37586328538562

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Spanish Inquisition is not a rock group." Elena was laughing with sheer ebullience as they went up the stairs. Mrs. Bennett looked pale and tired, but invited them in. "Vickie's been resting; the doctor said to keep her in bed," she explained, with a smile that trembled slightly. Elena, Bonnie, and Meredith crowded into the narrow hallway. Mrs. Bennett tapped lightly at Vickie's door. "Vickie, sweetheart, some girls from school to see you. Don't keep her long," she added to Elena, opening the door. "We won't," Elena promised. She stepped into a pretty blue-and-white bedroom, the others right behind her. Vickie was lying in bed propped up on pillows, with a powder-blue comforter drawn up to her chin. Her face was paper-white against it, and her heavy-lidded eyes stared straight ahead. "That's how she looked last night," Bonnie whispered. Elena moved to the side of the bed. "Vickie," she said softly. Vickie went on staring, but Elena thought her breathing changed slightly. "Vickie, can you hear me? It's Elena Gilbert." She glanced uncertainly at Bonnie and Meredith. "Looks like they gave her tranquilizers," said Meredith. But Mrs. Bennett hadn't said they'd given her any drugs. Frowning, Elena turned back to the unresponsive girl. "Vickie, it's me, Elena. I just wanted to talk to you about last night. I want you to know that I believe you about what happened." Elena ignored the sharp glance Meredith gave her and continued. "And I wanted to ask you – " "No!" It was a shriek, raw and piercing, torn from Vickie's throat. The body that had been as still as a wax figure exploded into violent action. Vickie's light-brown hair whipped across her cheeks as she tossed her head back and forth and her hands flailed at the empty air. "No! No!" she screamed. "Do something!" Bonnie gasped. "Mrs. Bennett! Mrs. Bennett!" Elena and Meredith were trying to hold Vickie on the bed, and she was fighting them. The shrieking went on and on. Then suddenly Vickie's mother was beside them, helping to hold her, pushing the others away. "What did you do to her?" she cried. Vickie clutched at her mother, calming down, but then the heavy-lidded eyes glimpsed Elena over Mrs. Bennett's shoulder. "You're part of it! You're evil!" she screamed hysterically at Elena. "Keep away from me!" Elena was dumbfounded. "Vickie! I only came to ask – " "I think you'd better leave now. Leave us alone," said Mrs. Bennett, clasping her daughter protectively. "Can't you see what you're doing to her?" In stunned silence, Elena left the room. Bonnie and Meredith followed. "It must be drugs," said Bonnie once they were out of the house. "She just went completely nonlinear." "Did you notice her hands?" Meredith said to Elena. "When we were trying to restrain her, I got hold of one of her hands. And it was cold as ice." Elena shook her head in bewilderment. None of it made sense, but she wouldn't let it spoil her day. She wouldn't. Desperately, she searched her mind for something that would offset the experience, that
would allow her to hold on to her happiness. "I know," she said. "The boarding house." "What?" "I told Stefan to call me today, but why don't we walk over to the boarding house instead? It's not far from here." "Only a twenty-minute walk," said Bonnie. She brightened. "At least we can finally see that room of his." "Actually," said Elena, "I was thinking you two could wait downstairs. Well, I'll only get to see him for a few minutes," she added, defensively, as they looked at her. It was odd, perhaps, but she didn't want to share Stefan with her friends just yet. He was so new to her that he felt almost like a secret. Their knock on the shining oak door was answered by Mrs. Flowers. She was a wrinkled little gnome of a woman with surprisingly bright black eyes. "You must be Elena," she said. "I saw you and Stefan go out last night, and he told me your name when he came back." "You saw us?" said Elena, startled. "I didn't see you." "No, no you didn't," said Mrs. Flowers, and chuckled. "What a pretty girl you are, my dear," she added. "A very pretty girl." She patted Elena's cheek. "Uh, thank you," said Elena uneasily. She didn't like the way those birdlike eyes were fixed on her. She looked past Mrs. Flowers to the stairs. "Is Stefan home?" "He must be, unless he's flown off the roof!" said Mrs. Flowers, and chuckled again. Elena laughed politely. "We'll stay down here with Mrs. Flowers," said Meredith to Elena, while Bonnie rolled her eyes in martyrdom. Hiding a grin, Elena nodded and mounted the stairs. Such a strange old house, she thought again as she located the second stairway in the bedroom. The voices below were very faint from here, and as she went up the steps they faded entirely. She was wrapped in silence, and as she reached the dimly lit door at the top, she had the feeling she had entered some other world. Her knocking sounded very timid. "Stefan?" She could hear nothing from inside, but suddenly the door swung open. Everyone must look pale and tired today, thought Elena, and then she was in his arms. Those arms tightened about her convulsively. "Elena. Oh, Elena…" Then he drew back. It was just the way it had been last night; Elena could feel the chasm opening between them. She saw the cold, correct look gather in his eyes. "No," she said, hardly aware that she spoke aloud. "I won't let you." And she pulled his mouth down to hers. For a moment there was no response, and then he shuddered, and the kiss became searing. His fingers tangled in her hair, and the universe shrank around Elena. Nothing else existed but Stefan, and the feel of his arms around her, and the fire of his lips on hers. A few minutes or a few centuries later they separated, both shaking. But their gaze remained connected, and Elena saw that Stefan's eyes were too dilated for even this dim light; there was only a thin band of green around the dark pupils. He looked dazed, and his mouth – that mouth! – was swollen. "I think," he said, and she could hear the control in his voice, "that we had better be careful when we do that."
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 36 and 37: Bonnie picked up the photograph. "W
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 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
show all

37586328538562

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?