Vampwood

Puppet On A String

I'm on the beach but I can't move. Jade and Mickey frown at me. Mickey steps towards me.

"Are you okay, Jesse?" I can't move my lips. "Is everything okay? Is your sister okay?" My lips move and my voice comes out but it's not me saying the words.

"Well, I've been kidnapped by some English bitch called Lexington who's twin one of us killed," They both wince. "It was St Clair, wasn't it?" They nod and I want to scream that it's not me. "How close is your boyfriend, Jade? His name's Dante, right?" Mickey grabs Jade before she can speak.

"That's not Jesse," Thank you, Mickey. "He doesn't know your boyfriend's name," I really wish that I can speak so I can say thank you to Mickey. "Who are you, then? The head vampire?" I'm forced to smile.

"My name is Cordelia Lexington," She says, using my voice which is freaking me out. "And if you do not hurry, I will kill more than just this pretty boy, understand? I will hurt the Salvatore, the De Luca...Need I go on?" Jade swallows.

"No, you don't need to, although Jesse was incentive enough." My eyes open but I'm not in control again. AJ doesn't realise.

"Are you okay, Jesse? What the hell did she do?" I feel upset by this...Oh shit. "You're not Jesse. Get the hell out of him." My mouth opens.

"Alright then," My voice says and I want to fight. "Only if you are completely honest about how you feel about Jesse. Do that and he will be as free as I can allow." I mentally frown, wondering what Cordelia means. AJ closes her eyes.

"I'm in love with Jesse," Come again? "I'm not sure when it started but it became clear when he was almost killed two years ago by a vampire. I've been honest, please get out of him." Next thing I know, I'm on the ground, my head pounding. Cordelia smirks as she struts out of the room with my dad and Jamie. AJ helps me up and I frown at her.

"Why?" My voice is shaky like the rest of me and AJ frowns. "Why do you love me? How can you?" AJ gives me a small smile.

"Because you're very good at pretending you can feel," I feel something in the pit of my stomach that I can't describe. "She said she was going to mess with you, what did she do?" I blink, trying to figure it out exactly.

"I think she...I don't know how to explain it," I think really hard about answering. "You know Vampire Diaries?" AJ nods, looking incredulous. "It's like she flicked my emotions on. When you didn't realise straight away, I felt upset which is weird since I usually go numb if something like that happens. Did you understand that at all?" AJ nods and hugs me.

"Yes. I'm so sorry. You haven't felt anything for thirteen years and you can barely understand them," My mind goes to the car accident, flashing lights, screaming, bloody teddy bear, Jamie, dad, pain. "You'll be okay, Jesse. You've got so many people here for you. Especially me since we're stuck together for now." I smile at her as she pulls out of the hug.

"I know I'll be okay but it just...feels so weird...and new to me," I realise I didn't fake a smile for once. "I usually fake smiles but I just didn't fake one and I'm so used to faking a smile. I'm not used to feeling anything." AJ wipes away a tear I didn't even realise was there.

"You'll get used to it again," I hope so and sigh. "Are you going to go and talk with the other prophesied?" I nod and give her an awkward smile. "You need me to punch you in the face?" I nod and she smiles, getting ready. "Sorry." She gives me a left hook to the jaw and I'm back on the beach with Winter this time.

"Hey, Winter," Winter watches me suspiciously. "I'm actually me this time. All I know about you is that you're in a wheelchair and your name. Please, where are you guys so I can stop any panic." Mostly mine. Winter smiles at me.

"We're about two hours away," I sigh, feeling annoyed. "Don't worry, Jade's boyfriend just found your guardians and they're coming to break you out." I smile a real smile.

"Thank God," The beach flickers. "Well, see you guys later," I open my eyes and smile at AJ. "Thanks for the punch," She gives me a smile that seems nothing like AJ's smile. "Get out of her, Cordelia. I know AJ well enough to know that's not her." Cordelia snorts and appears at the door, leaving me to catch AJ.

"Just remember, Jesse. I messed with your head, giving you your emotions back," I look at AJ, worried. "What do you think I would do to her? She is not prophesied, she is not important." I lay AJ on the ground and look at Cordelia, seething.

"She is important to me," I punch Cordelia in the face and her guards grab me carefully. "That's why prophesied exist. We give a fuck about people...Everyone is important." Cordelia laughs, waving at her guards to let me go.

"You believe that?" I don't answer, my hand sore. "Oh, sweetie. You exist because witches needed a way for vampires to disappear and to kill my mother. You exist because mythical beings fucked humans to spite us vampires...Even some other vampires, you don't know anything, prophesied." I frown at her.

"I know that the vampires hurt you when they betrayed your family," I had learned to understand people's emotions and to see what people didn't notice. I see the flicker of heartbreak in her eyes. "Someone you loved. You loved one of them." She grabs my shirt, lifting me slightly off the ground.

"You should be careful, prophesied," I notice tears going down her face. "I may not be able to snap your neck for two days but I can torture your little friends...Starting with your sister." I smile mischievously at her.

"No, you won't. They're your leverage for the other prophesied," She drops me, stepping back. "I may have been emotionless for thirteen years but I haven't been clueless about what people are planning," Cordelia struts out as AJ moans. "Thank God, are you okay?" She focuses on me.

"I was in the other car," I blink, helping her sit up. "It was my grandparents' car and they were driving me home...I distracted grandpa and we hit you." I step away from her, tears going down my face and sit down, ignoring her. One way to torture someone, I always think, is to make someone they love hate them.