𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕿𝖊𝖓: 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗔𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁, 𝗔𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴

                                    

                                          

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
                          
Chapter Ten
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Solitude At Last, At Least Not For Long
                          
November 2nd, 2009
Groaning, I stretch my arms backwards as my head lolls to the side, my vision blurry as my body begins to wake from its short coma. A whine beside me cracks my body into motion as sore eyes lock onto a groaning heap of severely tangled, half down, vanilla-white hair. The form huffs before falling backwards, still seemingly asleep as it tunnels further into the covers to avoid the streaming light from the windows. Stefan's birthday, leaving the Grill, getting Caroline home...Lexi! I search the pockets of my vermillion leather jacket, rummaging through the pockets as quietly as I could to check my phone.
                          
Sweet Saint Stefan
                          
'Where are you? I saw you leave with Caroline?'
'Is everything ok?'
'Come home quick there's been an emergency.'
'Mari please, call me when you see this.'
                          
Shit, what could've transpired in the time I was gone could have been devastation, for all I know, outside this bedroom door could be a decimated world and the only to left were me and Caroline. I use some scrap paper from her nightstand to leave her a note, confirming my rushed whereabouts. Slipping on my tall boots, grasping hold of my coat, I silently exit Caroline's bedroom, sneaking through the house so as to not awaken the Sheriff.
  "I didn't expect to be seeing you here Marielle," she states, rather stern in tone as she looks me up and down, then towards Caroline's bedroom.
  "My apologies, Sheriff Forbes. Caroline got drunk last night and I drove her home, she asked me not to leave, that's how I'm here." I clarify, jittery with urgency as I tapped away at my phone, preparing to get hold of Stefan.
  "Then thank you for bringing her home and for keeping her safe, Marielle. It's greatly appreciated." she gives me a short smile before she gestures for the door, allowing me to leave as I press Stefan's contact. Admittedly worried about his safety.
                          
The voicemail almost rings before the other line picks up, creepily silent as only breathing made its way through the speaker.
  "Stef? What's going on, you texted me that there was an emergency." I rush, unlocking the drivers-side door to slip into my truck.
  "It's Lexi, Marielle," he confesses, this very sentence put me on edge, what transpired after I left the Mystic Grill that could've been so detrimental, so sorry-inspiring,
  "What about Lexi? I know I promised her that the ring-"
  "She's dead. Marielle. She's dead." his voice strains as the line dies, leaving me with a ringing tone before the phone absently slips from my grasp out of shock. Unconscious tears trail from my eyes down the smudged blusher of my cheeks, the black lines like a disease as the colour spreads across the lower half of my face. There was already an unspoken answer to all of my questions, the only one who was powerful enough to even consider defeating Lexi...was Damon. Gasping for air as my lungs struggled to function, rapid uneven breaths filling the confines of the car as my entire body leaned backwards, sinking down into the torn leather chair.