Conflated

PROLOGUE

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

-
Mystic Falls, Virginia.
16th April, 2000.

"This wasn't supposed to happen!" Sheriff Forbes declared smacking her bare hands at the Hey side of the desk, where nine other people were seated. All the members of the Mystic Falls Council were confined into the meeting room which stanched of anxiety and nervousness. "The council will be held responsible."

"We are aware of that, Liz." Carol Lockwood raised her voice, her arms crossed against her chest, biting into her perfectly manicured fingernails.

"Well, what do you suggest?" Liz questioned. "This was the plan to put a stop to what could have happened —to act against nothing but a threat given by him! And now, she is dead! His. Wife. Is. Dead! We had to keep her as leverage against My—"

"We took the responsibility of protecting one of our own by killing one of them! This only worsens things!" Grayson Gilbert announced. "He'll retaliate and this time, I'm afraid there will be a massacre and he'll rip our damned heads off and keep them as trophies."

"We had no choice but to kill her! She was going to shoot Giuseppe and he acted in self-defense!" Logan Fell snapped.

"It's true I mean —" Giuseppe Salvatore was interrupted.

"It's not our fault she tried to shoot —" Logan tried to convince everyone.

"It is, Logan!" Liz Forbes banged her hand again. "If we hadn't kidnapped her —"

"Then he would have killed Han —" Kelly Donovan was interrupted by Miranda Somers-Gilbert.

"Who is dead anyway! Everything — is just a mess! It's all screwed. We failed. And — and I fear that Grayson's right... What if he comes after us!? What if comes after our children!?"

"We won't let that happen..." William Forbes trailed off.

"How?" Liz glared at her husband, her blue eyes shooting daggers. "Enlighten me, Bill."

Richard had sat on his chair, throughout the discussion. He seemed to be drifted into a deep thought. "We frame him..." Mayor Lockwood informed. "For murdering his wife."

"What!?" Miranda and Kelly said at once. Everyone else glanced and the Mayor. Liz was still stunned by the new idea suggested by the Mayor; it took her a moment before reacting.

"That is insane! We did this. This is our doing - "

"Liz, would you rather let him run loose and drag our asses to prison leaving our children behind — under the care of a pathetic foster system? For God's sake, think! We did not have the permission to carry out the plan, yet we did it to protect this town! If the government finds out about this, we lose everything! If not, we are in danger. And so are our children." Mayor Lockwood gestured. He took a moment to sigh. "He's a threat now. The moment he gets back on his feet, we are all as good as dead. We made a mistake and now we are forced to fix it. "

"You call this fixing the mistake!?" Miranda shook her head, hugging herself.

"This is just covering up one mistake with another, don't you think Mayor? This doesn't make us any better than monsters like him." Rudy Bennett suggested.

"It will put away the monster that we're all afraid of," Mayor said. "One that's perhaps a bigger monster than us. This is not the time to think about doing the right thing. It's the time for choosing the safest choice. To protect our families, our homes, our town." He locked his eyes in Liz's. "And that's the only choice we have if you come to think about it."

"Besides," Logan Fell put his arms together. "You all witnessed what he did to the Lebonnairs. It's not like he doesn't deserve it." He gave each one of the members a quick glance. "I'm with Mayor Lockwood on this."

"But what about the bodies?" Kelly Donavan asked impatiently. "We have nothing to frame on! We never found them."

"Grayson's a doctor," Logan turned his attention to Grayson. "Stealing two unidentified bodies from the morgue seems like an easy job and the post mortem reports could be altered, can't it Mrs. Gilbert?" He gave Miranda a crooked smile. "The rest could be left to us. Bill could plant the evidence while... Giuseppe fixed the bodies in his fashion. Sheriff could play along with the Mayors and me giving dramatic interviews to the press." He turned to face Kelly, who was the reporter of Mystic Falls, who unfortunately happens to be one of the founding families.

"Also," Rudy Bennet clasped his palms together, moving forward in his chair. "He is injured. Multiple gun wounds.."

"Man gunned down," Richard said proudly. "After he killed his wife and her lover and attempted murder of other citizens present at the scene."

"That'll be the headline." Logan smirked.

"You all must be one brick short of a full load!" Liz yelled.

"Liz," Carol placed a hand on Liz's shoulder. "You need to calm down — "

"Grayson," Mayor Lockwood talked. "You know your job. Do this for the sakes of your children. If we don't put away this monster, we are all doomed."

After a while of thinking, Grayson Gilbert finally nodded.

"It is the only way," Mayor Lockwood gave all a convincing look. "You know I'm right."

In spite of the whirling distress that stormed within them, they believed he was right about concealing the truth, no matter the cost. It had to be withheld even though the solution was very unjust. That was the night a wselfish decision was made by the Council, whilst being completely unaware of the fact that they were provoking an indubitable catastrophe that would imperil their lives.

They were nothing but fools to think that this was indeed the end of a terrifying chapter that they'd never again have to encounter, when it had been the beginning of their demise all along.