Dissipating Darkness [Klaroline]

Chapter 12: Ditches

"Blondie, all the stories the Sheriff used to tell you as a kid to scare you to sleep were the truth."

"Damon!"

My head snaps toward Stefan as the same scolding leaves our lips at the same exact time.

"Oh, come on."

Damon strolls closer to Caroline. Too close for my liking.

"Stefan, the heated arguments have increased ten-fold lately about whether Elena should tell them or not. So, why not I just do it for her?"

Caroline looks brokenheartedly bewildered.

"Tell us what? Stefan, what's he talking about? Elena's been keeping something from us?"

I look over and see Stefan look down. I can tell he isn't going to tell her.

"Klaus? Do you know what's going on?"

The pathetic sound of her voice rips me in half. I am so close to telling her, but there is no way I will be the person who tears away her bliss. Ignorance is bliss, and she is ignorant to us. Ignorant to me.

I try to remember the time before the beast took over. I can't. I just remember flashes and tidbits, but something deep within me tells me that it's a good thing I can't remember that time. Lack of remembrance means that nothing actually worth remembering happened. In a time where I remember every second of every day simply because I hate living through it, not remembering is a good thing. It gives me hope that at one point in time, I had actually lived a good life.

I can't be the one to make Caroline remember every single day from here on out. I want her to be able to stop and look at a simple, wispy cloud, then not remember that cloud a week later. I want her to be able to walk down the street, and smile her beautiful smile at a passerby without remembering she's done it a year from then.

She's going to remember the day she finds out her boyfriend is a hot-blooded, wild killer. Every day, her thoughts will recede back to the day she found out that everyone around her could've easily killed her without a second thought. She will never forget the time the monsters out of children's bedtime stories became the people she had known as her friends.

"Of course he knows what's going on, Blondie."

Damon's voice sounds like a bomb slowly ticking in the dead silent room. Caroline looks up at him expectantly.

"He knows what's going on, because he's the start of it all. The big, bad wolf, and the cold, hard, vampire. Isn't that right, Niklaus?"

I grind my teeth together silently. I can feel Stefan lightly place his hand on my shoulder. I'm not sure why he thinks his silly little hand could keep me from pulling his brother's head off of his shoulders.

"Klaus, what is he talking about? Please, just tell me what's going on." Caroline's eyes are pleading with me. I don't want to do this to her, but I know if I don't, Damon Salvatore will.

"Caroline. You have no reason to fear us after I tell you this. We are still the same individuals you've known all this time." I let out a deep breath.

"Except, that's a lie." Damon interrupts. "We are in fact not the same people you have known, but the killers you probably wish you had never met."

Caroline's mouth opens and closes as she lets her eyes sweep across the room. They pause on Alaric. He has been so silent, I have almost forgotten he's there.

"Alaric?" Caroline's voice falters.

Alaric makes eye contact with her for just a second before he finds his shoes much more interesting. The room is deathly silent.