❝her love was engrossing,
rampant, and enliving.
so much that,
she became an indispensable
part of him.❞
-j.o
After two tragedies that struck her deep into a depressive state, Carter...
The air was freezing. Elena lay across from Carter, her hair messy around her face, a blanket tucked under her nose. The strawberry blonde blinked a few times, adjusting to the dark, before she looked around. It was quiet, no lights were on. This weird feeling washed over her, like someone was watching her. So, bravely, she got up from the couch and started to invastigate. She tip toed around the steps to see the front door was wide open. Fear struck her in her place. Someone was in the house. Quietly, she shut the door and turned on her heels to see nothing. The house was still dark, a single light flickering from the kitchen.
"Hello, Carter," a dark voice spoke, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up on edge. A chill ran down her back, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Whispers surrounded her, all from different people. She could hear Stefan, Elena, Bonnie, Bailey, her father. They were all calling her useless, telling her that she should accept her fate. "Carter," the voice taunted, an evil chuckle following his words. She slowly opened her eyes, spotting a body in the entry way of the kitchen. The light was still flickering, shadows hiding his face, but she knew who it was.
"Leave me alone," she choked out, straightening her posture into a more threatening pose. He chuckled again, his head moving from side to side. She felt her back hit the cold wood of the door as he stepped forward. Suddenly, the light above her flicked on and she could see Damon's face. His icy blue eyes were red, dark veins growing from beneath his eyes. His lips were crimson, fangs piercing his lip as he smiled. "No can do," he hissed. In a flash, his arms closed around her body, trapping her against the door. "Leave me alone," she hissed, her face inches from his. He grinned, his fingers running against her warm skin. His palm ran along her shoulder until his fingers wrapped tightly around her throat. She gasped, clawing at his hand with her own. Her feet left the floor as he lifted her body up.
"Scream, banshee," he teased, bearing his sharp teeth. Tears fell down her cheeks as she kicked at him, only to have his other hand snap her leg. She let out a muffled sob, pain radiating throughout her body. "Come on," he faked sincerity, pouting his lips. The veins retracted as he looked at the girl, shaking his head. "Scream for me." Anger boiled beneath her skin, her eyes narrowing into a sharp glare. "Go to hell," she struggled to spit out, seeing his smirk grow once again. "I'll see you there." He reached forward, breaking her arm. Another flash of pain spread through her body like a shock of electricity. She was not giving him the pleasure of getting what he wants. "You'll have to do worse than that."
"Cocky," he spoke shockingly. "I like it." He tossed her into the wall, her injured arm slamming into the wood. She shrieked out in pain, wincing as her body tumbled to the ground. With one broken leg and a shattered arm, she glared deadly at him. Confidence is key. "Just scream, and I'll end you quickly." She let out a sarcastic laugh, noticing the change in his demeanor. "You think you can survive my scream?" What was she even saying? All she does is annoy people, not shatter glass. He knelt before her, eyes level with her own. "Try me." Stubbornly, she crossed her arms (despite the pain) and glared once more into his eyes. "You asked for it." The veins came back and he leapt forward, teeth latching onto her neck. Pain seared through her body. Her bones felt like they were being ripped apart.
That familiar feeling bubbled in her stomach as she tried her best to fight the pain. "Stop," she begged, only to feel his grip on her hair tighten. The feeling spread from her stomach to her chest until a scream rippled through the air. His body was thrown from hers, crashing into a brown table across from her. She tried to surpress it, but nothing was working. His eyes had widened, fear overtaking them. But that didn't stop her. Her body shook violently, the scream ceasing until she surged forward, sweat trickling down her face. Elena stood in front of the strawberry blonde, her eyes wide. "Carter, are you okay?" she asked her, holding her hand to her heart. Carter looked around, daylight showing.
Instinctively, she raised her hand to her neck to find no puncture wounds. Her leg and arm were clearly not broken. It was all a dream. A sigh escaped her lips as she let her eyes close. "What the hell was that?" Jeremy shouted from the stairs, causing Elena and Carter to turn toward him. He was in a t shirt and jeans, sock feet tapping against the wooden step. "S-Sorry," the strawberry blonde mumbled under her breath, dropping her eyes to the sofa. "Nothing, Jer," Elena spoke up for her, giving him this look. He let out a large sigh before stomping back up the stairs to his room. She scratched her head before taking a seat on the floor beside her friend. "I think you have something to tell me."
She nodded, scrubbing her hands down her face. "Could you call Bonnie? I'm going to the bathroom," she suggested, seeing her nod. Carter got up from the couch, pushing the covers off of her sweaty body. The steps were cool against her bare feet as she walked up the stairs for the bathroom. Before she was too far, she could hear Elena speaking to Bonnie. The bathroom was small, but nice. She shut the door behind her, locking the door. What she had dreamt could have been another banshee feeling. But why did it keep changing? She moved to the sink and started the cool water. She stuck her hands under the water, splashing the liquid in her face. It cooled her feverish skin only momentarily.
A weird feeling washed over her, much like her dream, and she couldn't keep her eyes off the window. Slowly, she moved towards the clear glass, pushing back the white curtain. Outside stood someone, someone tall wearing dark clothes. As she stared, the man lifted his hand and wiggled three fingers in her direction. Her heartbeat sped up, raging against her chest. She slumped away from the window and back to the sink, resting her hands against the cool counter top. She let her eyes wander to the mirror, spotting the mess she had become. Her hair was stuck to her face, makeup smeared with tears. She shuddered, shaking her head. "You're fine," she whispered to herself. "Nothing bad is going to happen to you."
"Carter?" Elena spoke from the other side of the door. Carter quickly switched off the water and wiped at her face. "Yeah, one sec." She fixed her hair the best she could and took a deep breath. "It's okay," she whispered as soft as she could before turning and unlocking the door. She opened it to spot a worried Elena, her lips quirking in a soft smile. "Let's go to the kitchen." She nodded softly, taking her offered hand and following her down the stairs. A chill washed down her spine as the two neared the room, a feeling causing her body to stop. "Carter?" she turns to look at her best friend, but she only shook her head.
