slaughter

                                    

                                          
The next morning, I stirred from sleep to the sound of heavy objects being shifted across the floor. I blinked groggily, disoriented by the early morning light seeping through the curtains. Klaus was back. I heard him before I saw him, moving with the same casual confidence he always did, but there was a subtle tension in the air. 
I sat up slightly in bed and watched as he effortlessly lifted a large, heavy-looking case, his muscles straining under the weight, though his expression remained calm and composed. He moved the case as if it weighed nothing, but I knew better. That was the sword. The one he had left to retrieve. His latest obsession.
He glanced over at me and caught my gaze, a flicker of guilt flashing across his face. "Sorry for waking you, love," he murmured softly, his voice tinged with weariness. But I didn't respond. I just turned away, pulling the covers up to my chin, the cold edge of resentment seeping into my bones. 
We hadn’t spoken much since he left, not after our fight about Rebekah. It wasn’t just the fact that he’d left me behind to retrieve the sword, but the fact that he’d daggered his sister again. Rebekah—his own flesh and blood—trapped in a coffin because he couldn’t let go of his twisted need for control.
The truth was, as much as I tried to deny it, I couldn’t forgive him for that. And deep down, he knew it too.
I spent most of the day trying to keep busy, but the mansion felt suffocating. I wandered through the halls, aimlessly flipping through books, but nothing could hold my attention for long. Every thought inevitably circled back to Klaus. To Rebekah. To the promises he made and broke. 
Every time I closed my eyes, I could see her pale, still form, locked away in a coffin—another casualty of Klaus's paranoia and fear of betrayal. It gnawed at me, the idea that he could do that to someone he loved. It made me wonder what else he was capable of when it came to me, or worse, to our unborn child.
I wasn’t ready to forgive him yet.
In the afternoon, I decided to take a walk through town, anything to escape the confines of the mansion. As I wandered through the square, lost in my thoughts, I almost didn’t notice when someone approached me.
“Bonnie.” The familiar voice snapped me out of my reverie. I looked up to see Tyler standing in front of me, his arms crossed, a faint smile on his lips. He looked tired, but then again, we all did these days.
“Hey, Ty,” I said, trying to muster up some semblance of a smile.
We exchanged pleasantries, small talk about nothing important—how his mom was doing, how the town was faring amidst all the chaos—but my mind was elsewhere. I couldn’t help it. Something about Hayley had been nagging at me ever since she showed up, and I needed to talk to someone about it. I glanced around, making sure we were alone before lowering my voice.
“Tyler, I’ve been getting a weird vibe from Hayley,” I admitted, my voice tinged with uncertainty. “Something feels off about her. I don’t know what it is, but I can’t shake the feeling that she’s hiding something.”
Tyler frowned, his expression immediately shifting to one of mild annoyance. “Bonnie, you’re just being paranoid. Hayley’s cool. She’s been through a lot, and honestly, you should get to know her. I think you two could actually be friends if you gave her a chance.”
I wasn’t convinced. His words did nothing to ease the knot of unease in my chest, but I didn’t want to push it. Tyler had his own reasons for defending her, and I wasn’t going to start an argument over it. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
“Maybe,” I said quietly, though I wasn’t sure I believed it.
The day dragged on, and before I knew it, the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the town. I hadn’t realized how late it had gotten, and I knew I needed to head back to the mansion soon.