A jolt violently drags me out of sleep's embrace, forcing me awake and demanding my attention. I keep my eyes shut, afraid of what I might see. Unsure anymore of what has been real, and what has been a dream. My body is sore and stiff, resisting against my own movements as I try to shift for comfort.

  Am I still being held captive? Am I about to die?

  My head hurts, and even with my eyes closed I feel as if the world is spinning around me, out of control. My heart beats so loud, it's all I can hear. I should be happy that it's still beating, but the incessant pounding blocks out my surroundings, somehow making my panic rise more.

  Something hard and warm is beside me, holding me upright through the force that tries to send my sprawling in the other direction. An arm wrapped around my shoulder pulls me in tighter to the unseen person, his grasp hard yet gentle. My nose tickles with a familiar aroma, and I resist the urge to cuddle in closer. The scent of his worn leather jacket, instantly making my body relax even as my mind continues on overdrive. I try to think, to remember what situation I am in. Everything seems so crazy, none of this can be real.

  Kidnappings, visions, and zombies? No, it had to all be a bad dream. Or is that my reality and only now I am dreaming? Am I really still tied to that table, slowly bleeding out? No, I won't accept that. Please let it all have been a bad dream! I can't even remember the last thing that was normal.

  The dance...

  Maybe I just fell asleep on the way home from the dance and had a really weird, bad dream. It feels like we are moving, that could be right... couldn't it? I am just sore from dancing all night. Any moment Damon will wake me up and tell me I am home. I won't have to worry about evil women who want some mysterious power that I don't understand. No, I can just be nervous about if Damon will kiss me or not.

  I am just a normal girl, that's all I should be worrying about right now. School, my friends, and whether the guy I like, likes me back. All that other stuff, that can't be right. But, then again... Damon really is a vampire. Just a few weeks ago, I wouldn't have thought that could be real.

  "Guys," Zeke yelps, pulling me out of my thoughts and into the moment, "I think she is waking up!"

  No more hiding, I guess it's time to face whatever is truly going on.

  I peek through my eyelashes, wincing as the bright light blinds and pushes me back into the darkness of my thoughts. Before I can retreat, pretend to be asleep for just a few minutes more, I feel him. I feel his eyes on me, and his grip around my body tighten.

  "Nereza," Damon whispers softly, just barely loud enough for me to hear him, "how do you feel?"

  His voice soothes my fears, not only coercing me back into the word but making me eager to do so. I push through the harsh light, forcing my eyes open. My stomach twists with unease as I see all eyes staring at me with concern. Stefan and Elena fully turned around from the front seat of the car, watching me as if at any moment I could disappear. Zeke to my left, careful not to touch me as if I may break.  Damon, holding me against his body, his eyes never wavering as if he needs to see every detail while he can.

  This can't be good.

  "What's going on?" I croak, my throat dry and cracking as I try to speak.

  I try to shift, to not lean against Damon so much but my body betrays me. My limbs shake at even the slightest weight being added to them. My joints lock, refusing to grant me the freedom of movement. I bite my lip, holding back the cry of pain that so desperately wants release.

  They already look so frightened. I can't let them see how I feel.  Damon's eyes soften as he watches me try and contain myself. I am sure he can feel the way my body quivers, and can see the panic in my eyes. Thankfully he says nothing. Rather he gently rubs my arm, letting me know he is here for me.

  "You're safe now," Damon soothes, his thumb tickling my skin as he softly rubs it back and forth over my shoulder.

  While that's always good to know, it doesn't really answer my question.

  "Dude!" Zeke cries, turning his attention to the front seat, "you better watch the road or none of us will be safe!"

  "Wait, is Stefan driving?" I ask with a raise of my brow, shifting my gaze just as Stefan turns his back to me.

  "If you can call turning around in your seat driving!" Zeke scolds, narrowing his eyes in a playful glare at the seat in front of him.

  "Why aren't you driving?" I turn to Damon, wincing once more as I try to sit up straighter.

  "Take it easy, you're going to be sore for a while." Damon deflects, shifting so that I am sitting up while still having his support to lean on.

  "But why-" I try to ask again, but am quickly cut off.

"  Try not to push yourself, don't need you passing out again." Damon insists, avoiding my eye.

  "But-" I hesitate as Damon tenses slightly, his lips tightening into a thin line before he turns to look out the window.

  "He didn't want to let you go," Elena answers softly, her lips pulling up into a small smile as my eyes widen with surprise.

  Damon's hold on me tightens, as if in agreement to her words. I gawk at him, even though he refuses to meet my gaze. Was he really that worried for me? If he was that worried, then I must have really been in danger.

  That means no matter how much I wish for it, none of this has been a dream.

  Looking down to my lap a sigh escapes my lips as I being to fidget with the end of my sweatshirt sleeves. Slashed and dirty, covered with dried blood, my favorite sweatshirt now ruined. Destroyed, like the simple life I always wanted out of. The last bit of my denial shatters as reality hits me full force. Even with Damon's arm around my shoulders I can't help but feel a bit crushed. My world is flipped upside down, and I don't know what to do.

  My stomach tightens even more as Damon's hold lessens, threatening to release me. Panic surges through my heart, feeling as if I'm about to lose the only anchor I have. I look up, my eyes glistening with my unspoken pleas.

  Don't let me go.

  I'm taken aback as my eyes meet his. His eyes, normally so cloaked with darkness and his sarcasm that his true emotions never show, now wide and full of pain. Why?

  "Do you not want..." His words drift away as his gaze shifts around the car, looking lost like I have never before seen. His arm pulls away more, bringing all his comfort and warmth with him as he removes his touch from me.

  "Oh no!" I gasp, lurching forward and placing my hand on his knee without thinking, just desperate to retain the connection.

  My sigh! He thought I was sighing about him? Damon not wanting to leave me is the only light I can see in this situation. How does he not know that?

  "I thought," I hesitate, looking down at my pale hand that rests so casually upon the dark denim of his jeans. I flush, instantly embarrassed by my movement, but refusing to pull away. "I didn't think it was real."

  "You're okay now," he comforts, returning his arm to my shoulder and pulling me in close. "I will keep you safe," he continues as he leans into me, "I promise," his breath tickles my forehead before his soft lips brush against my hot skin.

  Warmth floods my face and I look down, unable to meet his eye. My skin burns from his touch, a tingling sensation that slowly takes over my entire body.

  Ugh, how am I supposed to concentrate after that! Wait, did everyone see?

  I sneak a glance around the car, but everyone seems suddenly interested in anything other than me. A small smile pulls at my lips, thankful that they are at least pretending not to have paid attention.

  "Ugh," I start,  desperately needing to change the subject, "how long have I been out?"

  "Not long," Elena answers, turning back around to face us, "only a few minutes honestly. Just left the church."

  At the mention of the church I am fully alert. Terror rises in me, finding its familiar perch and clutching at my heart.  Adrenaline, the need to run courses through my veins once more. All girlish thoughts erased from my mind as memories from the past few hours overwhelm me. How could I have tried to block that out?

  "Are we being chased?" I turn to the windows, looking outside of the vehicle for the first time since I awoke.

  We are moving fast, faster than I had realized. Trees rush past the window, too quickly for me to really see. Anxiety grips at me as I glance around, searching for something. Anything that could get at me.  

  "Not yet," Zeke jumps in, shifting to sit on his knees as he looks out the back window, watching for any signs of danger, "at least not that I can tell."

  "I haven't been able to hear anyone following us," Damon offers, starting to rub my arm again.

  I glance up at him, my blush instantly creeping back into my cheeks. How is it he can always tell how I am feeling?

  "Where are we going?" I ask, looking for any land markers that I recognize.

  My mind is still reeling, and I struggle to focus on anything specific in the world that flies by us. I know they said I've only been sleeping for a bit, but how far have we driven already? My chest tightens as I strain myself trying to understand. I feel like everyone has this grasp on what's going on other than me. Like everyone has a plan and I am here floundering in my own fears.

  "We are just getting to town now," Stefan answers, glancing back at us in the rear-view mirror.

  "Get through as fast as you can," Damon orders, not filling us in on his reasoning.

  "Right, this town is probably destroyed by now," Zeke grumbles to himself as he leans against the window, looking out at the town we are quickly approaching.

  "Well actually," Elena's voice dwindles away as she leans forward, trying to get a better look at the people we begin passing. "You should slow down," she instructs with a glance back to Stefan, "we don't want to draw attention to ourselves."

  Red and blue lights flash from the side of the road, two police cars parked outside of the Library. The frantic old woman screeching and holding back tears as she motions to the smashed doors of her building. Papers ruffle in the wind, books lay discarded and damaged over the grounds.

  "No, just keep going." Damon insists, his eyes narrowing as the car drops in speed.

  "I don't understand," I whisper to myself, watching in disbelief as everyone goes about their day like normal.

  "It doesn't look like the zombies were ever here," Elena offers, her eyes following a young mother pushing her child in a stroller while balancing shopping bags on her shoulder.

  "But obviously they were, I mean they were at the library," Stefan argues, jutting his chin towards the police officers as we drive by.

  "They had to have passed through town to get from the cabin to the church," Damon concludes.

  "But they never actually hurt anyone," Zeke adds, his face pushed up against his window as we pass the elementary school.

  The children scream and laugh as they play at recess, completely oblivious to the chaos that surrounds them. Everyone is clueless to the dangers that lurk in the night, that staggered right past their front doors. How did nobody notice a thing? It's like nothing ever happened. Just another normal Monday morning.

  "Should we warn them? Have the town evacuated or something?" I wonder aloud, my eyes drawing to the Coffee shop where I know Jim is hard at work with his regulars. "I mean, what if they come back?"

  "I haven't sensed any motion since you.-" Stefan stops himself, glancing at me in his rear-view mirror for just a moment before returning his stare to the road.

  "What did you do?" Zeke asks, watching me out of the side of his eye.

  "I, uh" I nibble my lip, not sure if I can manage to say the words out loud, "I think I stopped them."

  "Well yea," Zeke rolls his eyes as he flops back into his seat to face me, "and it was awesome!"

  "It actually kind of was," Elena agrees, her eyes lighting up with curiosity.

  "But how?" Zeke pushes, leaning in for more information.

  "I don't know," I shrug, not ready to say the answers that taunts the back of my mind.

  "It doesn't matter right now," Damon interjects, his voice growing serious, "for now we just need to get you out of here."

  "I can't leave," I retort automatically, even surprising myself. Every bit of common sense I have is screaming to run, so why wont I let myself? Why are all my instincts fighting against my better knowledge?

  "Sure you can, we just have to keep driving," Damon counters, his jaw set with determination.

  "You don't understand-," I start trying to explain this new urgency that I feel pushing me forward.

  "No," Damon interrupts, "you don't understand. I can't risk anything like that happening again."

  "Risk!" I shout, sitting up straighter as a sudden thought occurs to me. "Please tell me you grabbed that bowl. I can't risk it being left with that woman."

"  Oh yea," Zeke groans, pointing to the front seat.

  "Yea, I have it up here." Elena finishes, shifting to show me the shiny metal in her lap.

  "Is that," Zeke hesitates, licking his lips nervously before continuing, "is that your blood?"

  "Yea," I nod simply, not ready to go into more detail.

  "I think I am going to be sick," Zeke mumbles, paling at my reply.

  "Not in my car you're not," Damon commands with a glare.

  "Keep driving or pull over," Stefan jumps in, a small smirk playing on his face, "you need to make up your mind."

  "Keep driving," Damon answers.

  "Pull over," I demand at the same time.

  "Why are we pulling over?" Damon turns to me, his eyes hard and determined. "Where would you possibly want to go now?"

  "Home," I answer, needing to see this thing through

  If what I saw was real, if what I felt was real... then this is far from over

  "It doesn't look like we have to worry about our families anymore," Zeke offers, "we can just call them and let them know we are going on a road trip or something."

  "I just know, if we run now this is only going to get worse." I say slowly, looking at him deep in his eyes and keeping my voice level.

  "Your dad will be fine," Elena continues, not understanding my point.

  "I'm not worried about my dad, I just," I pause and take a deep breath, searching for the words to explain the unbelievable things going on inside my mind. "I need to look at something. My mom has a journal-"

  "Oh we have that, no need to go looking for it!" Elena chirps in, her eyes softening with relief. "Right Zeke?"

  That's right, I had it with me at the cabin! If I can just look through the pages, then maybe everything will make sense at last!

  "Um..." Zeke's eyes widen before he averts his gaze and begins to fidget in his seat. "I kind of," he takes a shaky breath, tensing for the worst before he continues, "dropped the bag."

  "You what?" Damon barks, making Zeke jump a little in fear.

  "I didn't mean to!" Zeke whines, his eyes pleading with me to understand. "Those things grabbed me, it must have fallen when they took me down. When Elena pulled me up it was just gone. I am so sorry Reza!"

  "Knew you should have stayed in the car," Damon grumbled, earning himself a quick glare from me.

  "It's okay," I insist, taking Zeke's hand in my own, "I'm just glad that you all got out of there safe."

  "But now what?" Elena asks, glancing between Stefan and I for a plan.

  "We need to go to my house." I repeat, not budging from my position.

  "No we-"

  "Please Damon," I interrupt, turning my entire body to face him.

  His eyes soften as he watches me, his gaze always so intense that it makes my heart quicken.  I lean against his hold, finding strength and comfort in his touch, even as he makes my knees weak. I truly trust him, I know he wants to keep me out of harm's way, but that's just not possible right now.

  "Trust me," I beg, even as I know he will hate my intentions, "I have to do this."