The vampire diaries part 1 (The Awakening)

Chapter Eleven

Elena stumbled down the dim corridor, trying to visualize what was around her.

 Then the world suddenlyflickered to brightness and she found herself surrounded by familiar rows of lockers. Her relief was sogreat that she almost cried out. She'd never have thought she would be so glad just to see. She stood fora minute looking around gratefully. 

"Elena! What are you doing out here?"It was Meredith and Bonnie, hurrying down the hall toward her."Where have you been?" she said fiercely.Meredith grimaced. 

"We couldn't find Shelby. And when we finally did find him, he was asleep. I'mserious," she added at Elena's incredulous look. "Asleep. And then we couldn't get him to wake up. Itwasn't until the lights went back on that he opened his eyes. 

Then we started back to you. But what areyou doing here ?"Elena hesitated. "I got tired of waiting," she said as lightly as she could. "I think we've done enough workfor one day, anyway.""Now you tell us," said Bonnie.Meredith said nothing, but she gave Elena a keen, searching look. Elena had the uncomfortable feelingthat those dark eyes saw beneath the surface.

 All that weekend and throughout the following week, Elena worked on plans for the Haunted House.There was never enough time to be with Stefan, and that was frustrating, but even more frustrating wasStefan himself. She could sense his passion for her, but she could also sense that he was fighting it, stillrefusing to be completely alone with her. And in many ways he was just as much a mystery to her as hehad been when she first saw him.He never spoke about his family or his life before coming to Fell's Church, and if she asked any questionshe turned them aside. Once she had asked him if he missed Italy, if he was sorry he'd come here.

 And foran instant his eyes had lightened, the green sparkling like oak leaves reflected in a running stream. "Howcould I be sorry, when you are here?" he said, and kissed her in a way that put all inquiries out of hermind. In that moment, Elena had known what it was like to be completely happy. She'd felt his joy, too,and when he pulled back she had seen that his face was alight, as if the sun shone through it. 

"Oh, Elena," he'd whispered.The good times were like that. But he had kissed her less and less frequently of late, and she felt thedistance between them widening.That Friday, she and Bonnie and Meredith decided to sleep over at the Mc Culloughs'. 

The sky was grayand threatening to drizzle as she and Meredith walked to Bonnie's house. It was unusually chilly formid-October, and the trees lining the quiet street had already felt the nip of cold winds. The maples werea blaze of scarlet, while the ginkgoes were radiant yellow.Bonnie greeted them at the door with: "Everybody's gone! We'll have the whole house to ourselves untiltomorrow afternoon, when my family gets back from Leesburg." She beckoned them inside, grabbing forthe overfed Pekingese that was trying to get out. "No, Yangtze, stay in. Yangtze, no, don't! No!" 

But it was too late. Yangtze had escaped and was dashing through the front yard up to the single birchtree, where he yapped shrilly up into the branches, rolls of fat on his back jiggling."Oh, what's he after now ?" said Bonnie, putting her hands over her ears."It looks like a crow," said Meredith.Elena stiffened. She took a few steps toward the tree, looking up into the golden leaves. And there itwas.

 The same crow she had seen twice before. Perhaps three times before, she thought, rememberingthe dark shape winging up from the oak trees in the cemetery.As she looked at it she felt her stomach clench in fear and her hands grow cold. It was staring at heragain with its bright black eye, an almost human stare. That eye... where had she seen an eye like thatbefore?Suddenly all three girls jumped back as the crow gave a harsh croak and thrashed its wings, bursting outof the tree toward them. At the last moment it swooped down instead on the little dog, which was nowbarking hysterically. It came within inches of canine teeth and then soared back up again, flying over thehouse to disappear into the black walnut trees beyond.The three girls stood frozen in astonishment. Then Bonnie and Meredith looked at each other, and thetension shattered in nervous laughter."For a moment I thought he was coming for us," said Bonnie, going over to the outraged Pekingese anddragging him, still barking, back into the house."So did I," said Elena quietly.