DISCOVERY
Black – Kari Kimmel
When everything turns to black Silence is broken
You don't know where to go
You need something
To justify your soul
Confidence is gone
Everything you're holding on to…Falls
My fingers hastily unfastened the buttons of my bloodied shirt and let it fall as I continued to race through the forest, pushing past the shrubbery and towering trees. I continued to push myself by exercise the endless adrenaline that rushed through my form. Still, each lunge and leap never exhausted me or seemed to exert any energy. If anything, I only grew stronger and more forceful in defeating him.
Once I had reached the brink of the quarry, I came to a stop, the laughs still rumbling in my chest as I rested against one of the trees. Between the amused laughter, I released small gasps as I glanced down the forest where my brother finally broke through.
When he reached my side, he playfully pushed at my shoulder and teasingly growled "Next time" he vowed, another promise that he has countlessly repeated but never fulfilled. My big brother continued to carry false hope that one day, he would finally defeat me but in every race or in every sword fight, ended with me being victorious.
Nonetheless, unlike Rebekah, Elijah was never one for jealously. He simply smiled and good-heartedly waved it. It was almost admirable.
"I will get you when you least expect it" he added when I pushed him back and followed after him as we headed further into the forest, looking for the quarry.
I rolled my eyes at his impetuous promise and teasingly replied, "Sure thing brother" I murmured, ignoring his mock-glare as I fell deep in thought. Something that had been bothering me, now returned as the thrilling run now dissipated. "Do you think we should have brought Rebekah?" I inquired.
"I doubt that she would have pulled away from Richard" he answered with a nonchalance that I simply disapproved.
"She should not be getting so close to him" I muttered contemptuously.
Elijah read my words differently as he craned his head towards me and mocked, "You never think anyone is good enough for her" he added and I silently agreed to the words but knew that I would never admit it vocally.
"Richard is part of the council" I answered, annoyed that I had to remind him of such a thing. "A council that I shouldn't have to remind you, hates vampires" I glared at the back of his head, frustrated by his blasé demeanour.
"Lei è un uomo insopportabile, fratello" (You are an insufferable man, brother) he murmured lowly.
I raced before him, stopping him in his tracks. "E tu sei semplicemente ingenuo, fratello" (And you are just plain naïve) I retorted and fell back in the same pace as him. We had just gotten back from Italy but it seemed that we couldn't stop breaking into Italian. "I'm sure when we're-"
I paused by the look on his face and how he had frozen. "Did you-" he paused again and craned his head, wildly searching the darkened forest and peering through the distorted shadows.
"What is it?"
Once again, he stopped me when holding up one hand, gesturing for me to wait. "Do you hear that?" he asked with a crease forming on his forehead while his eyebrows were furrowed.
"Hear wh-" my question was interjected with the distant, heart-breaking cry that tore through the crackling silence. "What is that?" I asked and turned back to my brother for answers.
Though, he was both deep in thought and perplexed as he whispered, "It sounds like…" he trailed off pushing his way through the trees, each step gradually accelerating with his fierce determination being heightened. As always, I followed after him and after another second passing by, we both broke through another cluster of trees.
"A baby…?" Elijah gasped, being the first to lock eyes with the small bundle that was dangerously close to the water. I watched in fascination and fear as the small human continued to cry loudly and wriggling within the bundle, causing it to shift. From where I was, all I could see was short curly brown hair and soft pearled skin and small hands reaching out in desperation, wildly begging through her cries and her actions for…something.
Elijah was the first to break from his own trance as he began to slowly approach the child with great caution. All I could was watch as he steadily crouched down and pushed up his sleeves. "Hello there" he whispered and I wanted to laugh at the ludicrous situation.
Instead, I found myself tentatively taking a few steps towards him – out of curiosity, of course. As I closed in, my gaze roamed over the baby's wide chocolate-brown eyes. They were doe-like and gleaming with a certain glint and crystal tears glistening within. Her small pouted lips were a dark pink that contrasted with her pale complexion while her puffed cheeks were flushed as she continued to wail and reach out.
Finally her outstretched hand found my brother's thumb and her small fingers were almost able to wrap around it. Somehow, the contact helped her and I studied how the cries died down and she confusedly looked at him. There was a small annoyed crease on her brow as she released heavy deep breaths between her cries.
Elijah smiled warmly down at the girl and even found the courage to tap at her nose. "Smile…" he encouraged and his grin widened when she finally quirked her top lip into a small smile. Then, she surprised me when her gaze flittered over my brother's shoulder and onto mine.
Then, I began to feel something strangely peculiar spark with the warmth stare. I felt something ignited with how a deep-rooted sorrow still underlay the brief happiness, regardless of her toothless smile that somehow had me taking another step closer.
"Why is she alone?" I finally asked, using my peripheral vision to recognise the absence of any other human life around. All I could see in the distance, on the other side was a rundown cabin and a few tents scattered nearby. Still, they seemed ransacked and darkness filled them, leaving them as casted shadows under the dusk midnight.
As I continued to frantically search the surroundings, I noticed something else. "Do you smell that?" I asked, sniffing the air again and trying to follow the familiar scent. What I found was what I had greatly suspected but hoped it wouldn't be true. "I doubt that her guardians will be making a show anytime soon"
Elijah briefly broke his hold from the child to appear by my side. A low whistle angrily passing through his lips as he looked at the massacre of human bodies now staining the lapping water trailing down the river. It's waves now a menacing crimson as father, mother, children and cousin now lay there with broken throats and torn throats, slaughtered and left to rot.
"Well we can't just leave her here" Elijah had rushed back to the baby.
I turned back to him, bewildered and annoyed as I realised what he was tried to say to me. "And we can't take her with us" I argued but I could already see it on the look on his face as he continued to watch the child. I was conflicted over how I felt with the adoration he gave to the child and how it was mirrored. "You are not honestly considering that we take the HUMAN baby…" I raised my voice but it dawned onto me that he was no longer listening or he was pretending…
"Let's just erase this memory and walk on to our lives" I suggested, walking over to place my hand on his shoulder as to gain his attention.
However, this only angered him as he shook my hand off and whirled around to glare at me accusingly, "You may have done a lot of things brother, but you are not going to murder a mere child"
"Fine" I sighed in reluctance, hating that I found truth in the words. "We'll take her to an orphanage" I decided and turned to him in askance as to whether he approved.
As before, he had already forgotten me as he made his own decision. "She can stay with us for a while"
I ran a hand over my face in great exasperation. "She is human. We are vampires" I said, wondering why I even had to explain this. "God! Sometimes…" my words trailed off to Italian profanity as I paced behind him.
"We're taking her home" he added in a more sternly manner to remind me that he was older.
"Elijah…"
Again, he paid no attention to me and I watched, horrified as he began to scoop up the baby in his arms. His hand pulling the blanket more firmly around her to protect her from the chilled breeze. Instantly, the baby found warmth in resting her head into the crook of his neck. A small purr leaving her, her eyes fluttering to a close and I wondered if she knew the effect she had on Elijah. Each sound or move he made seemed to be calculated in making her more adorable.
"Let's go Nikalus" Elijah ordered and began to walk back down the path that we had come.
As always, my big brother's reasoning was overwhelmed with his compassion. As always his compassion was his greatest weakness…
A/N: Aw…for Elijah? Will Klaus learn to warm up to the baby?