{unedited}
THE BAYOU -
"Why am I here again?" I asked Hayley. They were in a shack out in the Bayou and Eve and Celina were helping Hayley prepare for giving birth. I honestly didn't know why I was here.
"You're here for moral support," Hayley replied. "So act morally."
I gave a lazy thumbs up in response. What else could I do? I didn't know what was going to happen. There was a forty percent chance that Hayley and her baby would be fine. Then there was sixty percent that she and her baby would be killed by vampires or witches, maybe a jealous werewolf? There were tons of supernatural creatures out there, draw from a hat and pick one.
The odds weren't really in her favor. And with all the bad stuff happening in my life, like the witches trying to kill my sister, my parents willing to let them kill my sister, my sister eventually dying, my mother hijacking her return, my mother wanting to reunite our family, my drunk dad stopping being drunk because of his wife but not his son, this coven from Oregon that killed seven Perry relatives in 2000 because they had made these special rings, and then, lastly, Samaria dying because of me. Yeah, I definitely wasn't the best person hired to cheer her up.
"That's it," Eve told Hayley, as they both did it. "Inhale and release."
"I guess this means no epidural, huh?" Hayley asked, seemingly knowing the answer. "You sure I can't do this thing in, say, a hospital, the place with the doctors and the drugs?"
"Honey, the werewolves have been having babies out here since before you and me were born," Celina told her. "Stop worrying."
"Okay," Hayley replied. "Then what? I don't even know what it's like to have a mother, let alone be one."
"Trust me, when the time comes, you'll know exactly what to do," Eve told her.
"I hope so," Hayley said, tiredly. "As fun as it is to image Klaus changing dirty diapers, I'm pretty sure that I'll be doing this alone."
I rolled my eyes, and looked at the outline that was Elijah Mikaelson.
"I somehow doubt that," I retorted, as Elijah stood in the doorway.
"Pardon the interruption," Elijah pardoned. "I wonder if I might have a quick word with the conspirators of a supposed uprising."
I stayed in the shack with Eve and Celina as Hayley, Elijah, Jackson and Oliver talked. Eve accused herself shortly, sharing a sly smile with Celina.
"So," I muttered awkwardly. "So...." Celina said. "I'm sorry about that witch, Samaria. I didn't know her, but...she um.. was your friend."
"She was my friend," I nodded, speaking in past tense. "Biggest mistake of her life."
Celina looked at me, worried. "What's that suppose to mean?"
I shrugged. "You know people just seem to die around me," I said nonchalantly, like we were just talking about what day it was and not how a puppy named Death seemed to like wagging its tail and following me around. Then it ultimately peed on my shoe.
"So what should everyone start calling you the Grim Reaper?" Celina asked, sarcastically. "Athan you don't cause death, you just happen to live in an unlucky world."
"If this is Earth, than maybe I should move to Mars?" I said, smirking. Celina snickered. "I know this might not make you feel better, but Mars would probably be worse."
"Nothing could be worse than this," I muttered. "My parents are crazy and all the people I loved are dead. I'm alone."
Celina looked at me, her eyes holding some distinct emotion that I couldn't place. Perhaps it was pity or maybe a friend's love. Noting the emotion was something I had seen before when we younger, when we used to play as kids. Those were good times. Her family had been friends with mine, which was very unusual considering witches had placed a curse on werewolves by that time.
Celina's family had escaped the curse caused by Sabine due to a spell my mother performed to protect them. However the spell hadn't protected them from dying and as far as I knew Celina's family was long dead. It had been six years since we had last seen each other before The Originals came to town.
Even though we hadn't seen each other, she would always be my best friend. Then again, I knew that that wasn't a good thing. Samaria had taken a place of a best friend to both Agatha and me and she was dead at sixteen. My gut told me one instinct and that was what was running though my head as she spoke.
Push.
"You have me," Celina had whispered, her voice barely audible. It was so quite I wasn't sure I was suppose to hear it. I did though, and the instinct came back.
Push. Don't let them come close. Push.
I didn't have a chance to response, even if I had I probably wouldn't have. I didn't even know if it was intended for me to hear it.
The ground rocked, and the shack collapsed on us. An explosion, my subconscious told me. Someone's trying to kill the werewolves. Then another, sarcastically bitter, thought came though my mind. Looks like that dog peed on my shoe again.
I wanted to laugh at the cruelty of life (or should I rather say death?). I couldn't though, for there was a pain in my sides that forced me to remain stiff and still.
I tried to look around, but all I could see was dust and dirt that been blown into the air. It felt as though it was getter harder to think. The dust clouded my mind, and a wooden frame that had once held up the shack was laying firmly on my chest. That's not good, I thought. Maybe I'll be next to go?
The last though before I blacked out was clear though, through the confusion and pain.
Celina. Where was she? And more importantly, was she okay?
*****
Sound. Panic. That's what I heard. It was distinct, as if far away but I knew it was close.
I heard sounds of complete terror, sadness and anger. I felt the ground shake again and the rusty noise that told me the wooden frame that was on my chest had moved slightly. It wasn't directly on my chest anymore, but it still held me down.
Besides, I was a zombie to the world. I could barely stay conscious for more than a minute. Even if I had had any strength, it wouldn't have helped.
So in and out of consciousness I went. At one point I tried to call for help, but my voice was raspy and dehydrated and no sound would come.
After what felt forever of the continuing cycle, I heard someone call my name. The voice was recognized by me but I couldn't place it.
"Athan!" The voice said again. It was a girl's voice and was drenched in worry and desperation
"Guys!" She called out. "I found him!"
I heard someone pull the wooden frame of me, allowing me to breath better. I took in a nice deep breath, thankfully. I was sure that the wooden frame and it's painful pressure was going to cause me frequent nightmares but I was glad I could breathe.
I heard someone breathe when I did, as if they had been holding their breath. "He's breathing." I heard the same say. I heard other footsteps approach me. The same girl walked closer to me. I felt her come closer, look down.
"Always getting yourself in trouble, huh?" She asked. Obviously, I couldn't response. She moved aside as much as I could tell so two others could walk closer.
"He looks pretty scrapped up," A man's voice said, one I surprising recognized as Jackson.
The next one was undoubtedly Oliver. "He'll live."
I coughed and laughed at the same time. "Thanks for the concern Ollie," I coughed out. I finally opened my eyes to see Oliver smirking down at me. "My pleasure," he retorted.
I gave him a weak smile and tried to get up. No luck. I fell back down, holding my painful side. "Okay," I wheezed out. "I'm gonna sit down."
Jackson bended down to me. He placed a hand on my side and I instantly flinched in pain. Jackson stared at me sadly. "I think you broke a couple ribs," Jackson said solemnly.
I sighed. "Oliver help him get to where Eve and Celina are," Jackson ordered. He walked away to help others.
Oliver grabbed my hand and surprisingly gently tried to help me up. Then again, gently for a werewolf isn't very gently. When he pulled my arm to me up, this paralyzing pain shot up my arm and I bit my tongue so I wouldn't scream. It didn't really work. A half whimper, half scream came out.
Oliver looked at me, guilt and pain on his face. "I think your arm is broken too."
I attempted to laugh. "No kidding," I breathed. My vision started to blur from the pain that screamed all over my body.
"What happened?" The same girl's voice who had found me asked, coming closer.. "I heard him scream." Last time I had heard it I had been half unconscious and my ears had been ringing.
Now, though, I knew exactly who it was.
"Samaria?" I asked. I saw her, black hair, brown eyes, in a t-shirt and jeans, breathing. She was alive? And as irony would have it, before i could ask her anything I did something I had done all day.
I blacked out.
~~~~
I woke up later to the sound of Oliver's voice. "Celina, Samaria there are still some people that could use your help," he told them.
They clearly hesitated but left nonetheless.
Oliver walked closer to me, bending down. After a minute he backed away. "The kid's asleep," he stated.
He went over to sit on Eve's bedside.
"He deserves some rest," Eve said. "He looks awful."
I wanted to laugh but I knew better. I wanted to hear what Oliver was going to say. It was silent for a minute.
"Ollie, how do I look?" Eve asked.
"You look fine, Evie," Ollie lied. "You look just fine."
"You always were a terrible liar."
"Damn it," Oliver swore. "Look. All you got to do is just trigger the curse. There's a bunch of already dying people. Heck, there's a dying witch right there."
I tried not to move or let my heart skip a beat. Try to pretend that Oliver didn't just suggest that Eve kill me.
"Then you'll heal," Oliver continued. "It's who we are. It's who you are. Why can't you just accept that? Why can't anyone see what needs to be done? Living here like animals, fighting between tribes, scared to stand up for ourselves. Who's gonna lead us, Jackson? He wants to bow down to that hybrid. Hayley? She's not one of us. At least now, we have an enemy to hate."
It was like Eve and mine's brain was working in sync. After he said that, we understood. We understood who was behind this attack.
"Oliver, no," Eve said, betrayal evident in her voice. "Tell me you didn't..."
"You don't understand."
"Then explain it to me, Ollie. I know you. I know you wouldn't hurt your own people."
"Look. It wasn't supposed to happen like this, Evie," Oliver said. "I just wanted to make a little noise, just get our people mad, but I didn't agree to all this. They stabbed me in the back, and now.."
"Who?" Eve asked. "Who put you up to this?"
He doesn't answer.
Her tone changes as she becomes angry. "You stupid kid. Do you have any idea what the pack is gonna do to you when they find out?"
"They're not gonna find out, Evie," Oliver told her. "If they did, all those people would have died in vain. I had to do whatever it took to make us strong."
Eve's tone had changed again. She was scared now. "Ollie, no!"
"I've got to do that even now."
"Ollie, it's all over now," Eve said. "No! No! Oh! Ollie!"
"I'm sorry, Eve." I didn't understand what he was doing until I heard her muffled cries. He was smothering her with a pillow....I couldn't quite believe what he was doing. Why he was doing what he was doing?
Then there was the sickening part. I couldn't get up, I couldn't help Eve because I was too weak. And deep down inside, I was afraid that if I got up, he'd kill me too.
I felt like I was going to throw up.
Once the deed was done, and Eve was dead, I heard Oliver walk closer to me. As much as I could tell he still had the pillow in his murdering hands.
"Nathan?" He asked. I wondered briefly why he decided to use my full and real name but I dismissed it quickly.
All I had to do was pretend to be asleep. It worked. He set the murder weapon (aka, the pillow) down. Took a deep breath, and left me alone with the murdered Eve.
All I could wonder though was...
why?