The Devious Amelia Salvatore (2013 Watty Awards)

Damon, Damon, Damon

I saw my mother in a long silk white gown lying down in a hospital bed. She saw me sitting beside her and gently caressed my tear stained cheek. "It's okay Amelia. Let me go. You have to let me go. It's my time sweetheart", she said to me as she was lying on her death bed. I couldn't let her go. I wouldn't let her go. I grabbed her hand off of my cheek softly and whispered, "This is my entire fault mama. It's my fault you're here. Please don't go mama. We need you. I need you" "Amelia, don't blame yourself. It's my fault. I should have watched where I was going. You have been everything I have wanted in a daughter. You're kind, smart, and even though you get in trouble, I still love you and I always will no matter what happens", she said as more tears fell from both of our eyes.

Then I woke up. Damon was sitting in a chair from Stefan’s room that was placed for decoration in the middle of it. “Damon? What are you doing here?” I asked as I wiped away stray tears. Damon stood up and walked over to me as he said, “You were crying and you kind of woke me up so I came in here to keep an eye on you. Stefan spent the night over at Elena’s. What were you dreaming about Amelia?” I scooted over so Damon could lie down next to me as I said, “I was um… I was dreaming about mommy. I miss her Damon and it’s all my fault she’s dead!” I finished with tears brimming my eyes. He cradled me in his arms as he mentioned with a slight chuckle, “I thought you hated me yet your telling me this. It’s not your fault that mom’s dead. She got sick and died of the sickness. How is that your fault Amelia?” I looked into his rich blue eyes and explained to him the whole story.

*It was November 27th, 1860 when I was twelve years old. My father had just finished lecturing me about how I should be more like Stefan. You should do this like him and that like him. “No one likes you Amelia, everyone wants you to be the golden child considering you’re the only girl. You’re a disgrace to our family!” my father said to me. My mother took him into the other room as Stefan looked at my tear stained face. “I’m so sorry Amelia. I never meant for this to affect you. I was just being loyal to father, do you understand?” Stefan asked me. I was now crying uncontrollably as I retorted, “I understand! I was just trying to help! That’s all I ever wanted! To help father! He hates me Stefan! He doesn’t love me the way mommy does, the way Damon does, the way you do! I want Dam0n. I need Damon! Where is he Stefan? Where is he?” He took me in his arms as he softly replied, “He left several minutes prior to this Amelia. He said goodbye to us, but not to you because he was too saddened to see you cry. I’m sorry”. I shook my head furiously as I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and said, “He can’t be gone. He’s the only one that understands who I really am!” I quickly picked up my nightgown and ran out of the house ignoring my mother’s quick calls to stop me. I ran on the moonlit path as I followed the horse’s prints in hopes of finding Damon. I was then stopped by my mother as she was catching her breath. “I want Damon mommy. I miss him and I want to hug him and tell him to never leave!” I cried into her shoulder. My father appeared with a carriage soon after. After my mother was placed inside of the carriage, my father dragged me painfully by my hair and forcefully told me, “NEVER, do that again young lady! You could have gotten your mother killed! Then what would happen?! You should be so ashamed of who you are, why can’t you be more like Stefan? Why can’t you be normal? When we get home, you are going to go straight to bed and don’t come out until morning! Do you understand?” “I… I understand father. I’m sorry.” I said trying to hold back my cries. “He pushed me into the carriage with my mother as she started to cough up blood for no apparent reason. “Mommy?! What’s happening! What can I do?” I said frantically. “Just… get me… home… darling... hurry ple…ase” she said coughing up blood in between. “Father! Hurry home! Mommy’s sick!” I yelled out the carriage widow. “Shut up child! I’m hurrying, can’t you tell!” He spat back at me. “Yes father. Sorry.” I said as we approached the house. Father carried mother to her bed where she coughed up more blood. I ran to my room on the verge of tears again. ‘Amelia do this. Amelia do that. Amelia why can’t you do anything right?’ I said mimicking my father. Why can’t I do anything right? Stefan came to my room and explained to me that mother was allergic to something outside. I think he said it was a plant or something. I ran to mother’s room as her condition was deteriorating by the second. She lost a lot of blood from the carriage ride to here. She was paler than I ever saw her before. Stefan told me that we couldn’t ask a doctor to help because the doctor couldn’t be here until three more days. My mother grabbed my hand and said, “It’s okay Amelia. Let me go. You have to let me go. It’s my time sweetheart”, she said to me as she was lying on her death bed. I couldn’t let her go. I wouldn’t let her go. I grabbed her hand off of my cheek softly and whispered, “This is my entire fault mama. It’s my fault you’re here. Please don’t go mama. We need you. I need you” “Amelia, don’t blame yourself. It’s my fault. I should have watched where I was going. You have been everything I have wanted in a daughter. You’re kind, smart, and even though you get in trouble, I still love you and I always will no matter what happens”, she said as more tears fell from both of our eyes. Her eyes gently closed as she exhaled a short breath before going limp. I cried as Stefan dragged me out of the room and up the stairs to mine. He lay down next to me in my bed and just held me as I slowly began to fall asleep.*

“Amelia, mother’s death is not your fault and it never has been. Now normally I don’t show this side of me, you know the caring side, because I have a huge reputation to uphold so if you tell anyone about this, I’m not afraid to tickle you. Got it?” Damon said which made me laugh. “I miss you Damon. I’m sorry I’m mad at you. I’m sorry for being mad. Please forgive me?” I asked putting on my puppy dog face. “No thanks, rather not” he said giving me a smile. “Damon, Damon, Damon. How can you make me happy in an instant?” I said looking up at him with a smile. “It’s because I’m your older brother from the same mother. We have a special bond Amelia. No matter what has happened in the past, we will always have each other” he said kissing the top of my head. I laughed and sat up on my bed looking at the ceiling. “Alright, time to get up because you have school today. I don’t want any if’s, and’s, or but’s alright missy? Stefan will be here at 7:30 to pick you up and I suggest you get a move on considering its now 6:30. Chop. Chop.” Damon said pushing me off of my bed and onto my butt. “You son of a b!tch! That hurt! My butts very fragile! Now get out, I have to change” I said while pushing him out of the door.