The great secret

Chapter 18 - Before Sunset

At Mystic Falls High School Caroline walked into the cafeteria. Rebekah and Amberley were cleaning up the mess from the dance. “Where’s Matt?”

“Poof.” Amberley motions with her arms.

Rebekah sighed. “He bailed. Got called into work at the last minute.”

“Are you kidding me? So, it’s just us?” Caroline exclaimed.

“Pity, is it.” Amberley comment.

Rebekah nodded. “Yes, and you’re late. Clean up committee started at eight o’clock.”

Caroline looked at the clock. “It’s like 8:02.”

“Exactly. I managed to turn up on time and I didn’t even get to attend the dance that I organized.” Rebekah walked past Caroline and emptied out the trash.

“I’m sorry about your mom. I mean I know you like, hated her and everything, but still…I’m sorry.” Caroline told her. “And your grandmother.” She looked at Amberley.

“Thanks.” Amberley thanked her.

Rebekah looked at Caroline. “I’m sorry about your teacher. He seemed like a nice guy.”

Caroline nodded. “Yeah. He was.”

“I’m gonna get started on the gym.” Rebekah comment as then she walked out into the hallway. Alaric came around the corner and Rebekah stopped dead in her tracks. “You’re supposed to be dead.”

“I am!” Alaric shouted.

Rebekah rushed at Alaric, but Alaric throws her against the locker. He’s about to stab her with the white oak stake when Caroline and Amberley rushed out of the cafeteria and pinned Alaric to the locker. Rebekah took the stake and stabbed Alaric with it. Caroline, Amberley and Rebekah looked at each other as Alaric took the stake out. When he finally got it out, he realized that they were all gone.

First he saw Amberley and knocked her unconscious. Then outside, Caroline rushed to her car and pulled out her keys and fumbled with them. She saw Alaric’s reflection in her car window and dropped her keys. Alaric snapped Caroline’s neck and she fell to the ground. Alaric dragged the unconscious Caroline back towards the school as his flesh started to smoke and burn off. Rebekah watched him entering the school.

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Alaric was sitting at his desk with Caroline staked down to the chair. Amberley had wolfsbane in her system, she was weak and couldn’t use her magic. Then he heard Elena entering the school. “Right on time.”

Then Elena walked down the hallway, looking around. She heard Caroline crying and rushed towards the noise. She entered Alaric’s classroom and saw Caroline and was shocked to see her adopted sister there as well. “Caroline. Amberley!” She turned to Alaric. “Let them go, Alaric!”

Alaric pointed towards Caroline and Amberley. “Free them yourself.”

Elena and Alaric stare at each other. Then, Elena cautiously walked over to Caroline, first. She got down and stroked Caroline’s arm soothingly. She started to gently pull the pencil out of one of Caroline’s hands, but Alaric came up and slammed the pencil back down into her hand. Caroline screamed and Elena got up. “You said that you would let her go!”

Alaric looked at her. “How many times do I have to tell you, Elena? Stop trusting vampires!” then he looked at Amberley. “Or even werewolves!”

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Alaric dipped the cloth that was in Caroline’s mouth into a beaker of vervain. The skin around Caroline’s mouth was very red and appeared to have peeled away. Alaric walked back to her. Caroline groaned. “No, no more, please, no more!”

“No...” Amberley spoke up weakly.
Elena got up. “Alaric stop!”

Alaric pushed Elena back into a seat. “Sit down! This keeps the vervain in her system. It’s like inhaling razorblades with every breath.” He put the cloth back in Caroline’s mouth. Her skin began to smoke and burn. She cried and screamed in pain.

Elena touched her arm. “Why are you doing this?”

“To make it easier on you when you put her out of her misery.” Alaric picked up the white oak stake and walked towards Elena.

“What?! No!” Elena exclaimed.

“Don’t.” Amberley exclaimed as well, weakly.

“Isn’t this what you wanted, Elena? For me to teach you how to kill a vampire?” Alaric held out the white oak stake towards her. “Well, here’s a vampire, Elena. Kill her.”

Elena looked at him. “This isn’t what I want.”

“Of course it is. All those hours you spent training, getting stronger, you could be a hunter, Elena. But you’ve never actually staked a vampire through the heart.” Alaric persistently held out the stake.

Elena stared at it. Alaric paced in front of them. “Why are you doing this?”

Alaric looked at her. “Because you need me. Because you’re an eighteen-year-old girl without parents or guidance or any sense of right and wrong anymore.”

“And I’m eighteen as well.” Amberley scoffed, glaring at him. Alaric put wolfsbane on her. “Au!”

Elena looked in disbelief. “Look at you. How is this right?!”

Alaric pointed to Caroline with the stake. “She’s a murderer. She told me she killed someone and liked it. Now how is that right? Listen, Elena, your parents led the council. It was their life’s mission to keep this town safe. They weren’t dead six months before you undid it all.”

Elena glared. “You don’t know anything about them.”

“Why, am I wrong? Do you actually think that they’d be proud of you?” Alaric crouched down in front of Elena. “If you don’t side with the humans, you’re just as bad as them. Now kill her.” He handed her the stake. “Or I’ll do it for you and I’ll make it hurt. Get up!” Alaric grabbed Elena’s arm and pulled her out of her seat. He placed her in front of Caroline and forced the stake into her hand. He pulls away. Elena stood there with the stake in her hand for a moment, then turns around and tried to stab Alaric. He grabbed her wrist before she can. “I thought I taught you better than that.”

“You did.” Elena broke the beaker filled with vervain over Alaric’s head. He screamed in pain and his flesh started to burn. Elena released Caroline and Amberley and urged Caroline to leave with Amberley. “Get help! And take Amberley with you!”

Caroline rushed out of the room, Elena right behind her. She and Amberley managed to get out, but Alaric blocked Elena from leaving. “Not so fast.”

Caroline got out into the hallway, with Amberley, turned around, and realized Elena was not with them. They continued to walk backwards when suddenly Klaus grabbed her from behind. He covered her mouth, so no one can hear her scream. “Shhh. It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s me.” He took his hand off of her mouth. “It’s okay, you’re safe. We’ll save Elena. You go straight home, take Amberley with you. You stay two inside, do you understand?” He turned Caroline around so that she was facing him. “Do you understand me?”

Caroline nodded. “Thank you.” They looked at each other for a moment, then Klaus rushed away. Caroline stood in the hallway for a second and then rushed out with Amberley.

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Caroline arrived with Amberley in the Forbes home. She put her on the couch. “Thanks.” Amberley told her weakly.

Caroline smiled. “Your welcome.”

Amberley was being sleepy. “Can take a nap?”

“Of course.” Caroline nodded.

“Thanks.” Amberley smiled as then she fells asleep.