I do not own L.J. Smith books

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Chapter Two: Broken Past

Two months earlier

Smoke wafted up from the floors completely surrounding Elena. Everywhere she looked all she could see was smoke.

"where am i?"

Twisting and turning Elena tried to find a way out of the smoke. A way to break free.

"Stefan? Where are you? Help me!"

Unexpectedly something flashed to her right. Twisting Elena tried to find out what was there

Fearfull Elena asked "Hello? Is somebody here"

Again something brushed her from behind. And again Elena twisted trying in vain to find what was in there with her.

What the hell is out there? Where is Stefan? Is he hurt?

Finally getting frustrated Elena yelled out "If something is in here you better tell me 'cause right now I'm pissed and normally I don't get pissed but when I do there is hell to pay" By the end of her tirade Elena had felt a cold chill infiltrate the room and with the cold came this uncontrollable fear. Fear that she had not felt since after her second death.

Suddenly comprehension lit her mind dulled by the mysterious smoke.

"What can you possibly do to me little girl? What can you possibly do?" scorned the voice from deep in the smoke.

Twisting towards the voice Elena began to tremble.

"You! But you're dead. I saw it. Stefan saw it. We all saw it" Elena began in denial.

"What do you know? You piddling piece of mass" came the voice again but this time from a different direction.

Instead of staying hidden his form came forth as terrifying as before.

"You should have known form the first that you could not escape from me no one can" came that terrifying voice.

With knees quaking Elena fell roughly to the hard gravely ground still in disbelief that he could still be alive.

"But you are right my dear. You did kill my body unfortunately. A body I was quite fond of actually. But you never did kill my essence and quite I will be back and I will finish what I had started"

Right before her very eyes his body began to morph. At first what he was becoming was unknown but deep down Elena knew and deep inside she felt her heart freezing.

"what do you think of my new body. Quite fitting don't you think?" cruelly said a voice that had always been kind and loving. A voice she knew intimately.

"No," weakly, "No! Not Stefan. You leave him alone! But it's already too late"

"NOOOOOOOO"

Jackknifing up in her comfortable four poster bed Elena realized that it had all been a dream. Clutching at her nightgown Elena reached for the body laying to her left.

"Stefan darling you wont believe the horrible dream I had" Elena said in a voice tinted with humor.

Sadly it would be the last piece of humor she would have for a long while to come.

"Stefan?"

Turning over "Stefan" looked deep into her eyes and clearly said "that was no dream"

Without knowing what she was doing, instinct taking over, Elena jumped off the bed trying desperately trying to reach the door.

"No, no my dear. There is no escaping this time. I will get you and everybody else who dared to defy me."

Before she could reach the door Elena was viciously thrown on top of the bed. Bones could be heard breaking. But nothing was going to keep Elena down.

She had to escape. She had to warn the others.

"Please Stefan. I know you're in there somewhere. Please stop. You're hurting me" pleaded Elena.

"Sorry "darling" but there is nobody here but me" with those words 'Stefan' maliciously pulled Elena up by her hair.

"And I want to play"

Slamming her against the door 'Stefan' took a claw like finger and began to slice a strange design onto the back of her neck all the while chanting in a voice that sent shivers down her back. And with that design came an amount of pain that was not just from the cut it was coming from someplace unidentifiable place. The pain was indescribable.

With a noiseless cry Elena tried to claw herself free but 'Stefan's' grip was to strong.

"But for you I give you this one reprieve"

Wildly he laughed as with those words he threw Elena out the window of the 100 story penthouse.

Screaming Elena tried to futilely stop her descent, but all too soon she crashed into the harbor. Seeing flashed of her first death Elena screamed filling her lungs with water. From some unexpected place an unbreakable will revealed itself to her. Determined Elena swam for the surface and when she broke through she did not stop to congratulate herself. She kept going. She needed to warn the other needed to protect them

......

When she walked into her childhood home she realized calling them was a mistake. They had all been gathered in one place. An easy kill for one such as he. She dared not even think his name for fear that he would hear her.

All around her were blood stains. The stench of death was all around. For the bodies that were still left intact pain and terror was evident on their faces.

Pain washed through Elena as she realized that there was no one left. No one.

Boneless she fell to the floor right beside the mutilated body of her sister. Her dear little sister.

"I've failed... failed you all" Elena cried out brokenly.

"Now now don't be saying things like that. It makes me feel so..." without finishing his sarcastic comment 'Stefan' began to slowly stalk towards Elena.

Watching his progress Elena made a quick decision. There was nothing she could do to help the ones she had loved.

"Oh Stefan I knew you'd come around. Thank you for taking care of the problem that has kept me too human for our life." Elena seductively made her way towards Stefan slinking her arms up his muscular physique.

Confusion lit 'Stefan's' eyes quickly followed by pleasure.

"Anything for you Elena" pleasure filled his voice.

"yes" Elena whispered into his ears. Taking him by the neck Elena shifter closer and closer to overturned sofa, then proceeding to lay themselves on top of the hard surface. Stefan captured Elena's lips in a fierce hold.

Without warning Elena clutching a broken chair leg plunged the wooden implement into his chest.

"Forgive me Stefan. It was all I could do" Elena sobbed tears falling like raindrops form her big blue orbs.

"Elena..." Stefan whispered

Right before her very eyes Elena watched as the real Stefan re-enter his body. Distraught with what was happening Elena could do nothing but watch as her husband, her lover, her maker disintegrated.

"No no no this is not happening this is just a nightmare. Please let me wake up"

But Elena knew that this was not a dream. This was reality and she had just done the unthinkable.

Behind her she felt the air shift and on instinct born of pain she agilely flipped into a crouch waiting for the unforeseen attack.

"Elena my dear I thought you knew by now that you could not get rid of me. Know this I will be back and when I am there will be no reprieve of the pain I will make you suffer" with those parting words he was gone until he could again attain a body to suit his purposes.

Broken Elena just lay there waiting for the sun to come and take her away. In the distant sky signs of sunrise were evident.

I'll be joining you all very soon.

Just as the rays were about to reach her Elena was preparing for the pain she knew was about to encapsulate her. A pain she knew would lead her to the other side where all her loved ones waited for her.

Nothing

Nothing

In wonderment Elena moved her hand through the light and for the first time in years she was able to bask in the sunlight that had before rejected her.

"What"

"I can't have you killing yourself before I have a chance to punish you now can I?" cackled the voice that Elena was learning to dread.

Raising her hand to the engraving on her neck Elena realized he had planned this from the beginning. He had wanted her to kill Stefan knowing that in doing that deep she had damned herself to an unlife of guilt and self torment.

.......

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