RIPTIDE ▹ THE ORIGINALS

nine; longing for this

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Brutal, pulsing light gleamed into the teen's eyes as she squinted in disbelief. 'This can't be fucking real,' she thought to herself, 'It can't . . .'

After being unconscious for god-knows-how long, everything River was experiencing felt like yet another torturous fabrication that she could formerly only dream about. After mumbling countless explicatives, the amused faces of the room continued to stare at the pale brunette girl, each wearing a different strange expression. 

The unnamed blonde woman looked genuinely confused, with her light eyebrows furrowing intently. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but didn't know exactly what.

Directly to the woman's right was the dirty-blond man whose name she definitely remembered - Klaus. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, eyes continuously shifting from River to Hayley. He, too, looked as if he wanted to make a few wordy statements, but decided otherwise.

And, finally, the brunette woman beside River, stared down at her with widened eyes and a face of disbelief. The girl could've sworn that she saw a watery film on Hayley's eyes.

This was not a dream. This was entirely real, and River was in shock.

"River . . ." Hayley breathed out, her younger sister's dark blue eyes staring back up at her's. "How the hell are you here right now? Why aren't you in Virginia with mom and dad? Your school doesn't end for another four or five days! And - oh my gosh your birthday is coming up, too. How did you even find me? H-How --" she blurted out, question after question. Klaus and the blonde woman next to him stared on, still sporting parted mouths and raised eyebrows.

Speaking her first words after presumably several unconscious days, River cleared her throat of the built-up mucous. "I ran away," she replied, her voice barely audible.

Hayley's eyes widened ever more, if possible. "Why the hell did you do that?" she asked, her voice swift, though laced with concern. Her baby sister had been laying in her arms for several painstaking days, giving Hayley quite enough time to think up a few questions.

"Hayls, you know how they are. They wanted to send me to school in a different country - just to make me forget about you," the girl replied. Everything was starting to sink for the youngest Marshall - the running away, the fact that she's probably on the FBI's missing children's list, the fleeing to a different state, the being practically kidnapped by a crazy lady, everything. River's heart sped up in her chest; thump, thump, thump.

Hayley sighed. Her little sister had always been one for pretty stupid decisions that seemed completely logical in the moment, but in hindsight never really were. She was a teenager, after all. Before Hayley could ask another question, River spoke up again.

"Oh, and to answer your question, Klaus brought me here!" the girl stated as if she thought it would make the situation any better. River wore a joyful grin on her face, to which the still unnamed blonde woman snickered.

"He did what?!" Hayley exclaimed, her eyes widening so far that River swore they could've fallen out. At that, River's grin dropped. "Klaus, what the hell? How did you two even meet in the first place - a website for people who are insane?!"

"For your information, I was just helping a stray teenager whom I believed to be mentally disturbed. This isn't my fault," Klaus defensively butted in, arms still crossed over his grey henley tee.

"In his defense, I did kind of, maybe, sort of jump in front of his car and force him," River hesitantly said, eyes tracing the crinkled bed sheets.

Hayley sighed in frustration yet again, running her free hand (as her other one was still protectively on River's shoulder) through her brunette locks, before softening her tensive gaze. "At least you're okay, Riv. That's all that matters," she uttered, prompting a small to form on her younger girl's face.

"Maybe this mission to bring Elijah back to Mystic Falls wasn't completely boring after all," the blonde woman spoke up. "And, since Elijah is currently missing - thanks to Nik - it seems the fun just keeps growing," she continued, a snarky glare swirling in her cerulean blue eyes. "Oh, I'm Rebekah by the way," the woman said, the snarky glare dissipating as her focus turned to River, replacing itself with what could be deemed as a warm half-smile.

River mirrored said smile. "Who's Elijah?" she curiously asked. Judging by Hayley's and Rebekah's faces, he was definitely someone important.

"The good brother. The one who is always trying to prove my evil brother is capable of redemption, though I think this finally proves otherwise," Rebekah said, seeming as though she was struggling to maintain her composure. Surely if River wasn't in the room she would have thrown something at Klaus' head.

"Yeah, Klaus kinda seems like the evil type - no offense, buddy," the teen stated, her lips in a straight line. 

The blond man feigned a look of shock and betrayal. "I'm wounded," he said. "Although it is an accurate observation," he mumbled, and a sly grin overcame his face.

"So . . . I take it I missed a lot, then?" River asked. "All I know is that you guys seem to be Hayley's friends and she's been bunking here, all the while a sibling quarrel took place, resulting in one . . . going missing - whatever that creepy statement means."

Hayley was suddenly hit with an untimely realization. While River continued on with her monologue, absentmindedly inching closer to her sister's side, the older Marshall struggled with the fact that her baby sister had no idea what she had just stumbled into. The only 'supernatural' species the girl was slightly aware of was werewolves. River had no idea that the two Mikaelsons she was currently talking to were the world's first vampires, the originals. She didn't know that Hayley was pregnant with Klaus' child. And she didn't know what chaos New Orleans would come to experience over the next few months. 

Hayley realized that she would either have to send River home and keep her safe, or let her stay in New Orleans and risk her death; and neither option had positive results. 

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sorry about the pretty short chapter. the next one will probably be in episode 3/4/5?? idek. the action will finally begin, y'all!!