ℜ𝔬𝔰𝔢𝔰 • ᴋᴏʟ ᴍɪᴋᴀᴇʟsᴏɴ •

• 30 •

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The remaining weeks until graduation seemed to have blurred together, making it seem as though graduation had snuck up on me. The days had been filled with tracking down the cure and trying to dig up any semblance of a memory from any of my past lives, all while I was under Damon and Stefan's watchful gaze. Now to top the list of all of my problems the veil had been dropped.

The boys expected me to disappear at any moment even though they tried to act as though they knew everything was fine I could tell that they were worried. I had always been able to tell.. I expected myself to disappear at any moment; I'd been allowed to remain here by my chosen family's side for too long. It was as if I was unable to shake off the part of my conscious that made me paranoid.

Scanning the room that the Salvatore's insisted was now mine until I ceased to exist, my eyes zoned in on the one book in the entire room that had caught my attention. Walking over towards the window sill, where it had originally been placed and had not been moved from, I picked it up. Turning the book over in my hand I set it back down with a sigh. The book had been there on the window sill waiting for me once I had finally returned from prom. It had remained there for weeks, untouched.

Chewing down on my bottom lip I made up my decision. If for some reason I did disappear once again my biggest regret would be not knowing what this book contained. My eyes took in the words on the front cover 'PROPERTY OF JULIETTA PEATERSON'

Turning my attention onto the lock on the front of the book I glanced down at the daylight ring that was now perched on my finger. Slipping the daylight ring off from my finger I slotted it onto the lock and heard it give an almost inaudible click. Turning the ring to the left I heard it let out another click that was identical to the first one. Pulling the daylight ring from the lock I opened the cover of the book and watched as an envelope fell out of the cover and onto the floor.

Setting the book back onto the window sill I bent down and picked up the envelope. Opening the envelope I pulled out the piece of paper that it contained before I felt something in the bottom corner of the envelope. Reaching into the envelope I plucked the thing out of the corner. Staring down at the object that sat in the palm of my hand, I lifted it up by the chain. Clasping the oval locket around my neck I unfolded the paper.

Julietta,

I didn't intend to say goodbye to you in this lifetime, even if this goodbye will only last for a very short time. I don't know how long this 'very short time' will turn out to be and so I cannot promise you that I will return on a specific date. An eternity is a long time and for me it's too long of a time to be spent without you by my side. So I swear that I will come back; I'll always come back to you.

I can't say that I blame you even slightly for taking the opportunity to peer into Nik's mind when he presented you with the opportunity to do so. There is one thing that I can say; I was and I still am cared. I was scared when I heard that you had seen his memories. I was terrified of how you viewed me through what you had seen because even in my darkest moments I didn't want you to see me for what I was. But mostly I'm scared of what you decide will be my fate and whether I will spend my eternity trapped in my own personal hell. Not that I don't deserve that.