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Bonnie picked up the photograph. "Who was he really?" "The gardener. He was crazy about those hibiscus bushes. He was also married, with two kids." "Pity," said Bonnie seriously. "And you told Frances not to tell anyone about him…" "Right." Elena checked her watch. "Which means that by, oh, say two o'clock, it ought to be all over the school." After school, the girls went to Bonnie's house. They were greeted at the front door by a shrill yapping, and when Bonnie opened the door, a very old, very fat Pekingese tried to escape. His name was Yangtze, and he was so spoiled that no one except Bonnie's mother could stand him. He nipped at Elena's ankle as she went by. The living room was dim and crowded, with lots of rather fussy furniture and heavy curtains at the windows. Bonnie's sister Mary was there, unpinning a cap from her wavy red hair. She was just two years older than Bonnie, and she worked at the Fell's Church clinic. "Oh, Bonnie," she said, "I'm glad you're back. Hello, Elena, Meredith." Elena and Meredith said "hello." "What's the matter? You look tired," said Bonnie. Mary dropped her cap on the coffee table. Instead of answering, she asked a question in return. "Last night when you came home so upset, where did you say you girls had been?" "Down in the – Just down by Wickery Bridge." "That's what I thought." Mary took a deep breath. "Now, you listen to me, Bonnie McCullough. Don't you ever go out there again, and especially not alone and at night. Do you understand?" "But why not?" Bonnie asked, bewildered. "Because last night somebody was attacked out there, that's why not. And do you know where they found him? Right on the bank under Wickery Bridge." Elena and Meredith stared at her in disbelief, and Bonnie clutched at Elena's arm. "Somebody was attacked under the bridge? But who was it? What happened?" "I don't know. This morning one of the cemetery workers spotted him lying there. He was some homeless person, I guess, and he'd probably been sleeping under the bridge when he was attacked. But he was half dead when they brought him in, and he hasn't regained consciousness yet. He may die." Elena swallowed. "What do you mean, attacked?" "I mean," said Mary distinctly, "that his throat was nearly ripped out. He lost an incredible amount of blood. They thought it might have been an animal at first, but now Dr. Lowen says it was a person. And the police think whoever did it may be hiding in the cemetery." Mary looked at each of them in turn, her mouth a straight line. "So if you were there by the bridge – or in the cemetery, Elena Gilbert – then this person may have been there with you. Get it?" "You don't have to scare us anymore," said Bonnie faintly. "We get the point, Mary." "All right. Good." Mary's shoulders slumped, and she rubbed at the back of her neck wearily. "I've got to lie down for a while. I didn't mean to be crabby." She walked out of the living room. Alone, the three girls looked at one another. "It could have been one of us," said Meredith quietly. "Especially you, Elena; you went there alone." Elena's skin was prickling, that same painfully alert feeling she'd had in the old graveyard. She
could feel the chill of the wind and see the rows of tall tombstones all around her. Sunshine and Robert E. Lee had never seemed so far away. "Bonnie," she said slowly, "did you see somebody out there? Is that what you meant when you said someone was waiting for me?" In the dim room, Bonnie looked at her blankly. "What are you talking about? I didn't say that." "Yes, you did." "No, I didn't. I never said that." "Bonnie," said Meredith, "we both heard you. You stared out at the old gravestones, and then you told Elena – " "I don't know what you're talking about, and I didn't say anything." Bonnie's face was pinched with anger, but there were tears in her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it anymore." Elena and Meredith looked at one another helplessly. Outside, the sun went behind a cloud.
Page 2 and 3: Vampire Diaries Volume 1 THE AWAKEN
Page 4 and 5: "Are you having a good time?" Elena
Page 6 and 7: HarperPaperbacks A Division of Harp
Page 8 and 9: Elena Gilbert stopped writing. She
Page 10 and 11: He wasn't. Deep in the woods, where
Page 12 and 13: eyes lifted to Elena's in bewilderm
Page 14 and 15: could be more than that, could beco
Page 16 and 17: presence of that mind again. It glo
Page 18 and 19: Chapter Three The first light of da
Page 20 and 21: silver ring, also set with lapis, o
Page 22 and 23: They were enjoying the game, slouch
Page 24 and 25: Chapter Four By the time Elena reac
Page 26 and 27: were alien, unfamiliar, vaguely men
Page 28 and 29: I'll swear." Closing her eyes, she
Page 30 and 31: her lips and laughed shortly. "Sure
Page 32 and 33: His sight was sharper, his reflexes
Page 34 and 35: But that was before his brother Dam
Page 38 and 39: Chapter Six September 26 Dear Diary
Page 40 and 41: "Matt," she said, slowly, "don't yo
Page 42 and 43: in, and compliments rained down on
Page 44 and 45: Outside, she threw herself into the
Page 46 and 47: "Why don't we go inside?" Vickie sa
Page 48 and 49: Tyler tried to roll off, giggling s
Page 50 and 51: Even through the numbness, Elena fe
Page 52 and 53: me, or you might get a disease." He
Page 54 and 55: smudged and grimy with dirt. She wa
Page 56 and 57: "I've been at the boarding house, w
Page 58 and 59: Chapter Nine She was not the reinca
Page 60 and 61: " - or your duty? Do you love her e
Page 62 and 63: Spanish Inquisition is not a rock g
Page 64 and 65: Elena nodded, dazed herself. Not in
Page 66 and 67: eat either. We didn't touch each ot
Page 68 and 69: Chamber. They'll go straight out of
Page 70 and 71: artificial twilight, but she could
Page 72 and 73: Chapter Eleven Elena stumbled down
Page 74 and 75: thing." "It's hard to see him all w
Page 76 and 77: She remembered the smile, too. "Tha
Page 78 and 79: "Hush," she whispered again, and he
Page 80 and 81: clothes were as natural as his usua
Page 82 and 83: Outside, thunder rumbled again, and
Page 84 and 85: "No! Shut the doors! Don't let anyb
Page 86 and 87:
Stefan turned toward the gym, as if
Page 88 and 89:
soon… now. The boarding house was
Page 90 and 91:
she should see what he truly was, w
Page 92 and 93:
silversmiths in Florence." Stefan w
Page 94 and 95:
Chapter Fourteen Elena felt her fle
Page 96 and 97:
His harsh sobs went on and on, as s
Page 98 and 99:
"I… don't remember," he said blea
Page 100 and 101:
pleading. She knew that her own fac
Page 102 and 103:
other. She has a spirit and a fire
Page 104 and 105:
Stefan did not look back or try to
Page 106:
there were a crushing weight all ar
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