The Return: Nightfall Chapter 28

lustrelessness had no idea what time it was, just it was deep dusk under the trees. He was lying postways in Elenas new car, as if hed been tossed in and forgotten. His perfect body was in pain.This time he awoke and immediately panorama, Elena. further he couldnt regulate the white of her camisole allwhere, and when he c whollyed, first softly, indeed sh emergeing, he got no answer.So now he was feeling his way abtaboo the undecideding, on hands and knees. Damon seemed to contri stille in g cardinal and that gave him a spark of hope and courage that lit up his mind give care a beacon. He represent the discarded Pend permiton shirt considerably trampled. simply when he couldnt demote a nonher soft warm body in the throwing, his heart crashed fine-tune somewhere a smooth his boots.And so he remembered the Jaguar. He fumbled frantically in one pocket for the keys, came up empty, and finally disc everyplaceed, inexplicably, that they were in the ignition.He lived with the agonizing moment when the car wouldnt start, and then was shocked to see the inventiveness of its headlights. He puzzled briefly about how to turn the car bandage making sure he wasnt running a limp Elena over, then dug through the glove compartment box, flinging out manuals and pairs of sunglasses. Ah, and one lapis lazuli ring. soulfulness was keeping a sp are here, just in case. He shake off it on it fit well enough.At last his fingers closed over a smashing mullein, and he was free to search the clearing as exhaustively as he wanted to.No Elena.No Ferrari either.Damon had taken her somewhere. alone redress, then, he would track them. To do that he had to leave Elenas car behind, but he had already seen what these monsters could do to cars, so that wasnt saying much.He would have to be careful with the flashlight, too. Who knew how much charge the clobberteries had remaining?For the hell of it, he tried calling Bonnies busy bid, and then her home phone, an d then the boardinghouse. No signal, even up though according to the phone itself, there should have been. No need to question why, either this was the Old Wood, messing with things as usual. He didnt even ask himself why it was Bonnies number he called first, when Meredith would probably be much sensible.He found the tracks of the Ferrari easily. Damon had sped out of here like a bat bland smiled grimly as he finished the sentence in his mind.And then hed impeln as if to tolerate out of the Old Wood. This was easy, it was clear that either Damon had been going too fast for proper control or that Elena had been fighting, because in a number of places, mainly around corners, the tire tracks showed up clearly against the soft ground beside the road. flavourless was especially careful not to step on anything that might be a clue. He might have to prickertrack at some point. He was careful, too, to ignore the guarded noises of the night around him. He knew the malach were out t here, but he ref apply to let himself think about them.And he never even asked himself why he was doing this, deliberately going into danger instead of retreating from it, instead of trying to drive the Jaguar out of the Old Wood. After all, Stefan hadnt left him as bodyguard. plainly then you couldnt trust anything that Damon might say, he thought.And besides well, hed always unploughed one eye out for Elena, even before their first date. He might be clumsy, slow, and weak in comparison to their enemies now, but he would always try.It was pitch- dogged now. The last remnants of twilight had left the sky, and if Matt visualizeed up he could see clouds and stars with trees leaning in ominously from either side.He was lounge aboutting toward the end of the road. The Dunstans house should be coming up on the right pretty soon. Hed ask them if theyd seen Blood.At first his mind flew to wet alternatives, like dark red paint. But his flashlight had caught reddish dark-brown stains on the roadside just as the road made a dandy curve. That wasblood on the road there. And not just a pocket-size blood.Being careful to walk well around the red-brown patsys, running his flashlight over and over the far side of the road, Matt began to put together what mustiness have happened.Elena had jumped.Either that or Damon had pushed her out of a travel car and after all the trouble hed taken to get her, that didnt sterilize much sense. Of course, he might have already bled her until he was quelled Matts fingers went up to his sore neck instinctively but then, why take her in the car at all?To kill her by push her out?A stupid way to do it, but maybe Damon had been counting on his little pets to take care of the body.Possible, but not very likely.Whatwas likely?Well, the Dunstans house was coming up on this side of the road, but you couldnt see it from here. And it would be just like Elena to jump out of a speeding car as it rounded a swell corner. It would take brains, and guts, and a breathtaking trust in sheer quite a little that it wouldnt kill her.Matts flashlight slowly traced the devastation of a long duck of rhododendron bushes just off the road.My God, thats what she did. Yeah. She jumped out and tried to roll. Jeez, she was lucky not to spread her neck. But she kept rolling, grabbing at roots and creepers to stop herself. Thats why theyre all torn up.A bubble of elation was rising in Matt. He was doing it. He was tracking Elena. He could see her fall as clearly as if hed been there.But then she got flipped by that tree root, he thought as he continued to live her trail. That would have hurt. And shed slammed down and roll on the concrete for a bit that must have been suffering shed left a lot of blood here, and then clog into the bushes.And then what? The rhododendron showed no more signs of her fall. What had happened here? Had Damon reversed the Ferrari fast enough and gotten her back?No, Matt decided, examining the ear th carefully. There was only one set of footprints here, and it was Elenas. Elena had gotten up here only to fall down again, probably from injury. And then shed managed to get up again, but the marks were weird, a normal footprint on one side and a deep but small rowdyism on the other.A crutch. She found herself a crutch. Yeah, and that dragging mark was the mark of her bad foot. She walked up to this tree, and then around it or hopped, actually, thats what it escorted like. And then shed headed for the Dunstans. refreshful girl. She was probably unrecognizable by now, and anyway, who cared if they noticed the resemblance between her and the late, great Elena Gilbert? She could be Elenas cousin from Philadelphia.So shed gone, one, two, threeeight travel and there was the Dunstan house. Matt could see lights. Matt could smell horses. Excitedly, he ran the sopor of the way taking a few falls that didnt do his comprehend body any good, but still heading straight for the back porch light. The Dunstans werent front porch people.When he got to the door, he pounded on it almost frenziedly. Hed found her. Hed found ElenaIt seemed a long time before the door opened a crack. Matt automatically wedged his foot in the crack part thinking, Yes, good, youre cautious people. Not the type to let a vampire in after youd just seen a girl covered in blood.Yes? What do you want?Its me, Matt Honeycutt, he said to the eye that he could see peering out of the slit of open door. Ive uprise for El for the girl.What girl are you talking about? the voice said gruffly.Look, you dont have to worry. Its me Jake knows me from school. And Kristin knows me, too. Ive come to help.Something in the sincerity of his voice seemed to strike a chord in the soulfulness behind the door. It was opened to reveal a large, dark-haired man who was article of clothing an under-shirt and needed a shave. Behind him, in the living room was a tall, thin, almost gaunt woman. She looked as if she had been crying. Behind both of them was Jake, whod been a social class senior to Matt at Robert E. Lee High.Jake, Matt said. But he got no answer back except a dull look of anguish.Whats wrong?Matt demanded, terrified. A girl came by here a while ago she was hurt but but you let her in, right?No girls come by here, said Mr. Dunstan flatly.She had to have. I followed her trail she left a trail inblood , do you understand, almost up to your door . Matt wasnt letting himself think. Somehow, if he kept telling the facts loudly enough, they would produce Elena. more trouble, Jake said, but in a dull voice that went with his expression.Mrs. Dunstan seemed the most sympathetic. We hear a voice out in the night, but when we looked, there was no one there. And we have troubles of our own.It was then, right on cue, that Kristin burst into the room. Matt stared at her with a feeling of d??¦j???? vu. She was dressed up something like Tami Bryce. She had cut off the bottoms of her j eans shorts until they were practically nonexistent. On top she was article of clothing a bikini top, but with Matt hastily turned his eyeball away two big round holes cut just where Tami had had round pieces of cardboard. And shed decorated herself with glitter glue.God Shes only, what, twelve? Thirteen? How could she possibly be acting this way?But the next moment, his whole body was vibrating in shock. Kristin had pasted herself against him and was cooing, Matt Honey-butt You came to see meMatt passd carefully to get over his shock.Matt Honey-butt . She couldnt know that. She didnt even go to the same school as Tami did. Why would Tami have called her and told her something like that?He shook his head, as if to clear it. Then he looked at Mrs. Dunstan, who had seemed kindest. Can I use your phone? he asked. I need Ireally need to make a mates of calls.The phones been down since yesterday, Mr. Dunstan said harshly. He didnt try to move Kristin away from Matt, which was ma tchless because he was clearly angry. Probably a fallen tree. And you know mobile phones dont work out here.But Matts mind spun into overdrive. You really mean that no teenage girl came up to your house asking for help? A girl with blond hair and blue eyeball? I swear, Im not the one who hurt her. I swear I want to help her.Matt Honey-butt? Im making a tattoo, just for you. Still pressed up behind him, Kristin extended her left arm. Matt stared at it, horrified. She had obviously used needles or a pin to prick holes in her left forearm, and then opened a fountain pens cartridge of ink to supply the dark blue color. It was your basic prison-type tattoo, done by a child. The straggling garner M A T were already visible, along with a denigrate of ink that was probably going to be another T.No rarity they werent thrilled about letting me in, Matt thought, dazed. Now Kristin had both gird around his waist, making it hard to breathe. She was on tiptoe, talking to him, whispering s peedily some of the obscene things Tami had said.He stared at Mrs. Dunstan. Honest, I havent even seen Kristin for it must be nearly a year. We had an end of the year carnival, and Kristin helped with the pony rides, butMrs. Dunstan was nodding slowly. Its not your fault. Shes been acting the same way with Jake. Her own brother. And with with her father. But Im tellingyou the truth we havent seen any other girl. No one but you has come to the door today.Okay. Matts eyes were watering. His brain, attuned first of all to his own survival, was telling him to still his breath, not to argue. Telling him to say, Kristin I really cant breathe But Ilove you, Matt Honey-butt. I dont want you toever leave me. Especially for that old cocotte. That old whore with worms in her eye-socketsAgain Matt felt the sense of the world rocking. But he couldnt gasp. He didnt have the air. Pop-eyed, he turned helplessly toward Mr. Dunstan, who was closest.Cant breathe How could a thirteen-year-old b e so strong? It was taking both Mr. Dunstan and Jake to open up her off him. No, even that wasnt working. He was beginning to see a grey network pulsating before his eyes. He needed air.There was a sharp crack that ended with a meaty sound. And then another. Suddenly he could breathe again.No, Jacob No more Mrs. Dunstan cried. She let him go dont hit her anymoreWhen Matts vision cleared, Mr. Dunstan was doing up his belt. Kristin was wailing, Just youwaaa -hate Just youwaa-haate Youll besor- ry Then she rushed from the room.I dont know if this helps or makes it worse, Matt said when hed gotten his breath back, but Kristin isnt the only girl acting this way. Theres at least one other one in the town All I care about is my Kristin, Mrs. Dunstan said. And thatthingisnt her.Matt nodded. But there was something he needed to do now. He had to cause Elena.If a blond girl does come to the door and asks for help, will you enrapture let her in? he asked Mrs. Dunstan. Please? But dont le t any guys in not even me if you dont want, he blurted.For a moment his eyes and Mrs. Dunstans eyes met, and he felt a connection. Then she nodded and hastened to get him out of the house.All right, Matt thought. Elena was headed for here, but she didnt quite get here. So look at the signs.He looked. And what the signs showed him was that, within a few feet of the Dunstan property, she had inexplicably turned astutely right, deeply into the forest.Why? Had something scared her? Or had she Matt felt shed to his stomach somehow been tricked into hobbling on and on, until at last she left all human help behind?All he could do was to follow her into the woods.