It's a beautiful day, as I stand in the living room with Elena. Elena is pacing the floor, worried sick about her brother, whom is lying on the couch on his back. He's dead. She accidentally stabbed him in the neck. She told me that it was an accident and I believe her, because it's Elena. She wouldn't hurt her brother on purpose. She also told me that she saw Connor, the guy she killed, before she saw Jeremy. That tells me that she's starting to hallucinate. Hallucinations aren't good, because it can make vampires do and say crazy things that they normally wouldn't do.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MMsayzmgq
"I can't believe this happened. What am I going to say to him?" she says to me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGRxx64ahB
"Thanks for not ditching my family after I drove Ric crazy?" I say.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgAuWxNjLM
Elena glares at me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLerYHlFshU
"You should have called Stefan," I add to her.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ05uHkkfL0b
"I don't want to talk to him. He has been lying to me and hiding things from me. He compelled Jeremy to forget God knows what."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRaTj85DBLl
"In all fairness, I mean, I think you killing him kinda trumps that. And you should have called Stefan."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVURq1tpfEY
"I don't trust him right now, Damon."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9FGmPgwxm
Just then, Stefan walks in and we both look at him.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnPP6sAtV0R
Speaking of, I think to myself.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsiImsSgINf
"Hey," Stefan greets.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDIesZZ1pxq
"P.S. I called Stefan," I inform her.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdptellq3L6
Stefan walks over to Elena.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogDzASqw9X
"What happened? Why did you call me?" he asks.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZ8auCOSof
"I just-I need to go upstairs and shower. Clean all the blood off my hands," she says, before walking out of the room.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsc0IEpFEVN
A moment later, Jeremy wakes up.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaX7u7OQhk
"Welcome back. How are you feeling?" Stefan asks him.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDaDK9Tfad
"What happened?" Jeremy asks.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGckKUEMine
"Long story, buy the e-book," I answer him.
I'm in the kitchen cleaning up the blood, when Stefan walks in.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY94xbwOCKR
"Where did Jeremy go?" I ask my brother.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPqpxW3mPH
"School. Bonnie has him volunteering for some occult exhibit," he answers me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSk2x9lALWe
"Or maybe he didn't want to linger in a house where his sister just jabbed a knife in his neck," I say.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyL1RnwRF9
Stefan's phone rings and he tells me, "It's Klaus."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3j9S6Giy0n
"Ooh, time to face the music. Pay the piper, dance with the devil," I comment.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKJgVqdVgl
"You know, I'm glad you find this amusing. If he finds out I told you about the cure, he'll kill both of us."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXL2rGeaiXw
"Quit avoiding him, that means shady. Shady people get outed."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeS3njXRTE
Stefan takes my advice and answers it.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkYVy0enW9
"I don't want to talk about it," he says.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIj1SPDdqZ
I ignore Klaus' part of the phone conversation, but listen to what Stefan says.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIuIgahD3J
"Well, it wouldn't have happened, if you hadn't sworn me to secrecy," he tells Klaus.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJD1stDM9mh
He looks at me and I nod.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWobyP1ZPC
"You're using your calm voice today. Who's getting killed?" Stefan says.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzCOUsnBzBK
"What do you know about that?" he asks Klaus.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgun5yREZ3O
"I'm at her house," he answers Klaus.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtizQ7CIl1e
Stefan hangs up when Klaus knocks on the door. Stefan then leaves the house with Klaus.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7pCdwAeeXJ
I ignore their conversation outside and start finishing up with cleaning up the blood.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBZqhHG1lI
A few minutes later, Elena walks into the kitchen.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhhW22VWTqb
"Damon..." she starts to say to me. She trails off and instead, yells, "No!" and backs away.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0nmlUpoN3F
"What's wrong?" I ask her.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0c4bMQfBNG
Elena runs to the front door and I follow her.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeawdXJ9lVH
"Elena!" I say.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvRoPTrcHB
Stefan and Klaus are still outside talking, when Elena runs out of the house and onto the porch. She stops in her tracks, though, seeing both of them there. Then Klaus disappears with Elena at vampire speed.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1OqwB8ZhB
I look at Stefan, whom looks around with a worried face.
Bonnie, Stefan, and I are in the kitchen. Stefan called her over.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDURUW0f3F
"You lost her?" she asks us.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCbvqfF3xK
"Well, lost is a very strong word, we just technically don't know where she is," I answer the witch.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXzVrVG3PpL
"I'm more worried about what Klaus said about this hunter's curse," Stefan informs her.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoynFX436W
"How does Klaus even know about this?"518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvzXEw0B4N
"How does Klaus know about anything? Guy's like a billion years old," I reply.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkZIckOmyr
"He said it was a witch's curse," Stefan informs us.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvvQJVCIAe
Stefan looks at Bonnie.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPYFTiPV8o
"You know if I could do anything to help, I would. But I..," she starts.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcqk4NgajS
"But nothing, wave your magic wand, hocus pocus, begone hunter ghostus, whatever," I tell her, worried about Elena.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzh7u7h8Tv
"The spirits won't let me do the magic I'd need to break the curse. But I can ask Shane for help, he knows everything about everything," Bonnie tells us.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkk3mbkDM8h
"Great, you two do your thing," Stefan says to us both.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwqUvQSQbd
"Where are you going?" I ask him.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAtPW75kt3
"I'm gonna get her back," he answers me, before leaving.
Bonnie and I walk to where Shane is and stop not far away in the exhibit, after listening to his speech to some students.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0WkO5XNTN
"You got this?" I ask Bonnie.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrvVFmVxEV
"Yeah, I'll bring him to you," she assures me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZAJqE4UKBV
I walk away, trusting that she will do what she says. But then I stop in my tracks, hearing Shane tell them that they say that Silas will rise again, due to a certain rock that Shane has in his hand.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡasu2yqXnHr
The students laugh and then Shane lets them go off on their own.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiHy4XdPrxA
I watch, as Shane walks up to Bonnie.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEwcvD7Ejk
"Hey, you made it," he greets her.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXHMPaSczq
"Nice cautionary tale. Qetsiyah sounds like a bad ass," she greets him.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7HYDC6nWc
"Nothing compared to Silas," he tells her.
I go to Mystic High and walk into the history room where Ric used to teach History at. I sit at his desk and open a drawer where I find a bottle of Bourbon. I then smile and prop my feet up on the desk.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdv4Ra7R8G9
"You're missing all the adventure, pal," I say, as if Ric is still here. He's not, though. Thanks to Esther, Klaus' mom, Ric became a vampire. Thanks to Rebekah killing Elena, Ric died a vampire.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurHIDoDIkZ
I hold up the bottle for Alaric and then take a swig, before Shane and Bonnie enter the room.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdbHq5MGi6
"Shane, this is my friend, Damon. He's kind of an expert on this stuff too," Bonnie says, introducing him to me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgenmbquBss
"I audited your class. Very enlightening," I tell him.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqbnO6SAwc
"That's right, I remember you. What's your specialty?" he says to me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnexvxGS7Tf
"The origin of a species," I reply.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqXpSwo9ZB8
"Ah, I think Darwin would arm wrestle you for that distinction," Professor Shane says.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9m2uGUSZZj
"Not that species," I inform him.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLQ9wEFbFV
"You're into the monster stuff. Alright, awesome," he replies.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3T301m6msV
"I was kind of hoping you might have stumbled upon this at some point, maybe."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXcFuvaDnhK
I pull out a piece of paper and hand it to Shane.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JWP05Q25v
Shane takes it and looks at it.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36sn6VdpLe
"This is a Hunter's mark. Where did you get this?"518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHGjBNWsdH
"Came to me in a dream. Do you know anything about the Hunter's curse?"518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopx1DdWk0l
"Why? You got a dead hunter in the trunk of your car or something?"
"Metaphorically, speaking."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqT4OHbEMV
"Legend says that if a hunter is killed by that which it hunts, then that person will be cursed to walk the Earth in torment until…."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMljhy4DQca
"Until?" Bonnie presses.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jsZPbbgFO
"Until the new Hunter is awakened and their legacy is passed on. They're called potentials," he informs us.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwqffkPa9t
I take out my phone, as Shane continues to speak.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUFvosNyhst
"Listen, I have a bunch of research on it. Why don't I go grab it for you?" he says.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAT7Tdz56yI
"That'd be great," I reply, before Shane gives me the paper that has the Hunter's mark and thanks me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhyh6HA6cB
He leaves the classroom and Bonnie looks at me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyviAmRMofj
"How are we supposed to find a potential Hunter?" she asks.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiCHwTFHpve
"Yeah, about that," I comment.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKeHjAD8YX
I call Jeremy and he answers it.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3Io617kEG
"Damon."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77qCgHEH5n
"Little Gilbert, your services are needed," I inform him.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqBCOAQ9uR
I give Bonnie a sly look.
Bonnie brandishes papers about The Five at me, as Bonnie and I stand in the hallway by the artifacts.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFSqeaU0qPE
"How did I not know any of this stuff about Jeremy?" she asks after I tell her everything.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡout6aeTvEB
"The witch who loses her powers gets left out of the important conversations."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxI4R4OiSsV
Jeremy runs into the room.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Q4HYzEJZ1
"Is everything okay? Is it Elena?"518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzouXmSeePj
"We figured out how to help Elena. You need to kill a vampire," Bonnie tells him.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7atk2ZiiZI
"Great, give me a stake, I'll kill Damon right now."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvzfKRWOmv
"Easy, Van Helsing. We'll get you one. Don't worry," I tell him, not wanting to be killed.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnuj6ETA7b8
My phone rings.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxW4QxrBPz
"Before you do this, you need to know what you're getting yourself into," Bonnie tells him.
Bonnie gives Jeremy the papers and I answer the phone and speak to Stefan.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBjS3iiKSwA
"You can rest easy, brother. We figured out how to solve our little Elena problem."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkINeCyjIsw
"Yeah, well, now we have a bigger one. I lost her," he informs me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTsD1jFBs9
"What? Again?"518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPhfB4x5RX
"She's in bad shape. I tried to help her, but she attacked me. Listen, you go find her, alright? Talk her down, she'll listen to you. Just tell me what I need to do to end this."
That night, I find Elena on the Whickery bridge and approach from behind her.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5blEBjtb7
"Elena," I greet.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcpHyNVfyUK
Elena turns to look at me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGDaujh4YI
"Damon?" she says.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqKrorP6IW
She turns back to look at something I can't see. She's clearly upset, but looks back at me again.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡotoAGx10in
"How did you find me?" she asks me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ykEZQGM1w
"Didn't take a genius to figure it out. Third time's the charm," I reply.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2BcLnI54A
"You were right, Damon. Vampires kill people. Stefan was right too. I can't live with myself."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWBQGdZwj0
"Look at you, being all glass is half empty. Let's just go talk about this before you do something stupid, okay?" I say, standing next to her now.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsd3Pzj5rfv
Elena turns her head again to look at something I can't see.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ptdzSmiNH
She nods and looks back out at the water.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfoYgfcDhdw
The sun starts to slowly rise and she looks down. I then look down at her hand.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ33mqmPLx3
"Where's your ring, Elena?" I ask, scared of what she is probably attempting to do.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMIFOTv4zd2
She doesn't answer me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LraDnElUo
"We need to get you inside," I say to her.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSi19qTpq0
She looks at me.
"What you're going through is a curse. We know how to break it, but we just have to get you inside," I inform her.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VWFuCc5yT
I look at the mountains to see that the sun has risen higher in the sky. I then look at her.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1UBrrzm2OS
"Damn it, Elena," I say.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8qjCWj0xP
I rush at her at vampire speed and try to grab her, but she rushes around me and stays a good distance away.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEP4VUEGMuG
She closes her eyes.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzPGXcwhIoK
A moment later, she breathes heavily and opens her eyes again.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vJh1EcFdO
"He's gone," she informs me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMqQamNRvSg
"It's okay," I say.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5q6Zu2pbpo
We both start to hear a sizzling noise and Elena looks down.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfrMZiI4zx
I look over at the mountains to see that the sun has risen. I then look at her face and see that she's starting to burn.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9xGP97HPs
"Damon?" she says with fear.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosL14dRp9x
I rush at Elena, grab her, and throw both of us off the bridge to save her life, and the water splashes as we land in the water. Being under water keeps her from burning in the sun. Then she blacks out and I gently hold her against me, as I swim deeper in search of her ring. I'd give her mine, but I don't feel like burning myself and dying or almost dying.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4s6TUkN0T
Once I find her ring, I put it back on her finger and surface with her. Then I get us out of the water and gently pick her up in my arms, before carrying her, heading for her place.
A few hours later, Elena wakes up in her bed and looks at her hand at her ring. I'm leaning against her window. When she wakes up though, I go to stand by her.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8gTiC6GFO
She slowly sits up in bed.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVNFAiKaXsw
"Fished it out of the river for you," I let her know.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYeGwQcCOT1
She looks at me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV1RZTIlKSm
"A little tip, vampires hate to swim. How are you feeling?," I say.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRllkNSI2W7
"My head's clear. I can remember everything, but not like I lived it, like it was a really bad dream." She pauses for a few moments, before saying, "You saved me. Thank you."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbZ060QpPTO
"Well, you know what they say about teenage suicide," I say. I sit on her bedside. "Don't do it," I add.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iPvh21uy6
Elena smiles at me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5tTpWdJLt
"I just can't believe I almost..." She starts, but trails off.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwp70VohC8
"You weren't yourself," I tell her.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxnR3lcq7y
Elena takes my hand in hers.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemYxxMcSsa
"Yeah, but if it wasn't for you..."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ064fkiflIN
I look down at her hand that's holding mine and she does likewise. I then hold her hand up and start rubbing my thumb in circles over the back of her hand.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUkG3m78wk
I sigh, before saying, "I'm about to take a very high, annoying road and tell you something." I take my hand from hers and put my hand on top of hers. "Because I know that you think Stefan's been lying to you. Which, yeah, he has, but this rough patch that you two have been going through is not what you think. Everything that he's been doing, he's been doing for you. To help you. And after he kills me for telling you this, I want you to throw my ashes off of Whickery Bridge, okay?" I continue.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNq7it229WU
Elena laughs at the killing and ashes part.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8TUvYU4VBy
"There may be a way out of this for you, Elena."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡolrMImF3yD
Elena gives me a confused look.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PIyU4iWfB
"There may be a cure," I inform her.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsJKE4nK8Y
Elena gives me a surprised look.
That night, I go to the Mystic Grille for a drink. I take my jacket off and sit down.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFKWrOXt38
"Bourbon," I tell the bartender.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzKm8fZafy
I look at the seat next to me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7boCoOWtYe
"Make that two."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVWd0NlxsE
Matt walks up and stands on the other side of me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9HBtqNTeQ
"Still saving a seat for Mr. Saltzman, huh?"518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5aYW6hu5Fp
"I'd say I'm in the market for a new drinking buddy. You're not qualified," I answer.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfVZmIcT6kN
"I know that you don't like me," he replies.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ693gOpfLhV
I move one of the Bourbons in front of the empty seat next to me.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ozJXDdFol
"But I dug up some stuff about the explosion at the Young farm, I kind of need to tell someone about," he continues.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYn7rAIAoP
I non-verbally encourage him to tell me about it.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCQm3J78sD
"So, April mentioned that her dad knew that Professor Shane guy. Which wouldn't be creepy, except, he had all that info about the Hunter's curse, and we live in a town where, you know, anybody who knows stuff is creepy until proven otherwise," he continues on.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77UTDJVpQI
"You're on the verge of impressing me. Drive it home," I comment.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vMu5gGkhN
"I got the sheriff to dig up the pastor's phone records. Turns out, he made like a call a day to the same number the last month he was alive. And on the day that the Council got blown up at the farm, he called it ten times. The office of Professor Atticus Shane," he finishes.
