Otherworldly (Hope Mikaelson)

5-Gotcha

Scarlet had just finished her Math test when the power went out. She couldn't see anything in the complete darkness, making her chest tighten and her breathing quickened. The redhead hated the dark. There were just too many unknown factors in the dark. She was too vulnerable.

She heard a noise beside her, but she quickly realized it the was the chair of the person next to her. Her teacher's voice spoke through the darkness, assuring them that the back up generator would come on momentarily.

It didn't.

"My flashlight won't turn on!" One of the students yelled from the front of the room.

"Mine either!" Another one called.

With shaky hands, Scarlet grabbed her own phone and tried turning the flashlight on. She managed to get it to turn on, but what she saw in the dark scared her half to death.

Piercing blue eyes stared at her through the dark, unblinking. A slow smirk formed below the eyes. Scarlet screamed, but it was abruptly cut when she fell to the floor, her body seizing and convulsing.

~~~

Lexi paced the concrete outside of the Salvatore school. She kept texting and calling Lucy, but to no avail. It wasn't like she wanted to be here. The dark haired girl wanted nothing more than to be in the hospital with her father and her sister.

Lucy emerged moments later from the front door, looking concerned. A pretty redhead appeared behind her, along with the man Lexi saw at her house that one fateful night.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked at the distraught and angry look on the other girl's face.

"My sister had a seizure and hit her head! She's in the hospital." Lexi grit out, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Is she okay?" Lucy asked, her heart squeezing painfully. In her time her at the boarding school, she had been so preoccupied with figuring out who she used to be instead of focusing on who she was now. Now, she had a father and two sisters even if she hadn't known them long.

"She hasn't woken up yet. I was hoping..." Lexi didn't dare ask what she was so desperately wanted to, but she didn't have to. Lucy understood immediately.

"Alright, let's go."

"Go where? You can't just go, Lucy!" The redhead argued.

"Hope, I have to." The blonde looked irritated, but she didn't show it.

"No, you need to stay safe until we can figure out-" Zach began, but Lucy was gone in the blink of an eye. Lexi was gone, too.

"Did she just... teleport?" Hope asked as she turned to look at the only other celestial.

"I didn't think she remembered how to do that." Zach said, moments before he, too, disappeared.

"Great!" Hope grumbled, throwing her hands up in the air. "Now what?"

"Need some help?" Came a soft voice. Hope turned to see Josie Saltzman with a grimoire in her hands.

Hope smiled gratefully, going to hug the other girl. She hadn't realized Josie was back.

~~~

"The doctors don't know when she'll wake up. Or if. It's like... The only thing they can liken her condition too is when a horse gets so frightened it dies, except her fear is keeping her comatose." Dr. Malcolm Warner hated the words coming from his lips. They tasted like dirt and grime and despair. Even if he, as a doctor, could take care of his daughter, he wouldn't know how.

Lucy looked into the window in the hospital room, watching Lexi hold Scarlet's hand and talk to her. Her heart ached for the sisters.

"Let me see what I can do." Lucy told him, putting her hand on his arm. The older man pulled the blonde into a tight embrace.

"Thank you," he breathed, kissing the top of her head before letting her go. Lucy nodded and turned to Zach, whom came right after her. Zach nodded at her encouragingly, letting her know with his kind smile that he would be there if she needed him.

Lucy entered the hospital room, startling Lexi from her rant about some social media influencer's latest scandal. She smiled warmly at the darker haired girl before taking a seat on the opposite end of the hospital bed. She took Scarlet's hand in hers, focusing as hard as she could. At first, absolutely nothing happened. Then, as slow as feet in the sand, a blue light formed between the girls' intertwined hands. The light traveled along the redhead's arm, engulfing every inch of skin from head to toe. Zach made sure the curtains were closed so no one outside the room could see what was going on.

Lucy whimpered softly as she felt her power transfer from her core to Scarlet. She didn't feel like she had enough, but when she felt Zach's hand on her shoulder, she drew in his strength and energy.

"You can do it, Lucy. I know you can." Zach whispered to her.

Thunder rumbled outside. Lightning flashed brightly, startling Lexi. Lucy jumped, too, but Zach kept her grounded.

Lucy gasped, her nose dripping blood before she slumped over, unconscious. Zach caught her and held her.

At the same time, Scarlet awoke with a start, her heart monitor going crazy.

"Scar?" Lexi asked, standing to attention. "Scarlet? Can you hear me?"

The monitor flatlined, Scarlet's body seizing and convulsing. Black smoke shot from her gaping mouth, swirling around the room before disappearing into a vent.

~~~

A doctor in green scrubs entered the waiting room. "Dr. Warner?"

The good doctor, his hysterical daughter, Lucy, and Zach stood immediately.

"Is she okay?" Malcolm could hardly spit the words out, too afraid of hearing bad news.

The doctor, a handsome Middle Eastern man with dark hair and chocolate eyes smiled softly. "Scarlet will be fine. She'll probably be out for a little while longer, but she is expected to make a full recovery.

Lucy felt eyes on her, noticing how the doctor kept his gaze mostly on her. It didn't escape the notice of anyone else in the room.

"I'm sorry.. Do I know you? You just look... So familiar.." The doctor held his hand out to Lucy to shake.

"I'm Lucy," she greeted as she placed her hand in his. The moment she did, his grip tightened and a wicked smile over took his face. "Gotcha."

Suddenly, the entire space was pitch black.