A Choice | ELIJAH MIKAELSON

19

I wake with a jolt, disorientated and screaming. A few seconds pass and I become aware that it had only been a dream... a nightmare... an excruciating memory. I shudder away the images of the murky depths of the ravine and my parents' lifeless bodies floating around. My chest aches in loss and I bring my hands weakly up to my heart.

I sniffle, wordlessly looking beside me to see that the other side of my bed is empty. A small sense of relief flows through me as Elena isn't here to witness my fragility. It was one of the last things I needed. I didn't need her thinking I wasn't coping with what was happening around me. I also didn't need her coddling me. Stefan's words from the night before ring in my ears.

I'm gonna drive your blood source and your coddled witch off Wickery Bridge.

The idea of it seems absurd, Klaus, the feared hybrid, coddling me. The man choked me a few weeks ago! Still holding my chest, I lean back into my pillows. Though it's cool in my room, my forehead is damp with sweat. I turn my head to the side, eyes honing in on the time on my alarm clock.

9:30 am

It takes a few minutes for me to settle my emotions, and when I do, I sluggishly remove myself from my bed. It doesn't take me too long to get ready as I slip on a black halter neck top and some baggy dark trousers. I move into my bathroom to search for a brush but stop short at my reflection.

The physical evidence of my nightmare is very apparent- my face sallow, the whites of my eyes bloodshot, and underneath them lie purple circles. I poke at my cheek. Why couldn't the vampire blood fix this trainwreck? I scowl at my reflection before grabbing my brush on the counter and running it through. I quickly use a toothbrush on my teeth before scampering out and kicking on a pair of black slides by my bed.

My phone dings as soon as I disconnect it from its charger. NIK THE PRICK flashes on the screen along with a message that's cut in half. I flick my thumb on the screen and the message tab opens.

I expect you at my residence between 10 to 11. X will drive you.

Good morning 2 u 2.

I click my phone to sleep as I leave my bedroom, noting that it's a quarter to ten. I wonder briefly what he wants to talk about. Could it be about last night with Stefan or about me calling him a coward? I scratch the back of my head and grimace at the memory. That probably wasn't my finest moment. However, it had been the cold-hard truth and I think somewhere deep inside, he knows that as well.

The only reason why he's keeping Rebekah daggered as of this moment is because he can't face the music of his actions. He had lied to Rebekah about their mother's fate for over a millennium. He had shifted it onto Mikael, their abusive father. Their now-deceased abusive father to be more specific.

"Mornin' Mari," Elena greets.

I'm broken out of my thoughts as I stumble across both Elena and Bonnie sorting through files and papers on the dining table. I walk slowly past them, eyes grazing over the official-looking documents.

"Good morning," I sing back.

"Hey," Bonnie greets. "How'd you sleep?"

"I slept well for the most part," I shrug offhandedly. I move past them and walk over to the coffee machine that I've barely used since returning. I turn it on and let it warm up. "So, it looks like you guys have hopped aboard the skipping school train?"

"Basically," Elena starts. "Bonnie has a lead... and we're, uh-"

"Looking for someone," Bonnie finishes.

I nod my head slowly. "Is this so-called lead related to Klaus in any way?"

"Sort of," Elena answers unsurely.