Don't Hold This War Inside
You're In My Veins and I Cannot Get You Out
Caroline was gone the next morning.
Carlisle sat up and looked around his room.
The bed was messed up. Papers littered the floor.
The book he had been reading was torn to shreds.
The candle had fallen to the floor, the wax leaking from it now dry.
So, where had she gone?
He got dressed quickly and walked around the castle but could not find her. He ran into Aro on his way to the great hall.
"Where is she?" he asked.
Aro looked genuinely sad. "She's gone."
Caroline stood on top of the castle of Volterra, observing the city.
Rain practically drowned it.
The sky was the color of night, though it was only noon.
Rain soaked her very bones.
Her hair clung to her skin.
Tears fell from her eyes, though she wasn't sure how. Her eyes burned with the venom coming from them, but the rain soothed the pain.
On the exterior.
Caroline was standing at the top most part of the castle, contemplating on whether or not she should jump.
She had led Carlisle on, hurt him.
She had driven Jasper away.
What good was she to the world?
All she needed was for it to all be over.
If she jumped correctly, her neck would break and she could be gone from this cruel, terrifyingly cold world.
So she jumped.
"Did you hear that?" Carlisle asked, the sound ringing in his ears.
Aro looked at him curiously. "Hear what?"
Carlisle sprung up from his chair. "She's jumped." he whispered to himself before running from the great hall.
He heard Aro following him and ran faster.
By the time he got outside, something in the air felt wrong. He circled the entire castle until he reached the lake behind it.
And there was Caroline.
She wasn't moving and her neck was twisted at an impossible angle. Her eyes were wide open.
Carlisle was at her side in a second. "Caroline." he whispered as dread filled his stomach.
She couldn't be dead. She just couldn't be.
Aro appeared seconds later.
"She isn't..."
"No, of course, not. She can't be." Carlisle replied urgently.
Caroline was as still as a cold winter's night. Her eyes weren't moving. Carlisle suddenly fell to the ground, clutching at his head. Pain had exploded inside his skull and he could suddenly see, feel, and hear every memory Caroline ever had.
He saw when she married Jasper.
He saw when he left her and felt it.
He saw when Charles changed her and heard it.
He saw, heard, and felt it all. The pain grew harder and harder to bare and suddenly, Carlisle collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Caroline blinked multiple times and sat up. "Where am I?" she asked breathlessly.
Aro stood there, stunned. He didn't know what to say.
"Where am I?" Caroline pressed.
"Volterra."
"Who are you?" she asked, fear rising in her voice.
"I am Aro," he replied, stunned by the question. "Do you not remember me?"
Caroline stared at him blankly before basking in her surroundings. She took a look at Carlisle and stepped back as if the ground he was lying on burned.
"Please," she whispered, collapsing to the ground, her head in her hands. "Please, do not hurt me."
Carlisle sat up and looked around his room.
The bed was messed up. Papers littered the floor.
The book he had been reading was torn to shreds.
The candle had fallen to the floor, the wax leaking from it now dry.
So, where had she gone?
He got dressed quickly and walked around the castle but could not find her. He ran into Aro on his way to the great hall.
"Where is she?" he asked.
Aro looked genuinely sad. "She's gone."
Caroline stood on top of the castle of Volterra, observing the city.
Rain practically drowned it.
The sky was the color of night, though it was only noon.
Rain soaked her very bones.
Her hair clung to her skin.
Tears fell from her eyes, though she wasn't sure how. Her eyes burned with the venom coming from them, but the rain soothed the pain.
On the exterior.
Caroline was standing at the top most part of the castle, contemplating on whether or not she should jump.
She had led Carlisle on, hurt him.
She had driven Jasper away.
What good was she to the world?
All she needed was for it to all be over.
If she jumped correctly, her neck would break and she could be gone from this cruel, terrifyingly cold world.
So she jumped.
"Did you hear that?" Carlisle asked, the sound ringing in his ears.
Aro looked at him curiously. "Hear what?"
Carlisle sprung up from his chair. "She's jumped." he whispered to himself before running from the great hall.
He heard Aro following him and ran faster.
By the time he got outside, something in the air felt wrong. He circled the entire castle until he reached the lake behind it.
And there was Caroline.
She wasn't moving and her neck was twisted at an impossible angle. Her eyes were wide open.
Carlisle was at her side in a second. "Caroline." he whispered as dread filled his stomach.
She couldn't be dead. She just couldn't be.
Aro appeared seconds later.
"She isn't..."
"No, of course, not. She can't be." Carlisle replied urgently.
Caroline was as still as a cold winter's night. Her eyes weren't moving. Carlisle suddenly fell to the ground, clutching at his head. Pain had exploded inside his skull and he could suddenly see, feel, and hear every memory Caroline ever had.
He saw when she married Jasper.
He saw when he left her and felt it.
He saw when Charles changed her and heard it.
He saw, heard, and felt it all. The pain grew harder and harder to bare and suddenly, Carlisle collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Caroline blinked multiple times and sat up. "Where am I?" she asked breathlessly.
Aro stood there, stunned. He didn't know what to say.
"Where am I?" Caroline pressed.
"Volterra."
"Who are you?" she asked, fear rising in her voice.
"I am Aro," he replied, stunned by the question. "Do you not remember me?"
Caroline stared at him blankly before basking in her surroundings. She took a look at Carlisle and stepped back as if the ground he was lying on burned.
"Please," she whispered, collapsing to the ground, her head in her hands. "Please, do not hurt me."