Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CHAPTER ONE | THE RETURN
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
THE MERE MOMENT THAT EDEN STEPPED FOOT INTO HER HOME, SHE KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS REALLY WRONG. She looked toward her twin sister, who had shuffled anxiously behind Eden, then made their way slowly into the house. Out of the two Gilbert girls, Eden was definitely more fearless, despite everything the twins had gone through. A clattering sound in the kitchen, followed by a groan of pain caused their attention to move further inside.
"Oh, my God!" Eden gasped out. She saw John, who she and Elena had just discovered was their biological father, on the floor with his fingers cut clean off.
"John!" Elena dropped to her knees and grabbed a towel to apply pressure, getting his blood all over her jeans as she desperately leaned over and grabbed the kitchen telephone. "Hi. I— I need an ambulance to 2104 Maple Street."
As Elena spoke on the phone, Eden noticed the sudden fear that had immediately washed over his face. His eyes were locked into a fixed position, almost just behind her. "Behind you." John whispered fearfully, as she jolted around, but there was nothing there.
"Stay with him." Eden instructed her older sister. She had picked up the knife, presumably the one John's attacker had used on him, and cautiously staggered into the hallway welding the weapon. "Come on, jackass. Come out, come out, wherever you are."
A figure sped behind her at a speed she knew all too well before it darted past her once more and out of the front door, slamming it on its way through. Once the door was closed, Eden remembered their younger brother— Jeremy. She ran desperately up the staircase and into his bedroom, where he appeared to be asleep.
"Jeremy!" She began to shake him desperately. "Jeremy, wake up! Please." Within moments, a loud gasp escaped his lips and Jeremy looked her dead in the eyes. "Someone was in the house, John's been hurt, and—" Her attention moved to the empty bottle of pills that were open on his bedside table. "—And, what the hell is that?"
"Nothing." The younger of the two shrugged, suddenly sitting up in his bed as he looked around. "Nothing. It's nothing."
"Have you taken those?" Eden snapped. The boy remained silent, shrugging softly as he looked around. "Have you?!"
"Yeah, but it's fine because Anna gave me some blood and—" Jeremy trailed off as he noticed the bewildered look on Eden's face. "I just— I wanted to do this. I needed to do this, Eden."
Suddenly, Elena and Stefan pushed their way into Jeremy's bedroom after The Salvatore had seemingly overheard their conversation the moment he entered the Gilbert household. "What happened?"
"Anna gave him her blood, and then he took those pills." Eden pointed to the pill bottle on the side table. The vampire dropped down in a crouched position in front of Jeremy, almost as if he were examining him.
