teeth were still there and the promise of danger still lingered even though it wasn't alive anymore…but something told you not to get closer, just in case. Bonnie swallowed uncomfortably and redirected her eyes to the road, waiting to see Stefan's car. "You should come with me." Nikolai said and Bonnie, despite herself and the leftover smoke in her lungs barked an incredulous laugh.
"Sure." Elena said softly, her head rolling until she locked eyes with him and giggled. Bonnie's mouth fell open.
"Stefan's on his way!" Bonnie argued, tugging on Elena's arm even as Nikolai helped her to stand up, "We have your car here, why go with him?" Bonnie harped as she stood as well. Elena turned to look at her, a delicate frown riddling her forehead as she reached out and cupped Bonnie's cheek.
"You worry too much. It's just a van." Elena said, her voice somehow managing to sound pre-programmed and loving at the same time. Like that time they'd smoked too much weed and wanted to order in pizza and Elena had ended up convincing the delivery guy to give it to them for free.
"Yeah Bonnie," Nikolai chirped cheerfully as he tossed an arm over Elena's shoulder, "It's just a van."
"And I'm a fan." Elena said, hiding her giggles behind her hand. Nikolai laughed loudly at that and Bonnie's head tilted, the flames behind them, the screaming people and Nikolai and Elena's smiling faces in front of her unsettled her. A cold dread filled her chest and she began to shake her head, even as Nikolai turned Elena away. "Bye Bon-Bon, I love you." Elena threw over her shoulder and Bonnie's chest shook as she tried to rein in her sobbing and say something, anything to get Elena to stay. She watched as Nikolai threw up a hand with two fingers pointing up as they walked off to the van. Bonnie took a step forward and then another, watching as the Elena stepped in and Nikolai turned then, the same manic smile crawling across his face as he shrugged and rolled the door shut, winking at her. Bonnie had caught Elena's eye before the door had slammed shut and she didn't know what it was about that split-second moment, but it broke something inside of Bonnie. She could feel it, a part of the Elena she'd loved longer than she cared to remember, twisting itself off and falling away. A confused sob bubbled and choked its way out of Bonnie as the van pulled away and she sank back down to the ground. She heard the sound of a wailing siren in the distance, in perfect harmony with someone else's screaming as they flailed on the ground and Bonnie would have helped them, or tried to, if her chest hadn't suddenly seized up as she fell backwards, awkwardly on the ground. Shock, smoke inhalation and something far more terrifying loomed over her and all Bonnie could do was try and catch her breath again. She heard the scraping of swerving tyres nearby and a door hurriedly opening and closing before Stefan called her name.
"Bonnie! Bonnie? Bonnie, where are you – Bon, fuck Bonnie!" He yelled as he ran and fell to his knees and pulled her upright and onto his lap, "Bonnie talk to me." Tears welled up in her eyes as she sucked in a loud breath and jerked forward, coughing violently. He rubbed her back as he trailed unbelieving eyes at the scene around him. Quickly, when he was sure she could breathe he held out the inhaler he had with him in case Bonnie had an emergency – like this one. She almost went cross-eyed with relief and used it to clear up a pathway to her lungs as she continued to cough up smoke. "Bonnie's where's Elena?" Bonnie felt a vein throbbing in her forehead with all her wheezing but she pulled it together and lifted herself up to look at him.
"She left," Bonnie said and Stefan's confusion darkened to anger before he spotted Elena's car behind her, Bonnie noticed, "She left with the band." Stefan sneered then – that was fucking typical of Elena. Always putting everything before Bonnie. Her vagina included.
"I swear to –"
"No Stefan, you don't understand." Bonnie argued feebly, her voice hoarse and her head growing heavy.
"We're not arguing about this, I'm getting you to the hospital." Stefan said, her voice stern, leaving no room for argument. "I'll call Elena when we get there." Bonnie nodded as her head fell back, all the adrenaline falling away, coupled with Stefan's presence, she let her eyes fall closed.
Meanwhile
It felt like a switch had been suddenly pressed on in Elena's head. She looked around herself with quickly building apprehension and fear. Looking at the band members that weren't even acknowledging her she turned to their instruments, the posters, the demonic pentagrams and a photo of a goat's skull; the horns curling and extended upward as if to reach her. A quick gasp left her and her wide eyes implored any reaction from the men in front of her. She looked to the front of the van where Nikolai and the guitarist were sitting, bickering about something. Her ears prickled at the sound of her name.
"…I'm telling you man, she's a virgin." The guitarist said, his voice stressing the word 'virgin' with an edge Elena couldn't identify. Utterly horrified and wondering why Bonnie would have let her leave with these men in the first place tears lined her lashes and she swallowed a sob as she opened her mouth to speak.
"He's right!" Elena cried out, "I'm a virgin," her eyes begged them for freedom, "I don't know anything about sex, never had it, I'm…I'm saving myself…You should, you should find a girl who knows how to sex you right or…God, please don't hurt me." The last part was lost in a loud sob as fear shook her. Nikolai turned to smile at her, his eyes flat and lined with black – why she'd ever thought anything good could come from talking to a guy wearing eyeliner was beyond her. His teeth seemed sharper, his skin paler, his shoulder bones jutting out through the thin black v-neck shirt he was wearing. The golden glint of the pentagram dangling from his neck was what hit the last nail into the coffin for Elena. She knew she was about to die, and it was going to be brutal, Nikolai's next words confirming her suspicions.
"We're not going to rape you, what do you think we do here? We make music, we're not monsters." His words would have soothed her some if his smile hadn't widened with every word.
"Then let me go!" She begged, even as the van swerved to a stop. Her eyes flitted around her in a panic, but before she could get her hands on a drum stick, or a book, or that lone shoe to defend herself the side door slid open with a screech and Nikolai pulled her out with more force than necessary. She fell into his arms and he began to drag her deeper into the woods.
After about ten minutes of them all walking while Elena tried her best to dig her heels into the ground, to scream for help while she cried they reached the infamous waterfall. There was a wide tree stump near the edge of it and Elena's eyes flickered from the stump to the whirlpool circling the bottom of the waterfall. It was renowned for being endless, scientists had been studying it for years, wondering where the water resurfaced, but found no answers. Thus it was aptly dubbed the Hell-Hole of Mystic Falls; everyone convinced that it was a portal to the seventh circle itself. Elena was shoved forward, towards the stump and she found herself hog tied to it minutes later, thrashing and crying out for mercy. Nikolai held a finger to her blubbering mouth, his face a look of mock sympathy as he pulled out a long knife with serrated edges.
"This is going to be gnarly." He said with a nod to the rest of the band members while Elena's voice turned hoarse from her hysterics. "Hey. Did you bring the …thing?" He asked, waving the knife around casually while the guitarist patted down his pockets before taking out a crumbled page. This earned an unimpressed look from Nikolai but the guitarist shrugged and mumbled something about Wikipedia. The guitarist also handed him a piece of fabric or something and he grinned; shoving the bandana into Elena's mouth to muffle her cries.
"You have to chant it three times and then you know… make the sacrifice." Another voice piped up and Elena's chest throbbed with the aching of her thrashing heartbeat. Nikolai nodded as his eyes scanned over the scribbles on the page in his hand.
"Okay quick band meeting," Nikolai said with an exasperated sigh and all the other members shuffled forward, one groaning while another rolled his eyes. "Next time we need a scribe, don't let Doug do it, are we all in agreement?" He asked, holding up the page with words scrawled onto it that would befit a distracted five-year old. Everyone nodded, and the guitarist, Doug, stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking sufficiently chastised. "Awesome." Nikolai said, turning back to face Elena. Clearing his throat he held the page out over her body and began the ritual. "We call upon Spirits who bid for the Devil to hear our request, we have here, a waxing moon," he pointed the knife up to the sky and Elena's wide brown eyes looked upward to the sliver of the planet that had cast an eerie glow over them all, "A virgin, by the name –" He frowned and moved forward, pulling the gag out of her mouth, "What's your name again?" he asked.
"Elena…" she sobbed and he nodded, making a rolling motion with his hand, "Gilbert," she stammered, "Elena Gilbert." Patting her cheek he stuffed the cloth back in and continued.
"The Virgin Elena Gilbert, whom we offer to Satan in exchange for our only wish; to be the most awesome and most famous Indie band in all of America."
"That's not how it goes." Doug cut in and Nikolai whipped his head around to stare at him drolly.
"No shit Scribbles," Nikolai snapped, "I'm getting to the good stuff now." Then he began to chant in some language Elena couldn't understand, with the hesitance and patience of someone speaking a language for the first time. "Hold this." He said, tossing the page behind him and then raised both arms as his hands curled around the hilt of the dagger. With a wink at the writhing girl tied to the tree stump he let out a roar and began to hack at her relentlessly, her blood splattering out as she screamed even with the bandana cutting off her final sounds. Soon, she stopped moving altogether and all that could be heard was Nikolai's heavy breathing as he sucked in mouthfuls of air and licked his bottom lip, eyeing out his handiwork. "She's dead right?" Doug leaned forward a little and peered down at Elena. Her beautiful face, like Nikolai's was lined with streaks of her blood, her body slack and still. Nodding to Nikolai he watched as the lead singer began laughing, wiping off the excess blood on the blade on the girl's jacket before tossing it into the churning water. "Let's toss her and leave… you guys want Chinese or Burgers?" Nikolai asked, his hands on his hips as he leaned backwards, stretching his body casually, jerking his head to Elena, indicating that someone else was going to do it. "I almost threw my back out, I'm not lifting her as well." He complained, taking a few steps away and lighting a cigarette.
Ten minutes later, the knife, the rope, the bandana, and the girl were thrown into the Hell Hole.
Thirty minutes after that Elena's dripping feet landed with a thud back onto the forest floor after she launched herself up at out of the swirling whirlpool. Dripping with a mixture of water and blood the girl rotated her neck languidly before she drew in a breath and locked in on one person in particular. A slow smile curled her face as she began to walk forward with fumbling feet, trying to focus on where she was going instead of the roaring hunger that was clawing at her insides.
Thoughts?