(Elena POV)
Elena and Stefan stood on the narrow footbridge, the woods around them quiet except for the distant thrum of music from the party.
"I like Bonnie," Stefan said, watching the water below. "She seems like a good friend."
Elena smiled faintly. "Best friend in the world."
Stefan shifted, glancing back toward the crowd. "And Matt... he's having a hard time not staring at us."
Elena sighed. "Matt's the kind of friend you grow up with, and then one day you both think maybe you owe it to yourselves to see if it's more."
"And?" Stefan asked.
"My parents died," she said quietly. "After that, everything changed." She hesitated, then added, "Matt and I... being together just wasn't... it wasn't"
"Passionate," Stefan offered.
Elena nodded. "Yeah. No, it wasn't."
She looked at him, suddenly frowning. "Hey, are you okay? Your eye, it just... it twitched or something."
Stefan quickly looked away. "It's nothing. I'm fine. You want something to drink? I'll grab us something."
Elena watched him disappear into the crowd, her thoughts spinning. A moment later, someone else approached.
"Looking for someone?" Matt's voice cut in, tense.
She turned. "Hey."
"When you broke up with me, you said you needed to be alone," he said, eyes narrowing. "Doesn't look so alone to me."
"Matt, you don't understand, it's"
"It's fine," he interrupted. "You do what you have to do. I just want you to know... I still believe in us. I'm not giving up."
"Matt..."
Before she could say more, Stefan returned—only to be intercepted by Caroline, slightly tipsy and glowing with enthusiasm.
"There you are!" Caroline grinned. "Have you been down to the falls yet? They're amazing at night. I can show you."
Stefan gave her a polite but firm smile. "I think you've had a little too much to drink."
"Well, duh. So"
"Caroline," he said gently, but clear, "you and me? It's not gonna happen. Sorry."
Leaving her speechless, he walks back to Elena. "Ah, I was wondering who abducted you. Mystery solved."
Stefan smirked. "Is she like that with all the guys?"
Elena rolled her eyes. "No. Just the new ones. You're fresh meat. She'll back off."
Then she froze. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."
"What is it?" Stefan asked.
"My brother," she muttered. "The drunk one. That would be him."
"You want help?"
"Trust me," she said, already moving, "you don't want to see this."She stalked off into the trees. "Jeremy! Jeremy!"
She caught sight of him, stumbling through the woods.
"Jeremy, where the hell are you going?" she shouted.
"I don't want to hear it!" he yelled back.
"Yeah, well, too bad!"
"Help! Somebody help!"
I stopped cold.
"Call an ambulance!"
"Did you hear that?" I turned to Jeremy.
But he was already staring into the trees. His whole body had gone tense.
"This is near where Vicki went off to..." he muttered.
And then, without another word, he took off running.
"Jeremy!" I shouted, stumbling a few steps after him. "Wait, where are you going?!"
He didn't look back.
Seriously?
"Jeremy!"
Still nothing. Just the sound of his footsteps crashing through leaves and branches, getting farther away.
I swore under my breath and took off after him, heart pounding harder with each step. Tree limbs scratched at my arms as I ducked low and tried to follow the sound of him, not just his running, but his breathing, like he couldn't get enough air. Like something was wrong, and he knew it.
Why would he justGod. If this had anything to do with Vicki... she's 18, he's 15
"Jeremy!" I shouted again, my voice echoing through the trees.
"Did you hear that?" Jeremy asked, slowing.
Elena stopped. There'd been something, like a sharp breath or a rustle too heavy for a squirrel. Then they saw him.
Malcolm emerged from behind the trees, staggering forward, cradling someone in his arms. Vicki.
She was limp, her face pale, blood smeared along her temple and soaking the side of her shirt. Malcolm's shirt was torn and soaked, streaked with blood, some of it his, some of it hers. He stumbled toward them like he might collapse.
"Elena, Jeremy," he gasped, barely able to get the words out. "Animal. Fast. Need help."
Elena's heart dropped. "Oh my god. Malcolm, are you okay?" She rushed forward, her eyes scanning him. He had scratches down one side, a gash along his ribs. But Vicki.... Vicki looked worse.
Jeremy moved closer, his voice tight. "That's Vicki… oh my god. Vicki. She's she's not moving."
"She's breathing," Malcolm snapped, his breath ragged. "But not good. Call an ambulance. Now. Also, one of you needs to get Matt."
Elena fumbled for her phone. Her hands shook too hard to type. "What the hell happened?"
"Came out of nowhere," Malcolm said, lowering Vicki carefully to the ground. "I heard her scream. I thought she was just drunk out of her mind, but" He looked up at them, eyes wild. " There was a guy I think I don't know, but then I say it, it was Huge. Fast."
Jeremy was already dialing 911, pacing in a tight circle. "We need to stop the bleeding. Do we have anything to"
"Use your jacket," Malcolm said. He pressed his hands over a wound in Vicki's side, grimacing. "She's losing a lot."
"I got it." Jeremy dropped to his knees, pulling off his hoodie and balling it up, handing it over. "Here."
Elena knelt beside Malcolm. "You're hurt too. You need to sit down."
"I'm fine," Malcolm said, voice tight. "Don't worry about me."
"You're not fine," she snapped, then caught herself. "Okay. Okay. Vicki first."
Malcolm glanced at her. "I don't know if anyone else is out there. I had to get her out. I didn't know if whatever-it-was would come back."
"You did good," Elena said, her voice low, steady. "You got her out. That's what matters."
Jeremy was still on the phone, relaying their location. "They're sending someone. The ETA is about ten minutes out. Maybe less."
"Get Matt," Malcolm said again, quieter this time. "He needs to know. She kept saying his name."
"I'll go," Jeremy said, already turning to run. "You got her?"
"Yes," Elena said quickly. "Go!"
As Jeremy disappeared down the trail, Elena shifted closer to Malcolm. "Hey. Stay with me. You're not gonna pass out on me, right?"
"No," Malcolm muttered, eyes on Vicki. "Not yet."
"You're covered in blood."
"I know."
"Some of it's yours."
"Thank you, Captain Obvious."
"You're a mess."
"I know, Elena," he said, a flicker of a smirk under the panic.
She almost smiled, then her face hardened again. "You carried her all the way out here like that?"
"Did I have a choice?"
"You could've left her. Gone for help."
"She wouldn't have made it."
They sat in silence for a few seconds, only the sound of Vicki's labored breathing between them. Then Malcolm spoke again, quieter this time.
"I thought she was dead."
"She's not."
"She was so still."
"She's not," Elena said, firmer now. "You did everything right."
Malcolm swallowed hard and wiped his forehead with a bloodied sleeve. "For a moment I felt it, you know, being close to her, do you ever feel like that?"
"Sometimes." Knowing what he's referring to
She put a hand on his cheek, caressing it gently.
"Help's coming. You're not alone, alright, just hang in there."
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yo i'm back 🫱🏽🫲🏾
first off, my bad for the delay in chapters. i tried to get ahead so i wouldn't be stressing later on, but in the process some of the work got deleted (don't ask how, i'm still mad about it 😭). had to rewrite a few parts from scratch, but i still managed to push this one out, even tho it's literally 2AM BST rn 💀
you'll be getting 2 more chapters later today, and then 1 more dropping tomorrow, so stay locked in.
also, quick heads up for the future: content is still coming, but life be life-ing. just turned 18 two months ago, so i'm juggling a few things, trying to finish up my online modules for class, looking for work (tryna be off benefits fr), and building on my content creation grind too.
appreciate the patience and the love y'all been showing.