0003. MY WORLD THROUGH A LENS

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SHE PROMISED
( part one, chapter three )


ELLE INHALED DEEPLY, BREATHING IN the Louisianan air. There were days, which were becoming much more frequent as of late, where she'd take long walks along the river with her camera at her side. Photography had become one of her hobbies a little more than a year ago; it was her comfort, an easy way to get the nasty thoughts and memories out of her head for just a little longer. Slowly, she lifted the camera and once she was satisfied with the image before her, she pressed down on the button and heard the familiar click. Maybe, if she had the time later, she print these pictures out and hang them along her bedroom wall 一 who knows, she might be too lazy to do so.

A quiet whimper fell past her lips, her eyes widened when someone brushed past her. Their arm just barely touched her back, but it felt like he had hit her with all his strength. Elle visibly flinched, even after the man had walked away and was far from her. IT'S NOT HIM IT'S NOT HIM IT'S NOT HIM, she repeated over and over again. She slowly inhaled and exhaled, chewing on her lip as she started to play with the camera between her hands. The sudden burst of a memory 一 one of many nights where his hot breath touched her ear, hands touching and grabbing, and tears falling down her flushed cheeks 一 was not something she wanted to remember now. Or ever, really. What happened then can't hurt her anymore. She's safe, she's happy, and now those moments only exist within the damaged and twisted confines of her head.

She gulped quietly, looking down at the camera and examining the bridge in her picture. Elle, while once again fixed the settings on her camera, greeted Klaus with a friendly, "Morning to you, Niklaus."

The Original hybrid smirked, suddenly appearing at her side. He leaned against the railing, back pressing against the metal, beside the brunette witch. "How did you know it was me?" he asked.

"I'm a witch," Elle said playfully, raising one of her brows. "It's not my fault I can sense the magic in your veins. Even if you can't use it." She finally turned to look at him, allowing the camera to dangle around her neck. "You've been following me, haven't you? God, what a creeper."

"And what if I have?" He turned, leaning his elbows against the metal. The sun made his ring glint and shine, temporarily blinding her before she moved her head.

"Oh, trust me, I couldn't care less. It's not like I have anything left to hide." Which, technically, wasn't a complete lie, but it's not like she wanted Klaus to know that. She didn't want him to look at her with pity, she already gets enough of that from Marcel and Cordelia, and she doesn't want it from Klaus either. She wanted to be known as Elle Mitchell, not the orphaned witch from that family. "But I have a feeling you're intrigued with me; why you are, is a question I have for you."

"Like you said, you're intriguing," Klaus replied.

Elle barked out a quick laugh. "You know, I've been told that on numerous occasions. Although it wasn't always a compliment." Carefully, she moved to jump up on the railing, sitting atop it and pat the spot next to her. "Come on up, it's not like you'll die. You know, 'cause you can't."

Instead of responding with a snarky response, Klaus did as he was told, settling beside her. "So why the camera?" he asked, clasping his hands in his lap.

She hesitated, pursing her lips. "I prefer to see the world differently," she started, once again fiddling with its settings. "We always see things in one way, in one view and that's how we base our opinions. From one perspective, you can see the fighting and the death and the war, making you feel hopeless that there will never be anything good to come from the world. And from there, you fail to see the flowers growing along the roads, the children playing in their homes, the beauty of music and art." She smiled fondly, trying to remember the exact words Stephanie had told her so long ago. "And with this," Elle gestured to her camera, "I can show people just how many different sides something has. That everything... isn't quite one-dimensional as they believe."

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