Chapter Text
April 30, xxxx
Seventeen Years ago
It was nighttime when the Sirens were going off, people were in a frenzy. someone had reported that a large, abandoned warehouse was on fire. Not even five minutes had passed before it was burnt to a crisp. The flames started to extinguish once the firefighters brought their large water hoses and tools to control it. Four men rushed in with caution and determination, hoping nothing fatal had happen. No one knew how it started or if there were any survivors. It was their job to keep the town and its citizens safe from any danger and harm.
They bypass the debris, watching and hearing for any signs of life. They found twelve charred bodies that unfortunately were not recognizable, there weren't any indication of who they may be. It looks as though their bodies were ripped to shreds, their faces which were charred were frozen with fear. Whatever had happened here didn't end well for the twelve individuals.
"Jesus . . ." One of the men murmurs in shock.
"These poor souls." The other says.
Wonder what the hell happened.
Suddenly, a piercing cry catches their attention. It was small, frightened, desperate to live.
The men search everywhere, praying, hoping.
They moved the debris away, the loud frighten cries pierced their hearts and souls. The charred debris were then moved and there on the ground was a survivor, a newborn baby girl covered in suds and ash. All of the men rush to inspect the newborn and were soon relieved to find no damages or fatal wounds anywhere on the infant. Her hair was a blood red color, she finally opens her eyes, seeing the other individuals in the charred warehouse with her, their breaths were held in their throats. She held the most beautiful piercing purple eyes they had ever seen.
A loud thunderous sound is heard above, and the rain arrives.
The infant's lips trembles and she wails, letting others know that she was alive and angry.
They rush the infant to the ambulance where she was then taken to Mystic Falls Hospital. The first and most crucial step is to stop the burning process. When dealing with thermal burns, extinguish the flames using water, a fire extinguisher, or by covering the person or yourself with a blanket. If it's a chemical burn, remove any contaminated clothing and rinse the skin immediately with running water for at least twenty minutes.
However, when the nurses and Doctors inspected the crying infant, they were both in shock and awe. Not a single first-degree burn or small blisters. She was only covered in suds and ash. She wailed, but unfortunately the doctor couldn't determine what could be causing her to be ailing her.
They had to be cautious and delicate about this. No one had inspected her to see if she had internal bleeding or maybe a head injury, when the building finally collapsed in the hazardous fire. The paramedics were in such a rush that they didn't bother to check for other possible injuries. She was wiped clean; Ivs were then implanted in her tiny arm and a small transparent oxygen mask on her face in case the smoke was trapped in her lungs.
An hour passes and nothing seems to be amiss.
Dr. Gilbert checks the child who appears to be very peeved, her purple eyes blazing accusingly at the nurses. Dr. Gilbert frowns at the infant.
"When was she last fed?" Dr, Gilbert asks.
The Nurse looks at him. "She hasn't been fed at all?"
Gilbert looks at her. "What?"
"We didn't do it because we wanted to be sure that her lungs were not damage in the fire."
Gilbert hums in understanding. "Well, she seems to be in a fitting mood. Her lungs don't seem to be damage. No signs of burns or internal bleeding in the organs or head injury." Gilbert looks at the chart. "No name?"
The Nurse frowns. "There weren't any survivors. She was the only one that lived." The Nurse looked at the infant with sadness.
This baby was an orphan.
Gilbert sighs heavily. Huge fire at the abandoned warehouse and twelve casualties happened. Only one survivor.
It was honestly a miracle that the baby survived. Dr. Gilbert didn't know what he would do if they had brought in a burnt infant that didn't get a chance to even live. He shudders in thought.
"I think it's safe to say she can be fed now." He tells the Nurse.
She nods. "Right away, Sir.
The door opens. A delicate, sweet looking woman with long brown hair, green eyes, her height being 5'5 walks in with a sweet smile, holding a plastic bag.
"Brought you lunch," She chirps.
Gilbert smiles at her. "Thank you, sweetheart. You didn't have to."
The woman shrugs. "I heard there was fire not far from here. What happen, Grayson?" She looks worried.
Grayson frowns at his wife. "Where to begin, Miranda?" he sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "There was a fire at an abandon warehouse. Twelve dead and one survivor. A baby girl."
Miranda gasps, hands covering her mouth in horror. "My God, Grayson. Who was it?"
"Their bodies were so severely charred in the fire that it's not possible to identify them with a print or even dental. I'm at a loss here."
Miranda nods her head in understanding. Just then the very peeved infant lets out a shrill so loud it startles the married couple, snapping their attention from each other towards her. Miranda noticed the nurse try to force feed the infant, her piercing cry let Miranda know she wasn't having it, she hated the way the nurse smelled just like burnt tobacco and a skunk that had been dead for days. nor did she like the way the nurse was holding her.
The Nurse looked wildly at the infant just then she sees Dr. Gilbert. "Sir! I don't know what's wrong. She was fine a second ago and now she's Irate!"
Gilbert looks at the young Nurse in exaggeration. He understands the Nurse is new and only started here a few months ago. Her credentials were accurate, and the young woman didn't seem to be a bad person. "Give her to me. I'll see what's wrong." He says, calming down the worried Nurse.
Gilbert walks over to her, she immediately hands him the irate infant. she then leaves the room.
"Hey, there, sweetie. It's alright." The man coos. her lip trembling.
Miranda looks at the upset baby. She stops breathing, studying the infant. The baby's eyes were the first thing she had noticed. They were a beautiful violet color that seem to pierce her very soul. It was almost unnatural.
"Grayson?" Miranda whispers. "Is this the baby you were telling me about?"
Her husband nodded his head, he was busy holding the baby's head upward, so she can eat without struggling. They were sticking with baby formula for now. Even though she was being fed, she still looks very angry. Grayson found it almost amusing. He was getting a death glare from a newborn that just opened her eyes. she doesn't have a single clue that she was the only survivor and that twelve others had fallen victim to the raging fire.
"Can I hold her?" Miranda whispers.
Grayson looks at his wife in surprise. He then studies his wife who held an all too knowing look. Grayson recognized it almost immediately.
Longing.
Miranda always wanted children and for a few years they tried and were unsuccessful. Miranda was devasted and for months she went into a deep depression. Grayson didn't know what to do and wanted to take her pain away. So, seeing her tonight at the hospital was a big surprise and a close step to recovery.
"Okay," he whispers. Slowly handing her the infant.
Miranda held her in her arms; she then takes the bottle from her husband to feed her. Surprisingly the infant no longer held an angry look. She was calm, and peaceful. Grayson was shocked at the result.
Miranda coos, talking to the baby with a soothing voice while smiling. The baby surprisingly smiles back, no teeth just little gums.
Miranda holds her breath in with a tiny sob.
"Can we keep her?" Miranda's green eyes filled with tears, lips trembling, a look of longing. "Please . . ." A Plea. Waiting. Hoping.
Grayson's chest tightens at Miranda's words. When his beloved look at him like that, he melted and couldn't object even if he wanted too.
"Okay."
One Week Later
The car arrives in front of the house, Mr. Gilbert steps out. The large white house stands proudly; nothing is amiss.
He then walks around an opens Miranda's door, and she gets out the car and spins around to open the backdoor.
"Hey, sweetheart," Miranda coos. The baby stares at her for a minute and smiles back. Miranda chuckles and unties the car seat and gets the baby out.
"Welcome home, Adara Ember Gilbert." Grayson announces.
September 3, 2009
Seventeen years later
They say grief goes away with time. Maybe they're right. Maybe they're wrong. Who can say. I'd like to think that I'm strong willed and I can get pass this.
The truth is I'm only barely holding on. I'm trying not to break down in front of my two siblings and my aunt. How are we supposed to get pass this? How are we supposed to move on knowing that our loved ones are no longer here with us?
How?
I lay against the head stone staring at nothing. Autumn has finally arrived, and five months had passed since mom and dad were buried.
I squeezed the pin I was holding; paused on my writing.
"You know, mom?" I say to myself, barely any emotion in my voice. "I still have that Diary you gifted to me when I turned fourteen. I honestly wasn't into it because I thought it was too girly for me, you know?" I turn my head studying the headstone. No response.
I lay my head back and sigh. "I miss the sound of your voice. I miss our movie night. I miss when we would go shopping and Elena would find herself a cute outfit and gush like the schoolgirl she was," I chuckled weakly. My breath shudders, tears appearing in my eyes. "I miss you and dad so damn much that it hurts to breathe right now," I gasp, wiping the tears away. "You two left us too soon. How are we supposed to get pass this? How?" I whispered, feeling my chest tighten.
It was close to evening and curfew will start soon. Sighing, I got up, grabbing my Diary and left.
7 days later
I notice that Elena wasn't here and figured she was having alone time with mom and dad. I get it. I do it every day too. Elena visits them in the morning, and I visit them in the evening. It's usually calm when it gets close to nighttime and I felt peaceful. I couldn't fault her for that. Jeremy was a no show. My Lunatic of a brother started smoking around Vicki months ago. I found him behind the house high as a damn kite and gave him a scolding he'd never forget. To say the lease, he wasn't happy being scolded like a little toddler and at that point I didn't care if he was angry at me or not. I won't let him or that bitch ruin his life. I glare into nothing thinking about it.
That damn twit keeps jerking my brother around and I'm sick of it. At her age she should know better.
I looked up and noticed the heavy fog and the blissful sound of the birds had rapidly stopped. I didn't like the ominous feeling I was getting. The hairs on the back of my neck immediately rose up and it felt like our lives were in danger.
"Elena!" I called. "We need to go or we're going to be late," I told her.
"Alright!" She answered back, getting up, grabbing her bag. She walks over to me.
"Hey," I say. "Are you ready for this?" I ask her.
She shrugs. "What's there to be ready for. It's just school."
I chuckled. "I get that, Sissy. However, there is a certain football player that has been calling you all summer," I pointed out.
She sighs heavily. "Yeah, well, me and Matt are done. We're just too different. I don't want what he wants and I'm not ready to go that far. It's too soon for me." Elena looks sad. She's obviously moved on.
I hummed in understanding. "I get what you're saying, Sissy. I really do. But does he know that?" I ask her.
Elena squints, frowning. "I made it perfectly clear after mom and dad's funeral. I don't want to be with him anymore. I've move on. He needs to move on as well."
I chuckled dryly. "Amen, sister."
We headed to School, ready for the inevitable.
The Mean and Terrible Mr. Tanner.
Ugh! it couldn't get worse than this.
Maybe I might have exaggerated at first but then I see the awkwardness between Elena and Matt. The longing in Matt's blue eyes while Elena's brown eyes showed no pity. Good timing Bonnie you showed up right when I needed you,
"What's going on?" she asks.
I sigh heavily. "Where do I start, Bonnie? By the look of it, Matt is still head over hills for Elena, and she made it perfectly clear that she's moved on. God! I can't stand the lovesick puppies this time of year." I groan.
Bonnie laughs. "You were never interested in anyone when we started school, Adara."
"Thank God for that. All the boys are just too immature for me. And let's be honest. They didn't want me. They always wanted something else," I reply with bitterness. "I notice you didn't date for long. How did that go?" I wiggled my eyebrow.
Bonnie bursts out laughing. "Nothing really happened. A few dates, a few make outs. I almost slept with him in the car." My eyebrow rose up at her boldness. Wow. I remember Elena told me her first time with Matt was in the car, and it never happened again. It felt awkward for her the next day. Bonnie continues "Then I found out he was talking to another girl while he was with me, and I told him to hit the road."
I laugh. "Atta girl. Don't let that scum get away with it." I praised her with pride.
Poor Bonnie. Having an absent mother and staying with her grandmother must be hard. As it is, life was hard. It's just how we learn to live with in. It either makes you or breaks you.
I notice Elena following Jeremy in the boy's bathroom.
"I got to go Bonnie. Duty calls." I wave at her.
"Okay. Take care."
I march right into the bathroom just in time to watch Jeremy and Elena argue.
"Even if I did, it's not your business," Jeremy hissed at her.
Elena gives him the look. "Seriously Jer? Why are you doing this to yourself?"
"Hold up." I interrupted. "What's going on?" I ask them both.
Elena glares at our brother while he warily looks at me.
"Jer," I prompted softly.
Jeremy gives me a pained look. "I swear, I didn't smoke it. Tyler gave it to me yesterday and I was going to flush it down the toilet. I swear I haven't smoke in weeks. You have to believe me," he pleaded.
I walk up to him and sniff. I always had a good sense of smell. I knew if he had smoked it or not. Once he even tried to spray his shirts and change out of it. Except the smell always clings to him. He couldn't fool me.
He didn't reek of that horrible skunk smell. There was no fabric softener cover ups either. I pulled back looking at my little brother in amazement.
"He's clean, Elena. No skunk smell. Not even fabric softener," I assure her.
Elena sighs in relief.
"Thank you." Jeremy hugs me. I patted him back.
"It's okay. Just flush it and let's get to our classes, okay?"
Jeremy nodded weakly and heads to the toilet area and flushes it down.
I look at Elena. "I believe he's really trying, Sissy. I had a talk with him a few months back and I think it finally clicked in." I smiled.
Elena smiles weakly and I leave the boy's bathroom and almost bump into someone.
"Excuse me," he spoke.
The smell hits me. The scent of cinnamon and oak. It smelled old, but not in a bad way. I study the dude. He looks about the same age as me and Elena. I didn't recognize him either. He must be new.
"No problem." I reply. Then I headed into class.
An hour almost passed, I absolutely loathed this teacher with all my heart and soul. He was rude, had no manners, picked on Elena. Luckily that new student stepped in or I was going to get expelled from high school for assault. No one talks to my sister like that while I'm here.
I hated that damn teacher.