The Return: Nightfall Chapter 8

The clocks gray-fashi championd hands showed common chordA.M . when Meredith was utterly roused from a fitful sleep.And and then she bit her lip, acrid a scream. A face was bending over hers, upside down. The exist thing she pho bespeak was lying on her mainstay in a quiescency bag, talking ab push with Alaric with honest.Now meet was bending over her, save with her face inverted and her eye shut. She was kneeling at the proposition of Merediths take a breather and her upside-down nose closely touched Merediths. Add to that an odd blondness in sightlys cheeks and rapid warm breath that tickled Merediths forehead, and anyone anyone, Meredith insisted to herself would be entitled to a half-scream.She waited for average to deliver, staring in the gloom at those eerily shut eyes. that instead, mediocre sat up, s alsod, walked disinclined flawlessly to Merediths desk, where Merediths mobile localise charging, and picked it up. She moldiness constitute turned i t on for a video save for she o draw uped her m issueh and began to gesture and speak.It was terrifying. The sounds that came start of Bonnies mouth were all too identifi fitted prickerward speech. The tangled, guttural or high-pitched noises all carried the pulse that horror movies had made so popular. alone to be able to speak that counselling on purposeit wasnt possible for a normal kind- proveted or a normal human mind. Meredith had an eerie sense of several(prenominal)thing arduous to stretch its mind toward them, trying to reach them through unimaginable dimensions. perhaps it lives backward, Meredith thought, trying to distract herself as the frightening sounds went on. Maybe it thinks we do. Maybe we alone dont intersect.Meredith didnt think she could stand more more. She was beginning to imagine that she comprehend words, even phrases in the backward sounds, and none of them were pleasant. Please let it keep back now.A wailing and mumblingBonnies mouth shut with a confrontation of teeth. The sounds s liftped instantly. And then, interchangeable a video being rolled back in slow motion, she walked backward to her sleeping bag, knelt, and back-crawled into it, lying down with her head on the pillow all without opening her eyes to note where she was departure.It was one of the scariest things Meredith had ever hitn or heard, and Meredith had seen and heard a fair amount of shivery things.And Meredith could no more set out left that recording until morning than she could sop up flown without assistance.She got up, tiptoed to the desk, and took the mobile phone to the separate room. There she attached it to her computer, where she could run the backward message send on.When shed listened to the message in reverse once or tw crackpot she decided that Bonnie must neer hear it. It would frighten her out of her senses, and at that place would be no more contact with the paranormal for Elenas friends.Therewere beast sounds in th ere, mixed up with the twisted, backward voicethat wasnt Bonnies voice in any way. It wasnt any normal persons voice. It virtually sounded worse handout forward than backward which maybe meant that whatever being had spoken the words unremarkably spoke the other way.Meredith could make out human voices over the groaning and kinky laughter and the animal noises straight from the veldt. Though they made the whiskers on her torso stand up and tingle, she tried to put together the words in between the nonsense. Putting them together she gotAaahhhwagggening wuh illllilllbesud-ud-uddenANDshhhhohhhging.YOOOOU hand-and-ndIiiimmmustBEthereforeherrraaahhh wagggeningWewoneBE therefor-or-or-or-r (was there a herrr next, or was it just part of the growling?) take away errrrrrrrrrrrahhn.ThaaassFORRRRRothththERRRhandandndsssssssssst-t-todo.Meredith, working with pad and pen, eventually got these words on paper wakening will be sudden and ball over.You and I must be there for her awaken ing. We wont be there for (her?) later on. Thats for other hands to do.Meredith put the pen very precisely beside the deciphered message on the pad.And by and by that Meredith went and couch hunched in her sleeping bag watching the unmoving Bonnie like a cat at a mouse hole, until, finally, bless tiredness took her into the dark.I utterwhat ? Bonnie was honestly bewildered the next morning, wring grapefruit juice and pouring cereal, like a model host, even if it was Meredith who was scrambling eggs at the stove.Ive told you three times now. The words be non going to change, I promise.Well, Bonnie said, suddenly switching sides, its clear that the Awakening is going to happen to Elena. Because, for one thing, you and I thrust to be there for it, and for another thing, shes the one who needs towake up .Exactly, said Meredith.She needs to remember who she really was.Precisely, said Meredith.And weve got to help her rememberNosaid Meredith, fetching out her anger on the eggs wi th a p live onic spatula. No, Bonnie, thats not what you said, and I dont think wecould do it anyway. We out household teach her little things, maybe, the way Stefan has. How to tie her shoes. How to brush her hair. But from what you said, the Awakening is going to be shocking and sudden and you didnt say anything about us doing it. You notwithstanding said that we acquit to be there for her, because after that, somehow wewont be there.Bonnie contemplated that in gloomy silence. Wont be there? she said finally. Like, wont be with Elena? Or wont be there, likewont be anywhere?Meredith eyed a breakfast that she suddenly didnt want to eat. I dont jockey.Stefan said we could come over again forthwith, Bonnie urged.Stefan would be polite period he was being staked to death.I know, Bonnie said suddenly. Lets call Matt. We gutter go see Caroleanif shewill see us, I mean. We can see if shes any different today. Then we can wait until its afternoon, andthen we can call Stefan and as k if we can come over again to see Elena.At Carolines house, her mother said she was sick today and was going to stay in bed. The three of them Matt, Meredith, and Bonnie went back to Merediths house without her, scarce Bonnie kept chewing her lip, looking back on occasion toward Carolines street. Carolines mother had looked sick herself, with shadows under her eyes. And the thunderstorm tanging, the feeling of pressure, had been squashing Carolines house almost flat. At Merediths, Matt tinkered with his car, which perpetually needed work, while Bonnie and Meredith went through Merediths wardrobe for clothes that Elena could wear. They would be big, but that was better than Bonnies, which would be much too small.At fourP.M . they called Stefan. Yes, they were welcome. They went downstairs and picked up Matt.At the boardinghouse, Elena didnt repeat the snuggling ritual of the previous day to Matts obvious disappointment. But she was delighted with the spic-and-span clothes, al though not for any reason that the old Elena would have been. Floating three feet moody the floor, she kept keeping them to her face and taking ambiguous, happy sniffs, and then beaming at Meredith, although when Bonnie picked up a T-shirt, she couldnt smell anything but the fabric softener theyd used. Not even Merediths Beach cologne.Im sorry, Stefan said helplessly as Elena went into a sudden sneezing fit, cuddling a sky-blue top in her arms as if it were a kitten. But his face was tender, and Meredith, while looking slightly embarrassed, reassured him that it was nice to be so appreciated.She can tell where they come from, Stefan explained. She wont wear anything thats come from a sweatshop.I only buy from places listed on the Sweatshop-Free Clothing website, Meredith said simply. Bonnie and I have something to tell you, she added. While she recounted Bonnies late-night prophecy, Bonnie took Elena into the bathroom and helped her change into the shorts, which fit, and the sky- blue top, which almost fit, being just a little long.The color set off Elenas tangled but still glorious hair perfectly, but when Bonnie tried to get her to look in the hand mirror that she had brought the old mirrors shards had all been cleared away Elena seemed as confused as a puppy held up to see its own reflection. Bonnie kept holding the mirror in front of her face, and Elena kept popping out on one side or another from behind it, like a baby playing peek-a-boo. Bonnie had to be satisfied with a skilful brushing out of the tangles in that golden mass, which Stefan clearly didnt know how to handle. When Elenas hair was finally silky and smooth, Bonnie proudly took her out to be shown off.And was forthwith sorry. The other three were in deep, and it looked like grim, conversation. Reluctantly, Bonnie let go of Elena who immediately flew literally into Stefans lap, and joined them herself.Of course we understand, Meredith was saying. Even before Caroline went off her rocker , what other election was there, ultimately? But What what other choice is there? Bonnie said, as she sat down on Stefans bed beside him. What are you guys talking about?There was a long pause, and then Meredith got up to put an arm around Bonnie. We were talking about why Stefan and Elena need to leave Fells Church need to go far away.At number one Bonnie didnt react she knew she should be feeling something, but she was too deep in shock to access what it was. When words came to her, the only thing she could hear herself saying stupidly was, Goaway ?Why?You saw why here, yesterday, Meredith said, her dark eyes filled with pain, her face for once showing the uncontrollable anguish she must be feeling. But for the moment, no anguish meant anything to Bonnie but her own.And it was approaching now, like an avalanche burying her in red-hot snow. In ice that burned. Somehow she struggled out of it long enough to say, Caroline wont do anything. She sign a vow. She knows that to br eak it especially when when you-know-who signed it, tooMeredith must have told Stefan about the crow, because he sighed and shook his head, gently fending off Elena, who was trying to look up into his face. Clearly she sensed the unhappiness in the group, but just as clearly she couldnt really understand what was causing it.The last person I want around Caroline is my brother. Stefan pushed his dark hair out of his eyes irritably, as if he had been reminded of how much they looked alike. And I dont think Merediths curse about the sorority sisters is going to work, either. Shes too far gone into the darkness.Bonnie shivered inside. She didnt like the thoughts that those words summoned upinto the darkness .But Matt began, and Bonnie cognise that he felt the same way she did stunned and sick, as if they were acquire off some cheap carnival ride.Listen, Stefan said, theres another reason why we cant stay here.What other reason? Matt said slowly. Bonnie was too upset to speak. She had thought about this, somewhere deep in her unconscious. But shed pushed the thoughts away every time they came.Bonnie understands it already, I think. Stefan looked at her. She looked back with eyes that were misting over with tears.Fells Church, Stefan explained gently and sadly, was built at a conflict of the ley lines. The lines of raw Power in the ground, remember? I dont know if it was deliberate. Does anybody know if the Smallwoods had anything to do with the location?No one did. There was nothing in Honoria Fells old diary about the werewolf family having a choice in the founding of the townsfolk.Well, if it was an accident, it was a pretty unlucky one. The town I should say, the town cemetery was built directly over a place where a lot of ley lines cross. Thats what made it a beacon for supernatural creatures, bad or or not quite so bad. He looked embarrassed, and Bonnie cognize that he was talking about himself. I was drawn here. So were other vampires, as you kno w. And with every person who had the Power who came here, the beacon became stronger. Brighter. More sweet to other great deal with the Power. Its a vicious cycle.Eventually, some of them are going to see Elena, Meredith said. Remember, these are people like Stefan, Bonnie, but not people with his moral sense. When they see herBonnie almost burst into tears at the thought. She seemed to see a flurry of sportsmanlike feathers, each tumbling in slow motion to the ground.But she wasnt this way when she first woke up, Matt said slowly and stubbornly. She talked. She was rational. She didntfloat .Talking or not talking, walking or floating, she has thePower , Stefan said. adequate to drive ordinary vampires crazy. Crazy enough to hurt her to get it. And she doesnt bulge or wound. At least, I cant imagine her doing that. What Im hoping, he said, and his face darkened, is that I can take her somewhere where shell beprotected.But you cant take her, Bonnie said, and she could hear the wail in her own voice without being able to control it. Didnt Meredith tell you what I said? Shes going to wake up. And Meredith and I need to be with her for that.Because we wont be with her later.Suddenly it made sense. And while it wasnt quite as bad as thinking that they would be not-anywhere-at-all, it was more than bad enough.I wasnt thinking of taking her until she can at least walk properly, Stefan said, and he surprised Bonnie with a quick arm around her shoulders. It felt like Merediths hug, sibling-ish, but stronger and briefer. And you dont know how glad I am that shes going to wake up. Or that youll be there to support her.But But the ghoulies are still going to come to Fells Church? Bonnie thought. And we wont have you to protect us?She glanced up and saw that Meredith knew exactly what shed been thinking. I would say, Meredith said, in her most careful, measured tones, that Stefan and Elena have been through enough for the towns sake.Well. There was no arguing withth at . And there was no arguing with Stefan, either, it seemed. His mind was made up.They talked until after dark anyway, discussing different options and scenarios, pondering over Bonnies prediction. They didnt get anything decided, but at least they had thrashed out some possible plans. Bonnie insisted that there be some means of communication with Stefan, and she was just about to demand some of his blood and hair for the summoning spell when he gently pointed out that he did have a mobile phone now.At last it was time to leave. The humans were starving, and Bonnie guessed that Stefan probably was, too. He looked unusually white as he sat with Elena on his lap.When they said good-bye at the top of the stairs, Bonnie had to keep reminding herself that Stefan had promised that Elena would be there for her and Meredith to support. He would never take her away without telling them.It wasnt areal good-bye.So why did it feel so much like one?