Captive Love || K. Mikaelson

He's Come Undone

Since no one else offered, I'm here to help Caroline clean up the school. Surprisingly, we find Rebekah. But she's solemn. Resigned. Not like I've seen her. She never came to the dance. I don't know why, but I presume it has something to do with Esther. She picks up trash silently. "Where's Matt?" Caroline asks. "He bailed." She answers stiffly. "Are you kidding me?" Caroline mutters.

"Yes, so it's just us," She eyes me. "And you're both late. Clean up committee started at 8." Caroline checks her watch. "It's like, 8:02!" "Exactly. I managed to show some compassion one time and I don't even get to attend the dance I organized." She says, bitterly. Right. So it was Esther. She walks past Caroline and picks up more trash off a nearby table. We're in the cafeteria. Caroline turns around softly. I think to some level, Caroline understands Rebekah.

Her need for popularity, that deep down is just the need for someone else to love her. Her jealously of Elena. It was something she'd experienced herself. But they shouldn't be. Because despite everything, Elena doesn't have the perfect life. She has no one left. No one but Jeremy. And he's only her cousin. "I'm sorry about your mom. I mean, I know you like, hated her and everything. Still, I'm sorry." Caroline says. Rebekah turns back to her work.

"I'm sorry about your teacher." Rebekah says abruptly. "He seemed like a nice guy." Caroline smiles softly. "Yeah. He was. Rebekah says nothing for a few moments. "I'm going to get started on the gym." She says, finally. She walks away. We hear a struggle in the hallway. Both of our heads snap up as we rush to help Rebekah. Alaric has her pinned to the lockers. Gasping, we pull him off of her.

His face is twisted in hatred. And disgust. It's not Alaric. The three of us hold him down as Rebekah shoves the White Oak Stake into his chest. We step back as he screams. Groaning, he pulls the stake out. We watch in astonishment. There is only one thought in my mind. Run. We all run before he recovers. Rebekah is gone in an instant. Caroline and I speed to her car, and I tap my foot anxiously as she fumbles with her car keys.

I react too late as Alaric appears behind her and snaps her neck. I try to run, but he's faster. I'm briefly aware of Rebekah, watching. He snaps my neck, and everything goes black.

~~~

I am in pain. Immense, stabbing pain. Everywhere. I am on the wall of a classroom. There is a Wolfsbane cloth around my head and in my mouth, burning me. Two chair legs are in my shoulders, tough straight though, pinning me to the wall. They are placed so that I have to stand or they'll rip through my shoulders. My hands are wrapped in vervain ropes and tied together. I'm so weak that I'm struggling to stand. My shoulders ache where I must've been slumped.

A small whimper catches my attention. Caroline is incapacitated in a similar way. She sits at a desk, with two pencils through the middle of her hands, palm down. A gag with vervain is also on her. She's crying. Alaric sits quietly, playing with the oak stake at his desk with his feet propped up. I breathe heavily, and my vision swims. Elena walks in. She gasps at the sight of us. "Caroline! Alex! Let them go Alaric!"

In a nonchalant tone as if he isn't torturing us, he waves a causal hand toward us. "Free them yourself." Elena eyes him suspiciously. She walks past Alaric and drops down to Caroline's level. She gingerly puts a hand on Caroline's, the part that isn't injured. "Hey." She whispers. With shaky hands, she begins to move toward the pencil in Caroline's hand.

She slowly pulls the pencil out, getting three quarters there, but Alaric snarls and jumps up, shoving the pencil back through. Caroline screams. I suppose he's not bothering with me because he knows Caroline is closer to Elena than me. Elena looks at Alaric in fear, backing up ever so slightly. "You said you would let them go!" Elena cries. "How many times do I have to tell you?!" He barks. "Stop trusting vampires."