The Story of Emma Salvatore

Chapter 13

        As I ran through the woods, I listened. Listened for any voices that I knew, particularly my brothers. I went towards town but still in the shadows of the woods. I could hear the screams of people and the fires of gunshots. 

        When I peeked out of the bushes, I saw Anna's mother, Pearl, running to get a horse. I didn't blame her for wanting to leave. I should have been scared, but all I could focus on was finding my brothers and making them safe. Making us all safe. Just as Pearl was untying the rope to the horse, Jonathan Gilbert ran up to her. Anna had told me that he like her mother and I was sure of it.

         "Pearl!" He called. I was to far away to hear most of the rest but I saw everything. As they were talking, Pearl's face was full of fear. After a minute, Jonathan looked down at the item in his hands, I guessed that it had been his compass he had told father about many nights ago. When he look back at Pearl they both stared at each other for a moment, Pearl started to back away and look as if she were begging. 

        Jonathan backed away slowly before calling to his men, "I've got another one over here!" I stood there confused. Pearl was a vampire? She couldn't be. She was Annabelle's mother and she had been so kind to me. I had spent numerous days and nights at her house. She couldn't have been a monster all that time. She had seemed so normal. So human.  

        But as if just to prove me wrong, Pearl went running at a speed that would be impossible for any mortal towards the woods. Towards where I was. I watched in horror as Jonathan pulled out his gun and shot her. 

        From beside me farther away, I heard a soft "Mother!" before silence. I looked away from the horrible scene to see a worse one. Anna was standing next to Emily sobbing. I wanted to go and comfort her but a thought came over me. What if Pearl had changed Anna? Was my best friend a vampire too? It couldn't be. But I couldn't take that chance.  

        As they carried Pearl away, I couldn't watch anymore. The woman had been a mother to me only for me to find out that she had been my enemy. I ran back into the woods and sat on the ground for a while. I still had not found my brothers. So many thoughts crossed my mind. Was I ever going to see them again? Would I die tonight? Would they? What becomes of Annabelle? After a few minutes I started to run again. Once I came towards the road. I could hear men yelling and see torches burning. I peeked out of the bushes again to see men putting an unconscious man with a muzzle into a cell carriage. I didn't know whether to be horrified or glad.

        "Over here! There's another one. Quick, help me." I was quickly snapped out of my deep thought, my head jerking towards the sound when I heard a familiar voice. Stefan was yelling to the men and gesturing towards the woods. Did he somehow break out of whatever spell Kathrine had placed upon him? That seemed impossible, but I couldn't help to hope. Most of the men ran after Stefan except one who stood watch. I was about to follow to watch when I saw the man who was watching the carriage being punched by an unknown stranger. The man slouched down to the ground unconscious. As the other man went through his pockets to pull out keys, he glanced around to make sure that they were gone. When his face turned towards me, I caught a look at his features. Black hair, soft blue eyes. It was Damon.

        As Damon was unlocking the door, Stefan came running back to the scene. "We don't have long." He said to Damon as the door came open. They both reached in and puled a woman out and laid her on the ground softly. Katherine. They were doing this to save Katherine. Oh what the Hell were these idiots doing? They're going to get themselves killed over this bloody vampire.

        They worked quickly to take the muzzle off her face and untie her hands. I was about to jump in and tell them how stupid it was of them when I heard a gunshot. Damon grunted. I watched in horror as my brother sank the ground next to Katherine.  

        "No! No." Stefan called as he went towards Damon. I wanted to go help, to make sure he was alright but by the look on Stefan's face, he wasn't. Damon had been killed and it was Katherine's fault, even though it wasn't by her own hand. I wanted to run up to her while she was still weak and plunge my stake through her heart. I reached into my bag and pulled it out. I started towards them when I heard men shouting. I stopped in my tracks when Stefan jumped up to grab the unconscious man's gun. Just as Stefan was about to aim, another gunshot rang in my ears. Stefan jerked and fell back. 

        It took everything in me to hold back the scream at the sight of seing both of my brothers murdered right in front of me. But I knew I couldn't if I didn't want to be shot too. I put a hand over my mouth to hide my sobs.  The soldiers came and put Katherine back into the carriage. A man came up to Damon and Stefan holding a smoking gun. I knew this had to be their killer. The older man looked up and I saw who it was. 

        It was my father.