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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYz7LOQxWf
"I can't believe this happened. What am I going to say to him?" she says to me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDRPbfLevu
"Thanks for not ditching my family after I drove Ric crazy?" I say.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8mFivmkJ0
Elena glares at me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nk2OjPej7
"You should have called Stefan," I add to her.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVuSFOD9p7
"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."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kbexAEPs7
"In all fairness, I mean, I think you killing him kinda trumps that. And you should have called Stefan."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrM0HJhwkJM
"I don't trust him right now, Damon."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKwNztoaWfU
Just then, Stefan walks in and we both look at him.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3czxJUNS0
Speaking of, I think to myself.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHuaGPnW2C
"Hey," Stefan greets.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK4v100HIdt
"P.S. I called Stefan," I inform her.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodiWQJWWhS
Stefan walks over to Elena.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntMXLISTsI
"What happened? Why did you call me?" he asks.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzmXgERJzL
"I just-I need to go upstairs and shower. Clean all the blood off my hands," she says, before walking out of the room.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLidtYCX8I
A moment later, Jeremy wakes up.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmg2Yp2jKo2
"Welcome back. How are you feeling?" Stefan asks him.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUr3taNvZjI
"What happened?" Jeremy asks.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfYYMANrQD
"Long story, buy the e-book," I answer him.
I'm in the kitchen cleaning up the blood, when Stefan walks in.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVRCYYKPhk
"Where did Jeremy go?" I ask my brother.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUNauesXXu
"School. Bonnie has him volunteering for some occult exhibit," he answers me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1rx1ebIOt
"Or maybe he didn't want to linger in a house where his sister just jabbed a knife in his neck," I say.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPygA9pLeES
Stefan's phone rings and he tells me, "It's Klaus."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxbxbBrBXp
"Ooh, time to face the music. Pay the piper, dance with the devil," I comment.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILdFhFOAm9
"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."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuNPK9LA1G
"Quit avoiding him, that means shady. Shady people get outed."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcbg8dWila
Stefan takes my advice and answers it.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMuWUp441Tl
"I don't want to talk about it," he says.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRueXmqtIoO
I ignore Klaus' part of the phone conversation, but listen to what Stefan says.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1Q2zyq9i9
"Well, it wouldn't have happened, if you hadn't sworn me to secrecy," he tells Klaus.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm8imN2Db3b
He looks at me and I nod.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGaFWOZU3Nr
"You're using your calm voice today. Who's getting killed?" Stefan says.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93fEGKdorE
"What do you know about that?" he asks Klaus.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9bSyOMvty
"I'm at her house," he answers Klaus.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrtDSeCfSu
Stefan hangs up when Klaus knocks on the door. Stefan then leaves the house with Klaus.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrceFJTM0o
I ignore their conversation outside and start finishing up with cleaning up the blood.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWs7x7GOC8Z
A few minutes later, Elena walks into the kitchen.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLV2XlB0wX
"Damon..." she starts to say to me. She trails off and instead, yells, "No!" and backs away.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXLEb8it8P
"What's wrong?" I ask her.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7JpW5zVt7
Elena runs to the front door and I follow her.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJc9PYR6Od
"Elena!" I say.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4btmxQvfe
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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZcvPDyN94L
I look at Stefan, whom looks around with a worried face.
Bonnie, Stefan, and I are in the kitchen. Stefan called her over.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWUbJGhrLh
"You lost her?" she asks us.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyuOG5KhDQf
"Well, lost is a very strong word, we just technically don't know where she is," I answer the witch.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOdYKT9XZX
"I'm more worried about what Klaus said about this hunter's curse," Stefan informs her.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7rDmOFLjo
"How does Klaus even know about this?"538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYzI6FeEt24
"How does Klaus know about anything? Guy's like a billion years old," I reply.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ693UPE2lWP
"He said it was a witch's curse," Stefan informs us.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UAe2hojNb
Stefan looks at Bonnie.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpp8nJNpOBm
"You know if I could do anything to help, I would. But I..," she starts.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXJXN97MJ3
"But nothing, wave your magic wand, hocus pocus, begone hunter ghostus, whatever," I tell her, worried about Elena.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkeGDUpCsz
"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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwmPURpNLFB
"Great, you two do your thing," Stefan says to us both.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVQYAK5O2O
"Where are you going?" I ask him.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlptCeB3US3
"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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmYWjfK061
"You got this?" I ask Bonnie.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTQPeNbMB7
"Yeah, I'll bring him to you," she assures me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUDNiLBAAoI
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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0zfcy4YyX
The students laugh and then Shane lets them go off on their own.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTPyDEL7c2
I watch, as Shane walks up to Bonnie.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVu7sa9h2e
"Hey, you made it," he greets her.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovA6o0Ba3b
"Nice cautionary tale. Qetsiyah sounds like a bad ass," she greets him.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRoUFhKKuMx
"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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMJyQs9bg7
"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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmAr66K3Pjg
I hold up the bottle for Alaric and then take a swig, before Shane and Bonnie enter the room.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaXNC8qlRWt
"Shane, this is my friend, Damon. He's kind of an expert on this stuff too," Bonnie says, introducing him to me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPZNpnypK2
"I audited your class. Very enlightening," I tell him.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaANQzFEKD
"That's right, I remember you. What's your specialty?" he says to me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3a1kmtBOpL
"The origin of a species," I reply.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrKMWKKEUS
"Ah, I think Darwin would arm wrestle you for that distinction," Professor Shane says.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMz7sjaPabY
"Not that species," I inform him.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYy6aJ9LjoX
"You're into the monster stuff. Alright, awesome," he replies.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tHItQWrBg
"I was kind of hoping you might have stumbled upon this at some point, maybe."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqo6avx9CZq
I pull out a piece of paper and hand it to Shane.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1L71PdjUvS
Shane takes it and looks at it.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zWpXdquLZ
"This is a Hunter's mark. Where did you get this?"538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TcJ20oGFw
"Came to me in a dream. Do you know anything about the Hunter's curse?"538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXoY2gxzo2j
"Why? You got a dead hunter in the trunk of your car or something?"
"Metaphorically, speaking."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXOwG4DR81
"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…."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFytqJMGU0
"Until?" Bonnie presses.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJp5bIxJGzP
"Until the new Hunter is awakened and their legacy is passed on. They're called potentials," he informs us.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sFjGjzpbe
I take out my phone, as Shane continues to speak.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1sUaTxYQGR
"Listen, I have a bunch of research on it. Why don't I go grab it for you?" he says.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC67Cyy01yS
"That'd be great," I reply, before Shane gives me the paper that has the Hunter's mark and thanks me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEadvdT9gMt
He leaves the classroom and Bonnie looks at me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2tpOKV6pC
"How are we supposed to find a potential Hunter?" she asks.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaWlVpQMNJ
"Yeah, about that," I comment.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dJSZrI6ED
I call Jeremy and he answers it.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEULDxZF2J
"Damon."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWRjaLpz7Z
"Little Gilbert, your services are needed," I inform him.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdH4bXshkR1
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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKkctqZaIU
"How did I not know any of this stuff about Jeremy?" she asks after I tell her everything.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqd636wPONY
"The witch who loses her powers gets left out of the important conversations."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCR4J9XV3QZ
Jeremy runs into the room.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2wrwwlVZ6l
"Is everything okay? Is it Elena?"538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgAbhgcFRT
"We figured out how to help Elena. You need to kill a vampire," Bonnie tells him.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNBijO4Wdx
"Great, give me a stake, I'll kill Damon right now."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmobU0dHF4
"Easy, Van Helsing. We'll get you one. Don't worry," I tell him, not wanting to be killed.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSf90t8U1V
My phone rings.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxcdHgT5Yv
"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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemw9qErqX8
"You can rest easy, brother. We figured out how to solve our little Elena problem."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIgBx5vr76
"Yeah, well, now we have a bigger one. I lost her," he informs me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkZCNMFYtL
"What? Again?"538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfT2JSzWPg
"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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPW6jTIOs7
"Elena," I greet.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJ8iB73mzh
Elena turns to look at me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgUqsd2q6n
"Damon?" she says.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsS4xT4z6uM
She turns back to look at something I can't see. She's clearly upset, but looks back at me again.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUc942sfSA
"How did you find me?" she asks me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQ7ClYenrq
"Didn't take a genius to figure it out. Third time's the charm," I reply.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL96CARQeUB
"You were right, Damon. Vampires kill people. Stefan was right too. I can't live with myself."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6qCMMQQvo
"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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULRMOCK6pn
Elena turns her head again to look at something I can't see.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2sUvWMpO3Q
She nods and looks back out at the water.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoDNrmU4Xu
The sun starts to slowly rise and she looks down. I then look down at her hand.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1R641tlFn
"Where's your ring, Elena?" I ask, scared of what she is probably attempting to do.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKmSxGzRjw
She doesn't answer me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2v56vyCgmD
"We need to get you inside," I say to her.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIEzKptJv5
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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59CgfLCuK6
I look at the mountains to see that the sun has risen higher in the sky. I then look at her.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx829ITDB54
"Damn it, Elena," I say.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThDqS39b0q
I rush at her at vampire speed and try to grab her, but she rushes around me and stays a good distance away.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIjrA9uAGf
She closes her eyes.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6bVhGdO1l
A moment later, she breathes heavily and opens her eyes again.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UR7lFdqRN
"He's gone," she informs me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nx1na9bgb
"It's okay," I say.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8bHa39JsK
We both start to hear a sizzling noise and Elena looks down.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerlXGhM2ez
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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZswg3U1TeE
"Damon?" she says with fear.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebJK3Uhzvg
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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7HYh899hT
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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgUW7RnNmm
She slowly sits up in bed.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlqZWeSdN8
"Fished it out of the river for you," I let her know.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrRKOklS9TE
She looks at me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRjh5wBXO4N
"A little tip, vampires hate to swim. How are you feeling?," I say.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBM8KfBPAc
"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."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7aHeIGRD8
"Well, you know what they say about teenage suicide," I say. I sit on her bedside. "Don't do it," I add.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDG8pffjXZ
Elena smiles at me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2Od8aiCWU
"I just can't believe I almost..." She starts, but trails off.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4PPJtEThs
"You weren't yourself," I tell her.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKVyukbcWq
Elena takes my hand in hers.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWE5L8kKOz
"Yeah, but if it wasn't for you..."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSvHZXUiX2
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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCSBIvW8Ae
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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UDkC55DxG
Elena laughs at the killing and ashes part.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxC33lL14bt
"There may be a way out of this for you, Elena."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEE6SvJAKWc
Elena gives me a confused look.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghpYAAxiGQ
"There may be a cure," I inform her.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbISSPL4bJ9
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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzr4x6r1RGC
"Bourbon," I tell the bartender.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqRYW3ZQ2y4
I look at the seat next to me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7uSZ8wCXU
"Make that two."538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbOR30RHJm
Matt walks up and stands on the other side of me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJTmafaTgk
"Still saving a seat for Mr. Saltzman, huh?"538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1LZgodpIdv
"I'd say I'm in the market for a new drinking buddy. You're not qualified," I answer.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbTCBkd2hd
"I know that you don't like me," he replies.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zsXoyo8qs
I move one of the Bourbons in front of the empty seat next to me.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ109YweWJig
"But I dug up some stuff about the explosion at the Young farm, I kind of need to tell someone about," he continues.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vvFtrlZwc
I non-verbally encourage him to tell me about it.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡryJNvaE4Ht
"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.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXgC4BXRgv
"You're on the verge of impressing me. Drive it home," I comment.538Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpcJwhwmLF
"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.
