For What You Are

Kara sat up in her bed – awaking abruptly from her terrifying dream. Staring at her hands, she saw them shaking uncontrollably, but she couldn’t remember what her nightmare had been about.

Her head hurt, but it wasn’t a headache kind of pain, it was worse. And it was steadily dissipating as she moved off her bed and towards her bedroom door.

Listening out carefully for any sign of movement in Ally’s room – she still didn’t know how she was doing that, but had decided it was way cool rather than frightening – she tiptoed down the hall. And almost as though Kara was in a dream, she gravitated towards the library room.

She walked as if she was still asleep towards the piano and sat down. Pressing down on a key she found it familiar and before long, both of her hands played chords together.

The dark room seemed to change around her as the music swelled into beautiful arpeggios that grew faster and faster.

“Kara!” a voice came from across the room.

She stopped playing abruptly and turned around, flinching when she saw sunlight pouring into the room through and open window.

“You shouldn’t be here!” an unfamiliar person said from the doorway. “Nathaniel’s waiting down by the river.”

Kara couldn’t understand the little leap of happiness she felt upon hearing the name but she replied, “Thank you Miss. Trille,” and hurried past her out of the room. Kara realised that while she was running she’d had to pick up a dress. Looking around her she saw the floor length material around her and grew confused. This felt so real…but it had to be a dream.
Her feet seemed to know where to take her and soon she was walking through trees and hearing voices in the distance.

“…I don’t need your help Stefan,” one voice said. “She won’t tell anyone.”

“She can’t be trusted,” another voice replied. “I’ve done some digging-”

“I don’t care what you’ve found,” Nathaniel replied. “She would never betray me. She even gave me this.”

Kara crept closer to see the boy she assumed to be Nathaniel showing a ring to-

Bam. Stefan Salvatore.

Now that was a face she knew, but on an even deeper level, she knew Nathaniel.

“Nathaniel,” Kara called, running through the trees to meet him. Stefan disappeared in a second.

“Was he a, er-”

“Vampire?”

She nodded.

“Yes,” Nathaniel replied. “But as you can see, he’s gone now.”

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Kara said. “But it’s nice seeing you outside of the house.”

“Thank you,” he replied with a smile, looking at his ring. “It’s amazing.”

“Anything for you,” she answered.

“Will you come to the party tonight?”

“I will,” Kara said. “My mask is ready, the dancing awaits.”

Nathaniel kissed her hand. “Then I shall see you there.”

He began to walk away and Kara stared after him. But as he went, she pinched herself and it didn’t hurt.

But the next moment she woke up, for real this time, and the bracelet around her wrist was burning.