Unmasked (The Vampire Diaries 13)

Elena screamed, a thin, high sound of shock and backpedaled away from him, banging her hip hard against the wall. Stiffly, Mr. Tanner lay back down in the same position, his eyes rolling back into his head again. A small, pleased smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Pressing a hand against her chest, Elena tried to calm her wildly pounding heart. She took a deep breath as it started to sink in: Mr. Tanner was still alive. She hadn’t failed. She could still save herself, save them all.

Elena rushed from room to room, looking for the others. She was panting, but she couldn’t stop to catch her breath. She had to stop Damon before it was too late.

“Elena.” Outside the Mad Slasher Room, Stefan came toward her, his dark clothes and hair blending into the shadows of the hall, only his pale face and white shirtfront standing out clearly. Elena stopped, eager for news. “I found Meredith,” he said. “She’s up at the front with a lot of other people, taking money.”

“She should be safe there,” Elena said. “As long as she doesn’t head out alone.” Meredith was in charge of the whole Haunted House; she could be called into the more isolated recesses of the warehouse at any moment.

Stefan glanced away, a touch of color rising in his cheeks. “I, er, Influenced her to stick with the group instead of wandering off by herself.”

“Good thinking,” Elena said. “Now we just need to find everyone else.”

The Mad Slasher Room was packed and full of noise. A boy with a chainsaw was enthusiastically revving it, chasing screaming victims around the room. Fake blood was grotesquely sprayed ac

ross the walls, and less noisy maniacs strangled and hacked at anyone who came close. Elena jumped and shuddered as the laughing, shrieking victims shoved past her.

They were playing at blood and death, and Damon could be anywhere, watching, ready to tear them apart. She felt sick as she tried to make out individual faces and costumes in the crowd.

There was no Grim Reaper, no Egyptian priestess, no werewolf, no Druid.

In contrast, the Alien Encounter Room was quiet when they passed through. Bright beams of light flashed on and off overhead, while a girl stretched out on a table below was poked and prodded by gray alien-looking figures. The girl glanced up and winked at Elena, and Elena realized it was Sue Carson.

No one Elena and Stefan were looking for.

Caroline should have been in the Deaths from History Room, playing with a rubber snake, but she wasn’t.

Turning to leave, Elena caught sight of red curls peeking out from under the black hood of a rather short executioner wielding a plastic axe over Anne Boleyn’s head. Grabbing hold of the executioner’s axe arm, she asked, “Bonnie? What are you doing here?”

“Ray had to go to the bathroom,” Bonnie explained, pulling off the hood. Underneath, she looked a little sweaty and disheveled, strands of hair sticking to her forehead. “I said I’d take over for a few minutes.”

“Bonnie, Damon’s here somewhere,” Elena said. “Have you seen Matt or Caroline?”

Bonnie sobered. “Caroline ought to be here,” she said. “Everyone’s been wondering where she is. The last time I saw Matt was in the Fun House. I’ll come with you.” She propped the plastic axe against the wall and led the way, Stefan and Elena hurrying after her.

The entrance to the Fun House was concealed behind a long black curtain. As Elena reached to twitch it aside, a hooded figure stepped out, black clothes swirling all around it. Elena jerked backward, her breath catching in her throat.

But the dark figure was too short to be Damon.

“Vickie?” Elena said, peering beneath the hood. “Have you seen Matt or Caroline?”

Vickie frowned, thinking hard. “I can’t say,” she said.

Beside her, Elena felt Stefan stiffen, turning his full focus onto Vickie. “You can’t say?” he asked slowly. “Vickie, can we come into the Fun House?”

“The Fun House is closed,” Vickie told them.

“What? No, it’s not,” Bonnie said, and tried to dodge past her, but Vickie shoved her backward.

“You can’t go in there,” she said. There was something flat behind Vickie’s usually timid brown eyes, and Elena finally figured out what was going on: Damon had compelled Vickie to keep them out.

Stefan wouldn’t be able to compel Vickie to let them in—his Power wasn’t as strong as Damon’s—but he was stronger than any human. Her eyes met Stefan’s green ones, and she knew they were in perfect agreement. He would have to overpower Vickie.

“Hang on,” Bonnie said. Her small hand gripped Elena’s, and she pulled on Stefan’s arm with her other hand. She tugged them down the hall with her, looking back to smile over her shoulder at Vickie.

“Damon’s compelled her,” Stefan said, pulling out of Bonnie’s grasp as soon as they turned the corner away from Vickie’s gaze. “Caroline or Matt—maybe both of them—must be in the Fun House. There isn’t much time.”

“I know,” Bonnie said. “But there’s another way into the Fun House.”