Witchcraft and Shadows

Disappearing Act: A Painful Revelation

"I have never seen any sight that could move me so much as the terrible sight of a poor wretch being condemned to death by the laws of a Christian country for an imaginary crime." 

— Sir William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765)

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Cassidy's POV

I pass the 'Welcome to Mystic Falls' sign and head straight to Bonnie's house. Pulling into the driveway, I quickly realize that the place looks deserted, as if everyone had either left or was dead asleep. "Great. Well, I did get up kind of early, and it's only 9 a.m.," I mutter to myself.

Walking up the steps, I knock loudly on the door, but there's no response. This is weird since I called a few days ago to let her know what time I'd be arriving. "Maybe she's with Caroline," I think, heading back to my car. I call Caroline, and she tells me to meet her at a restaurant just outside Mystic Falls. 'Huh, that's odd,' I think.

When I finally get to the restaurant, my terrible sense of direction leads me in circles. I look around the bar but can't find anyone I recognize. I wonder why Caroline told me to meet her here if she wasn't going to show. I sit in a booth, order some food from a random server (Matt's not working today), and continue searching for familiar faces. Then, I spot Elena walking in with a laughing Caroline.

I quickly turn my head, hoping I've gone unnoticed, but no such luck. "Cassidy, hey!" Elena calls out in her falsely cheerful tone. I know she's aware of my dislike for her. Maybe it's because I dated Matt before she did. Oops, I guess I forgot to mention that. We broke up because my mom wouldn't let me visit Mystic Falls after my dad's death, and we lost contact.

I turn around with a forced smile. "What are you doing here?" Elena asks, sitting across from me. "Uh, excuse me?" I think to myself.

"I came to find Bonnie and figure out why Mystic Falls looks like a ghost town. Do you know where she is?" I ask, my concern growing. Bonnie is one of the most important people in my life, and she's family. We need to be each other's support system. Elena tries to distract me, but I see right through her. Her tell is always fiddling with the end of her boring straight hair while pulling her sleeves over her hands.

"Where is she?" I cut her off. Elena exchanges a look with Caroline, and I know I'm about to get a lie. Caroline hasn't said a word, which is suspicious. "I don't know," Elena replies, avoiding eye contact and nervously fiddling with her shirt sleeve.

"Okay, let's cut the 'I don't know' act. Just tell me where Bonnie is, or I swear I'll knock the pettiness out of you," I snap. I'm not usually this harsh, but Elena's presence just irritates me. Her constant victim act gets old fast.

Caroline tries to defuse the situation with a sudden clap of her hands and an awkward, "Okay." "I guess since you're related to Bonnie and obviously came back for help with your 'problem'"—she air quotes—"we'll tell you everything." She sits next to me and looks me straight in the eye, as if she's trying to peer into my soul.

"So, you remember when I talked to you about Damon?" Caroline asks, referring to her earlier rant. "Yes, Caroline, I remember. You told me about how much of a jerk he was and how he distracted you from the 'Sexy Suds Car Wash' thing. Then you gave me a list of all the terrible things he did. It's clear he's not a fan," I reply, exasperated. Elena gives Caroline a sharp glare. 'Hmm, what's that about?'

"Bonnie sort of disappeared along with Damon and the Other Side, which is this alternate universe for dead supernatural beings—" Caroline rambles, making wild hand gestures. I grab her hands to calm her down, as I'm struggling to keep up with her frantic explanation. "Caroline, slow down. Repeat what you just said. I don't think I heard you right. Did you say Bonnie disappeared?"

"I said Bonnie disap—" Caroline doesn't finish before I cut her off with an angry, "What?" My concern for Bonnie's well-being is intense, but I'm also frustrated that there's no one to help me with my own problems.

"And we have no idea if she'll come back or not," Elena adds with a depressed sigh. Well, great. Now I have something to bond with Elena over—our mutual crisis. Caroline will probably start planning our 'playdates' soon.

"Well, do we have a plan to find her or get answers on how to bring her back? She can't have just vanished," I demand. "And hold up, did you say supernatural? Because if you did, we need to talk."

"Well, we don't really have a plan, but we've been looking. And what do you mean?" Caroline asks, though she's clearly preoccupied with the 'what ifs' of the Bonnie situation. Elena remains silent, wearing a strange expression.

At that moment, a pounding headache and wave of dizziness overtake me. I try to stand but can only see blurs and colors. My vision fades, and I collapse. The last thing I hear is Caroline and Elena calling out my name.