Wherever they were, it still didnât seem safe. It wouldnât be because of the endless issues they were having. Now that Stefan was left behind she was left to believe that he may have been some sort of illusion. A little more realistic than just any illusion. Would he be okay? would they be now they were out of there. Hell, he could always follow them, their scent. Their fears were a strong scent, the scent of panic and it held on both of them. Elena felt exhausted, and in a way it felt as though she wasnât willing to go on. It was one trip after another, another strike of her panic chord and she was out. This wasnât something she had wanted, not for her, not for Caroline and certainly not for Stefan if that was really him in there.Â
Knees were beginning to buckle. Exhaustion was taking itâs course, they had to rest for now. For once Elena was shutting her mouth allowing the blonde to go forth, to find something and although she wanted to help, she felt she couldnât do physically. Elena wasnât about to argue but of course normally she would. She stayed quiet listening to her friend before nodding her head in respect. The moment her hands rested upon her should caused a faint smile as she drowsily looked at her, she already felt light headed. âDonât be long okay, five minutes and then I come looking for youâ she answered her, reaching up to place her hand over her friends hand. Allowing her to leave before she could say anything else.
Now she was left in darkness, and honestly that frightened her. Every little sound caused her to jolt out of her skin, tilting her head in each direction as she found herself much more balled up and on the floor. Long grass surrounding her as she rested her back against the trunk of a tree. The oak was surrounded by three others so Caroline would know her way back to her.Â
Feeling cold; her hands wrapped around her knees, pulling her thighs in against her chest as she sat there comforting herself, her eyes large and alert even with how tired she was as she looked around. The time ticking by slowly and all she could do was count the seconds in her head until her best friend was back next to her.
Leaving Elena had been a bad idea. She realized that five minutes in, when her knees buckled and her body collapsed forward onto concrete floors, vision blurring in front of her. She was starving. Following only the faintest scent of blood, even if it was stale. The kind of blood that came from a corpse â but she couldnât care right now. She couldnât afford to be picky. Her hand reached out and touched wall. Brick, scraping against her palm, and then from across the room a door creaked open and everything was flooded with light. A figure loomed above her, slowly crouching down until the familiar face came into focus. â Daddy? â
Her fatherâs hand stretched out to her, brushing hair away from her neck where it had stuck to a new gaping wound. A bite. The werewolf bite. A gasp of pain left her when his fingers brushed against it and she sobbed. âCaroline,â There was a disappointed lilt to his voice as he dropped his hand, looking at her and shaking his head with a frown. âThis isnât how I raised you.â A sob left her, raw, emotional pain curling inside of her at the sound of his voice. But no, no this wasnât real. This couldnât be real. It was another hallucination and she needed to focus. She needed to find blood so that she could get back to Elena. Pulling herself a little further across the room, she tried to ignore her fatherâs voice. Disappointment. Murderer. Monster. Not the way I raised you. What would your mother think? Another sob left her as she reached a doorway, pulling herself through into another room.Â
The stench was horrible. But the smell of blood was far more discernible here than anywhere else. In the corner, someone was slumped, barely breathing, eyes vacant as they stared at her. She couldnât even tell if it was real or not. But vampire instinct pushed humanity aside as she moved, letting out a muffled sob of an apology before she bit and drank, nearly gagging against the vile taste. Footsteps sounded behind her, high heels clicking on a floor and what felt like a hand curling into her hair and wrenching her back. When she looked up, she saw Elena. Or, well, someone that looked like Elena. But her hair was too curly, her eyes devoid of warmth, lips curled into a cruel smile. âAw, Carebear,â Katherineâs voice sent a shiver down her spine, âThis isnât what I created you for.â