this town is colder now (1/1)
Fandom: The Vampire Diaries
For
cw_land's S3 Big Bang.
Medium: Fic, 1,661 words
Prompt: Tears, End, Alone
Fandom: The Vampire Diaries
Title: This Town is Colder Now (1/1)
Characters/Pairing: Caroline, Tyler; slightly Tyler/Caroline
Rating: G
Summary: Caroline's survived the last fight, but not by choice
Timeline: This is set some time in the future
Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries isn't mine
A/N: The title's from One Republic's "Stop and Stare"
Also, this fic has been my baby for weeks (yes, weeks) and I'd love feedback on it if you've the time.
The sky is dark yet as Caroline makes her way into the forest. She can smell the destruction that her eyes can’t see yet. It smells of ash, burnt wood, and flesh. Her stomach churns as she walks deeper into the forest and the smell gets stronger. Then, she can see it with her heightened sight: burned trees and a layer of ash starting a couple of hundred yards from her and the damage getting worse as far into the forest as she can see.
She quietly walks closer until the tips of her boots touch the ash that’s scattered on the floor of the forest.
She pulls her phone out of her pocket and checks it one last time.
No new calls. No new texts.
She shoves it back into her pocket. She doesn’t know what she was expecting. With the scene before her and smell of flesh drifting from the forest how could her conclusion be anything less? Everyone is dead. Everyone she’s ever cared about in the world.
Tears start blurring her vision and after the first few fall she doesn’t bother trying to wipe them away. She feels her knees give way and she falls to the ground.
She pulls her knees up to her chest and leans her forehead against them. She shouldn’t be here, mourning her friends. She should’ve been with them last night, fighting alongside them. She should be dead too.
She lifts her head up as the faintest trails of pink begin to mark the sky, and holds out her hand. She twists her magic ring around her finger. Everyone is dead: Elena, Bonnie, Tyler, Stefan, Damon, Alaric, Jeremy…there’s nothing left anymore. She takes the ring off in one swift motion and drops it on the ground beside her.
She wraps her arms around her knees and continues to let the tears fall, her sobs the only sound in the forest as she waits for the sun to rise.
She's wrapped up in the thoughts of joining her friends and trying to determine if she can feel the sun’s effect yet that she can’t process anything going on around her until she hears, “Caroline?” Before she can even look up to respond, someone has their arms wrapped around her, hugging her tight.
She instantly pushes away from them, flinging herself several feet away, fangs bared and ready to attack.
“Woah Caroline! It’s me,” they say immediately and Caroline takes a deep breath to calm herself.
But she cannot be seeing right.
“Tyler?”
“Yeah it’s me.”
“No,” she says softly and she can feel the tears welling up again. “No, you’re dead.”
He takes a step closer to her but she has to back up. She doesn’t know what’s happening.
“No Caroline, it’s me. I’m fine.”
He holds out his hands and she walks towards him.
“How?” she asks.
He rubs the back of his neck and she knows he doesn’t want to tell her. But before she can say anything to try and persuade him, he starts talking. “Matt got me into the cellar, saying the chains might be useful…but once I was in the gate locked and I couldn’t get it open. I yelled for matt but I could hear him walking away. I didn’t understand…”
“How did you get out?” she asks, taking a small step towards him.
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. When I tried the gate before it was locked, but just fifteen minutes ago it was open. I ran straight here. But Caroline…”
“What?”
“I think matt went to help. Last night. I…I think...”
“I know,” Caroline says and throws her arms around him. He rests his forehead on her shoulder and his tears fall onto her shirt. She lets some of her own fall as they hold each other.
She can feel his hold on her lessen after a few moments and so she lets go of him. He swipes at his tears although it’s nothing she hasn’t seen before.
They simply look at one another for a few moments. Then, sunlight begins to filter through the trees and Caroline’s skin begins to sizzle.
She cries out from the pain and falls to the ground, clutching at her burning flesh.
“Caroline! Where’s your ring!?” Tyler yells.
“The…ground,” she manages to spit out through gritted teeth. She sees him franticly searching the ground on his hands and knees. She tries to focus on the ground in front of her to help search for it but the pain is too great and she squeezes her eyes shut.
Suddenly, she feels Tyler’s hands on hers and he’s sliding her ring on his finger. He pulls her into a sitting position and his arms slide around hers as she leans into him. She can feel her skin start to heal itself under his fingers.
When she’s done healing, Tyler lets go of her and stands up. “Caroline, why didn’t you have you ring on?” he yells.
She looks away from him and twists the ring around her finger. At this, she sees him shift out of the corner of her eye, as if he’s ready to shove it back onto her finger.
“Everyone’s dead.”
“You’re not dead Caroline. Why would you take off your ring?” he demands.
She can’t meet his eyes. “I thought everyone was dead. You were…I….I couldn’t…”she can’t finish and the tears are starting to well up again.
“I’m here Caroline. And I never want to see that ring off your finger again. Okay?”
She turns back to him and nods. “Ok.”
Her eyes drift back to the ash-covered forest.
“Is everyone…?”
Caroline nods, “Yeah.”
There’s a moment of silence, then he says, “We should go.”
“No,” Caroline shakes her head. “I can’t go home.” The tears start again at the thought of what awaits her at home.
“What? Caroline, what’s wrong?”
She brushes the tears from her face. “I can’t.”
“Why?”
She lowers her eyes to the ground and whispers, “My mom’s dead.”
“What?” he asks, although she knows he head her.
“My mom is dead,” she repeats, not looking at him.
“What happened?” he asks as he takes a step towards her.
She closes her eyes and she can see last night happening all over again in her head.
She takes a deep breath and starts, “I was in my room, getting ready to help when my mom came in and shot me with vervain darts. When I woke up I was in our basement but she kept shooting me so I couldn’t move.” She found a stray string at the bottom of her shirt and wound it around her finger as she continued, “But one time she wasn’t fast enough and I ran upstairs. She came after me and was going to shoot me with them again so I grabbed her extra gun, just to scare her..but it went off…I killed my mom.”
The tears are coming fast now and she feels him wrap his arms around her. She returns the gesture and allows herself to cry.
“It’s okay Caroline. You didn’t know what she was going to do, if she was compelled….shhhh, it’s okay…”
“I killed my mom,” she mumbles into his shirt.
“I know,” he replies. “But it was an accident.”
She scoffs, “It was worthless. Like everything. After, I left to help. But it was too late. I killed my mom for nothing.” He squeezes her tighter and she finds she has no tears left to cry. She pulls away from him so she can see his face. “Tyler, what am I going to do?”
He looks at her for a moment, and then a small smile breaks through. “Where do you want to go?” She looks up at him with a puzzled face.
“What?"
“Where do you want to go?” he asks again.
“Tyler, we can’t. We can’t just leave.”
He shrugs, “Why not?”
“We…” then she closes her mouth. They can go. She closes her eyes. She’s always wanted to see the world, but she didn’t think she would leave so soon. But there’s nothing here anymore: no family, no friends; just suspicion would follow if they stayed.
They should start somewhere great, but not someplace where anyone would think to look first… “Brazil.”
Tyler smiles, “I could use some sun. Brazil it is.” He looks out into the forest then back to her. “Give me your phone.”
She reluctantly hands over her cell phone and almost cries out in horror as he drops it to the ground and crushes it with his foot. He pickup her broken cell and flings it deep into the forest. Then he takes out his and does the same.
“Your jacket,” he tells her and holds out his hand. She shrugs off her jacket and places it in his waiting hand.
She watches as he takes her jacket and rubs it against the nearest tree, tearing part of the sleeve off. He then takes it and balls it up and launches it into the forest. He takes off one of his shoes and throws it into the forest. The other he simply tosses a few feet in front of them.
“Come on,” he says and turns and walks away from their spot and out of the forest. She takes one last look at the destruction before following him out.
Once the trees lessen and they can see the end of the forest he asks, “How did you get here?”
She fishes the keys out of her pocket and holds them out, “I drove.”
He plucks them from her fingers, “Let’s go.”
They make their way to her car and Caroline slides into the passenger’s seat. He puts it into drive and pulls away from the edge of the forest and onto the road.
Caroline keeps her eyes on the road and her mind focused on what lies ahead of them as they travel past the sign that reads “Welcome to Mystic Falls.”
For
cw_land's S3 Big Bang.
Medium: Fic, 1,661 words
Prompt: Tears, End, Alone
Fandom: The Vampire Diaries
Title: This Town is Colder Now (1/1)
Characters/Pairing: Caroline, Tyler; slightly Tyler/Caroline
Rating: G
Summary: Caroline's survived the last fight, but not by choice
Timeline: This is set some time in the future
Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries isn't mine
A/N: The title's from One Republic's "Stop and Stare"
Also, this fic has been my baby for weeks (yes, weeks) and I'd love feedback on it if you've the time.
The sky is dark yet as Caroline makes her way into the forest. She can smell the destruction that her eyes can’t see yet. It smells of ash, burnt wood, and flesh. Her stomach churns as she walks deeper into the forest and the smell gets stronger. Then, she can see it with her heightened sight: burned trees and a layer of ash starting a couple of hundred yards from her and the damage getting worse as far into the forest as she can see.
She quietly walks closer until the tips of her boots touch the ash that’s scattered on the floor of the forest.
She pulls her phone out of her pocket and checks it one last time.
No new calls. No new texts.
She shoves it back into her pocket. She doesn’t know what she was expecting. With the scene before her and smell of flesh drifting from the forest how could her conclusion be anything less? Everyone is dead. Everyone she’s ever cared about in the world.
Tears start blurring her vision and after the first few fall she doesn’t bother trying to wipe them away. She feels her knees give way and she falls to the ground.
She pulls her knees up to her chest and leans her forehead against them. She shouldn’t be here, mourning her friends. She should’ve been with them last night, fighting alongside them. She should be dead too.
She lifts her head up as the faintest trails of pink begin to mark the sky, and holds out her hand. She twists her magic ring around her finger. Everyone is dead: Elena, Bonnie, Tyler, Stefan, Damon, Alaric, Jeremy…there’s nothing left anymore. She takes the ring off in one swift motion and drops it on the ground beside her.
She wraps her arms around her knees and continues to let the tears fall, her sobs the only sound in the forest as she waits for the sun to rise.
She's wrapped up in the thoughts of joining her friends and trying to determine if she can feel the sun’s effect yet that she can’t process anything going on around her until she hears, “Caroline?” Before she can even look up to respond, someone has their arms wrapped around her, hugging her tight.
She instantly pushes away from them, flinging herself several feet away, fangs bared and ready to attack.
“Woah Caroline! It’s me,” they say immediately and Caroline takes a deep breath to calm herself.
But she cannot be seeing right.
“Tyler?”
“Yeah it’s me.”
“No,” she says softly and she can feel the tears welling up again. “No, you’re dead.”
He takes a step closer to her but she has to back up. She doesn’t know what’s happening.
“No Caroline, it’s me. I’m fine.”
He holds out his hands and she walks towards him.
“How?” she asks.
He rubs the back of his neck and she knows he doesn’t want to tell her. But before she can say anything to try and persuade him, he starts talking. “Matt got me into the cellar, saying the chains might be useful…but once I was in the gate locked and I couldn’t get it open. I yelled for matt but I could hear him walking away. I didn’t understand…”
“How did you get out?” she asks, taking a small step towards him.
He shakes his head. “I don’t know. When I tried the gate before it was locked, but just fifteen minutes ago it was open. I ran straight here. But Caroline…”
“What?”
“I think matt went to help. Last night. I…I think...”
“I know,” Caroline says and throws her arms around him. He rests his forehead on her shoulder and his tears fall onto her shirt. She lets some of her own fall as they hold each other.
She can feel his hold on her lessen after a few moments and so she lets go of him. He swipes at his tears although it’s nothing she hasn’t seen before.
They simply look at one another for a few moments. Then, sunlight begins to filter through the trees and Caroline’s skin begins to sizzle.
She cries out from the pain and falls to the ground, clutching at her burning flesh.
“Caroline! Where’s your ring!?” Tyler yells.
“The…ground,” she manages to spit out through gritted teeth. She sees him franticly searching the ground on his hands and knees. She tries to focus on the ground in front of her to help search for it but the pain is too great and she squeezes her eyes shut.
Suddenly, she feels Tyler’s hands on hers and he’s sliding her ring on his finger. He pulls her into a sitting position and his arms slide around hers as she leans into him. She can feel her skin start to heal itself under his fingers.
When she’s done healing, Tyler lets go of her and stands up. “Caroline, why didn’t you have you ring on?” he yells.
She looks away from him and twists the ring around her finger. At this, she sees him shift out of the corner of her eye, as if he’s ready to shove it back onto her finger.
“Everyone’s dead.”
“You’re not dead Caroline. Why would you take off your ring?” he demands.
She can’t meet his eyes. “I thought everyone was dead. You were…I….I couldn’t…”she can’t finish and the tears are starting to well up again.
“I’m here Caroline. And I never want to see that ring off your finger again. Okay?”
She turns back to him and nods. “Ok.”
Her eyes drift back to the ash-covered forest.
“Is everyone…?”
Caroline nods, “Yeah.”
There’s a moment of silence, then he says, “We should go.”
“No,” Caroline shakes her head. “I can’t go home.” The tears start again at the thought of what awaits her at home.
“What? Caroline, what’s wrong?”
She brushes the tears from her face. “I can’t.”
“Why?”
She lowers her eyes to the ground and whispers, “My mom’s dead.”
“What?” he asks, although she knows he head her.
“My mom is dead,” she repeats, not looking at him.
“What happened?” he asks as he takes a step towards her.
She closes her eyes and she can see last night happening all over again in her head.
She takes a deep breath and starts, “I was in my room, getting ready to help when my mom came in and shot me with vervain darts. When I woke up I was in our basement but she kept shooting me so I couldn’t move.” She found a stray string at the bottom of her shirt and wound it around her finger as she continued, “But one time she wasn’t fast enough and I ran upstairs. She came after me and was going to shoot me with them again so I grabbed her extra gun, just to scare her..but it went off…I killed my mom.”
The tears are coming fast now and she feels him wrap his arms around her. She returns the gesture and allows herself to cry.
“It’s okay Caroline. You didn’t know what she was going to do, if she was compelled….shhhh, it’s okay…”
“I killed my mom,” she mumbles into his shirt.
“I know,” he replies. “But it was an accident.”
She scoffs, “It was worthless. Like everything. After, I left to help. But it was too late. I killed my mom for nothing.” He squeezes her tighter and she finds she has no tears left to cry. She pulls away from him so she can see his face. “Tyler, what am I going to do?”
He looks at her for a moment, and then a small smile breaks through. “Where do you want to go?” She looks up at him with a puzzled face.
“What?"
“Where do you want to go?” he asks again.
“Tyler, we can’t. We can’t just leave.”
He shrugs, “Why not?”
“We…” then she closes her mouth. They can go. She closes her eyes. She’s always wanted to see the world, but she didn’t think she would leave so soon. But there’s nothing here anymore: no family, no friends; just suspicion would follow if they stayed.
They should start somewhere great, but not someplace where anyone would think to look first… “Brazil.”
Tyler smiles, “I could use some sun. Brazil it is.” He looks out into the forest then back to her. “Give me your phone.”
She reluctantly hands over her cell phone and almost cries out in horror as he drops it to the ground and crushes it with his foot. He pickup her broken cell and flings it deep into the forest. Then he takes out his and does the same.
“Your jacket,” he tells her and holds out his hand. She shrugs off her jacket and places it in his waiting hand.
She watches as he takes her jacket and rubs it against the nearest tree, tearing part of the sleeve off. He then takes it and balls it up and launches it into the forest. He takes off one of his shoes and throws it into the forest. The other he simply tosses a few feet in front of them.
“Come on,” he says and turns and walks away from their spot and out of the forest. She takes one last look at the destruction before following him out.
Once the trees lessen and they can see the end of the forest he asks, “How did you get here?”
She fishes the keys out of her pocket and holds them out, “I drove.”
He plucks them from her fingers, “Let’s go.”
They make their way to her car and Caroline slides into the passenger’s seat. He puts it into drive and pulls away from the edge of the forest and onto the road.
Caroline keeps her eyes on the road and her mind focused on what lies ahead of them as they travel past the sign that reads “Welcome to Mystic Falls.”