It's a beautiful day, as I stand in the living room with Elena. Elena is pacing the floor, worried sick about her brother, whom is lying on the couch on his back. He's dead. She accidentally stabbed him in the neck. She told me that it was an accident and I believe her, because it's Elena. She wouldn't hurt her brother on purpose. She also told me that she saw Connor, the guy she killed, before she saw Jeremy. That tells me that she's starting to hallucinate. Hallucinations aren't good, because it can make vampires do and say crazy things that they normally wouldn't do.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz74BIJ3tiu
"I can't believe this happened. What am I going to say to him?" she says to me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGBirOSq4Z
"Thanks for not ditching my family after I drove Ric crazy?" I say.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtf5vUPYHdM
Elena glares at me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡndO68SWrYQ
"You should have called Stefan," I add to her.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlURY5CVns
"I don't want to talk to him. He has been lying to me and hiding things from me. He compelled Jeremy to forget God knows what."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyxplTVPC5
"In all fairness, I mean, I think you killing him kinda trumps that. And you should have called Stefan."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡabV5yi26Ei
"I don't trust him right now, Damon."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Jtr4hYk3e
Just then, Stefan walks in and we both look at him.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡODCCI4So72
Speaking of, I think to myself.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKspSDQ7Sa
"Hey," Stefan greets.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYcUWw2JwD
"P.S. I called Stefan," I inform her.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7BJ3lJ7d4
Stefan walks over to Elena.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL3CG49BTQJ
"What happened? Why did you call me?" he asks.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIVPJLG64WY
"I just-I need to go upstairs and shower. Clean all the blood off my hands," she says, before walking out of the room.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJPBLex0Nkj
A moment later, Jeremy wakes up.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8KzAzHvtS
"Welcome back. How are you feeling?" Stefan asks him.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewTKbsgXH6
"What happened?" Jeremy asks.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ycirc2cEN
"Long story, buy the e-book," I answer him.
I'm in the kitchen cleaning up the blood, when Stefan walks in.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡww3ctpE14a
"Where did Jeremy go?" I ask my brother.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVo18XxXQi
"School. Bonnie has him volunteering for some occult exhibit," he answers me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dSeM5hX7U
"Or maybe he didn't want to linger in a house where his sister just jabbed a knife in his neck," I say.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcmTZrSsGw
Stefan's phone rings and he tells me, "It's Klaus."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpEISwxEcM5
"Ooh, time to face the music. Pay the piper, dance with the devil," I comment.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJ5JTPiGXG
"You know, I'm glad you find this amusing. If he finds out I told you about the cure, he'll kill both of us."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkE65oMUrDE
"Quit avoiding him, that means shady. Shady people get outed."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvc30KOCaY8
Stefan takes my advice and answers it.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6uZaiGFZst
"I don't want to talk about it," he says.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlB1H7X0X5q
I ignore Klaus' part of the phone conversation, but listen to what Stefan says.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8oBqMUIMFi
"Well, it wouldn't have happened, if you hadn't sworn me to secrecy," he tells Klaus.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinx6uaRYfM
He looks at me and I nod.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zs0dHfU5d
"You're using your calm voice today. Who's getting killed?" Stefan says.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡax7xauAxcl
"What do you know about that?" he asks Klaus.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yVzaummoB
"I'm at her house," he answers Klaus.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhrtaUxsBc2
Stefan hangs up when Klaus knocks on the door. Stefan then leaves the house with Klaus.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWBf1NSlsQ
I ignore their conversation outside and start finishing up with cleaning up the blood.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0jipT5pB7
A few minutes later, Elena walks into the kitchen.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeaAlv6nVg
"Damon..." she starts to say to me. She trails off and instead, yells, "No!" and backs away.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5W7LJfEEos
"What's wrong?" I ask her.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnR8vaRen27
Elena runs to the front door and I follow her.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0MLfqefOM
"Elena!" I say.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldVn2zhTdf
Stefan and Klaus are still outside talking, when Elena runs out of the house and onto the porch. She stops in her tracks, though, seeing both of them there. Then Klaus disappears with Elena at vampire speed.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1FZa3F7YT
I look at Stefan, whom looks around with a worried face.
Bonnie, Stefan, and I are in the kitchen. Stefan called her over.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDDFWufzXE
"You lost her?" she asks us.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBOcaR5Xd5
"Well, lost is a very strong word, we just technically don't know where she is," I answer the witch.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxH67dGLIcj
"I'm more worried about what Klaus said about this hunter's curse," Stefan informs her.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfiW7PXXdR
"How does Klaus even know about this?"465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAkbC7ur1A
"How does Klaus know about anything? Guy's like a billion years old," I reply.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgNanuGVcZ
"He said it was a witch's curse," Stefan informs us.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡep6bsxDt5B
Stefan looks at Bonnie.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeihJkn6w3
"You know if I could do anything to help, I would. But I..," she starts.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡet6LLxYCQg
"But nothing, wave your magic wand, hocus pocus, begone hunter ghostus, whatever," I tell her, worried about Elena.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJQLkWz22I
"The spirits won't let me do the magic I'd need to break the curse. But I can ask Shane for help, he knows everything about everything," Bonnie tells us.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1tISzFUfc
"Great, you two do your thing," Stefan says to us both.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBc5Wlf2ba
"Where are you going?" I ask him.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcj3kqggu5I
"I'm gonna get her back," he answers me, before leaving.
Bonnie and I walk to where Shane is and stop not far away in the exhibit, after listening to his speech to some students.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4AscfMdyq
"You got this?" I ask Bonnie.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI82Wqubi9t
"Yeah, I'll bring him to you," she assures me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO06IY79mla
I walk away, trusting that she will do what she says. But then I stop in my tracks, hearing Shane tell them that they say that Silas will rise again, due to a certain rock that Shane has in his hand.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcXGovVUX2
The students laugh and then Shane lets them go off on their own.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonw8G4vh3M
I watch, as Shane walks up to Bonnie.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1b1gQrMOL1
"Hey, you made it," he greets her.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZ7krqrkOF
"Nice cautionary tale. Qetsiyah sounds like a bad ass," she greets him.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ45s09rzJcO
"Nothing compared to Silas," he tells her.
I go to Mystic High and walk into the history room where Ric used to teach History at. I sit at his desk and open a drawer where I find a bottle of Bourbon. I then smile and prop my feet up on the desk.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl60vTmMLlC
"You're missing all the adventure, pal," I say, as if Ric is still here. He's not, though. Thanks to Esther, Klaus' mom, Ric became a vampire. Thanks to Rebekah killing Elena, Ric died a vampire.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iCQwKe88v
I hold up the bottle for Alaric and then take a swig, before Shane and Bonnie enter the room.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44WHpSUrFk
"Shane, this is my friend, Damon. He's kind of an expert on this stuff too," Bonnie says, introducing him to me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6gSt8rl0X
"I audited your class. Very enlightening," I tell him.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNS1nzVkXeC
"That's right, I remember you. What's your specialty?" he says to me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvuER6he4m
"The origin of a species," I reply.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnoHkds0vo
"Ah, I think Darwin would arm wrestle you for that distinction," Professor Shane says.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4YwVPpse6
"Not that species," I inform him.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnxGVN8tLt
"You're into the monster stuff. Alright, awesome," he replies.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs65TS4inO5
"I was kind of hoping you might have stumbled upon this at some point, maybe."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZDBCjeJ7V
I pull out a piece of paper and hand it to Shane.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ssNQXJaF1
Shane takes it and looks at it.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJeIbJjYga
"This is a Hunter's mark. Where did you get this?"465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsIhJTCe27
"Came to me in a dream. Do you know anything about the Hunter's curse?"465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBF2873CLLi
"Why? You got a dead hunter in the trunk of your car or something?"
"Metaphorically, speaking."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRaetkgJ8F6
"Legend says that if a hunter is killed by that which it hunts, then that person will be cursed to walk the Earth in torment until…."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIK68i0LGNX
"Until?" Bonnie presses.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIXTZNUw9wf
"Until the new Hunter is awakened and their legacy is passed on. They're called potentials," he informs us.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8iZ6UoPPG
I take out my phone, as Shane continues to speak.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡih98GQdeQH
"Listen, I have a bunch of research on it. Why don't I go grab it for you?" he says.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNe9Hk7PF86
"That'd be great," I reply, before Shane gives me the paper that has the Hunter's mark and thanks me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLAC6GGRQi
He leaves the classroom and Bonnie looks at me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKWsguLnyp
"How are we supposed to find a potential Hunter?" she asks.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjl3bw3i239
"Yeah, about that," I comment.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN13qh0IHfi
I call Jeremy and he answers it.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFibBfWDXu
"Damon."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsifpWlCt4z
"Little Gilbert, your services are needed," I inform him.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSrYwMLzUu
I give Bonnie a sly look.
Bonnie brandishes papers about The Five at me, as Bonnie and I stand in the hallway by the artifacts.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkGl3yLiC1W
"How did I not know any of this stuff about Jeremy?" she asks after I tell her everything.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW20BZGV3yx
"The witch who loses her powers gets left out of the important conversations."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Y17G2YZ9M
Jeremy runs into the room.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwIxYwYBHC
"Is everything okay? Is it Elena?"465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5NZ5DnomtF
"We figured out how to help Elena. You need to kill a vampire," Bonnie tells him.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWISa1zqti
"Great, give me a stake, I'll kill Damon right now."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRnwXlIvcn
"Easy, Van Helsing. We'll get you one. Don't worry," I tell him, not wanting to be killed.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3mQUUoYld
My phone rings.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXQLM175zr
"Before you do this, you need to know what you're getting yourself into," Bonnie tells him.
Bonnie gives Jeremy the papers and I answer the phone and speak to Stefan.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2IvEErJ2L
"You can rest easy, brother. We figured out how to solve our little Elena problem."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYoM2vyAKOZ
"Yeah, well, now we have a bigger one. I lost her," he informs me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMn9IaSONs
"What? Again?"465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVL2EY8h4uM
"She's in bad shape. I tried to help her, but she attacked me. Listen, you go find her, alright? Talk her down, she'll listen to you. Just tell me what I need to do to end this."
That night, I find Elena on the Whickery bridge and approach from behind her.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHIsQPeHsNU
"Elena," I greet.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ52daGNHTo
Elena turns to look at me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTfPXz2x6K
"Damon?" she says.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgPyEuUWKI
She turns back to look at something I can't see. She's clearly upset, but looks back at me again.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLtf1dvvw2
"How did you find me?" she asks me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkn6efeis6
"Didn't take a genius to figure it out. Third time's the charm," I reply.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRMiWd9HzPy
"You were right, Damon. Vampires kill people. Stefan was right too. I can't live with myself."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoKSCcLmcQS
"Look at you, being all glass is half empty. Let's just go talk about this before you do something stupid, okay?" I say, standing next to her now.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHB7GHrEKTC
Elena turns her head again to look at something I can't see.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBSw1Zd5mm
She nods and looks back out at the water.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7AbAQflFj
The sun starts to slowly rise and she looks down. I then look down at her hand.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvu9vMKiDjm
"Where's your ring, Elena?" I ask, scared of what she is probably attempting to do.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgE99E8m6Ke
She doesn't answer me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8VJJ3euHx
"We need to get you inside," I say to her.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIS5MVVSkf
She looks at me.
"What you're going through is a curse. We know how to break it, but we just have to get you inside," I inform her.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiXTgLjo5h
I look at the mountains to see that the sun has risen higher in the sky. I then look at her.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8epMuIaX3I
"Damn it, Elena," I say.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlDJgVzo4d
I rush at her at vampire speed and try to grab her, but she rushes around me and stays a good distance away.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxi7pTZFwvT
She closes her eyes.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHB0orcTax
A moment later, she breathes heavily and opens her eyes again.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oY4A0JMO0
"He's gone," she informs me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Guw3G4ezy
"It's okay," I say.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3YOJfbpFw
We both start to hear a sizzling noise and Elena looks down.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAOOTb7TDf
I look over at the mountains to see that the sun has risen. I then look at her face and see that she's starting to burn.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tzlbegwzz
"Damon?" she says with fear.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyr5mo7oyf
I rush at Elena, grab her, and throw both of us off the bridge to save her life, and the water splashes as we land in the water. Being under water keeps her from burning in the sun. Then she blacks out and I gently hold her against me, as I swim deeper in search of her ring. I'd give her mine, but I don't feel like burning myself and dying or almost dying.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOP7KJTgWwn
Once I find her ring, I put it back on her finger and surface with her. Then I get us out of the water and gently pick her up in my arms, before carrying her, heading for her place.
A few hours later, Elena wakes up in her bed and looks at her hand at her ring. I'm leaning against her window. When she wakes up though, I go to stand by her.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQAbaIT9JH
She slowly sits up in bed.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFGBPS0npfR
"Fished it out of the river for you," I let her know.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgxxLNQNrH
She looks at me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ09tQtnaCu
"A little tip, vampires hate to swim. How are you feeling?," I say.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGlQQO9bXj
"My head's clear. I can remember everything, but not like I lived it, like it was a really bad dream." She pauses for a few moments, before saying, "You saved me. Thank you."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0DmKDjz2b
"Well, you know what they say about teenage suicide," I say. I sit on her bedside. "Don't do it," I add.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5IK6UD2PoB
Elena smiles at me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTqPyRnkMaR
"I just can't believe I almost..." She starts, but trails off.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVFDxOR2c8
"You weren't yourself," I tell her.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQmsnzYEKq
Elena takes my hand in hers.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzR20lGM5KS
"Yeah, but if it wasn't for you..."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuKN8qh2bS
I look down at her hand that's holding mine and she does likewise. I then hold her hand up and start rubbing my thumb in circles over the back of her hand.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocH2OFclnq
I sigh, before saying, "I'm about to take a very high, annoying road and tell you something." I take my hand from hers and put my hand on top of hers. "Because I know that you think Stefan's been lying to you. Which, yeah, he has, but this rough patch that you two have been going through is not what you think. Everything that he's been doing, he's been doing for you. To help you. And after he kills me for telling you this, I want you to throw my ashes off of Whickery Bridge, okay?" I continue.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKeHSiZKX5
Elena laughs at the killing and ashes part.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsbKix0Vph
"There may be a way out of this for you, Elena."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWJ2nd30mm
Elena gives me a confused look.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPNQFJVDSV
"There may be a cure," I inform her.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiH50x21FkG
Elena gives me a surprised look.
That night, I go to the Mystic Grille for a drink. I take my jacket off and sit down.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuzPKMKMHp2
"Bourbon," I tell the bartender.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUYwYDoIWT
I look at the seat next to me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhrYBgQBTF
"Make that two."465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWBcUsf3w8
Matt walks up and stands on the other side of me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0ijeKq564
"Still saving a seat for Mr. Saltzman, huh?"465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUG8kFqPCa
"I'd say I'm in the market for a new drinking buddy. You're not qualified," I answer.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgm9f7mITjT
"I know that you don't like me," he replies.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixoW22Hove
I move one of the Bourbons in front of the empty seat next to me.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgHP8kd8aUW
"But I dug up some stuff about the explosion at the Young farm, I kind of need to tell someone about," he continues.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN71eg43mVg
I non-verbally encourage him to tell me about it.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCI07pc1Hi
"So, April mentioned that her dad knew that Professor Shane guy. Which wouldn't be creepy, except, he had all that info about the Hunter's curse, and we live in a town where, you know, anybody who knows stuff is creepy until proven otherwise," he continues on.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbdiCalPOw
"You're on the verge of impressing me. Drive it home," I comment.465Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjnFenjUvo
"I got the sheriff to dig up the pastor's phone records. Turns out, he made like a call a day to the same number the last month he was alive. And on the day that the Council got blown up at the farm, he called it ten times. The office of Professor Atticus Shane," he finishes.
