The Beginning

Haunted - 3

Vicki dies, her body turning gray. We're all silent for a moment. This wasn't supposed to happen. Wow, I have been saying that a lot lately.

"Get him out of here" Elena asks Stefan. He pulls his phone out and calls who I can only presume to be Damon as he leads Jeremy inside.

I walk over to Vicki and sink to the ground. I grab her and cradle her against me and sob. Elena cry's to, softly. She didn't know Vicki like I did. I grew up with her.

She helped me when my mom died and I couldn't do the same when her own mother started neglecting her. I feel guilty. Maybe if I could have been there for her at the beginning, we wouldn't be here.

I tense when I see Damon walk over to us. "You should go. I got this" He says to me. I set Vicki down and stand up with shaky feet. "You did this. This is your fault" I say with a quavering voice.

"You confuse me for someone with remorse" He says looking down on Vicki's body. I scream at him and hit him in the chest, over and over again.

Why he lets me I don't know. Until what feels like the hundredth time I'm about to hit him he grabs my hand stopping me. "None of this matters to me, not of it" He says letting me go. Elena stands beside me, eyes full of tears.

"People die around you. How could it not matter? It matters and you know it" She accuses him before slapping him. He moves causing us both to flinch.

"Mm. You need to go. Your wounds are bleeding, and you need to leave" He says. I hate to say it, and I mean I really really to say it, but he's right.

I have bruises all over, I'm not as bad as Elena but we have to go. I don't wanna spend another minute with him. Elena and I hold on to Each other as we head back.

"Ariel! Elena! Have you seen- whoa. What happened?" Matt asks once he gets a good look at us. I bite my lip and look away.

Matt. What am I supposed to say to him?

"Some idiot got fake blood on me. I'm gonna go home and shower" Elena lies and points behind her with her thumb. "I can't find Vicki. She totally bailed on me. Do either of you know where she is?" Elena opens her mouth to say something but she falters.

"We don't know where she is"

"Is this what I'm in for, a lifetime of worrying about her?" I can't help but feel a pang of guilt.

"You're a good brother Matt" I say to console him. He sighs, "Yeah maybe she went home" "Maybe" Elena responds. Matt nods and goes off. We both head to Elena's car and get in. I close my door with such force to match my anger. I run a hand through my hair and cry while Elena does the same.

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"Where is he?" Elena asks Stefan as we walk to her porch. Stefan motions to the house.

"Inside" She nods and goes in. I sink to the porch and Stefan sits besides me. "I'm sorry" He says, so low it's barely a whisper.

I can't believe she's actually gone. I can't control myself and I start to cry. My breathing starts to get heavier and before I know it I'm hyperventilating.

How...why did this happen. Two loved one's gone in a record time. And what's worse at the hands of vampires.

I don't even register when Stefan wraps his arms around me to calm me down. I sob against him for a bit, till I can't stand to anymore. I pull away from him and rest my head in my hands.

The door opens and Elena steps out. Stefan gets up and goes to her. "I, uh- I wanted to help her. But instead uh-" He cuts himself off from that sentence and I suddenly want to start crying again.

"How's he doing?" Stefan asks, referring to Jeremy. "He's a mess. I don't want him going through this again. He's just a kid" I drown out whatever Stefan and Elena say next. I know what she wants. "I can do it" Says a voice.

I look up and see Damon. I want to scowl, I want to hit him again but I can't. All I can do is stand up and walk to the porch steps. I sit down and try to make a sense of things.

This isn't how my life should be like, I should be worrying about school, paying the bills, and other normal high school things. Not about vampires, worrying who's gonna be the next victim on Damon's list.

I shoot up from my seat as Stefan walks down. "You okay?" He asked worried. "Not in the least" I mutter, I sigh as I wiped my eyes clean of fresh and dry tears.

"Take me to the boarding house, please" I beg. He sighs.

"I can't..I can't be in the same house as Matt. Please" With a blink of an eye we're back at the boarding house and I make a dash for my room. I slam the door shut and run to the bed. I grip the pillow and cry myself to sleep.