Where Secrets Lie

As Hannah ripped the necklace from her sister's neck, Alyssa's limp body fell to the floor. Kara slid in and caught her before she hit the ground. Hannah stood above them with a confused look, "How was I able to get through the barrier?"

"I made a crazy decision, hoping that blood would work." Kara grunted as she threw Alyssa over her shoulder, "I knew I could never get that necklace from Catherine, but since you were still passed out, I figured she would think you were dead. I put the potion Michele made on your hands, instead of my own."

"What if I wouldn't have woken up in time?" she asked with her raspy voice.

Kara grinned. "I had faith in you."

Kara smiled and slipped the pendant in her pocket, "This time it did."

Hannah rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to say something rude, but something occurred to her. "Wait, whose blood was that?" she asked. "I needed a family member's blood, and there is no way you could have gotten some from Catherine."

Kara wasn't sure she wanted to be the one to answer that question. "No time. We have to move. Our reinforcements should be here any minute now." Kara ran out of the dungeon with Alyssa's head swishing side to side behind her.

Hannah trailed behind her with her finely plucked eyebrow raised, "Reinforcements?"

Kara burst through the dungeon door in time to see Michael ripping out the heart of one of the vampires and Amy staking one after she flipped him over her shoulder. Bodies of headless and heartless vampires covered the dusty ground. Logan dealt the final blow to his opponent and rushed to Kara. "Is she alive?" He took Alyssa from Kara. He was relieved to have her in his arms again.

"I don't know yet," Kara said. She looked behind her as Hannah finally emerged from the dungeon. Sweat poured down her forehead as she leaned against the doorframe. Kara ran over and helped the still weak girl to the car. A mixture of thrill and fear filled the air from their small victory and Alyssa's state.

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Michele and Henry helped Hannah to her bed and the rest accompanied Logan to his room. He gently laid Alyssa in his bed, and put his palm against her cheek, watching with anticipation. Now came the waiting, to see if Alyssa was alive or not. Everyone took turns watching over her, talking to her, but nothing was working. As the hours ticked by it seemed as though their worst fears were coming true.

Kara stepped up to the side of the bed, looking down on her. She took a seat beside her and swiped a strand of hair from her sister's face. Kara gave a faint smile, knowing that Alyssa was truly gone. No one wanted to say it, but if Alyssa was alive, she would have woken up already. At least her sister could rest in peace now. Kara leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, tears falling from her eyes and onto her Alyssa's face.

"Did she just move?" Logan asked, stepping forward.

"What?" Kara wiped her blurry eyes to see more clearly. "I didn't see anything. Did she?" She looked back at Michael.

"It looked like she did," Michael chimed in.

"How is she?" Hannah entered the room. She had finally awoken from her nap and was looking much better. The black veins were gone and her voice was back to normal.

"We think she just twitched," Michael explained.

"Alyssa?" Kara grabbed her wrist and checked her pulse.

Slowly, Alyssa's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at the crowd above her. Everyone let out a great gasp as if they were holding their breath the entire time.

"What happened?" She asked with a horse voice. She slowly sat up unaware of her surroundings. "Where am I?"

Kara threw her arms around her shoulders, "Alyssa, I can't believe it. I've missed you. We've all missed you."

Alyssa looked at everyone over Kara's shoulder. Her gaze lingered on Logan, but she didn't speak a word.

THUMP THUMP

Suddenly, something else caught her attention.

THUMP THUMP

She looked down at Kara's neck, spying her beating veins. Her heartbeat echoing in her head. Alyssa opened wide and with a watering mouth, she took a vicious bite.