Dissipating Darkness [Klaroline]

Chapter 7: Left Closet

"Why? Why are you running from me?"

Her tattered, white dress disappears behind the giant White Oak tree.

"You're a monster!" Her voice echoes throughout the empty field.

I run closer to her. I can feel the fear running off of her.

"Get away from me, Klaus! I will never want you! You're worse than the Devil himself. You're a murderer. A killer."

"Caroline, please. Don't leave me."

Caroline stops running, and turns around to face me. Her hands are behind her back. The tears falling down her face are made of blood.

"Look at me, Klaus. I could cry these bloody tears for the rest of my life, but it would never suffice the amount of blood you've shed for no reason at all during your lifetime!"

I grab her arm.

"Why are you doing this? To torture me further? Do you not think I've been tortured enough?"

With no hesitation, I see Caroline move abruptly. A sharp pain courses through my body as flames come into my view.

"What's happening? What the hell did you do?"

I can see Caroline smile as my body burns slowly from the inside out.

"Caroline!"

The scene before me starts to darken.

"Caroline, stop this!"

Darkness is everywhere now. Caroline's face is the only thing illuminated by the flames of my burning body and the bright moon above us.

"It's too late, Klaus. You're getting the one, single thing you deserve."

She pauses as she smiles brighter and walks closer to me. The flames don't seem to be affecting her. She leans over until I can feel her curls on my cheek. She whispers quietly into my ear.

"To die."

I'm met with the bright, white ceiling above me as I stare upward. I do a mental check of my body's limbs. It is then I realize that I am gasping for air. My eyes flutter close as I take in deep breaths. I'm not dead. At least not completely. There is no stake in my heart. There is no empty field. Only my bedroom. There's no...

...there is no Caroline.

"Caroline." I let her name fall from my lips as I look over to the canvas where her painting sits. Why would she even want such a dark thing? I imagine her room is probably some white-yellow color with a large window and a light brown colored bedroom set. Her painting wouldn't fit in.

And yet I keep referring to the painting as hers.

Because it is. The moment she called it amazing, it was hers.

I know from the knock on my door that Rebekah is here to collect Caroline's gift.

"Come in, Rebekah."

The door swings open.

"Good morning, brother. How are you today?"

"I'm fine."

I sit up in my bed and swing my legs over the edge. I'm still mesmerized by the fact that I can feel everything. The dream was so real.

A tiny space in the back of my mind wishes it were.

"Oh, Nik. You look paler than usual. Are you sure you're okay?"

She moves over to the painting and begins to pick it up.