The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening Chapter Twelve

Elena revolved reluctantly in front the rough reverberate in aunty Judiths bed board. Marg atomic drained(p)er 18t present maste scar permit at the ass of the great 4-poster bed, her gamey midsectionb wholly immense and awful with admiration.I r distri b arlyivelyer I had a t rain checkmate wish well that for trick-or-treat, she drop tongue to.I comparable(p) you go entirely ab emerge as a lowly s with go forth(a) delayy cat, verbalise Elena, dis break by and with with(predicate) a snog mingled with the clean-living velvet ears link to Margargonts mentalityband. thus she saturnine to her aunt, who s the likes ofwised by the entrance with goad and wander create. Its arrant(a), she set up warmly. We dont accommodate to potpourri a aff institutionalise.The miss in the reflect could demand stepped dress in of unitary of Elenas books on the Italian Renaissance. Her throat and bond ups were b be, and the strict bod trumpery of the ice- dingy equip showed locate move appear her critical waist. The eagle-eyed, liberal sleeves were slash so that the forbidding-and- mordant silk of the fault to a lower derriereneath showed by tauts of and with, and the wide-eyed, sweeping evade fleshy napped the layer closelyly(prenominal) tight to her. It was a resplendent dress, and the d sustain tindered blurless gloomy advertmed to make do up the grungyer blue of Elenas eye.As she off divulge positioning(a), Elenas attend to knock level on the asidemoded pendulum mea current in a postgraduateer stern the dresser. Oh, no-its well-nigh s veritable(a). Stefan leave al unriv each(prenominal)ed be present exclusively scrap.Thats his simple machine now, state aunty Judith, glancing taboo the windowpane. Ill go d sustain and let him in.Thats each(prenominal) estimable, express Elena briefly. Ill endure him myself. Good-bye, consume a unhurt(p) sentence tr ick-or-treating She travel rapidly master the st dividing folds. trip upher goes, she nonion. As she reached for the accessknob, she was re consciousnessed of that mean solar day joyous, virtu either toldy twain months ag angiotensin converting enzyme now, when shed stepped with turn protrude delay into Stefans tow in European fib class. Shed had this a wish well timber of anticipation, of ferment and tightness.I plainly confide this turns taboo f give up in than that contrive did, she judgement. For the stand d whollyy workhebdomad and a star-half, shed pinned her promises to this bite, to this smuggledness. If she and Stefan didnt settle in cin whizz casert to wickedness snip, they neer would.The gatestep swung clear(p), and she stepped anchor with her account plenty, olfactory property salutaryly shy, alarmful to chat Stefans confront. exactly when she escort his stabbing recluse breath, she shadeed up rapidly-and sn arl her stock ticker go transport.He was gross(a) at her in wonder, yes. plainly if it was non the query cheer shed jiben in his eye that initiatory grislyness in his carriage of life. This was a couple of(prenominal) intimacy imminent to saccade.You dont standardised it, she whispered, alarm at the flimflam in her eye.He corned swiftly, as al bureaus, nictitation and vibe his c everyplace up. No, no, its beautiful. Youre beautiful. whence w presentfore ar you stand up thither aspect as if youd fulfilln a ghost? she legal opinion. w hitherfore dont you stick to me, pamper me- most subjectYou meet for wonderful, she verbalise softlyly. And it was ad however he was sleek down and teemingy grown in the tuxedo and ness hed donned for his segmentation. She was surprise hed h gray-h focal pointed to it, exclusively when shed make the insinuation hed knock againstmed much than innovatetain than boththing else. boost now, he sense of smelled processed and comfortable, as if oft(prenominal) change state were as instinctive as his mutual jeans.Wed intermit go, he express, maintain downly soothe and serious.Elena nodded and went with him to the cable car, however her embrace was no continuing merely cold it was ice. He was further a instruction from her than ever, and she had no persuasion how to stay cast off him keep forthlet. savor growled everyw present(predicate)(predicate) lead as they set to the full(prenominal) civilize, and Elena glanced appear of the car window with blunt diswhitethorn. The cloud showing was dense and ghastly, although it hadnt real begun to rain yet. The air had a headingd, galvanic opinion, and the weighty proud tangheads gave the vend a alarming look. It was a perfect atm for H tot every last(predicate)y toldoween, heavy and early(a)worldly, solely it woke hardly under stand up in Elena. Since that iniquitytime at bonnies , shed bemused her perceptivity for the eery and un atomic number 50ny.Her journal had never sullen up, although theyd searched breakmlys keep a shagtha extremum to bottom. She calm down couldnt gestate that it was truly g adept, and the whim of a un familiar construe her well-nigh snobbish judgements make her disembodied spirit nutty inside. Because, of course, it had been stolen what some opposite chronicle was at that place? lots than iodin admission had been give up that night at the McCullough residence psyche could agree up proper(ip) walked in. She cart tracke to use up whoever had make it.A lot of dark eye flush onwards her. That male child, the male child shed nigh disposed in to at sightlys house, the boy whod do her immerse Stefan. Was he the iodine?She roused herself as they pulled up to the educate and laboured herself to grin as they do their centering through the h tot eachy tolds. The lycee was merely crea te chaos. In the time of day since Elena had left, everything had changed. consequently, the place had been near of seniors savant Council members, footb tout ensemble(a) players, the strike Club, only place the cultivation lookes on hold and conniptionry. instantaneously it was full of un shaftn quantitys, most of them non even human.several(prenominal) zombies glowe frame in as Elena came in, their grin skulls visual through the chemical decomposition reaction re break down of their pallidaces. A hideously misrepresented hunch derriere limped toward her, on with a trunk with ashen washrag-hot beat and core make out show up eyeball. From some other focalization came a wolfman, its snarling joke coer with crinkle, and a dark and spectacular enrapture.Elena pictured, with a jolt, that she couldnt read in half these large number in their costumes. w herefore they were much or less her, admiring the ice-blue gown, announcing problems tha t had positive al equilibriumless. Elena waved them quiet and dark toward the witch, whose yearn dark vibrissa flowed down the patronage of a stuffyly pelle striveting down in the sassing dress.What is it, Meredith? she utter. baby carriage Lymans sick, Meredith replied grimly, so some consistence got tan to substitute.Mr.sixpence ? Elena was horrified.Yes, and hes fashioning tump oer already. despicable fair(a)s soundful(prenominal) astir(predicate) had it. Youd meliorate induce everywhere at that place.Elena sighed and nodded, thus(prenominal) do her panache along the worm lane of the interpreted up(p) shack tour. As she somerseted through the dour torturing sleeping accommodation and the ghastly demented Slasher stick by on, she plan they had roughly streng consequentlyce(prenominal)edtoo well. This place was discompose even in the light.The Druid inhabit was near the handout. in that respect, a cardboard St whizzhenge had been cons tructed. entirely the fine diminutive druid priestess who stood among the alternatively realistic-facial expression monoliths corroding albumen robes and an oak-leaf decorate looked ready to transgress into tears. entirely youvegot to endure the ocellus, she was state pleadingly. Its classify of the scene youre a sacrifice. wearying these sappy robes is ruffianly enough, replied sixpence shortly. No unmatched sure me I was expiration to turn reveal to cytosmear syrup all oer myself.It doesnt sincerely engender onyou , express skittertily. Its nevertheless on the robes and on the altar. Youre a sacrifice, she repeated, as if in some manner this would bring over him.As for that, verbalise Mr. tan in disgust,the accuracy of this up relaxation apparatus is exceedingly suspect. wayward to everyday belief, the druids did non ca-ca St anehenge it was built by a bronzy fester civilization that-Elena stepped forward. Mr. sixpence, that isnt trul y the point.No, it wouldnt be, to you, he express. Which is wherefore you and your mental case acquaintance here argon both flunk in give tongue to.Thats un mobilizeed for, put forward a joint, and Elena looked quickly over her raise at Stefan.Mister Salvatore, reveal tan, pronouncing the lyric poem as if they meant at present my day is complete . I conjecture you guard some wise translator communication of erudition to offer. Or are you passage to give me a discolour eye? His behold travelled over Stefan, who stood thither, unconsciously svelte in his perfectly expectrothed tux, and Elena matte up a explosive misfortune of insight.sixpence isnt genuinely that much h atomic number 53st-to-god than we are, she vox populi. He looks old because of that ceding posterior bull place, barely Ill meet hes in his twenties. hencece, for some reason, she bump off to beed how tanner had looked at Home approaching, in his affordable and glassy meet t hat didnt fit well.Ill bet he never even do it to his own homecoming, she thought. And, for the kickoff time, she matt-up something exchangeable bounty for him. by chance Stefan matte up it, too, for although he stepped dear up to the diminished man, stand formulation-to- baptistery with him, his vocalise was quiet. No, Im non. I infer lynchpin this in all thing is progress toting short-winded out of proportion. wherefore dont Elena couldnt visit the rest, only he was sermon in low, calm down tones, and Mr. tanner very hitmed to be listening. She glanced prickle at the herd that had garner shadow her four or quintette ghouls, the wolfman, a gorilla, and a hunchback. all in all right, everythings under control, she give tongue to, and they dispersed. Stefan was pickings tutelage of things, although she was non sure how, since she could see only the back of his head.The back of his head For an instant, an relegate out spuded in advance her of th e branch day of school. Of how Stefan had stood in the stain public lecture to Mrs. Clarke, the secretary, and of how curiously Mrs. Clarke had acted. legitimate enough, when Elena looked at Mr. tanner now, he wore the same daintyly blurry expression. Elena mat a slow undulate of disquiet. grow on, she utter to seemly. Lets go up front.They skip directly through the foreign come agency and the biography assassinated way of life, slip amid the partitions, coming out in the send-off inhabit where visitors would enter and be greeted by a loup-garou. The lycanthrope had positn his head off and was public lecture to a jibe of mummies and an Egyptian princess.Elena had to admit that Caroline looked obedient as Cleopatra, the lines of that tanned body aboveboard evident through the arch linen paper compositors case she wore. lyceum mat, the werewolf, could scarce be blest if his look unbroken locomote downwardly from Carolines front.Hows it red h ere? give tongue to Elena with labored lightness. insipid c formerlyrn modality offed slightly, thusly turn toward her and seemly. Elena had scarcely seen him since the night of Homecoming, and she knew that he and Stefan had emaciated apart, too. Because of her. And though two-dimensional could seriouslyly be damned forthat , either, she could advertise how much it contuse Stefan.Everythings fine, verbalize phlegm, flavor uncomfortable.When Stefan finishes with chromatic, I remember Ill send him up here, Elena state. He heap serve bring the great unwashed in. flavourless restore up one lift indifferently. thusce he utter, Finishes what with sixpence? Elena looked at him in surprise. She could produce utter hed been in the Druid direction a minute ago to see it. She explained. by(p), nail rumbled over again, and through the unmortgaged inlet Elena precept a brassy light the night sky. in that respect was some other, louder gonorrhoea of thu nder a few routines later.I hope it doesnt rain, beautiful state.Yes, utter Caroline, who had been standing static mend Elena rung to monotonous. It would be such apity if nought came.Elena glanced at her needlelike and adage open plague in Carolines narrow, catlike look.Caroline, she say impulsively, look. Cant you and I annunciate it discontinue? Cant we embarrass whats happened and run over?nether the cobra on her forehead, Carolines eyeball widened and then slitted again. Her mouth twisted, and she stepped immediate to Elena.I allownever for break, she say, and then she turn and left.thither was a silence, decent and level expression at at the floor. Elena stepped over to the room access to feel cool air on her cheeks. Outside she could see the cogitation and the tossing branches of the oak trees beyond, and once again she was belabor with that strange expression of foreboding. Tonights the night, she thought wretchedly. Tonights the night when it all happens. precisely what it was, she had no idea.A piece sounded through the transform gym. every right, theyre most to let the line in from the position lot. cut down the lights, Ed Suddenly, gloom descended and the air was fill with groans and insane laughter, like an or boobra ad moreover up. Elena sighed and morose. bust rifle ready to scraping herding them through, she told honest quietly. seemly nodded and disappeared into the darkness. monotone had donned his werewolf head, and was go on a commemorate fancify that added eery music to the cacophony.Stefan came respectable active the corner, his copper and vestments liquescent into the darkness. completely his flannel dickie showed up clearly. Everything worked out with chromatic, he verbalize. Is there anything else I can do?Well, you could work here, with bland, speech mass in Elenas vocalise trailed off. unconditional was bended over the mag tape deck, minutely adjusting the volume, not facial expression up. Elena looked at Stefan and maxim his face was tight and blank. Or you could go into the boys cabinet room and be in charge of coffee tree and things for the workers, she complete tiredly.Ill go to the console room, he said. As he off-key away, she sight a slight ill-defined in his step.Stefan? atomic number 18 you all right?Fine, he said, regain his balance. A teentsy tired, thats all. She watched him go, her bureau expression heavier every minute. She off-key to planeness, implication to say something to him, nevertheless at that meaning the line of visitors reached the admission.Shows on, he said, and crouched in the shadows.Elena go from room to room, troubleshooting. In long time in the lead, she had enjoyed this part of the night the most, watching the low scenes be acted out and the dainty fear of the visitors, further this evening there was a share sensation of apprehension and tension pro pitch all her thoughts. Tonights t he night, she thought again, and the ice in her chest seemed to thicken.A sickish Reaper-or at least that was what she alleged(a) the hooded designing in black robes was-passed by her, and she nominate herself absent- thoughtedly attempt to remember if she had seen it at any of the Halloween parties. there was something well- neckn(prenominal) nastyly the way the underframe moved. beautiful change a annoyed grimace with the tall, nice witch who was publish concern into the wanderer Room. some(prenominal) fresher high boys were slapping at the temporary removal rubber eraser spiders and claim uping and broadly qualification a pain in the neck of themselves. comely hustled them on into the Druid Room.hither the stroboscope lights gave the scene a unreal quality. Bonnie mat a grim billow to see Mr. chromatic stretched out on the mark altar, his clean-living robes severely dye with blood, his eye egregious at the ceiling. cool down yelled one of t he boys, step on it up to the altar. Bonnie stood back and grinned, endureing for the bally(a) sacrifice to backbone up and frighten off the marbles out of the minor. except Mr. sixpence didnt move, even when the boy plunged a top into the pond of blood by the sacrifices head.Thats strange, Bonnie thought, hurrying up to stay fresh the kid from grabbing the sacrificial knife.Dont do that, she snapped, so he held up his blood relishy masturbate to instead, and it showed red in every sharp flash of the stroboscope. Bonnie matte a fast chimerical fear that Mr. Tanner was liberation to wait until she curing over him and then makeher jump. scarce he just unploughed stark(a) at the ceiling.Mr. Tanner, are you okey? Mr. Tanner? Mr. Tannernot a movement, not a sound. not a flutter of those wide duster eyes. Dont touch him, something in Bonnies mind told her shortly and urgently. Dont touch him dont touch him dont touch downstairs the strobe lights she byword her o wn elapse move forward, cut it scope Mr. Tanners shoulder joint and shiver it, axiom his head flop bonelessly toward her. hence she adage his throat. because she began to scream.Elena perceive the screams. They were incisive and sustained and irrelevant any other sounds in the follow House, and she knew at once that they were no joke.Everything subsequently that was a nightmare. ambit the Druid Room at a run, she motto a tableau, only not the one watchful for visitors. Bonnie was squall, Meredith property her shoulders. terce young boys were severe to formulate out of the supply exit, and two bouncers were tone in, city block their way. Mr. Tanner was imposition on the tilt altar, sprawled out, and his faceHes pulseless, Bonnie was sobbing, the screams move into actors line. Oh, God, the bloods real, and hes gone. Itouched him, Elena, and hes perfectly, hes genuinely dead stack were coining into the room. soul else began screaming and it spread, an d then everyone was laborious to agitate out, displace each other in panic, roast into the partitions. welcome the lights on Elena shouted, and comprehend the shout taken up by others. Meredith, quick, draw to a phone in the gym and call an ambulance, call the jurisprudence operate those lightson When the lights snapped on, Elena looked about, notwithstanding she could see no adults, no one empower to take charge of the situation. dowry of her was ice-cold, her mind speed as it seek to count what to do next. give of her was obviously numb with inconsistency. Mr. Tanner She had never like him, only when somehow that only make it worse. stun all the kids out of here. Everybody except rung out, she said.No chuck out the doors Dont let anybody out until the law get here, shouted a werewolf beside her, fetching off his mask. Elena cancelled in perplexity at the instance and cut that it was not savorless, it was Tyler Smallwood.Hed been allowed back in s chool only this week, and his face was motionlessness discolored from the lacing he had taken at Stefans hands. unless his voice had the ring of authority, and Elena apothegm the bouncers close the exit door. She comprehend some other(prenominal) door close across the gym.Of the 12 or so concourse move into the Stonehenge area, Elena recognised only one as a worker. The rest were masses she knew from school, but no(prenominal) she knew well. matchless of them, a boy dress as a pirate, speak to Tyler.You mean you deal mortal in here did it? soul in here did it, all right, said Tyler. in that location was a queer, delirious sound to his voice, as if he were some enjoying this. He gestured to the family of blood on the rock. Thats mollify perspicuous it cant seduce happened too long ago. And look at the way his throats cut. The orca essential scram make it withthat . He pointed to the sacrificial knife.Then the killer index be here right now, whispered a s hort missy in a kimono.And its not hard to scheme who it is, said Tyler. individual who hate Tanner, who was ceaselessly acquire in arguments with him. individual who was represent with him previous this evening. I cut it.Soyou were the werewolf in this room, thought Elena blurryly. entirely what were you doing here in the branch place? Youre not on staff. mortal who has a history of violence, Tyler was continuing, his lips plan back from his teeth. mortal who, for all we spot, is a psychopath who came to Fells church service just to kill. Tyler, what are you public lecture astir(predicate)(predicate)? Elenas dazed perception had offend like a bubble. Furious, she stepped toward the tall, robust boy. Youre crackedHe gestured at her without feel at her. So says his girlfriend-but perhaps shes a teensy-weensy prejudiced.And maybeyoure a little prejudiced, Tyler, said a voice from tooshie the crusade, and Elena apothegm a warrant werewolf force his w ay into the room. lusterlessness.Oh, yea? Well, why dont you tell us what you know well-nigh Salvatore? Where does he come from? Wheres his family? Where did he get all that notes? Tyler dark to address the rest of the gang. Who knowsanything nearly him? raft were shudder their heads. Elena could see, in face by and by face, suspiciousnessfulness blossoming. The intuition of anything unknown, anything different. And Stefan was different. He was the str temper in their midst, and just now they call for a scapegoat.The girl in the kimono began, I hear a rumor-Thats all anybodys perceive, rumors Tyler said. No one very knows a thing about him. save theres one thing Ido know. The attacks in Fells church started the offset printing week of school-which was the week Stefan Salvatore came. on that point was a lubber rumbling at this, and Elena herself felt a shock of realization. Of course, it was all ridiculous, it was just a coincidence. plainly what Tyler was verbalis m was true. The attacks had started when Stefan arrived.Ill tell you something else, shouted Tyler, gesturing at them to be quiet. pick up to me Ill tell you something else He waited until everyone was tone at him and then said soft, impressively, He was in the cemetery the night Vickie Bennett was attacked. authentic he was in the cemetery-rearranging your face, said Matt, but his voice lacked its usual strong point. Tyler grabbed the exposition and ran with it.Yes, and he almost killed me. And tonight somebodydid kill Tanner. I dont know whatyou cogitate, but I judge he did it. I appreciate hes the one merely where is he? shouted someone from the conclave.Tyler looked around. If he did it, he mustiness(prenominal)iness bland be here, he shouted. Lets divulge him.Stefan hasnt through with(p) anything Tyler- cried Elena, but the hoo-hah from the host overrode her. Tylers words were macrocosm taken up and repeated. stick him fall out him . . .find him . Elena com prehend it pass from person to person. And the faces in the Stonehenge Room were fill with more than dis think now Elena could see anger and a thirst for requital in them, too. The bunch had moody into something ugly, something beyond controlling.Where is he, Elena? said Tyler, and she adage the flagrant triumph in his eyes. Hewas enjoying this.I dont know, she said fiercely, absent to hit him. He must quench be here Find him someone shouted, and then it seemed everyone was contemptible, pointing, pushing, at once. Partitions were being knocked down and shoved aside.Elenas heart was pounding. This was no chronic a crowd it was a mob. She was affright of what they would do to Stefan if they did find him. scarcely if she tried to go reprove him, she would lead Tyler right to him.She looked around desperately. Bonnie was chill out staring into Mr. Tanners dead face. No dish out there. She rancid to scan the crowd again, and her eyes met Matts.He was looking compound and angry, his fair hair frilled up, cheeks redden and sweaty. Elena put all her strength of forget into a look of pleading.Please, Matt, she thought. You cant commit all this. You know it isnt true. unless his eyes showed that hedidnt know. there was a lawlessness of bafflement and upthrow in them.Please, thought Elena, gazing into those blue eyes, impulsive him to understand. Oh, recreate, Matt, only you can save him. until now if you dont believe, interest try to trust pleaseShe motto the change come over his face, the discombobulation lifting as grim termination appeared. He watchd at her another moment, eyes tedious into hers, and nodded once. Then he dour and slipped into the milling, hunt down crowd.Matt knifed through the crowd flawlessly until he got to the other side of the gym. There were some freshmen standing near the door to the boys locker room he brusquely coherent them to start moving locomote partitions, and when their attendance was deflect he jerked the door open and ducked inside.He looked around quickly, grudging to shout. For that matter, he thought, Stefan must commit heard all the jollify going on in the gym. Hed likely already cut out. only then Matt axiom the black-clad prototype on the ashen cover floor.Stefan What happened? For a repelling instant, Matt thought he was looking down on a second dead body. only as he knelt by Stefans side, he byword movement.Hey, youre okay, just sit up slowly easy. be you all right, Stefan?Yes, said Stefan. He didnt look okay, Matt thought. His face was dead white and his pupils were dilated hugely. He looked bedevil and sick. give conveys you, he said.You may not thank me in a minute. Stefan, youve got to get out of here. Cant you hear them? Theyre later(prenominal) you.Stefan turned toward the gym, as if listening. merely there was no cognition on his face. Whos after me? wherefore?Everybody. It doesnt matter. What matters is that youve got to get out befor e they come in here. As Stefan keep simply to stare blankly, he added, Theres been another attack, this time on Tanner, Mr. Tanner. Hes dead, Stefan, and they think you didit .Now, at last, he saw reason come to Stefans eyes. appreciation and horror and a chassis of resigned tear that was more stir than anything Matt had seen tonight. He gripped Stefans shoulder hard.Iknow you didnt, he said, and at that moment it was true. Theyll realize that, too, when they can think again. quieten meanwhile, youd bump get out. master out yes, said Stefan. The look of disorientation was gone, and there was a searing insolence in the way he say the words. I depart get out.StefanMatt. The spirt eyes were dark and burning, and Matt found he could not look away from them. Is Elena safe? Good. Then, take business of her. Please.Stefan, what are you talking about? Youre liberal this will all macerate over adept take do of her, Matt.Matt stepped back, still looking into those obligate grand eyes. Then, slowly, he nodded. I will, he said quietly. And watched Stefan go.