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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHF5ZL6FkxN
"I can't believe this happened. What am I going to say to him?" she says to me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AyNzYOYni
"Thanks for not ditching my family after I drove Ric crazy?" I say.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQczO3EMZX
Elena glares at me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu5vGml8D9I
"You should have called Stefan," I add to her.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarQ1koiDZN
"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."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7BddtXVlY
"In all fairness, I mean, I think you killing him kinda trumps that. And you should have called Stefan."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZm35JgT5F
"I don't trust him right now, Damon."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOQM4t1bPA
Just then, Stefan walks in and we both look at him.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhYnOGeNOn
Speaking of, I think to myself.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtBKFpQC8Hp
"Hey," Stefan greets.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA80jrJYjNi
"P.S. I called Stefan," I inform her.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSA8BGaXY2Z
Stefan walks over to Elena.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfCN50e7aq
"What happened? Why did you call me?" he asks.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCWWnDt25Ad
"I just-I need to go upstairs and shower. Clean all the blood off my hands," she says, before walking out of the room.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡznxkVoHOKU
A moment later, Jeremy wakes up.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyzpYTgFCc
"Welcome back. How are you feeling?" Stefan asks him.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXouSaKCzko
"What happened?" Jeremy asks.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTw2P0e4DZE
"Long story, buy the e-book," I answer him.
I'm in the kitchen cleaning up the blood, when Stefan walks in.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTlxEWlcK8
"Where did Jeremy go?" I ask my brother.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7DnxGaXFm6
"School. Bonnie has him volunteering for some occult exhibit," he answers me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhuQoOxDV1I
"Or maybe he didn't want to linger in a house where his sister just jabbed a knife in his neck," I say.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtsf9DYT7Y
Stefan's phone rings and he tells me, "It's Klaus."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Jd6L6NCkR
"Ooh, time to face the music. Pay the piper, dance with the devil," I comment.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKpsZKsydoi
"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."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkNrgsGIDAL
"Quit avoiding him, that means shady. Shady people get outed."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg9klLLqoZf
Stefan takes my advice and answers it.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNjl3x0C1R
"I don't want to talk about it," he says.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnjXmg0zKz
I ignore Klaus' part of the phone conversation, but listen to what Stefan says.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWy2sOhtl30
"Well, it wouldn't have happened, if you hadn't sworn me to secrecy," he tells Klaus.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8014cHTR8n
He looks at me and I nod.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhL4IReRqw
"You're using your calm voice today. Who's getting killed?" Stefan says.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgyKBrFYah
"What do you know about that?" he asks Klaus.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoHDnfuqW6
"I'm at her house," he answers Klaus.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywXbqZl9IK
Stefan hangs up when Klaus knocks on the door. Stefan then leaves the house with Klaus.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCraxZKQZS
I ignore their conversation outside and start finishing up with cleaning up the blood.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNcNpe0suc
A few minutes later, Elena walks into the kitchen.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAW1Ghp2llr
"Damon..." she starts to say to me. She trails off and instead, yells, "No!" and backs away.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6QoQMMBfI
"What's wrong?" I ask her.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvXVr1UkGNH
Elena runs to the front door and I follow her.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6JbZjBTJyU
"Elena!" I say.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeckNy8zUHL
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwjnfLFvu5
I look at Stefan, whom looks around with a worried face.
Bonnie, Stefan, and I are in the kitchen. Stefan called her over.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1fRonYCkyN
"You lost her?" she asks us.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8tp5LDvJ1
"Well, lost is a very strong word, we just technically don't know where she is," I answer the witch.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpq1G3fBruS
"I'm more worried about what Klaus said about this hunter's curse," Stefan informs her.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6eecpEmzvf
"How does Klaus even know about this?"534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFHVuuenvY
"How does Klaus know about anything? Guy's like a billion years old," I reply.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYS2bzRjzBi
"He said it was a witch's curse," Stefan informs us.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQf8zZUIWN
Stefan looks at Bonnie.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VqsKnPm1v
"You know if I could do anything to help, I would. But I..," she starts.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRWa4IMexD
"But nothing, wave your magic wand, hocus pocus, begone hunter ghostus, whatever," I tell her, worried about Elena.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv9H2UkiSff
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61EeyDTfTn
"Great, you two do your thing," Stefan says to us both.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8JQq4VEMTc
"Where are you going?" I ask him.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsXPyoT8O4
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCsk5qJK1xP
"You got this?" I ask Bonnie.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0oduusNGe
"Yeah, I'll bring him to you," she assures me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFTPz0EfyR
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aqr8upFUU
The students laugh and then Shane lets them go off on their own.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSnztNDqSNU
I watch, as Shane walks up to Bonnie.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYztvAhrsa2
"Hey, you made it," he greets her.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmMMvrcKuw
"Nice cautionary tale. Qetsiyah sounds like a bad ass," she greets him.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2fPxwOmeQ
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcu4P6czr9
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2Ygyo46Ji
I hold up the bottle for Alaric and then take a swig, before Shane and Bonnie enter the room.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtcrUMUY7O
"Shane, this is my friend, Damon. He's kind of an expert on this stuff too," Bonnie says, introducing him to me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuhJoXmR3z
"I audited your class. Very enlightening," I tell him.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDM0SxKWq0
"That's right, I remember you. What's your specialty?" he says to me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uPiNSWc8H
"The origin of a species," I reply.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGESwnm0Nh
"Ah, I think Darwin would arm wrestle you for that distinction," Professor Shane says.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoEDWIuhk4
"Not that species," I inform him.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kwaa9yZFu
"You're into the monster stuff. Alright, awesome," he replies.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BqANGJCl0
"I was kind of hoping you might have stumbled upon this at some point, maybe."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7Vr7GS1iM
I pull out a piece of paper and hand it to Shane.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9u8qWXNb2
Shane takes it and looks at it.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqICwV56X8N
"This is a Hunter's mark. Where did you get this?"534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsYOrg7iH9
"Came to me in a dream. Do you know anything about the Hunter's curse?"534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJtQipOSEz
"Why? You got a dead hunter in the trunk of your car or something?"
"Metaphorically, speaking."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjarpkyh9Xx
"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…."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGwjQDMUEHU
"Until?" Bonnie presses.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgEyD9F0qAT
"Until the new Hunter is awakened and their legacy is passed on. They're called potentials," he informs us.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPh1mc7knYt
I take out my phone, as Shane continues to speak.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOiem3iSW5a
"Listen, I have a bunch of research on it. Why don't I go grab it for you?" he says.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1PJ9uy4cx
"That'd be great," I reply, before Shane gives me the paper that has the Hunter's mark and thanks me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjncFFkwiY6
He leaves the classroom and Bonnie looks at me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvrOlm8aYSV
"How are we supposed to find a potential Hunter?" she asks.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMauCYsc0j
"Yeah, about that," I comment.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlLKBskcXme
I call Jeremy and he answers it.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbj0KRXFYmr
"Damon."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgE0MMjWzMR
"Little Gilbert, your services are needed," I inform him.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsIy9QdcrMv
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVptvJVnEOT
"How did I not know any of this stuff about Jeremy?" she asks after I tell her everything.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJH4fqzZxQS
"The witch who loses her powers gets left out of the important conversations."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ahn8mJ46r
Jeremy runs into the room.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8AKnBN9pk
"Is everything okay? Is it Elena?"534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUHwXAvnmr
"We figured out how to help Elena. You need to kill a vampire," Bonnie tells him.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5Jcu9e7Mf
"Great, give me a stake, I'll kill Damon right now."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGKjakMYUN
"Easy, Van Helsing. We'll get you one. Don't worry," I tell him, not wanting to be killed.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPJAIO7Cf0
My phone rings.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRbsjgrTjx
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAyWjEa1UA
"You can rest easy, brother. We figured out how to solve our little Elena problem."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwaIsTPPKfm
"Yeah, well, now we have a bigger one. I lost her," he informs me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNlPPPb91Yp
"What? Again?"534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0LEeHdp7X
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhGxbcTX8a
"Elena," I greet.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNz7zew1oS
Elena turns to look at me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt6fVyclOo3
"Damon?" she says.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCFCN0kuB9
She turns back to look at something I can't see. She's clearly upset, but looks back at me again.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyj0nGBhYU
"How did you find me?" she asks me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jSl1iGkJy
"Didn't take a genius to figure it out. Third time's the charm," I reply.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡty9EJDWNfj
"You were right, Damon. Vampires kill people. Stefan was right too. I can't live with myself."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2je8yVdBj8
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtuIjCoSAI
Elena turns her head again to look at something I can't see.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyf2d75WCdc
She nods and looks back out at the water.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9rM2pNO8H
The sun starts to slowly rise and she looks down. I then look down at her hand.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuACrWiaRcR
"Where's your ring, Elena?" I ask, scared of what she is probably attempting to do.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTcGmKzZbV
She doesn't answer me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciU1jA7ROH
"We need to get you inside," I say to her.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUTCG30jLN
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQDzhUdqPI
I look at the mountains to see that the sun has risen higher in the sky. I then look at her.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkUpGJFjzS
"Damn it, Elena," I say.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzHNZLkv7q
I rush at her at vampire speed and try to grab her, but she rushes around me and stays a good distance away.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsfY9XsTRD
She closes her eyes.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0f74vIpDDp
A moment later, she breathes heavily and opens her eyes again.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNrbGpMDhwb
"He's gone," she informs me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡItD4wRXCxK
"It's okay," I say.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLhFBf53yO
We both start to hear a sizzling noise and Elena looks down.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ncwyc0ElR
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBjd1HpCD3
"Damon?" she says with fear.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6JVocqGb9
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cmoJWx6kI
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBeyxFXAwvd
She slowly sits up in bed.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzN1AmuVJy1
"Fished it out of the river for you," I let her know.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuT58iBqCgX
She looks at me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOKWdGMgFzi
"A little tip, vampires hate to swim. How are you feeling?," I say.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuM7ui6AadQ
"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."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjYidx5LwD
"Well, you know what they say about teenage suicide," I say. I sit on her bedside. "Don't do it," I add.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzr7h3mW3km
Elena smiles at me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdctRdW9McM
"I just can't believe I almost..." She starts, but trails off.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZA99UrZDU
"You weren't yourself," I tell her.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36tBzv5jp6
Elena takes my hand in hers.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBFfr3vSIa
"Yeah, but if it wasn't for you..."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrKxpnAQRH
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡox3UDaX2Uz
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQi59UUxfA
Elena laughs at the killing and ashes part.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQUQroWjMAC
"There may be a way out of this for you, Elena."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQiWI2jas28
Elena gives me a confused look.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5mUn4AizF
"There may be a cure," I inform her.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuTQorD26J
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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLIXDt5LRjv
"Bourbon," I tell the bartender.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVVhvPBp0Ar
I look at the seat next to me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpqRLwdBmSI
"Make that two."534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVllaoCguQ
Matt walks up and stands on the other side of me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSVBqJhAgg
"Still saving a seat for Mr. Saltzman, huh?"534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZwJRTZkM3
"I'd say I'm in the market for a new drinking buddy. You're not qualified," I answer.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fO0AbEoWW
"I know that you don't like me," he replies.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUzFsEcAPML
I move one of the Bourbons in front of the empty seat next to me.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hBPgSRZfB
"But I dug up some stuff about the explosion at the Young farm, I kind of need to tell someone about," he continues.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFwdtdlug0
I non-verbally encourage him to tell me about it.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡccu3R5WZls
"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.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVqu8mw6Dn
"You're on the verge of impressing me. Drive it home," I comment.534Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5eq7PkvrT
"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.
