My hands tremor as I press them to my chest, desperate to slow my racing heart. Fear and desperation egging it on, nearing panic. The sputtering of the fire echoing the dramatic events, making it all too easy to imagine finding the half dead woman inside her blazing home. I struggle to breathe, forgetting the need while Elena's words pierce through me.
End of all ends? Save them all?
"You seriously expect us to believe that?" Leo huffs, folding his arms over his chest defiantly.
"Why would she lie?" Zeke counters, turning in his seat to confront the doubtful man.
"And it kind of explains what is going on," I add, my voice cracking slightly, my fear evident in the way I continue to quiver.
"So what, you have just been wandering aimlessly, looking for some key?" Leo scoffs, rolling his eyes and slouching back, looking almost pouty.
"Well," Elena's eyes narrow slightly at the condescending tone, watching us closely from her spot on the floor in front of the fire, "I wouldn't say aimlessly."
"We have been searching locations that are connected to valley of peace." Stefan explains, shifting his weight from one foot to the other while he leans back against the withering wood. "It was the only lead that we were really able to positively decipher from her warning."
"So why here?" Leo demands, his voice only hardening with his disbelief.
I nibble my lip, my stomach turning at the exchange that is slowly growing heated. I study Leo, his form tense ready to bolt at any given moment. His eyes narrow with suspicion, constantly looking for the trick he believes is being pulled on him. All this after hearing about visions, it's a good thing we didn't start with the truth on vampires. Then again, people do say seeing is believing.
"Pax Dale literally translates to Peace Valley" Elena patently answers.
"Oh, like she said, it's all in the name!" Zeke exclaims, more excited by the concept of a puzzle to work on rather than fearful of what it forewarns.
"Well," Stefan shrugs, considering him, "that could be, but we figured she was referencing our name."
"Salvatore means savior" Elena clarifies before anyone has to ask.
"What makes you guys so special?" Leo grumbles, slouching further into his seat with each passing word.
I eye him, a new thought flittering at the edge of my mind. Maybe he isn't doubtful, is he jealous?
"We didn't ask for this." Stefan announces, slow and clearly so as not to be misunderstood.
"Oh don't lie baby brother," Damon chimes in, speaking for the first time in quite a while, "you thrive on being the hero."
"And you don't?" Zeke challenges, eyeing Damon skeptically.
"Oh no," Damon responds with a shake of his head. "Not me." he shrugs, pushing himself off his spot on the arm rest and lazily stretching his arms above his head. His shirt pulls up, teasing me with the faintest glimpse of muscle before he drops his arms back to his sides. "The hero doo just wouldn't suit me." He grins mischievously at his brother before turning and walking behind the couch, disappearing from view.
"So what now?" Zeke turns his back on Damon, no longer interested in anything he may have to say.
"Now, assuming this is the evil the vision was warning us of, then there must be a key of sorts here somewhere." Stefan answers, speaking more to himself. His eyes shift to the ceiling, focusing more on what ever is going through his mind rather than us.
"Wait, is it a physical key? Or could it be like, a symbol?" Leo leans forward, his previous attitude temporarily forgotten, eyes widening with a sudden realization.
"Your guess is as good as ours." Damon drawls from behind us, the sloshing of liquid being pored like an exclamation to his remark.
"You said you were at the cemetery at the edge of town right?" Leo continues with another question, his eyes shining with excitement at his idea slowly comes to life.
"The one and only" Damon affirms, sliding back onto his perch, the armrest squeaking in protest. He ignores it, casually sipping at the caramel colored liquid in his newly found glass.
"What the point?" I ask, my anxiety not allowing me to sit silent an ounce longer without some explanation.
"There's a crypt there-" Leo's eyes dart to me, his gaze growing ever more intense.
"You just know the crypts?" Zeke interrupts, knitting his eyebrows in uncertainty.
"When I first moved here I would wander out in the country, anything was better than sitting at home." Leo quickly explains with an ashamed shrug of his shoulder, his words quieting at the mention of his home.
"A crypt?" Stefan asks, his voice urgent, getting everyone back on point.
"Yes!" Leo perks up, getting back to his original intention, "There is a crypt that looks super old, and it's faint, but there looks to be a symbol of a key above the door."
"Maybe its just to mark that its locked" Zeke dismisses the idea, not convinced.
"But then all crypts would have the symbol" I argue.
"Really, are they all locked?" Zeke asks, losing sight of the conversation.
"It wouldn't hurt to check it out." Stefan steps in, pushing himself off the wall eager for action.
"Bad choice of words," I mumble, my mind clouding with movie clips of people being torn apart, their insides being devoured.
"She's right," Elena agrees, looking up at Stefan unmoving from her spot on the floor "If that place is crawling with," she hesitates, struggling to get the word to pass her lips, "zombies, then it could definitely be a bad idea."
"But it would almost make sense," I muse aloud, shrinking back into the couch cushions when everyone looks at me to elaborate. "I just mean," I stutter, "that if it started there, it would almost make sense for the key to be there." The more I explain the redder I can feel myself becoming.
"That's actually a good point!" Zeke agrees, finally jumping on board with the idea.
"Elena has a good point too though," Leo interjects, "if the place is monster infested how do we expect to get in there okay?"
"Not we," Damon states, eyeing us all sternly, "Stefan and I will go take a look."
"What?" Zeke whines, sinking into the couch with disappointment.
"Damon's right," Stefan agrees, moving to stand beside his brother, "you guys should stay here while we see if there is anything to this."
"What makes you guys think you can handle this better than us?" Leo challenges, his eyes hard and angry.
"What, you want to go be eaten?" Damon asks incredulously, his lips twisting down in distaste at the thought.
"No, but who says you have a better chance than us?" Leo argues, his anger pulling him to his feet.
Of course they have a better chance, they are freaking Vampires!
Then again, what would happen if they get bitten? Since they are already dead would they still turn into a zombie? Would they be zombie vampires then? If they bite someone, what would that turn them into?
Okay, I need to calm down! We still don't know what's going on. Being bitten might not mean anything. Since it's most likely not a virus, it might not be spread like that. Still, I don't think I'll be taking that chance.
"We are just saying that the more people we bring, the more of a chance there is that someone will get hurt." Stefan steps in, trying to defuse the situation.
"I don't want to just sit here and twiddle my thumbs!" Leo insists, not being fazed by Stefan's reasoning.
"You're not just sitting here, you're watching out for the girls." Stefan tries another approach.
"Eh," I jerk my head at him defiantly, "it's not like I need a babysitter."
I cringe as soon as the words leave my mouth. Of course he knows that! He is trying to give Leo a purpose for staying behind.
"I don't know," Zeke eyes me skeptically, "you definitely looked like you needed help earlier."
"Hey!" I shout defensively. "Lets see you react better if one of those things grabs you out of nowhere!" I finish with a pout, my arms crossed over my chest in defense.
"Oh, I would scream like a baby," Zeke admits, his hands lifted in defeat, "I'm just saying that it's not bad to have people watching out for you."
"You're all right! I'm sorry I should have chosen my words better," Stefan offers, "I mean looking out for each other."
"Fine." Leo gives in, but his face still expresses his disapproval.
"So where is this crypt?" Stefan asks, not wanting to waste anymore time.
"Well if I was coming I could just show you." Leo grumbles, earning himself a waive of sighs and glares from around the room. "It's on the edge of the forest, on the far side of the cemetery."
"Of course, nowhere near the road." Zeke comments, more to himself than anyone else.
"So how do you expect to make it through?" Leo eyes them up and down doubtfully.
"Simple," Damon chuckles before finishing his glass and standing once more, "we stroll in, bash some heads, and save the day."
"Sounds pretty heroic to me," I tease him, a smile twitching on my lips even as I shyly look up to Damon through my eyelashes.
He pauses, eyes narrowing as he considers me with a slow smirk.
-------------Damon's POV-------------
Standing at alert, my body tense with suspicion as I let me senses take over. The pungent stench of rotten death and overturned earth still haunts the air, warning us to flee and never return. Everything is still, even the breeze holds its breath in anticipation. I strain myself to feel any movement, and hint of another presence.
"You sure this is the place?" Stefan questions, interrupting my concentration.
"Yes," I insist, "this is the only graveyard in town."
"Then where are they?" he asks doubtfully, scanning the open space before us.
"How would I know? I was there with you for story time." I mock, even as I desperately survey the quiet surrounding us.
"And you're sure they were zombies?" Stefan turns his scrutiny on me, his eyes growing ever more uncertain.
"It wasn't mass hysteria or delusion." I snap, storming away from the car and into the cemetery. "Look, you can still see where they dug their way out!"
Stefan doesn't move for a moment, but rather purses his lips with apprehension. I resist the urge to shout at him further, to insist that he look. I know it sounds like a crazy tale, but what doesn't in our life?
Finally, he sighs and languidly strolls to where I stand. I groan with impatience, not wanting to take the time to have to convince him all over again. His step falters as his eyes fall upon the jagged hole in the earth. The grass ripped apart with raged marks where something obviously clawed their way to the surface. Pieces of polished wood spiking through the dirt, evidence of the destruction to the once beautiful mahogany casket.
"Okay," Stefan nods with a shaky breath, "I believe they are zombies." He pauses to look over his shoulder with a paranoid glance. "But, where are they now?"
-------------Nereza's POV-------------
"Where are they?" Zeke whines, pacing back and forth in front of the window.
"They have only been gone for like a half hour." I answer, my voice sounding distant and distracted.
It is true, they haven't been gone for very long at all, yet I too find myself full of worry. What if they have been attacked? What if the town is over run and they couldn't even get to the crypt?
"It feels like forever!" Zeke protests, dropping his shoulders in defeat.
The room is tense, the air suffocating us with its stillness. No one knows what to say, settling to fidget nervously beside each other. I hug my purse to my chest, finding comfort in the outline of my mothers journal. Wishing instead for the comfort of Damon's touch.
The fire crackles back to life, devouring the new logs Elena sacrifices to it. The heat washes over us, but it does little to stop my trembling fingers. Light dances from the fire place as the flames once more flick in the air, our only defense against the attacking darkness.
"He will be okay." Elena comforts softly, joining me on the couch.
I nod my head, but I do not feel convinced. How will any of us be okay?
She feels my doubt, but rather than say more only reaches out to me. I welcome the touch and lean into her, sighing as I place my head on her shoulder. Wrapping my arms around her in return I cuddle into her side, feeling reassured by her steady hold on me.
"This is stupid," Leo grumbles to himself, turning his back on the window where he stood guard to heat himself by the fire, "we should be out there doing something!"
"Like what?" I snap, getting tired of listening to him pout.
"Anything!" He spits back, tossing a glare at me over his shoulder. "Just because your boyfriend tells us to sit here doesn't mean-"
"He's not my boyfriend." I interrupt him, but my voice doesn't hold the assertiveness I hoped it would.
"Oh, shut it!" He dismisses me with another annoyed glance.
He is right, does it really matter? With everything else going on that should be the last of my concern.
"My point is," Leo continues, his anger fading into determination, "we have no idea what is going on out there!"
"Which is why we should wait and see what they find." Elena insists, her tone cool and unwavering.
"Half the town could be ripped to sheds at this point and you want us to wait." Leo shakes his head with distaste.
"Oh my god, my dad!" I cry, jolting out of Elena's grasp at the sudden realization.
Guilt strikes through me as images of him lying dead, his insides being gnawed upon, burns its way into my brain. How could I have not thought to warn him?
At the very least he has got to be worried about me. I told him I wouldn't be late, and its been dark for some time now.
"Stop," Elena demands, trying to get ahold of our building panic before it gets out of control, "we will figure out a plan as soon as-"
"Guys, there here!" Zeke cries, his face pushed up to the glass as he peers into the night.
There back!
Instantly a weight feels like it has been lifted. The clamp around my heart loosens and for the first time since Damon walked out the door I feel like I can breathe. Thank God! One last thing I will need to worry over!
I spring from the couch, throwing myself at the window beside Zeke. The grimy glass blocks my vision making it so I have to strain to look for Damon's black car within the darkness. A movement near the trees catches my attention, and my blood runs cold.
They are not who I though they were.