World So Cold

I awoke again in the cool air underground. This time no candles were lit and I sat in the darkness. Not even my vampire senses could pick up my surroundings. I was in total darkness. I heard the sound of a moved stone and whipped my head in that direction. I regretted the decision as pain surged throughout my body. I could feel the dried blood on my neck from Katherine’s bite.

“You’re awake,” said Katherine from somewhere in the dark.

“Yes,” I said simply to hear my own voice and make sure that I was still alive. I felt dead. My limbs were tired from a struggle I don’t remember. My body felt heavy and useless. It was a struggle to even lift my head.

“You missed it,” said Katherine. “You missed Damon and Stefan fighting.” I had a sharp intake of breath as my body tensed. “Don’t worry, they’re both okay, for now.”

“Stefan thought Damon killed Elena,” I surmised. That could be the only explanation. Otherwise Stefan wouldn’t have gone on the suicide mission. “They’ll hate each other forever,” I said accusingly to Katherine. “You did nothing to help.”

“Turns out Elena’s not dead.” I could hear the disappointment in her voice. “She’s a vampire now.”

“No,” I whispered in dread.

“Oh yes,” said Katherine, matter of fact. “But she won’t be for long. I’ll kill her soon enough.” She lit a candle again. I could see her silvery white dress and pale blonde hair illuminate quickly in the dark. “You can watch. I’m sure you’d love to. You wanted to kill her too, didn’t you?” I didn’t speak. I knew she was right but I didn’t want to admit it.

“Right now they’re holding Elena’s funeral. They shouldn’t be honoring her though. She was nothing but a tramp and a bitch. There is nothing good about her. Nothing they should miss.” Listening to Katherine I felt like I was watching a child.

“I’ll stop them. I’ll ruin the whole thing. Even if she’s not dead she shouldn’t get that. People shouldn’t mourn her.”

“What are you going to do?” I asked.

“Do you know that we can control animals?” Katherine asked me. Her eyes got wide with the amazement her voice held. “There’s a lot of dogs in Fell’s Church. Dogs are hunters. They have sharp teeth. Like us,” she said and flashed her fangs.

“I’ll be back,” she said and then ran out of the room down the dark lit passageway. The sudden rush of air blew the candle out and I was left sitting in darkness. I tried pulling on the chains again but my muscles were just tired and didn’t want to cooperate.

I didn’t have much Power either. I hadn’t had in two days and it had taken a lot to knock Damon unconscious. Plus Katherine had fed from me. There wasn’t much I could do. I could maybe compel a few weak minded humans but that was about it. It wouldn’t do me much good down here.

I wish I could call to Damon. Call and tell him that Katherine’s alive. That I’m stuck here in a tomb, forced against my will to listen to her psychotic plans. I was pretty sure that Katherine was so filled with anger and revenge that she had driven herself mad.

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Katherine came back awhile later. Hours seemed to have passed. They probably had. “I’m back,” said Katherine happily. I could only sense her malevolent presence, a bomb ready to go off at any moment. She lit a couple candles again before pirouetting over to me. “It was so much fun,” she said. A grin was lighting up her face.

“What’d you do?” I asked hoping Stefan and Damon hadn’t been hurt in any way.

“I got the town’s dogs to interrupt the funeral,” she said moving away and doing a graceful turn. “So many dogs. You should have seen the people run. It was so much fun.”

“Was anybody hurt?”

“Of course,” said Katherine with a smile. “One man was really stupid. Shouldn’t have gone near those dogs. But he did. He suffered the consequences. But then these men came and started to hurt the dogs.” A frown came over her face. “I let them go then.”

“Go where?” I asked curiously.

“Where ever they wanted. They’ll come back when I need them again. I can feel their minds now,” said Katherine and moved her hand as if stroking a dog’s head. Her eyes snapped out of their far off look and focused on me again.

“But now I’m hungry,” she said licking her lips. “And you’re delicious.” I tensed up and pulled on the chains again. Now would be a really good time for them to come free. But before I could do that Katherine sprang on me and bit into my neck. I screamed in agony.

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I awoke later to the darkness again. I couldn’t sense Katherine’s presence either. I think anybody, even a mere human would be able to sense that much evil. I could feel the rips and tears in my clothes as I shifted on the ground. My neck was painful to move and I didn’t have enough Power to heal it this time.

I tried to pull on the chains again but the effort was useless. I was entirely drained. I needed blood. If I was going to anything, I needed blood. The question was, how do I get Katherine to give it to me? I doubt she would do it willingly.