***
I woke up in a bed, right beside a stirring Elena. Why were we in the bed together? I watched her look over, but I couldn't see what it was because I couldn't see over her. I only started to get worried when her breathing quickened with her pulse, which told me it wasn't good. She sat up at the headboard to the bed, which allowed me to see that a man was sitting in a chair asleep. "Follow me," I whispered softly to her, as we both looked for a way out. My first instinct was the front door, and it seemed it was hers too as she stared at it.
Elena seemed to mentally be estimating our chances of getting out without waking him. I mentally thought our chances are slim to none, but it wouldn't hurt trying. I am a vampire after all. Elena quietly slid off the bed, and I thought 'so much for following me.' Elena stepped over his outstretched leg carefully, taking her time so she didn't touch him or wake him, me doing the same. I mean, at least he didn't try and sleep in the bed with us. We weren't handcuffed. It was the middle of the day. I didn't really find it scary... Until I looked down at my hand and realized that my daylight ring was off. "Elena," I whispered.
"Shh," Elena shushed me, her hands to her lips. I held up my hand, but she didn't seem to realize my hint. My daylight ring was gone. Elena just gave me a confused look, and I mouthed "daylight ring". "What?" Elena mouthed back to me, and I ran a hand through my hair in frustration, just signaling for her to continue. I could find it later. Elena and I looked back and forth between the man and the door, as she unlocked the chain and the deadbolt. Elena turned the other lock when we both jumped at the sound of the man. His voice was admittedly a little attractive— Charlotte! Keep yourself together.
"I wouldn't," Was what the vampire said, chasing both Elena and me to gasp as she spun around and I just turned my head. I watched as Ben inched closer to us, looking Elena in the eyes. This sucker was trying to compel Elena, Ha! He wished. Elena is protected by vampires. We obviously keep vervain on her at all times. If it isn't Stefan making sure, it's me. If it's not me, It's Damon. We all protect Elena. "Don't try to escape. Don't even move. Do you understand?" The vampire compelled. Now, this would be a test of Elena's cleverness.
"I understand." Annnnd, she passed. She passed with flying colors because she had convinced him. The vampire then looked at me, and Elena looked over at me too. "Charlotte isn't leaving either, are you Char?" The vampire looked back at me again, unconvinced.
"I can't leave," I said exasperatedly, but not towards Elena, to the vampire who seemed unconvinced at what she had said. Obviously this vampire wasn't too bright. I held up my hand, "You kind of took my ring. Not to mention, I'm not leaving without Elena, even if I had my ring."
The vampire scoffed and turned around to get a bottle of blood from the mini-fridge, and Elena opened the door and bolted out. I was a little upset that Elena would leave me, but she probably assumed that I could take on this baby vamp on my own. But she didn't think about the sunlight and the absence of my ring. I had to slip to the side of the door but winced when the sun burned a part of my arm. However, I obviously healed within seconds.
Elena didn't get far because as soon as she was out, the vampire was at the door and a dark-haired girl that was outside blocked her from leaving. The girl grabbed her by her hair and pushed her back inside. "Seriously?" The girl questioned.
"I told her not to move! I did that eye thing that you taught me!" The guy defended loudly. I rolled my eyes. She didn't even train him right. It's called compulsion, and she probably left out every unnecessary— but definitely necessary —thing she could.
"And forgot the lesson about vervain! She dates a vampire, Ben. Duh!" The girl yelled at him, "At least you were smart enough to take the other one's ring off." I watched the girl eye my finger, my bare finger. That means he took it off. His name, Ben, reminded me of the Ben that Bonnie would talk about. Ben didn't seem like a very intelligent guy, no offense to him, he just wasn't educated properly on vampirism. So if I were a dumb guy, where would I hide my ring? I shivered at some of the places he could've hidden it. No, definitely not.
The girl pushed Elena up against the wall, as Elena began to question her, "Who are you? What do you want?" The typical questions that never get answers.
"Doesn't matter," The girl replied, opening the bathroom door. She gestured at Ben, a large gesture. Even I understood it before he did, giving me time to snap his neck. But the victory was short-lived when the girl grabbed me and pushed me into the bathroom with Elena, shuttling the door behind us.
"Damn it.." I said to myself, wondering why the hell Elena didn't come out there and help me! Then, I noticed that she was on the floor with a passed-out Bonnie in the bathtub. "Oh my god... What happened to her?" I asked Elena, who just looked at me with terrified eyes and shook her head. So... This was the Ben that Bonnie liked from the Grill. Awkward.
"We need to help wake her up," Elena said, finding a cloth in the bathroom and handing it to me. I wet it with cold water and rung it out a bit, handing it to Elena. She balled it up and began to place it on her forehead, as Bonnie began to slowly open her eyes. "Bonnie?" Elena asked softly.
"Elena?" Bonnie groggily asked, looking up at me briefly, "And Charlotte?"
"Oh, you're okay!" Elena said softly, cheerfully.
"Thank God," I said softly with a smile, joining Elena on the floor, looking over at Bonnie. How awful were they? Throwing her in a bathtub?
"My head..." Bonnie trailed off, closing her eyes.
"Come here," Elena said, holding out her arms. Bonnie was pulled upright by Elena, as Bonnie began to talk.
"Oh my god! Ben is a-!" Bonnie started, but my eyes widened as my hands gently went over her mouth. Not in an attempt to physically shush her, but to shock her enough that she'd stay silent while I'm sure Elena explained.
"Shhhh," Elena said softly, gesturing to her ear and pointing towards the door, "They can hear." Elena gestured to the sink and I stood, turning on the tap. I kneeled back down next to them as Bonnie began to rant.
"I'm so stupid!" Bonnie said, her voice groggy and dry. I feel awful for her... She really liked him, she liked him a lot. Then this happened... That's just our luck, isn't it?
"Oh, he had all of us fooled!" Elena assured her softly, and I nodded.
"Bon, he even had me fooled, and I'm a v-word too," I said softly, not liking using the term "vampire" around Bonnie. I know that she isn't a fan of us and that saying the word is a complete turn-off for her. And I decided to respect that.
"What's going on? Why are we here?" Bonnie asked us, looking at us. I wish I knew, actually. I don't see a reason for me being here.
"It must have something to do with the tomb and Emily's spellbook," Elena replied softly.
"Spellbook?" Bonnie questioned, looking between us. Yes, Emily's spellbook. Grimoire. Whatever you'd like to call it.
"Damon said it could be used to open the tomb," Elena explained, and I nodded when Bonnie turned to me.
"Why didn't I know about any of this?" Bonnie questioned.
Elena looked back at the door as she explained, "I was trying to keep you out of it, hoping it would never come to this."
"Come to what?" Bonnie asked quickly and softly.
"They need a witch to break the spell and let the vampires out," Elena explained.
"A strong witch. A Bennett Witch," I added, "You're a direct descendant of Emily. The one who created the spell. They have to have you."
"No way!" Bonnie replied quickly.
"I know," Elena said to her, but as she did Ben burst through the door. He looked... Pissed. Can't blame him, I sort of snapped his neck and all. Elena grabbed Bonnie's shoulders protectively as Ben turned the tap off.
I admired that about Elena. Even though she was a human, she was still going to fight to protect her friends. Maybe everyone misunderstood her. What if she isn't the damsel in distress, but the one who's trying to be the actual savior here? I saw her with the other vampire. She almost killed him, she was ready to. She's stronger than what people think.
"You're wasting your time. I'm not gonna help you," Bonnie said seriously, with a clear straight face. Man, she could be a bitch just when she needed to. I also admired that about her. I honestly admire something about all of my friends. They all just have really great characteristics to them, but we all make mistakes.
Ben smiled devilishly and grabbed Elena and me, as Bonnie reached out for Elena. I couldn't blame her, she's known Elena longer, and I'm a "V-word" and all. I watched as he managed to pull us both away from Bonnie, but why'd he'd take me, I don't know. "That's why Elena's here. Motivation for you to behave. You know, you shouldn't be so desperate. You made it too easy," Ben smirked, causing Bonnie to narrow her eyes at him. He pushed us both out of the room roughly, as Bonnie got up from the tub. Ben shut the bathroom door behind Elena and me. "She wants to talk to you."
Elena and I stumbled into the room, as the girl leaned against the table. "Well, well. Elena Gilbert and Charlotte Fray. You really are Katherine and Corinthia's doppelgängers. You both must have the Salvatore boys reeling. Both of you at once?"
"Who are you?" Elena asked the girl.
"I'm Anna. Your brother may have mentioned me," Anna said, causing my eyes to widen as I looked over at Elena, "I mean, we're like, practically dating." There comes the gross girlish sarcasm. Anna's a little bitch, but I won't say that out loud.
***
Anna was peering out the curtains, looking outside. Meanwhile, I was searching for my ring anywhere in the room. I slowly inched towards the cabinet and opened the drawer softly, smirking when I saw my ring. Yes, the dumb guy didn't think to hide it anywhere weird. I took it and slipped it back on my finger, eyeing the Salvatore crest. They were my family.
"Bonnie's not gonna open the tomb," Elena explained to Anna.
"Oh, I think she will," Anna replied.
"Do you really want Katherine out that bad?" Elena asked Anna.
Anna looked over at us, "Trust me. No one I know wants to see that girl again. Except Damon, the revengeful idiot. He doesn't want Katherine to even be partially alive after what he did to Corinthia."
"Corinthia?" Elena asked as Anna shot a look at me. "You mean Katherine.." Elena turned to me.
"Killed Corinthia, Charlotte's doppelgänger? Yes, that's what I mean," Anna replied.
"Then what is it?" Elena asked, before pausing to rephrase, "Or who is it? If it isn't Katherine?" Elena questioned.
Anna turned to us once more, "My mother's in there." Anna walked closer towards Elena and me, "Katherine couldn't help herself. She just had to toy around with both of the Salvatore brothers. Even when one of them was already hooked on another girl, Corinthia. And when Corinthia got in the way, Katherine disposed of her. And when she got caught, so did my mother. I watched Johnathan Gilbert take her away."
"I'm sorry," Elena sincerely said, looking at Anna. I guess when you realize her reasoning behind opening the tomb, it doesn't seem all that bad. She just wanted her mother back. If I had the option to get mine back, I would.
"You really mean that, don't you?" Anna said with a smile, chuckling. "Yeah, I think we'll skip the dead mom bonding so you both can start serving a purpose." Okay... Back to bitch once again.
"Which is what?" Elena questioned.
"Leverage. These belong to you?" Anna held up our phones, as Elena tried to grab hers and I sped to grab mine. However, Anna pulled it away as I stood in front of her. "Ah-ah!" Anna walked across the room, dialing a number on Elena's phone and on mine.
"Elena, are you okay?"
"Charlotte, is everything alright?"
Stefan Salvatore and Damon Salvatore. Well played, Anna. Well played. "They're both fine, for now. Tell me that you have the grimoire and they'll stay fine."
"We can get it," Stefan answered.
"Which means that Damon, you have it. And I have the witch," Anna explained. "So one of you had better meet me in the very public town square in thirty minutes so we can safely discuss how fun it's going to be to work together."
Anna hung up the phone, knowing on the bathroom door. "I'm leaving." Ben opened the door to the bathroom and lead Bonnie out. At least she's okay. "Keep them buttoned down. Compulsion won't work. Just use violence." I sat down next to Elena on the bed.
"Right. I got that," Ben replied as Anna left. He pushed Bonnie to the bed. "Sit. Behave," Ben said to Bonnie, taking off his jacket. "So you're the key to this. Literally. The one who opens the door. Tell me," Ben sat down on the top of the chair, which looked uncomfortable, "how long have you been a witch?"
"Is there anything to drink here?" Elena questioned, as Ben stood and walked over to her menacingly. He had asked her if she was offering her blood and explained there was water on the nightstand. Elena picked up the water, starting to take a drink, but was cut off by Bonnie before she could take one.
"Hey. Can I have a sip?"
Elena pulled the glass away from her mouth, understanding what Bonnie had planned on doing. I finally did a moment after and watched as she handed the glass to Bonnie. She splashed the water onto Ben and turned the water into raging flames on his arm, as he patted it down. Elena, Bonnie, and I ran to the door. Bonnie and I managed to get outside, but Elena was grabbed by Ben before she could make it out.
"Come back in! Shut the door!" Ben ordered us.
Bonnie and I slid back into the room together. "Don't hurt her!" She yelled at him.
"Don't make me!" Ben yelled at her, as I shut the door behind us. He then yelled at me, "Lock it!" I deadbolted the door, watching with a grimace was he finally let Elena go.
***
Elena, Bonnie, and I took back out seats on the bed together as Ben paced back and forth.
"Witches don't have eternal life, right? So you guys can die," Ben realized.
"Yep. We can die," Bonnie explained to him.
"Not me, I'm not a human or a witch," I said to him, "Which means.. that I can easily take you down." I stood and sped to him, as he pushed me back. I looked at Bonnie, who was staring dead at Ben. He began to double over in pain, holding his head. I went to snap his neck, but before I could, Stefan kicked the door in. Oh, thank God, someone who had the heart to kill him.
Ben screamed as the sunlight from the door began to burn him. That idiot! Why didn't he put my ring on, instead of hiding it? I would've, but if he had done that it would be me burning and not him, and I've already burned once today. Thank God I remembered to find my ring and put it on.. Stefan ripped the curtain open, allowing more sunlight to pour into the room. Thank god... Ben hid in the dark as Elena spoke, "Stefan!"
Bonnie, Elena, and I stood as we dashed towards the door, "Let's get outside!" He gestured towards the door and the three of us ran out of it. However, I listened to what he said to Ben, "When the sun goes down, leave town. If I ever see you again, I will kill you." He then walked out and joined us.