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Spanish Inquisition is not a rock group."<br />
Elena was laughing with sheer ebullience as they went up the stairs.<br />
Mrs. Bennett looked pale and tired, but invited them in.<br />
"Vickie's been resting; the doctor said to keep her in bed," she explained, with a smile that trembled<br />
slightly. Elena, Bonnie, and Meredith crowded into the narrow hallway.<br />
Mrs. Bennett tapped lightly at Vickie's door. "Vickie, sweetheart, some girls from school to see you.<br />
Don't keep her long," she added to Elena, opening the door.<br />
"We won't," Elena promised. She stepped into a pretty blue-and-white bedroom, the others right<br />
behind her. Vickie was lying in bed propped up on pillows, with a powder-blue comforter drawn up<br />
to her chin. Her face was paper-white against it, and her heavy-lidded eyes stared straight ahead.<br />
"That's how she looked last night," Bonnie whispered.<br />
Elena moved to the side of the bed. "Vickie," she said softly. Vickie went on staring, but Elena<br />
thought her breathing changed slightly. "Vickie, can you hear me? It's Elena Gilbert." She glanced<br />
uncertainly at Bonnie and Meredith.<br />
"Looks like they gave her tranquilizers," said Meredith.<br />
But Mrs. Bennett hadn't said they'd given her any drugs. Frowning, Elena turned back to the<br />
unresponsive girl.<br />
"Vickie, it's me, Elena. I just wanted to talk to you about last night. I want you to know that I believe<br />
you about what happened." Elena ignored the sharp glance Meredith gave her and continued. "And I<br />
wanted to ask you – "<br />
"No!" It was a shriek, raw and piercing, torn from Vickie's throat. The body that had been as still as<br />
a wax figure exploded into violent action. Vickie's light-brown hair whipped across her cheeks as she<br />
tossed her head back and forth and her hands flailed at the empty air. "No! No!" she screamed.<br />
"Do something!" Bonnie gasped. "Mrs. Bennett! Mrs. Bennett!"<br />
Elena and Meredith were trying to hold Vickie on the bed, and she was fighting them. The shrieking<br />
went on and on. Then suddenly Vickie's mother was beside them, helping to hold her, pushing the<br />
others away.<br />
"What did you do to her?" she cried.<br />
Vickie clutched at her mother, calming down, but then the heavy-lidded eyes glimpsed Elena over<br />
Mrs. Bennett's shoulder.<br />
"You're part of it! You're evil!" she screamed hysterically at Elena. "Keep away from me!"<br />
Elena was dumbfounded. "Vickie! I only came to ask – "<br />
"I think you'd better leave now. Leave us alone," said Mrs. Bennett, clasping her daughter<br />
protectively. "Can't you see what you're doing to her?"<br />
In stunned silence, Elena left the room. Bonnie and Meredith followed.<br />
"It must be drugs," said Bonnie once they were out of the house. "She just went completely<br />
nonlinear."<br />
"Did you notice her hands?" Meredith said to Elena. "When we were trying to restrain her, I got<br />
hold of one of her hands. And it was cold as ice."<br />
Elena shook her head in bewilderment. None of it made sense, but she wouldn't let it spoil her day.<br />
She wouldn't. Desperately, she searched her mind for something that would offset the experience, that