𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐇𝐘 𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐌𝐘

𝐞𝐩 𝟏𝟕

            𝐴𝐷𝐸𝐿𝐴𝐼𝐷𝐸 𝐷𝐸𝐿𝐼𝐿𝐴𝐻 𝐺𝐼𝐿𝐵𝐸𝑅𝑇. The name rolled off the man's tongue in front of her. He had a British accent which she knew would send shiver's down her spine if this was real. He was close up to her, standing barely three inches away, his hand resting delicately on her rosy cheek. It was like he was treating her as a gorgeous crystal bowl, in which he didn't want to ever drop or break. He stared at her, his lips pulled in a thin line, studying each of her freckles on her face, how her eyelashes curled perfectly and made her eyes stand out. She was frozen, staring into his deep blue eyes never wanting to look away. They were captivating. They held many emotions, but the one that stood out the most was pain. Not physical pain. But as if his past had been nothing but something he never wanted to remember. He opened his lips to say something but she couldn't hear a word he was saying. 

Adelaide shot up from her bed, breathing hard. She had a slight sweat to her forehead, and her breathing was in rough gasps for air. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open ever so slightly - dry like a piece of sand paper. She lifted her hand up to her chee and rubbed at it, even though she knew the man she had saw was only a dream, it still... felt so real. She turned her head to the side, where her bedside table was and saw the time on her alarm clock.

11:45 PM

She had gone to bed early that night as she had been having a lot of trouble sleeping recently and was extremely tired but as she tried to go back to sleep her mind wouldn't rest. Soon she gave up and eventually threw the cover off her legs and winced as the cool air hit them, before swinging them over the side and getting up. She quickly made her bed not caring if it was neat or not, before grabbing a pair of black leggings and a light grey crop top which was loose, and then made her way to the bathroom. Might as well get a shower to save time in the morning.

Exiting the bathroom, clad in her clothes she had picked up from her room, with her hair dried and flowing down her back in slight waves, she grabbed a hair tie and pulled her dark brown hair into a high pony tail, with a few hairs falling out of it, framing her face.

She hummed to herself as she made her way out of her bedroom and began to descend the stairs, wanting to get a snack and a drink of water, trying to keep quiet at the same time. She had only just made it near to the bottom of the stairs when she nearly bumped into Elena, from not watching where she was going. Both Elena and her Aunt Jenna were stood at the bottom of the stairs. She hadn't expected anyone to be awake other than herself. 

"Sorr-" She began to say to her sister but when she looked up, both Elena and Aunt Jenna were staring at something, more like someone, who was stood outside of the Gilbert residence door.

"Adelaide." The woman spoke in a soft but sickly sweet voice, with a small smile on her face. Jenna looked confused and heartbroken, while Elena looked angry, and filled with regret, along with fright. 

"Errrr, hi. Do I know you?" Adelaide asked the girl, feeling confused herself, sending a puzzled glance towards her twin. 

"Isobel." Elena said in a low voice. Adelaide didn't know who this woman was and had never heard of the name Isobel before, but she assumed it was someone Elena and Jenna both didn't like.

"Jenna right?" The woman outside turned to their aunt, who was holding the door open, "you're the one dating my husband right?" She then asked again and Adelaide felt her mouth drop open. This was Alaric's wife? Alaric Saltzman? His wife that had supposedly been dead? "I need to speak to Elena and Adelaide, may I come in?" The woman asked, and Adelaide took another step down the stairs, so she was on the same step as Elena. Why did this woman need to talk to her as well as Elena? She didn't even know who she was.

"No, no, don't. Don't invite her in." Elena stuttered at lightening speed, warning their aunt, as she walked down the rest of the stairs to stand next to Jenna, glaring daggers at the woman outside the door.

"I need to talk to you Elena. And Adelaide." The woman's voice didn't alter.

"No," Elena spat before slamming the door shut in her face, turning around to rest on it while letting out a deep and shaky breath.

"Okay, that wasn't weird at all. Who was she anyway?" Adelaide brought up, curious.

"You knew she was still alive?" Jenna asked Elena, with tears in her eyes, "Ric? John? Did they know?" Jenna asked.

"I can explain everything, Jenna." Elena said.

"No." Jenna turned away and ran up the stairs with Elena following her and shouting for her to let her explain. Adelaide stood on the step, listening, with a frown etched onto her face. Once she heard the slam of Aunt Jenna's door, a moment later Elena came back down the stairs in a rush to search for her phone. Adelaide moved to lean on the living room arch way door, as she watched Elena search for her phone.

"So, who was that?" She asked, trying to get an answer from her twin sister.

"No one you need to know about, Adelaide." Elena snapped at her in frustration. Adelaide held her hands up in mock surrender. She and Elena got on most of the time, and they did have a close twin bond, but they were so different. Elena was always the star for being social and popular, while Adelaide was the super smart and rebellious child. She was the girl people thought was funny and kind but avoided as she wasn't really someone in which would help people gain any sort of popularity. She liked to spend her time painting and drawing, or playing the piano. She loved photography and always had her camera tucked in her bag no matter where she went. Her art was the way she saw and interpreted the world. And no one understood that. No one she knew at least.

She sighed and turned her back to her sister, disappointed in not getting any of the answers she had hoped for. She made her way into the kitchen to get what she had originally gone down for, wondering why Elena and everyone else had been so secretive and distant lately. Even her best friend, Caroline Forbes, seemed to be keeping her distance. It was like they were all in on something and were hiding it from Adelaide. It made her feel left out, but she was used to it. 

・ • ☽ • ・

The next morning she dressed in black skinny jeans and a white top with high heeled black boots, and a leather jacket on top. She left her hair in waves and applied a coat of a deep red lipstick.

It was only 7:30 AM when the door bell rang once again.

"Is she up yet?" She heard the voice of Alaric, as she made her way downstairs.

"She won't come out of her room." Elena responded and the two of them came into Adelaide's sight.

"What'd you tell her?" Ric quizzed.

"Nothing. She won't talk to me." Elena's voice was shaky and sounded slightly broken.

"We're gonna have to fix this, Elena." Ric told Adelaide's sister.

"You betcha do. Who was that woman anyway? I know she was Ric's ex-wife or something. But why are you so shaken up, El? You were acting as if you knew her?" Adelaide asked as she came into Ric and Elena's sight. They both turned to look up at her and tried to make an excuse. Elena was about to say some pathetic excuse but stopped when they heard someone walk down the stairs.

"Hey. Jenna." Jenna ignored Elena and Ric.

"I need to go." Jenna told them, giving Adelaide a small side hug before grabbing her jacket and putting it on.

"Ok, listen. I can't begin to imagine what you must be feeling right now." Alaric tried to sooth her.

"Rage and betrayal would pretty much cover it." Jenna responded.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked her.

"I'm going to stay on campus. I have a thesis to write, and I don't want to be in this house." Aunt Jenna explained, grabbing her bags after putting her shoes on.

"Jenna, please just stop." Alaric tried to persuade her. "Let us please just explain what is going on," Alaric told her but Jenna ignored him and turned to Elena with a cold and hard stare.

"Elena, I need you to go to the Lockwood's today and accept the Historical Society's check for your mom's foundation."

"Ok, but, Jenna, please just..." Elena was cut off by Jenna.

"I don't have it in me to hear any more lies from you." Jenna accused them both, sounding heartbroken and betrayed.

"Jenna, just-" Jenna slammed the door before Elena could finish.

"Let her go." The voice belonging to John Gilbert from behind them caught their attention. John was their Uncle, who had been recently staying with them. "It's better that she's not here with everything that's going on." Adelaide frowned at that. What was going on exactly?

"But maybe had you been a little more honest with her from the beginning, this," Before John could carry on speaking Alaric had brought up his hand and leaped forward, punching him in the face. Adelaide let out a small squeal from surprise and jumped back.

"Sorry, Elena, Adelaide." Ric told them, before heading for the door and leaving.

"You know this is your fault, right?" Elena told John, after Alaric had left, letting out a small laugh.

"Right." John said through gritted teeth, with blood coming from his nose.

・ • ☽ • ・

Adelaide sat at her desk in her room, painting a seaside while glancing towards her reference photo she had pulled up on her laptop every so often. She was using oil paints for this certain painting. Hearing voices downstairs that sounded familiar she couldn't help but give in to her curiosity. She placed the painting brush down and crept down the stairs, skipping the step which she knew squeaked. Peaking around the wall she saw Elena, Stefan, John and the woman from last night. Isobel?

"I asked John for a do-over." The woman was explaining to Elena.

"You invited her in?" Elena turned to look at John accusingly, with a glare. Adelaide listened, furrowing her eyebrows as she tried to hold her breath a little longer, not wanting it to cut off the voices.

"She has information about Klaus. Please, just listen to her, okay? All right?" Who the blood hell was Klaus? Why did she recognise the name? And what was her Uncle on about?

"What do you know?" Stefan then asked Isobel.

"Since I was last here, I've been doing everything possible to find Klaus. We knew our best chance was to find him before he could find you." Who was trying to find her sister? And why were they trying to find her? Who was Klaus? And why was Adelaide only finding out about this now?

"Best chance at what?" Stefan asked from his spot on the kitchen table. Elena was pacing the room and Isobel was sat on a chair at the table, unlike everyone else. Adelaide was leaning against the wall opposite the rest of them, listening to them all, confused as hell while trying to stay hidden.

"Keeping Elena alive." John spoke up. "And Adelaide." he added, caring for the youngest twin more than he could admit to. 

"You don't get to talk, okay? Not after everything you've done." Elena snapped at their Uncle.

"Were you able to find Klaus?" Stefan asked, keeping up with the interrogation.

"No. Nobody knows where he is. But there are these rumours that are flying around that a doppelgänger exists." Elena's a doppelgänger?

"Any vampire that wants to get in favour with Klaus will be lining up to capture you." Adelaide froze at the word. They weren't being serious right? They couldn't be? She felt all their air fly from her lungs as if she couldn't breath anymore.

"I'm not buying any of this. The last time that you were here, you didn't give a damn about me. Now I'm supposed to believe you wanna help?" Elena said but Adelaide wasn't focusing on the conversation anymore. She was looking down at the floor as her hands shook. Her face went pale and goose bumps lined her arms and cladded legs. 

"Isobel's been helping all along." John was saying.

"Klaus has been obsessed with finding Katherine for centuries. All it would take was one tomb vampire to spread the word around that Katherine was alive and it would bring him here to Mystic Falls where you were bound to be discovered. So we killed them." John's voice floated to her ears. Tomb vampires. Killing them. It was way too much information at once.

"And almost killed Stefan and Damon." Snarled Elena, defensive of the two brothers. Were Damon and Stefan vampires? How were vampires real? Her hands gripped onto her knees as she bent forward slightly, trying to keep herself upright as her legs nearly buckled.

"Yeah." John shrugged.

"I have a safe house that I can take you to. The deed is in your name. No vampires can get in without your permission. Not even me. Let me help you." Isobel tried to explain to Elena and get her to come to the safe house.

"You wanna help?" Elena asked, with her arms crossed over her chest, "then get the hell out of my house." Before Adelaide could hear anything else, she had stood up straight and rushed out of the house, stumbling as she went. She grabbed her car keys from the side table by the door and her jacket from the hook before rushing outside to her car. The slamming of the front door caught all of their attention. Stefan looked out of the kitchen window to see Adelaide getting into her car. 

Adelaide felt like she couldn't breath. Vampires? They couldn't be serious? Vampires didn't exist? And even if they did, Elena would have told her, surely? Was this the secret everyone had been keeping from her? Adelaide couldn't help but have a feeling deep down in her gut that this was all true and Elena had lied to her about everything. Had kept all this from her. For what seemed like quite a long time as well. Her eyes were blurry from tears which had started to escape as she drove along the road. Sobs racked her body as she drove along the road, sometimes going off to the other side from not being able to concentrate and focus. 

Her phone rang numerous of times but she ignored all the calls and text messages she received. She took one of her hands, keeping the other on the wheel, and rubbed at her eyes, clearing the tears so she could see better, but when she took her hand away and opened her eyes there was a figure standing in the middle of the road. They didn't move as her car inched closer so she panicked and turned the wheel at full speed, until it couldn't be turned no more. She felt the car spiral across the road. Hitting her head against the window as the car whipped to a stop. The glass windows shattering all over the now unconscious girl. 

・ • ☽ • ・

⧫ 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝟏𝟎 // 𝟎𝟓 // 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎 ⧫