Now Bonnie was shaking in Matt's arms. They'd turned out all the flashlights but one, to conserve energy, but it sure made for spooky surroundings.
"But what about the telepathy?" Matt said to Mrs. Flowers. "I mean, I don't believe for a minute thatreal witches were attacking those Salem girls. I think they were repressed girls who had mass hysteria when they all got together, and somehow everything got out of hand. But how could Kristin know to call me - to call me - the same name that Tamra did?"
"Maybe we've all got it all wrong," Bonnie said, her voice buried somewhere in Matt's solar plexus. "Maybe it's not like Salem at all, where the - the hysteria spread out horizontally, if you see what I mean. Maybe there's somebody on top here, who's spreading it wherever they want to."
There was a brief silence, and then Mrs. Flowers murmured, "¡®Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings...'"
"You mean you think that's right? But then who is it that's on top? Who's doing all of this?" Meredith demanded. "It can't be Damon because Damon saved Bonnie twice - and me once." Before anyone could muster words to ask aboutthat , she was going on. "Elena was pretty sure that something was possessingDamon . So who else is it?"
"Somebody we haven't met yet," Bonnie muttered ominously. "Somebody we aren't going to like."
With perfect timing there was the crackle of a branch behind them. As one person, as one body, they turned to look.
"What I really want," Damon said to Elena, "is to get you warm. And that either means cooking you something hot so you'll warm up from the inside or putting you in the tub so you'll warm up from the outside. And considering what happened last time - "
"I...don't feel I can eat anything...."
"Come on, it's an American tradition. Apple soup? Mom's homemade chicken pie?"
She chuckled in spite of herself, then winced. "It's apple pie and Mom's homemade chicken soup. But you didn't do badly, for a start."
"Well? I promise not to mix the apples and the chicken together."
"I could try some soup," Elena said slowly. "And, oh, Damon I'm so thirsty just for plain water. Please."
"I know, but you'll drink too much, get pains. I'll make soup."
"It comes in little cans with red paper on them. You pull the tab on top to make it come off...." Elena stopped as he turned to the door.
Damon knew she had serious doubts about the entire project, but he also knew that if he brought her anything passably drinkable she would drink it. Thirst did that to you.
He was unliving proof of the example.
As he went through the door there was a sudden horrendous noise, like a pair of kitchen choppers coming together. It nearly took off his - his rear from top to bottom, by the sound of it.
"Damon!"A voice crying weakly through the door. "Damon, are you all right? Damon! Answer me!"
Instead, he turned around, studied the door, which looked perfectly normal, and opened it. Anyone watching him open it would have wondered because he put a key in the unlocked door, said "Elena's room" and then unlocked and opened the door.
When he got inside, he ran.
Elena was lying in a hopeless tangle of sheets and blankets on the floor. She was trying to get up, but her face was blue-white with pain.
"What pushed you off the bed?" he said. He was going to kill Shinichislowly .
"Nothing. I heard a terrible sound just as the door shut. I tried to get to you, but - "
Damon stared at her."I tried to get to you, but - " This broken, hurting, exhausted creature had tried to rescuehim ? Tried so hard that she'd fallen off her bed?
"I'm sorry," she said, with tears in her eyes. "I can't get used to gravity. Are you hurt?"
"Not as much as you are," he said, purposely keeping his voice rough, his eyes averted. "I did something stupid, leaving the room, and the house...reminded me."
"What are you talking about?" said the woebegone Elena, dressed only in sheets.
"This key," Damon held it up for her to see. It was golden and could be worn as a ring, but two wings folded out and made a beautiful key.
"What's wrong with it?"
"The way I used it. This key has the power of the kitsune in it, and it will unlock anything and take you anywhere, but the way it works is that you put it into the lock, say where you want to go, and then turn the key. I forgot to do that in leaving your room."
Elena looked puzzled. "But what if a key doesn't have a lock in it? Most bedroom doors don't have locks."
"This key goes into any door. You might say it makes its own lock. It's a kitsune treasure - which I shook out of Shinichi when I was so angry about you being hurt. He'll be wanting it back soon." Damon's eyes narrowed and he smiled faintly. "I wonder which of us will end up keeping it. I noticed another one in the kitchen - a spare, of course."
"Damon, all this about magical keys is interesting, but if you could let me get off the floor..."
He was contrite at once. Then came the question of whether to put her on the bed or not.
"I'll take the bath," Elena said in a small voice. She unsnapped the top of her jeans and tried to scoot out of them.
"Wait a minute! You might faint and drown. Lie down and I promise to get you clean, if you're willing to try and eat." He had new reservations about the house.
"Now undress on the bed and pull the sheet over you. I do wicked massages," he added, turning away.
"Look, you don't have to not look. It's something I haven't understood since I...came back," Elena said. "Modesty taboos. I don't see why anyone should be ashamed of their body." (This came to him in a rather muffled voice.) "I mean for anyone who says God made us, God made us without clothes, even after Adam and Eve. If it's so important, why didn't he make us with diapers on?"