The One You Once Were

Nothing Has Changed. Except For Me.

With a scream I opened my eyes and scrambled to my feet. Where was I?

The last thing I remembered was Klaus' dead body on bloodied soil. The image pounded against my temples and I tried to shake it off without any luck.

Despite the supposed memory, I was nowhere close to a corpse or the outside. Instead, I was in a room surrounded by candles and the smell of incense.

"Caroline? How are you here? This is impossible, I performed the spell exactly as the grimoire described."

I turned to see Bonnie, or rather someone who looked like Bonnie. Tilting my head, I found hidden knowledge in my mind, grasping at it. This person in front of me was not my best friend.

"Who are you?" I growled.
"What do you mean? It's me, Bonnie, your best friend. Do you not recognize me?"

"No, you're not Bonnie. You might look like her but it's a charade. I know for a face you cannot be her. How do I...? What did you do to me?"

I dashed to her, closing my hands around her neck. Her eyes were set aflame and with a burst of energy, she pushed me away. I staggered backwards while her face twisted and distorted until it morphed into someone I had never seen before.

Taking advantage of my confusion, she whispered ancient words and seconds later, she was gone. Vanished into thin air.

Stumbling out of the room, I tried to make sense of what had just happened. Who was that mysterious witch and why had I been with her?

I stretched my numb fingers and rubbed my temples. They were still pounding yet my thoughts were clouded, a heap of emotions and images that seemed to diminish with every step I took.

After a short walk home, I pushed open my door. My mother was nowhere to be found, presumably still occupied with work. How long had I been gone? If I was to believe the clock, it had been not more than an hour since I'd left the house, but a feeling told me otherwise.

Exhausted, I slumped onto our couch. It was quiet. Nothing had changed. Everything was the same.

Klaus. The memory of him on the ground reappeared in my mind.

No, there was no way, it was a memory. I had not seen Klaus since my graduation, and he'd been alive and well back then. Still, I was aghast by the image carved into my brain. What if something had happened to him?

Following a strong urge, I reached for my phone and dialed his number. What was I thinking? He was probably fine. Yet my heart was not at ease with only an assumption.

I held my breath while I waited to be connected. Pick up. Please, Klaus, I need you to pick up!

"Hello?" his voice echoed through the speaker.
"Klaus?" I whispered.

"Caroline! How pleasant to hear your voice, love," he greeted cheerfully. "What did I do to earn this favor?"
"Are you alright?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"Yes," he spoke, his voice suddenly highly attentive, "why are you asking?"

"Just making sure."
Tears blinded my vision. My throat heaved from a sudden acrid taste brought up by the recurring image of his cold, lifeless body and thumping heart.

Yet, there he was on the other end of the line. He was okay. He wasn't hurt. He was alive.

"Caroline, tell me what's going on," he demanded.
"Nothing. I'm just glad, you're alright," I sobbed and wiped away another tear.

"Are you crying?" he noticed. "What the bloody hell is going on, Caroline? Why are you crying?"

I wanted to answer truthfully but, in all honesty, I had no idea myself. There was this indescribable sense of relief.