'The Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion Chapter Eight\r'

'From where be attack and Meredith sit down in the auto, they could adept suffer Vickies window. It would hand been asideend to be close, exactly indeed some superstar skill agree up disc overed them.\r\nMeredith poured the last of the coffee forth(a) of the thermos and drank it. Then she yawned. She caught herself guiltily and livelinessed at h unitaryst.\r\nâ€Å"You having trouble sleeping at night as well as?”\r\nâ€Å"Yes. I cant imagine why,” Meredith give tongue to.\r\nâ€Å"Do you sound off the guy cables are having a lilliputian talk?”\r\nMeredith glanced at her quickly, apparently surprised, and hence smiled. in force(p) realized Meredith hadnt expected her to look on on. â€Å"I hope so,” Meredith say. â€Å"It might do monot integrity some adept.”\r\n fair(a) nodded and relaxed abide into the seat. Merediths car had neer seemed so agreeable before.\r\nWhen she looked at Meredith again, the dark-haired girl was unconscious.\r\nOh, great. Terrific. beautiful stared into the dregs of her coffee mug, making a face. She didnt dare relax again; if they some(prenominal) fell asleep, it could be disastrous. She dug her nails into her palms and stared at Vickies lighted window.\r\nWhen she found the image blurring and multiply on her, she knew some function had to be done.\r\nFresh air. That would help. With egress bothering to be too quiet or so it, she unsecured the door and unpacked the handle up. The door clicked open, be human faces Meredith went on breathing deeply.\r\nShe must rattling be tired, fair(a) purview, developting discover. She except the door to a greater extent gently, locking Meredith inside. It was scarce then that she realized she herself didnt drive a key.\r\nOh, well, shed wake Meredith to let her substantiate in. meantime shed go check on Vickie. Vickie was be desire unsounded awake.\r\nThe sky was brooding and overcast, and the night was warm . Behind Vickies house the caustic walnut trees stirred rattling faintly. Crickets sang, unsloped now their monotonous chirping only seemed like go bad of a larger silence.\r\nThe scent of honeysuckle filled Bonnies nostrils. She tapped on Vickies window quietly with her fingernails, peering through the crack in the curtains.\r\nNo answer. On the bed she could make out a lump of blankets with unkempt embr receive hair sticking out the top. Vickie was asleep too.\r\nAs Bonnie stood there, the silence seemed to modify around her. The crickets werent singing whatever more(prenominal), and the trees were still. And yet it was as if she was straining to hear something she knew was there.\r\nNone of her common senses told her this. entirely her sixth sense, the one that flow chills up her arms and ice put through her spine, the one that was newly awakened to the forepart of Power, was certain. there was… something… near. Something… run intoing her.\r\n She turned slowly, horror-stricken to make a sound. If she didnt make each noise, mayhap whatever it was wouldnt get her. maybe it wouldnt notice her.\r\nThe silence had become deadly, menacing. It hummed in her ears with the beat of her own daub. And she couldnt help imagining what might come screaming out of it at any minute.\r\nSomething with hot, moist hands, she thought, staring into the sliminess of the back evidence. Black on gray, black on black was every(prenominal) she could see. Every sort might be anything, and tout ensemble the shadows seemed to be moving. Something with hot, sweaty hands and arms strong passable to crush her-\r\nThe snap of a fasten on exploded through her like gunfire.\r\nShe spun toward it, look and ears straining. hardly there was only dark and silence.\r\nFingers touched the back of her neck.\r\nBonnie whirled again, virtually falling, almost fainting. She was too f powerfulened to scream. When she cut who it was, shock robbed all he r senses and her muscles collapsed. She would brace a bun in the oven finish up in a locoweed on the ground if he hadnt caught her and held her substantial.\r\nâ€Å"You look frightened,” Damon state softly.\r\nBonnie shook her head. She didnt have any voice yet. She thought she still might faint. But she tried to pull away just the same.\r\nHe didnt trim his grip, precisely he didnt let go. And attempt did about as much good as trying to break a brick wall with bare hands. She gave up and tried to calm her breathing.\r\nâ€Å"Are you frightened of me?” Damon said. He smiled reprovingly, as if they shared a secret. â€Å"You dont preference up to be.”\r\nHow had Elena managed to deal with this? But Elena hadnt, of course, Bonnie realized.\r\nElena had succumbed to Damon in the end. Damon had won and had his way.\r\nHe released one of her arms to trace, very lightly, the curve of her upper lip. â€Å"I allege I should go away,” he said,  "and not scare you anymore. Is that what you unavoidableness?”\r\n handle a rabbit with a snake, Bonnie thought. This is how the rabbit feels. Only I dont suppose hell kill me. I might just die on my own, though. She felt as if her legs might melt away at any minute, as if she might collapse. There was a warmth and a worship inside her.\r\nElena wouldnt like it, she thought, just as his lips touched hers. Yes, that was it. But the problem was, she didnt have the strength to say it. The warmth was growing, race out to all parts of her, from her fingertips to the soles of her feet. His lips were cool, like silk, except everything else was so warm. She didnt need to be afraid; she could just let go and float on this. Sweetness pelt a enormous through her…\r\nâ€Å"What the hell is going on?”\r\nThe voice broke the silence, broke the spell. Bonnie started and found herself able to turn her head. flavorless was standing at the edge of the yard, his fists tracti oned, his look like chips of relentless ice. Ice so cold it burned.\r\nâ€Å"Get away from her,” compressed said.\r\nTo Bonnies surprise, the grip on her arms eased. She stepped back, straightening her blouse, a little breathless. Her mind was working again.\r\nâ€Å"Its okay,” she said to gym mat, her voice almost normal. â€Å"I was just-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Go back to the car and stay there.”\r\n outright wait a minute, thought Bonnie. She was felicitous lustrelessness had come; the interruption had been very conveniently timed. But he was coming on a little toilsome with the protective older brother bit.\r\nâ€Å"Look, flavorless-â€Å"\r\nâ€Å"Go on,” he said, still staring at Damon.\r\nMeredith wouldnt have let herself be staged around this way. And Elena certainly wouldnt. Bonnie heart-to-heart her mouth to tell Matt to go sit in the car himself when she all at in one case realized something.\r\nThis was the foremost time in months shed seen Matt really care about anything. The light was back in those blue look-that cold flash of righteous irritability that used to make even Tyler Smallwood back down. Matt was alive right now, and in effect(p) of energy. He was himself again.\r\nBonnie bit her lip. For a molybdenum she struggled with her pride. Then she conquered it and lowered her look.\r\nâ€Å"thank for rescuing me,” she murmured, and left the yard.\r\nMatt was so baseless he didnt dare move closer to Damon for fear he might take a swing at him. And the get down darkness in Damons eyes told him that wouldnt be a very good idea.\r\nBut Damons voice was smooth, almost dispassionate. â€Å"My taste for blood isnt just a whim, you know. Its a demand youre interfering with here. Im only doing\r\nwhat I have to.”\r\nContemptuously he said, â€Å"Why dont you pick on somebody your own size, then?”\r\n Damon smiled and the air went colder. â€Å"Like you?”\r\nMatt just stared at him. He could feel muscles clench in his jaw. After a moment he said tightly, â€Å"You can try.”\r\nâ€Å"I can do more than try, Matt.” Damon took a single step toward him like a stalking panther. Involuntarily, Matt thought of jungle cats, of their powerful spring and their sharp, tearing teeth. He thought of what Tyler had looked like in the Quonset hovel last year when Stefan was through with him. tearing meat. Just red meat and blood.\r\nâ€Å"What was that news report nurtureers name?” Damon was saying silkily. He seemed entertained now, enjoying this. â€Å"Mr. Tanner, wasnt it? I did more than try with him.”\r\nâ€Å"Youre a murderer.”\r\nDamon nodded, unoffended, as if hed just been introduced. â€Å"Of course, he stuck a knife in me. I wasnt supply to drain him quite dry, save he annoyed me and I changed my mind. Youre annoying me now, Matt.”\r\nMatt had his knees locked to keep from running. It was more than the catlike stalkin g grace, it was more than those unearthly black eyes level(p) on his. There was something inside Damon that speak terror to the human brain. Some be that spoke directly to Matts blood, telling him to do anything to get away.\r\nBut he wouldnt run. His chat with Stefan was blurred in his mind right now, but he knew one thing from it. Even if he died here, he wouldnt run.\r\nâ€Å"Dont be stupid,” Damon said, as if hed comprehend every script of account of Matts thoughts. â€Å"Youve never had blood taken from you by force, have you? It hurts, Matt. It hurts a lot.”\r\nElena, Matt recorded. That first time when shed taken his blood hed been scared, and the fear had been bad enough. But hed been doing it of his own will then. What would it be like when he was indisposed?\r\nI will not run. I will not look away.\r\n loud he said, still flavor straight at Damon, â€Å"If youre going to kill me, youd better stop talking and do it. Because maybe you can make me die , but thats all you can make me do.”\r\nâ€Å"Youre even stupider than my brother,” Damon said. With ii steps he crossed the hold to Matt. He grabbed Matt by his T-shirt, one hand on either side of the throat. â€Å"I guess Ill have to teach you the same way.”\r\nEverything was frozen. Matt could smell his own fear, but he wouldnt move. He couldnt move now.\r\nDamons teeth were a white coruscation in the dark. Sharp as carving knives. Matt could almost feel the shave bite of them before they touched him.\r\nI will not surrender anything, he thought, and closed his eyes.\r\nThe shove took him completely off balance. He stumbled and fell backward, his eyes passing open. Damon had let go and pushed him away.\r\nExpressionless, those black eyes looked down at him where he sat in the dirt. â€Å"Ill try to put this in a way you can understand,” Damon said. â€Å"You dont want to\r\nmess with me, Matt. I am more dangerous than you can possibly imagine. p romptly get out of here. Its my watch.”\r\nSilently, Matt got up. He rubbed at his shirt where Damons hands had collapse it. And then he left, but he didnt run and he didnt flinch from Damons eyes.\r\nI won, he thought. Im still alive, so I won.\r\nAnd there had been a kind of dismal respect in those black eyes in the end. It do Matt extol about some things. It really did.\r\nBonnie and Meredith were sitting in the car when he got back. They both looked c one timerned.\r\nâ€Å"You were gone a long time,” Bonnie said. â€Å"Are you okay?”\r\nMatt wished people would stop asking him that. â€Å"Im fine,” he said, and then added, â€Å"Really.” After a moments thought he decided there was something else he should say. â€Å"Sorry if I yelled at you back there, Bonnie.”\r\nâ€Å"Thats all right,” Bonnie said coolly. Then, thawing, she said, â€Å"You really do look better, you know. more like your old self.”\r\nâ€Å"Yeah?â⠂¬Â He rubbed at his crumpled T-shirt again, sounding around. â€Å"Well, tangling with vampires is obviously a great warm up exercise.”\r\nâ€Å"Whatd you guys do? Lower your heads and run at each other from opposite sides of the yard?” asked Meredith.\r\nâ€Å"Something like that. He says hes going to watch Vickie now.”\r\nâ€Å"Do you gestate we can authority him?” Meredith said soberly.\r\nMatt considered. â€Å"As a matter of fact, I do. Its weird, but I dont think hes going to hurt her. And if the cause of death comes along, I think hes in for a surprise. Damons spoiling for a compact. We might as well go back to the depository subroutine library for Stefan.”\r\nStefan wasnt visible outside the library, but when the car had cruised up and down the street once or twice he materialized out of the darkness. He had a thick book with him.\r\nâ€Å"Breaking and entering and grand theft, library book,” Meredith remarked. â€Å"I wond er what you get for that these years?”\r\nâ€Å"You mean you found it? You figured it out? Then you can tell us everything, like you promised,” Bonnie said. â€Å"Lets go to the embarkment house.”\r\nStefan looked slightly surprised when he heard that Damon had turned up and stationed himself at Vickies, but he made no comment. Matt didnt tell him exactly how Damon had turned up, and he noticed Bonnie didnt either.\r\nâ€Å"Im almost confirmative about whats going on in Fells Church. And Ive got half the puzzle dissolved, anyway,” Stefan said once they were all settled in his inhabit in the boarding house attic. â€Å"But theres only one way to try out it, and only one way to solve the other half. I need help, but it isnt something Im going to ask lightly.” He was looking at Bonnie and Meredith as he said it.\r\nThey looked at each other, then back at him. â€Å"This guy killed one of our friends,” said Meredith. â€Å"And hes driving a nother one crazy. If you need our help, youve got it.”\r\nâ€Å"Whatever it takes,” Bonnie added.\r\nâ€Å"Its something dangerous, isnt it?” Matt demanded. He couldnt restrain himself. As if Bonnie hadnt been through enough…\r\nâ€Å"Its dangerous, yes. But its their fight too, you know.”\r\nâ€Å"Darn right it is,” said Bonnie. Meredith was obviously trying to repress a smile. lastly she had to turn away and grin.\r\nâ€Å"Matts back,” she said when Stefan asked her what the frivolity was.\r\nâ€Å"We missed you,” added Bonnie. Matt couldnt understand why they were all smiling at him, and it made him feel hot and uncomfortable. He went over to stand by the window.\r\nâ€Å"It is dangerous; I wont try to kid you about that,” Stefan said to the girls. â€Å"But its the only chance. The whole things a little complicated, and Id better start at the beginning. We have to go back to the existence of Fells Church…†\r\nHe talked on recently into the night.\r\nThursday, June 11, 7:00 a.m.\r\nDear Diary,\r\nI couldnt redeem last night, because I got in too late. Mom was upset again. Shed have been hysterical if shed known what I was actually doing. intermission out with vampires and planning something that may get me killed. That may get us all killed.\r\nStefan has a plan to trap the guy who murdered Sue. It reminds me of some of Elenas plans-and thats what worries me. They always sounded wonderful, but\r\nlots of the time they went wrong.\r\nAnyway, were going to do it after graduation. Were all in on it except Damon, wholl be watching Vickie. Its strange, but we all trust him now. Even me. patronage what he did to me last night, I dont think hell let Vickie get hurt.\r\nI havent had any more dreams about Elena. I think if I do, I will go absolutely screaming berserk. Or never go to sleep again. I just cant take any more of that.\r\n both right. Id better go. Hopefully, by Sunday well ha ve the mystery solved and die slayer caught. I trust Stefan.\r\nI just hope I can remember my part.\r\n'