Lola Swan 2: Looking closer

12 Start to Solve the Riddle

The start of November

She told Damon about the note. She admitted she had no idea what it meant. He told her about a witch who destroyed the amulet. He isn't going to give up.

She sits at the table, and Emily is cooking in the kitchen.

Kim walks in: 'Hey Emily, Lola. Where are the others?'

'Lola sent them away.' Emily says.

'Why?' Kim asks.

Lola looks up from her paper. Kim is folding her scarf. 'They were distracting me!'

'They were just talking.' Emily says.

'Too loud!' Lola sighs: 'I need to find out what this message means. It's driving me crazy.'

Kim sits down and lays her hand on the paper. Lola slowly slides it across.

Kim looks at the paper. 'Can you give me something to write on and maybe a pen?' Kim holds out her hand but keeps looking at the paper.

Lola gives it to her and leans over the table. Lola sits on the edge of her seat.

'Here.' Kim gives Lola the paper but keeps the other one. 'I leave this kind of message to those who will find it. Never think everything is simple in a message. Read Closely! Look in every story!'

'Not all the letters have the same thickness. And when you only look at the bold letters, you get this!' Kim slides the other paper over. There stands the answer: 'Katherine Pierce lives.' Kim looks at Lola and asks: 'Does that mean anything? Did I find it?'

Lola looks at the original message and goes back to the solution. She does this a few times before she starts to laugh. Lola stands up and pulls Kim out of her chair: 'You did it!' Lola almost shouts it: 'You did it!'. Lola pulls Kim in a hug: 'You're amazing.'

'What happened?' Jonah asks.

Lola looks around and sees that they're back. 'Kim found the answer I was looking for. Now I only need to go back to that place to check it.'

'What did she find?' Sam asks. He is standing next to Emily.

'The hidden message is: Katherine Pierce lives. So, she is probably not even in the tomb I was trying to help open.' Lola explains.

Sam nods, and Paul sits down: 'Does that mean we can stay?'

'Yes! I need to prepare.' Lola says.

'Can I help you? With what you are going to do.' Kim asks.

'No!' Lola says resolutely.

'But I did find it?' Kim tries.

Lola shakes her head: 'No, it's dangerous. Katherine doesn't want anyone to know she is alive, so risks will be taken. I can't keep you safe.' Lola looks at Jared: 'Talk her out of it!'

Jared points at himself and mumbles: 'Me.'

'Yes, you! Katherine is more than a five-hundred-year-old vampire. You keep her safe and make sure she doesn't follow me.' Lola tells Jared.

He nods quickly, and Kim sighs. 'She is right, Kim.' Jared pulls her on his lap and puts his arms around her.

'I know.' Kim says softly.

Lola looks away from them and sees Jonah looking at her; he wants to say something. She raises her eyebrows. He also presents an eyebrow. 'I'm going to prepare!' Lola says while looking at him. She turns around and walks out the door.

'Why?' Jonah asks. Lola turns around. He looks at her. She doesn't know what to say. He takes a step towards her. His face hardens: 'Is there anything I can say to change your mind?'

She shakes her head: 'I need to do this!'

'No, you want to do this! Why do you want to put yourself in danger?' He sounds hurt.

'Because ...', but she knows nothing to say.

'I hope you know what you're doing.' Jonah says before walking back inside.

She puts her head in her hands when she is in her truck. After a few moments, she wipes away her tears and drives home.

That evening she checks on her sister, who is asleep. The nightmares hadn't started yet, but she heard Bella scream an hour later. She opens her sister's door, and Bella looks at her. Lola sits on Bella's bed and gives her sister a hug. Lola stays with her until she is asleep again.

Lola doesn't really sleep that night. Between her preparations, she thinks about her sister and about Jonah. This needs to work out. And when the morning comes, she is ready. She is fully dressed in black with black boots. Her knife is in one of them. She pulls her hair up in a tail and walks outside.