The Original: Book 3

Chapter 6

"If something doesn't feel right, if you feel that you're in danger, or you need any sort of help –,"

"You'll be the first person I call. I promise," I said, finishing Nik's sentence. Shutting the trunk of the car, I turned towards him, wrapping my arms around his neck. I leaned up, quickly pressing my lips to his. "It'll only be for a couple of days."

"Try not to get yourself killed," he mumbled, tightening his hold on me.

"No promises." I tried to pull away to get in the car, but he kept his firm hold on me.

"I mean it, Ellie. I don't want to have to go searching for you only to find you in pieces."

"I know what I'm doing, Nik. I'll be careful." He seemed satisfied with my answer because he gave me a peck on the lips, finally letting go of me. I turned, sending him a smile before getting into my car, speeding out of the driveway and away from Mystic Falls.

Passing under a streetlight, I bent my head down, hiding my face as a stranger walked past me on the sidewalk. Spotting a cab coming down the street, I threw my hand up, cringing. It pulled up to the curb and I limped over, wrenching the door open. "Where to, Miss?" The driver asked, looking at me through the mirror.

"Mystic Falls, Virginia. And drive as fast as you can," I told him, my breathing getting heavier.

"Hold on, first of all, I don't go out of state, okay? And second, I don't want you bleeding on my seats, so the only place you're going is to the hospital." I grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him towards me.

"You will drive me to Mystic Falls. Free of charge. Do you understand?" I compelled, speaking through gritted teeth. He nodded his head and I let go, falling back against the seat. As he started driving, I pulled my jacket off, looking down at the wound on my left side. I slowly took my tank top off, leaving me in my bra. Balling it up, I pressed it to my side, letting out a groan at the contact. It hurt like hell and I couldn't get the bleeding to stop. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I laid down on the seat, pulling my jacket over my shaking body.

"Are you okay back there?" The driver asked.

"I'm fine. Just drive," I told him as I closed my eyes, knowing the hallucinations would start soon. Every once in a while, a flash of pain would shoot through my side and I would let out a whimper, clenching my fists as tight as I could.

***

"This is it. Now look at me. You will not remember me, you will not remember this trip. You were sick all day and did not go into work," I stated, the driver's pupils dilating. He nodded and I got out, limping up to the front door as the sun rose in the sky. "Please be awake," I whispered to myself. Slowly pushing the door open, I slammed it shut behind me, hoping to wake anyone in the house.

"You're home early," I heard a familiar voice say from somewhere in the house. I opened my mouth to call for help, but before I could get anything out, my eyes rolled back into my head, consuming me in darkness.

*Nik's POV*

"You're home early," I commented, hearing the front door slam shut as I sat on the couch, sketching. Instead of getting a response, there was a thud. Speeding over to the front door, I found Ellie lying on the floor, soaked in blood and sweat. "Ellie? Love, can you hear me?" I asked, turning her head to face me. Her eyes opened, but had a far off look in them.

"Don't do this, please. It was an accident, I-I didn't mean to! Please, father!" She begged and I could tell she was hallucinating. Tears fell from her eyes as she continued to whimper, stuck in her memories. I looked over her, checking her injuries. She was covered in scratches and bruises, while her clothes were dirty and torn. She had taken off her belt and tied it around her thigh, the scratch marks in it slowly bleeding. Lifting the side of her jacket, I saw teeth marks and growled, feeling my eyes change as it gushed blood. I picked her up, careful to avoid the bite and sped up to my bedroom, gently laying her on the bed. Pulling the sleeve of my shirt up, I went to bite into my wrist, when Ellie started squirming, trying to get away from me. "No, father, please! Not that; anything but that! Please! It won't happen again, I promise! I'll do anything!" I tried to hold her still without hurting her, but she fought back, desperately trying to get away. All of a sudden she let out an ear-piercing scream, causing me to jolt back and cover my ears. Her screams continued, but they were quieter than the first, so I moved my hands away from my ears, pinning her arms down as she continued to struggle.

"Ellie, it's me. Stop, stop. It's me, it's Nik. It's your Nik," I muttered to her softly. She finally calmed down, her eyes focusing on me.

"Nik?" She whispered. I nodded my head, slowly moving my hands away from her arms and biting into my wrist. Before my blood could touch her lips, she rolled over, heaving into the garbage can beside the bed. My wrist healed, so I bit down again, putting it up against Ellie's mouth.

"Come on, kitten. Drink," I told her as she turned her head to the side, away from my wrist. "If you don't drink, you'll only get worse." Biting into my wrist again, I offered it to her and she latched onto it, gulping down my blood. "There you go, sweetheart. Good girl," I murmured as I closed my eyes, loving the feeling of pleasure I got from her drinking from me. She let go and I wiped blood from the side of her mouth with my thumb. Her eyes closed again and I saw some of the scratches heal themselves. The spell her mother had put on her hadn't completely worn off yet, so it would take a couple of days for the bite on her side and scratch on her leg to heal. Breathing a sigh of relief, I got up and went over to my closet, grabbing one of my shirts. I draped it over my shoulder before going into the bathroom to get a wet cloth. Ellie would be pissed if I healed her and then left her in her bloody clothes.

*Ellie's POV*

Rolling over, I felt a dull pain in my side. Opening my eyes, I looked around, confused. I was in Nik's bed, but I had no recollection of how I had gotten here. Pulling the blankets back, I slowly crawled out of bed, my entire body aching. Lifting the shirt I was in, I saw two bandages; one on my left side and the other on my right thigh. As I moved the bandage on my side, I saw a bite mark. Sticking the bandage back onto my skin, the door to the room opened and I looked up, seeing Nik standing in the doorway with a worried look on his face. "How do you feel?" He asked, moving into the room.

"Like hell," I murmured. Grabbing onto the bed post for support, I slowly took a step forward, then another. Feeling like I could walk without needing the help, I let go of the bed post, moving my foot forward. As it came down, my knees buckled, sending me towards the ground. Before I could hit, Nik sped over, catching me and lifting me up into his arms. I winced as he set me down on the bed.

"You should stay in bed. At least until you regain your strength," he advised, moving my pillows so that I could rest against them. I nodded my head, looking away from him.

"I'm sorry," I admitted, "You were right to say that it was too dangerous for me to go alone. I should have listened to you, but I thought I could handle it. I was wrong. I'm sorry for doubting you."

"There is no need to apologize. I'm just glad you're alive," he replied softly, sitting on the edge of the bed next to me. It was quiet before he spoke again, "Tell me. What can you remember?" I glanced up to find him staring at me, then looked away, taking a deep breath.

This is a long one! The next one will be pretty long too. 

Hope you are all enjoying your Saint Patrick's Day. And if you're on Spring Break, enjoy that too.

My character and her story are of my own imagination. They belong to me and nobody else. Please do not steal. Copyright 2017.