cast no shadow. (the lost boys).

Chapter Seven: Shattered Reflections

I got back to Max's around fifteen minutes later. He was on the phone, and his head snapped toward me as I walked in.

"Oh, hang on, she just walked in," he said to whoever was on the other end. I gave him a questioning look as I petted Thorn.

"It's your sister," he told me, extending the charcoal-colored phone toward me. I walked over, took the phone, and held it to my ear, fidgeting with the cord.

"Bekah?" I addressed my younger sister on the other side of the line. Max left the room, Thorn following behind, presumably to give me some privacy.

"I know what's up with the visions," she said immediately.

"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks. And you?" I asked sarcastically.

"I'm good, thank you. Anyway, do you want me to tell you or not?" she inquired, impatience lacing her voice but with an underlying smile.

"Go on then," I said, leaning against the cream-colored wall.

"Elijah said you're getting visions from the future, but the timing is unknown. They could come at any time, but you might get hints or dates. You can interfere with them and maybe stop certain things from happening," she explained.

"Okay," I sighed.

"You sound sad. Why? Do these boys mean something to you?" Rebekah asked.

"Uh, well, you see, they're kind of my mates. All four of them," I admitted hesitantly.

"Shut up, no way!" she burst out laughing.

"It's not funny," I groaned. "I feel like such a whore."

"Don't even worry about that. You can't choose your mates. This just means you have more dick to choose from," she said.

"Oh my god, I'm going now. Love you, Bex." I laughed.

"I'm just speaking the truth. But fine, I see how it is. Goodbye, love you too," she chuckled. I hung up and took a seat on the couch. I stared at the wall, wondering if any of this was real. Was this all some illusion crafted by my deranged mind?

Why was I overthinking this? I should accept it as normal. But having four lovers—was that a good thing? Why did I need four? Being closer to them made me feel like a tramp at the end of the day. I shouldn't let it bother me; I was stronger than this. But the feeling never left. No matter who I was or what I became, I had feelings like everyone else.

"Is everything okay?" Max's concerned voice broke through my thoughts. I nearly jumped out of my skin, startled by his presence.

"Yeah, yeah," I replied, coming back to reality. "I'm just going to head out for a while, try to clear my head."

"Right, okay," he nodded. "Are you sure you're okay? I know I'm just a friend of your brother's babysitting you, but you can talk to me if you need to. You can trust me."

"Thank you, I appreciate it, but I'm fine. I just need to be alone for a bit, you know?" I said, trying not to sound brusque.

"I understand. Be careful," he chuckled.

"Yeah, I will." I gave him a small smile before exiting his home. I walked down the long pathway and out the gate. My steps felt unusually slow, almost robotic, as if my brain was struggling to direct my legs. It was like I was in a daze, hypnotized by my own thoughts.

I knew I needed to distract myself; I couldn't let these thoughts consume me. But they surged through my mind relentlessly, so I did the only thing I knew to do: I killed. And killed. And killed.

As dawn approached, I realized the enormity of my mistake. The fear weighed on me like a suffocating pillow. Klaus always kept his word, especially when it came to cruel promises. If he found out what I'd done, he'd come to Santa Carla and drive a white oak ash dagger through my heart without hesitation. I could envision him doing it, showing no mercy. I was terrified.

What if he did something to my boys? What if he made me watch before he killed me? What if he was the cause behind my visions? How could I be so foolish? Not only was I a whore, but I was also selfish. I was a terrible person.

I struggled through the day, trying to appear normal while being on edge every time a customer entered the video store or asked for a recommendation.

The six-and-a-half-hour shift felt interminable. I tried to think of happy memories, like when Rebekah and I would annoy Kol by drawing on his face after he passed out. I managed a faint smile at the recollection, but it was fleeting, like a good dream that vanishes upon waking.

"Lizzie, your shift's over," Maria, a kind and caring coworker, said as she put a hand on my shoulder. Her touch startled me, but I quickly recovered. Maria worked longer shifts to support her family, a stark contrast to my current state.

"Oh," I said. I hadn't realized it was already dark outside. I didn't give her a chance to ask if I was okay, already heading out the door.

I scanned the street for one of the boys, remembering David's promise to meet me after work. I spotted Dwayne leaning against a lamppost and rushed over to him. I wrapped my arms around him tightly and buried my head in his shoulder.

"We haven't been apart for that long, princess," he chuckled, hugging me back. I felt him tense as I began to cry into his shoulder. It wasn't just crying; it was a deep, desolate sobbing that felt like it was draining all hope from me. Passersby might have found it unusual, but I couldn't muster the energy to care.

"Lizzie, what's wrong?" Dwayne asked, worry evident in his voice. "Please talk to me."

Words failed me. I stared into his dark brown eyes, which were filled with concern. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his head tilted slightly.

Dwayne managed to convince me to sit with him on the beach. We sat in a secluded area, away from the hustle and bustle of the boardwalk. I briefly told him about what I had done, and what Klaus would do, and he was nothing but supportive and comforting.

He also convinced me to come with him to meet the boys and feed, and that's exactly what we did.