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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJ8Idjv9ZY
"I can't believe this happened. What am I going to say to him?" she says to me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6ZEMvOjMU
"Thanks for not ditching my family after I drove Ric crazy?" I say.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbEze6tZqw
Elena glares at me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSbW8IxW7u
"You should have called Stefan," I add to her.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqTkQ28joW
"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."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyiRnWilYS
"In all fairness, I mean, I think you killing him kinda trumps that. And you should have called Stefan."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGtIbxyF6pg
"I don't trust him right now, Damon."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyG4UrfR4Hg
Just then, Stefan walks in and we both look at him.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmqe8uPhpK
Speaking of, I think to myself.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIG06G4lNRO
"Hey," Stefan greets.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLozTzxLHX5
"P.S. I called Stefan," I inform her.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04TZ4BD5iu
Stefan walks over to Elena.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2v3Y3ehkJ
"What happened? Why did you call me?" he asks.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzTg0XOanT
"I just-I need to go upstairs and shower. Clean all the blood off my hands," she says, before walking out of the room.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49LzJih9lF
A moment later, Jeremy wakes up.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34zCAETSRT
"Welcome back. How are you feeling?" Stefan asks him.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZZcJmZ8N8
"What happened?" Jeremy asks.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ozcVM9pfu
"Long story, buy the e-book," I answer him.
I'm in the kitchen cleaning up the blood, when Stefan walks in.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThNvxPWFx6
"Where did Jeremy go?" I ask my brother.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtqMLHO0PP
"School. Bonnie has him volunteering for some occult exhibit," he answers me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzm3HYSZ7rr
"Or maybe he didn't want to linger in a house where his sister just jabbed a knife in his neck," I say.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdHXiF0CZy
Stefan's phone rings and he tells me, "It's Klaus."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxrIDrvtMS8
"Ooh, time to face the music. Pay the piper, dance with the devil," I comment.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aOAM0OZDZ
"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."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpTaCvBTEP
"Quit avoiding him, that means shady. Shady people get outed."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCNBF1igQm
Stefan takes my advice and answers it.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YZZktlHzd
"I don't want to talk about it," he says.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HET8kQIxs
I ignore Klaus' part of the phone conversation, but listen to what Stefan says.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcphOrqXvv
"Well, it wouldn't have happened, if you hadn't sworn me to secrecy," he tells Klaus.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZQIJS5JVY
He looks at me and I nod.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Gscy9DFH4
"You're using your calm voice today. Who's getting killed?" Stefan says.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCH43obRqk
"What do you know about that?" he asks Klaus.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhgErz22ZSR
"I'm at her house," he answers Klaus.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXTMm3drKc
Stefan hangs up when Klaus knocks on the door. Stefan then leaves the house with Klaus.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWZsD3CXIC
I ignore their conversation outside and start finishing up with cleaning up the blood.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKDBHQqtSv
A few minutes later, Elena walks into the kitchen.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwutkoiiEK
"Damon..." she starts to say to me. She trails off and instead, yells, "No!" and backs away.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wPQMJqFaM
"What's wrong?" I ask her.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnh34YXcag3
Elena runs to the front door and I follow her.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xY7S7fmX6
"Elena!" I say.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjFHOd9F5j
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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBs940N2mLC
I look at Stefan, whom looks around with a worried face.
Bonnie, Stefan, and I are in the kitchen. Stefan called her over.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyn9R7ZbYlY
"You lost her?" she asks us.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZw8YRwDBb7
"Well, lost is a very strong word, we just technically don't know where she is," I answer the witch.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLkkI4ih6mD
"I'm more worried about what Klaus said about this hunter's curse," Stefan informs her.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvQRVBNL1J
"How does Klaus even know about this?"541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8Jh2UcqFI
"How does Klaus know about anything? Guy's like a billion years old," I reply.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ61Ee0YhIU
"He said it was a witch's curse," Stefan informs us.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk488lZm6pp
Stefan looks at Bonnie.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpgncGIpXDA
"You know if I could do anything to help, I would. But I..," she starts.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGACDxLHOT
"But nothing, wave your magic wand, hocus pocus, begone hunter ghostus, whatever," I tell her, worried about Elena.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlmi7Xxzie
"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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFwPkcrTP1
"Great, you two do your thing," Stefan says to us both.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1hunojOo07
"Where are you going?" I ask him.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlNjYqPdBH
"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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoysS5sXhFY
"You got this?" I ask Bonnie.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTXhYCdoDY
"Yeah, I'll bring him to you," she assures me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedH3GPMvOT
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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVSNHiXJML
The students laugh and then Shane lets them go off on their own.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnoLYr6oy5V
I watch, as Shane walks up to Bonnie.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPSOqY4Uup
"Hey, you made it," he greets her.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7rmpGY97N
"Nice cautionary tale. Qetsiyah sounds like a bad ass," she greets him.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuQLalmuYy
"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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJK2hfRetp
"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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxfX9jjpXD
I hold up the bottle for Alaric and then take a swig, before Shane and Bonnie enter the room.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEW6Xqhs18y
"Shane, this is my friend, Damon. He's kind of an expert on this stuff too," Bonnie says, introducing him to me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAhWz5ES7M
"I audited your class. Very enlightening," I tell him.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6t7BHNk78J
"That's right, I remember you. What's your specialty?" he says to me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKgL95w964
"The origin of a species," I reply.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqzxdDqznK
"Ah, I think Darwin would arm wrestle you for that distinction," Professor Shane says.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RKlSnoCHL
"Not that species," I inform him.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAsNJJlWh0
"You're into the monster stuff. Alright, awesome," he replies.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7IHuR0FvA
"I was kind of hoping you might have stumbled upon this at some point, maybe."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87t1yoVkS2
I pull out a piece of paper and hand it to Shane.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4dEaKOaxL
Shane takes it and looks at it.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFn3rsWRO4m
"This is a Hunter's mark. Where did you get this?"541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSltjPNDkGG
"Came to me in a dream. Do you know anything about the Hunter's curse?"541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDMEn9AS9G
"Why? You got a dead hunter in the trunk of your car or something?"
"Metaphorically, speaking."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC8pWksZvol
"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…."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2vgtytFwL
"Until?" Bonnie presses.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVT0PLkzN2
"Until the new Hunter is awakened and their legacy is passed on. They're called potentials," he informs us.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hk0CCfwzG
I take out my phone, as Shane continues to speak.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkYHCM9eZjR
"Listen, I have a bunch of research on it. Why don't I go grab it for you?" he says.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOn2jVEA5Qs
"That'd be great," I reply, before Shane gives me the paper that has the Hunter's mark and thanks me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXGSdX4Par
He leaves the classroom and Bonnie looks at me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡduhyQjWbnW
"How are we supposed to find a potential Hunter?" she asks.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEMHsPTzb0
"Yeah, about that," I comment.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhNguQeJ85X
I call Jeremy and he answers it.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUYId4VHf1
"Damon."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqrn3MYnrO
"Little Gilbert, your services are needed," I inform him.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKEssF3g4TL
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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfdEaXPvWr
"How did I not know any of this stuff about Jeremy?" she asks after I tell her everything.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtLa9gxf7E
"The witch who loses her powers gets left out of the important conversations."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgMXZHdezz
Jeremy runs into the room.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3fdTwShxW7
"Is everything okay? Is it Elena?"541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiALNVhugI
"We figured out how to help Elena. You need to kill a vampire," Bonnie tells him.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuyC6u2Qmp
"Great, give me a stake, I'll kill Damon right now."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡke6D0ZjjUR
"Easy, Van Helsing. We'll get you one. Don't worry," I tell him, not wanting to be killed.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVZLtoiAeO
My phone rings.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IqxXxRoGT
"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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ynnVGBcJh
"You can rest easy, brother. We figured out how to solve our little Elena problem."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pvAf2UPp5
"Yeah, well, now we have a bigger one. I lost her," he informs me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsnvoAOpdB
"What? Again?"541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0Pcn7BROM
"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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqRjdFKqF6
"Elena," I greet.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6ZbKA50K0
Elena turns to look at me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwx20yDAn0V
"Damon?" she says.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjjnoKrissA
She turns back to look at something I can't see. She's clearly upset, but looks back at me again.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4Rp38wFh6
"How did you find me?" she asks me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnRbICf0O6
"Didn't take a genius to figure it out. Third time's the charm," I reply.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSKUylqMNWF
"You were right, Damon. Vampires kill people. Stefan was right too. I can't live with myself."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡegRf6s5xXn
"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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJPw41RmIZ
Elena turns her head again to look at something I can't see.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRfYTrffY1
She nods and looks back out at the water.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bZztb46Xk
The sun starts to slowly rise and she looks down. I then look down at her hand.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiduRakwBH
"Where's your ring, Elena?" I ask, scared of what she is probably attempting to do.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBs8nwfIC2A
She doesn't answer me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByn1JTBHCz
"We need to get you inside," I say to her.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbRIBcz83A
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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRbVUK08NX
I look at the mountains to see that the sun has risen higher in the sky. I then look at her.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡafIZE5H7GC
"Damn it, Elena," I say.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqQTSrQF23
I rush at her at vampire speed and try to grab her, but she rushes around me and stays a good distance away.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNdBcaMQnSx
She closes her eyes.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFbPLVXB7m
A moment later, she breathes heavily and opens her eyes again.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFI9OaJgF61
"He's gone," she informs me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCkQmvjxjm
"It's okay," I say.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLTTIQPPOC
We both start to hear a sizzling noise and Elena looks down.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhmxDaxwXd
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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjxCwODABW
"Damon?" she says with fear.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSj2KGjHT3o
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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeR0hiOLl2T
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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh6mGweoTfA
She slowly sits up in bed.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCE70cyeCsD
"Fished it out of the river for you," I let her know.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgnrKB9kRv
She looks at me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeUcvpEAxIv
"A little tip, vampires hate to swim. How are you feeling?," I say.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwogXc4PwK
"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."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUk1U1kp3E6
"Well, you know what they say about teenage suicide," I say. I sit on her bedside. "Don't do it," I add.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAlSEYFplu0
Elena smiles at me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMELDL3mtdp
"I just can't believe I almost..." She starts, but trails off.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidAd9qBbdQ
"You weren't yourself," I tell her.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeCxOkmvyk
Elena takes my hand in hers.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa1k12CjLi
"Yeah, but if it wasn't for you..."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1lgpeOlwa
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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPveDoGnF3
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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LMrG1QRr5
Elena laughs at the killing and ashes part.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7vWdL6I4P
"There may be a way out of this for you, Elena."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bHIzfRMzr
Elena gives me a confused look.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuns2j7xr9A
"There may be a cure," I inform her.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjrzmvQ0cm
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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡud7LEd533F
"Bourbon," I tell the bartender.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDTGPLRxyQ
I look at the seat next to me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV9N8FbNArM
"Make that two."541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW93p2HQr3b
Matt walks up and stands on the other side of me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjsmRbvHtq
"Still saving a seat for Mr. Saltzman, huh?"541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmKzxnI2OfX
"I'd say I'm in the market for a new drinking buddy. You're not qualified," I answer.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7GSaDczTH
"I know that you don't like me," he replies.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlsogSfhOmd
I move one of the Bourbons in front of the empty seat next to me.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPcKh3MpLT
"But I dug up some stuff about the explosion at the Young farm, I kind of need to tell someone about," he continues.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9ATmeSpJY
I non-verbally encourage him to tell me about it.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvoxDS5fNp
"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.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIJlrY1yoI
"You're on the verge of impressing me. Drive it home," I comment.541Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEDY8EieQFO
"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.
