Love Thy Neighbour (a Vampire Diaries fanfiction)

Chapter 13

Enzo

I couldn't sleep. Tossing and turning for what felt like hours, I sat up again, staring at the clock. 2.14am. Great. I had managed to will my eyes shut for all of three minutes. Best night's sleep ever! Not. This clearly wasn't working. Giving up, I turned the night lamp on my table back on, rubbing my face to try to clear my head. I was exhausted, but I couldn't sleep. I hadn't had a good night's sleep in ages, not since that dreadful day...

The door to my room was left ajar, just as I promised I would keep it. Through the small crack, I could make out Maya's room in the darkness, door wide open. She refused to shut the door... the darkness in there was only adding to her nightmares. It was the third time that week. Nightmares were haunting Maya's once peaceful dreams, now engulfing them in dark terrors that were keeping her – and me – from getting a good night's sleep. Three times she had woken up screaming. Three times since that dreaded day at the bank, one week before. The slight concussion she had got wasn't doing her any favours, either. Or maybe it was. The meds she was taking had calmed her down slightly, but I couldn't help but wonder if they were simply numbing the pain. They couldn't heal her psychologically. That she would have to do on her own.

On that note, my own psyche decided it had had enough for one night, finally allowing itself to drift off into my deep little Wonderland.

***

Not that it lasted very long, mind you. Why would it? It's not like I needed sleep or anything, after a whole week living off caffeine and approximately two hours of sleep per night. But hey, we have an improvement. Three hours! Three cheers for my subconscious, y'all.

When it was painfully obvious that my body had had enough sleep for the night, I got out of bed, slowly putting on a pair of sweatpants and tee, not even bothering to turn the lights on. I swear, this last week has made me as nocturnal as an owl – I can practically sense where everything is around me.

Step two: bathroom. Dragging my way to said bathroom, I took a quick glimpse at the man who was looking at me in the mirror, and actually had to do a double take. Showering my face and sore neck with water, I looked up at my reflection again. At least I think it was my reflection. Staring at me were red, hollow eyes and bags the size of ping-pong balls. Is Halloween coming anytime soon? If it were, I wouldn't need a costume.

I hated to say it, but she wasn't the only one having nightmares. This past week, the dream had been the same: Maya in the bank, trapped inside, held at gunpoint. Me on the outside of the bank, banging hard against the door, looking on helplessly. Shouting. Screaming. Praying for a way in.

Looking on, as he pulls the trigger.

And I wake up, sweating and panting more than the night before.

I couldn't let her know I was having nightmares too. Mine were nothing compared to hers. She was petrified.

I made my way downstairs to get my daily dose of, you guessed it, caffeine, needing the boost like a drug. I looked at the time again. 5.32am. Relishing in all of my coffee's caffeine glory, I thought of my plans for the day, deciding to start with a good old fashioned jog. Then I could run some errands, and maybe meet Damon. It was time. I could definitely use the bro talk...

***

Damon

I looked out the window again, staring at the balcony of the house in front of me. Her balcony. Sure, I loved annoying the living hell out of her whenever her curtains were opened, but at least having them open meant I could see them, and seeing them meant I knew they was okay. Well, physically, at least. Now we have reached day 8, and the curtains are still closed.