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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIAmy54grS
"I can't believe this happened. What am I going to say to him?" she says to me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SRhkmkpc7
"Thanks for not ditching my family after I drove Ric crazy?" I say.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIF7D3Rmazl
Elena glares at me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsseDBQQVg
"You should have called Stefan," I add to her.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWrSbMNb6a
"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."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fghTYirs6
"In all fairness, I mean, I think you killing him kinda trumps that. And you should have called Stefan."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoI0aFgBtDZ
"I don't trust him right now, Damon."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBPweuIX5m1
Just then, Stefan walks in and we both look at him.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRh0U8OE87T
Speaking of, I think to myself.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIzKXdKahQ
"Hey," Stefan greets.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgT2OF18V5
"P.S. I called Stefan," I inform her.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrrFL1bZH67
Stefan walks over to Elena.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERr8NfF451
"What happened? Why did you call me?" he asks.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmnA7iSBOh5
"I just-I need to go upstairs and shower. Clean all the blood off my hands," she says, before walking out of the room.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgunmDxvdDU
A moment later, Jeremy wakes up.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFgUNaONYL
"Welcome back. How are you feeling?" Stefan asks him.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEL0NLZ0mIO
"What happened?" Jeremy asks.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKqxdZqU4y
"Long story, buy the e-book," I answer him.
I'm in the kitchen cleaning up the blood, when Stefan walks in.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdW1rK30nKs
"Where did Jeremy go?" I ask my brother.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48S9vM2shD
"School. Bonnie has him volunteering for some occult exhibit," he answers me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeVN6WrrdiQ
"Or maybe he didn't want to linger in a house where his sister just jabbed a knife in his neck," I say.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIRR1GvnMj6
Stefan's phone rings and he tells me, "It's Klaus."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRMsbDVr0B
"Ooh, time to face the music. Pay the piper, dance with the devil," I comment.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKhoyACf02
"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."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cPrdG9zde
"Quit avoiding him, that means shady. Shady people get outed."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hDt9FMJwf
Stefan takes my advice and answers it.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLR643org3
"I don't want to talk about it," he says.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSz61jXR10E
I ignore Klaus' part of the phone conversation, but listen to what Stefan says.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOZw1AVa4YO
"Well, it wouldn't have happened, if you hadn't sworn me to secrecy," he tells Klaus.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLG1j7COeII
He looks at me and I nod.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtJeiiAk7ej
"You're using your calm voice today. Who's getting killed?" Stefan says.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurffPRRKYz
"What do you know about that?" he asks Klaus.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhinc1LWRsL
"I'm at her house," he answers Klaus.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosnT3fkysb
Stefan hangs up when Klaus knocks on the door. Stefan then leaves the house with Klaus.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCO1CcVvb1
I ignore their conversation outside and start finishing up with cleaning up the blood.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDOSTVhFgb
A few minutes later, Elena walks into the kitchen.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEgtgDAqNl
"Damon..." she starts to say to me. She trails off and instead, yells, "No!" and backs away.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jDjup3zAn
"What's wrong?" I ask her.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLqcSZgevT
Elena runs to the front door and I follow her.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeNWGTIZvMA
"Elena!" I say.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciq2rtELT5
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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuAwK83W6B
I look at Stefan, whom looks around with a worried face.
Bonnie, Stefan, and I are in the kitchen. Stefan called her over.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRBLhTDjTV
"You lost her?" she asks us.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaHGeIQbjP
"Well, lost is a very strong word, we just technically don't know where she is," I answer the witch.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIh0G3Acw8
"I'm more worried about what Klaus said about this hunter's curse," Stefan informs her.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOmgnzXdXi
"How does Klaus even know about this?"422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMoi4Mq00n
"How does Klaus know about anything? Guy's like a billion years old," I reply.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKFcQFZ5xAU
"He said it was a witch's curse," Stefan informs us.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkg0EnUjRpa
Stefan looks at Bonnie.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfYNHr9N6vs
"You know if I could do anything to help, I would. But I..," she starts.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvN6hPxn5T
"But nothing, wave your magic wand, hocus pocus, begone hunter ghostus, whatever," I tell her, worried about Elena.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47JB01snP2
"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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2pztUOHjGa
"Great, you two do your thing," Stefan says to us both.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7v6nbATdSJ
"Where are you going?" I ask him.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwsc38YbZL
"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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTOQnqMfle
"You got this?" I ask Bonnie.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoIY9piXZZ
"Yeah, I'll bring him to you," she assures me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSwalgsSMMA
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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8OigALj8g0
The students laugh and then Shane lets them go off on their own.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuG1SuehgNY
I watch, as Shane walks up to Bonnie.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhg7FLYe8dV
"Hey, you made it," he greets her.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYqQWWWx8X
"Nice cautionary tale. Qetsiyah sounds like a bad ass," she greets him.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVChroJwAnb
"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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhysvjxyYA4
"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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQoTGd6CEo6
I hold up the bottle for Alaric and then take a swig, before Shane and Bonnie enter the room.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgVCIWeVH8
"Shane, this is my friend, Damon. He's kind of an expert on this stuff too," Bonnie says, introducing him to me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0MILI4jG6
"I audited your class. Very enlightening," I tell him.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxklHVuQQKv
"That's right, I remember you. What's your specialty?" he says to me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2gymCI2hj
"The origin of a species," I reply.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNPONDC73D
"Ah, I think Darwin would arm wrestle you for that distinction," Professor Shane says.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXOk7mXbbv
"Not that species," I inform him.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4axpAtcC2J
"You're into the monster stuff. Alright, awesome," he replies.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYA7gKmpaFS
"I was kind of hoping you might have stumbled upon this at some point, maybe."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2QxJokjKY
I pull out a piece of paper and hand it to Shane.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMz4FJpsvmd
Shane takes it and looks at it.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTrnL0jz4I
"This is a Hunter's mark. Where did you get this?"422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhKQ8V02iC8
"Came to me in a dream. Do you know anything about the Hunter's curse?"422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8l4lhAbx74
"Why? You got a dead hunter in the trunk of your car or something?"
"Metaphorically, speaking."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WHy0S6kKd
"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…."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiKZqQNU1p
"Until?" Bonnie presses.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCXZOUw4PIE
"Until the new Hunter is awakened and their legacy is passed on. They're called potentials," he informs us.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCvmDtX7rqU
I take out my phone, as Shane continues to speak.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfOu7xwWVjK
"Listen, I have a bunch of research on it. Why don't I go grab it for you?" he says.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOPFSZv5pB5
"That'd be great," I reply, before Shane gives me the paper that has the Hunter's mark and thanks me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgPTDqrfSa
He leaves the classroom and Bonnie looks at me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVyyE2atPZ
"How are we supposed to find a potential Hunter?" she asks.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfDURkXA5d
"Yeah, about that," I comment.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5pFUIOlYtI
I call Jeremy and he answers it.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBm5qBC5xA
"Damon."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHjkHAFpyap
"Little Gilbert, your services are needed," I inform him.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQOh4F4432
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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMQprIuHwE
"How did I not know any of this stuff about Jeremy?" she asks after I tell her everything.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbvFs1If8U
"The witch who loses her powers gets left out of the important conversations."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTUao9JRgo
Jeremy runs into the room.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbswitnR8t
"Is everything okay? Is it Elena?"422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCmbYn0qcL
"We figured out how to help Elena. You need to kill a vampire," Bonnie tells him.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgTC2Hm3JP
"Great, give me a stake, I'll kill Damon right now."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAR5Fqh8Ks
"Easy, Van Helsing. We'll get you one. Don't worry," I tell him, not wanting to be killed.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbjgI7QFOOd
My phone rings.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOwEMwYu6x
"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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQJQhnsc6O
"You can rest easy, brother. We figured out how to solve our little Elena problem."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdgTa5h3a6
"Yeah, well, now we have a bigger one. I lost her," he informs me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHaxfQwqV7
"What? Again?"422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjw59o3mD0C
"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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOBz4vaNUO
"Elena," I greet.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSYBzCoONk
Elena turns to look at me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33hTndoTrc
"Damon?" she says.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJ3OHCU3dI
She turns back to look at something I can't see. She's clearly upset, but looks back at me again.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJ7RVYL5pM
"How did you find me?" she asks me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmL9jCQ3DOY
"Didn't take a genius to figure it out. Third time's the charm," I reply.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIbgfPsTQ3y
"You were right, Damon. Vampires kill people. Stefan was right too. I can't live with myself."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFaL2uIvv4c
"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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmM1a00Ga3O
Elena turns her head again to look at something I can't see.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAD0yxRSqq
She nods and looks back out at the water.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiSl7ijksv
The sun starts to slowly rise and she looks down. I then look down at her hand.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeXJseozDcs
"Where's your ring, Elena?" I ask, scared of what she is probably attempting to do.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbKcFnZ7aS
She doesn't answer me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDALZ7iNOoA
"We need to get you inside," I say to her.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJYS64j54D
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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JjD0OYIFG
I look at the mountains to see that the sun has risen higher in the sky. I then look at her.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡurXTIGHIMN
"Damn it, Elena," I say.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zvW4VEEeN
I rush at her at vampire speed and try to grab her, but she rushes around me and stays a good distance away.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5DBwCaLa3
She closes her eyes.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkXvqlTzM5
A moment later, she breathes heavily and opens her eyes again.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfHvqqSqBD
"He's gone," she informs me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivHxVwh1GO
"It's okay," I say.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDIwgbEopU
We both start to hear a sizzling noise and Elena looks down.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMeH02BTB3
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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuv89QU0JFM
"Damon?" she says with fear.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QGdzbDRHs
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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL72nAMn5yb
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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRk9F6ZcJNs
She slowly sits up in bed.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDe2IJbNlD
"Fished it out of the river for you," I let her know.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcOkMiLETk
She looks at me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZP7HDgPEFA
"A little tip, vampires hate to swim. How are you feeling?," I say.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThxbdMZDWq
"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."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHzty1c2lSE
"Well, you know what they say about teenage suicide," I say. I sit on her bedside. "Don't do it," I add.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgdWdi4ANt
Elena smiles at me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OWDbmKgcN
"I just can't believe I almost..." She starts, but trails off.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxDaTg8CYa
"You weren't yourself," I tell her.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5UaCNaBVV
Elena takes my hand in hers.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuX067rMfdJ
"Yeah, but if it wasn't for you..."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPjXT8DCM0
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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEWk6HwjCqp
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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0lXgMNJZYU
Elena laughs at the killing and ashes part.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YMcKBdhRv
"There may be a way out of this for you, Elena."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSmNInFlFO
Elena gives me a confused look.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzNjQ3n7Kx
"There may be a cure," I inform her.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ16y1PJ9kWk
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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYn6g1ZTSq
"Bourbon," I tell the bartender.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXfrd926M1
I look at the seat next to me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOlKAeQD3sW
"Make that two."422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIKMZ1c66Iv
Matt walks up and stands on the other side of me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Lc71cZw8i
"Still saving a seat for Mr. Saltzman, huh?"422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMAyOtV3Yfd
"I'd say I'm in the market for a new drinking buddy. You're not qualified," I answer.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhH7gDn2smJ
"I know that you don't like me," he replies.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFSGppU42c
I move one of the Bourbons in front of the empty seat next to me.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS03NFXEOZT
"But I dug up some stuff about the explosion at the Young farm, I kind of need to tell someone about," he continues.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPd5T4tZrKv
I non-verbally encourage him to tell me about it.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrk1EG9e7PQ
"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.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMxioDFh6N
"You're on the verge of impressing me. Drive it home," I comment.422Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIyo4OxmAe
"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.
