What Lies Beneath

Chapter 1: What Lies Beneath

Bonnie Bennett placed her bag down onto the picnic table and sat, letting out a loud yawn. She rubbed at her dark green eyes and glanced around, waiting for her best friend Elena Gilbert to join her for lunch. The small courtyard of they school was quickly filling with other students, some who wanted to eat and some who were just happy they had a couple moments of freedom. She smiled and waved to Matt Donovan when he noticed her, who in turn waved back before heading in the direction he saw their mutual friend Caroline tread.

Absently she began to daydream, thinking about all of the school activities that were still to come. Dances and finals, she seriously hoped she could focus on the regular long enough to make it through. But things had changed this year so quickly, and Halloween had just passed. She shuddered to think what else might lie in store for the simple town of Mystic Falls and all of the people she cared about. If her scrambled visions were true … death would soon be knocking at their door.

Sighing, she pulled at the v-neck collar of her pretty blue blouse, feeling an invisible weight settle around her throat. Swallowing hard, she tried to shake it away but nothing would destroy the memories imbedded in her brain of that night. The night she'd been possessed by her great great grand whoever and forced to do her bidding. The night she'd nearly died at the hands of Damon Salvatore … the vampire.

I should have just given him the damn necklace. She thought, fingering her skin. Even though it was shattered —even though she had exploded it in a ball of colorful fire, she could still detect it hanging from its long golden chain around her neck sometimes. It didn't make any sense but perhaps it all dealt with her witch-y powers and the séance they had done. If she could take it back she would tell herself to stay far away from ouja boards and psycho ghosts with a hidden agendas.

Pulling her leg up to her chest, she rested her chin to her knee and yawned again. Since that night, she hadn't exactly been getting a full eight hours of sleep. Her dreams revolved around the vampire brothers —especially Damon — and the power she'd felt coursing through her veins while Emily used her body to perform some weird ritual. It scared her to think that one day she'd be able to conjure up much more than fire or make feathers float.

What if she touched something dark? Scary? What if she crossed a line and was never able to come back?

She shivered at that line of consciousness and checked her watch; where was Elena? Probably with Stefan her mind supplied in the same tick. While the idea of Stefan being a vampire totally freaked her out, she knew he wasn't like his brother. He was — well he was nice for lack of a better adjective. He'd saved her life and was making her friend happy so she had nothing but good things to say about him.

Running a hand through her long black, wavy hair, she decided to go ahead and start eating. Her stomach growled thankfully and she opened her bag, pulling out a sandwich and a small container of chips. The sound of a cawing bird drew her gaze up and to the right, and she stared at the black crow that seemingly watched her. Probably after my food. Tearing a tiny bit of bread off, she tossed it at the bottom of the tree and the bird dropped to get it, devouring it with its black beak before hopping onto the table before her.

Bonnie blinked, staring into its beady black eyes as it stared right back. Almost as if it were totally aware of her … as if it had something to say to her. "Shoo! If I give you my entire sandwich, what am I gonna have to eat?"

The crow ruffled its feathers in response.

"Bonnie, hey!" Elena smiled as she walked over with Stefan in tow. "Are you making friends?"

She snorted teasingly. "I think it wants my food."

Stefan however did not look amused. "Leave. Now." The bird cocked its head at him before flying away, disappearing into the sky.