I CAN'T SAVE US ↠ KAI PARKER

16. ghosts of the past

I entered the store heading for the strawberries first before I went to get the shopping cart, since it was at the other side of the store, getting them now was probably a good idea if I wanted to be done anytime soon.

And I swear by the moon and stars in the sky
I'll be there, I swear

I hummed at the catchy nineties ballad playing through the speakers, unconsciously making me repeat the lyrics in my head as I made my way through the aisles and just as my eyes spotted the fruit section, I heard Damon's voice coming faintly from the other side of the store where our shopping cart was. He was probably finishing the shopping trip by himself, hopefully as a peace gesture for Bonnie, so I began making my way to him.

Like the shadow that's by your side,
I'll be there
For better or worse
'Til death do us part

I kept humming along the song, singing in my head until I heard an unfamiliar voice the closer I got to where I had heard Damon's voice. He was talking with someone... Damon was talking to someone.

"... and sad. Then calm again. It's a weird cycle"

I slowed down, stopping dead on my tracks when I heard the new voice coming from the aisle, it was real, the voice was actually real...  there really was someone else here, right around the corner "and look if you really wanna know the reason why I'm following all of you... it's because I want to kill you" My eyes widened in shock as I heard his last words followed by who I guessed was Damon, spitting out something out of his mouth violently as something glass-made fell to the floor.

Damon started coughing abruptly, gasping for air, and I crouched down to the floor moving stealthy to the end of the aisle tempted to take a peak of what was happening there but I had to be smarter than that. I needed to help Damon or to at least find something to defend myself with, for all I knew, whoever was there with him could be extremely dangerous and if he was trying to kill him, there was no reason why he wouldn't go after me or Bonnie next.

"Vervain on your bourbon, who didn't see that one coming?" the stranger spoke up again, over the sound of Damon's uncontrolled coughing "Who buys patio furniture from a grocery store? I mean, somebody must... otherwise it wouldn't be here but..." I heard some steps, so I slowly began to step back, looking over the shelves to see if there was anything that resembled a weapon but there were only kid's toys and baby stuff "Now, I'm a little unfamiliar with vampires" he continued, followed by the sound of something cracking, making me jump a little "But from what I've gathered, a stake in the heart should do it"

My heart almost stopped at his words and I hurried through the useless kids stuff, looking for anything sharp but all I could find was a kid's baseball bat, it was either that or glitter-hair barbie, I was definitely taking the bat. "Right?" he added and suddenly Damon bursted out yelling in pain, his screams echoing all over the store and I grabbed the baseball bat quickly, as I moved back to my old spot "You always fight dirty, Damon" I heard his voice again and I decided it to finally take a peak at the aisle but the end of the bat hit the shelve slightly, making a small noise and Damon grunted again covering it up and I thanked him in my head, hoping whoever that was didn't hear it.

"Like the time you all played monopoly and you stole from the bank. Not cool. Which reminds... come out, come out, Madison" he said, chanting the last part and I felt my heart drop to the bottom of my stomach. How on earth did he know my name?

I stood against the shelves with my eyes shut, willing to pretend he was talking to somebody else "I know you're in here, now come out or I'll kill your little friend" he threatened and I heard Damon grunting out in pain again "No? Oh, well"