"We can check the other side of the bridge," said Meredith, and Elena nodded mechanically. But she
didn't need to see Bonnie's expression to know what they'd find. This was the wrong place. "Let's just get out of here," she said, climbing through vegetation toward the wedge of light beyond the bridge. Just as she reached it, Elena froze.
Bonnie gasped. "Oh, God - " "Get back," hissed Meredith. "Up against the bank."
Clearly silhouetted against the car headlights above was a black figure. Elena, staring with a wildly It was moving toward them.
Ducking out of sight, Elena cowered back against the muddy riverbank under the bridge, pressing herself as flat as possible. She could feel Bonnie shaking behind her, and Meredith's fingers sank into her arm.
They could see nothing from here, but suddenly there was a heavy footfall on the bridge. Scarcely daring to breathe, they clung to one another, faces turned up. The heavy footsteps rang across the wooden planks, moving away from them.
Please let him keep going, thought Elena. Oh, please...
She sank her teeth into her lip, and then Bonnie whimpered softly, her icy hand clutching Elena's. The footsteps were coming back.
I should go out there, Elena thought. It's me he wants, not them. He said as much. I should go out there and face him, and maybe he'll let Bonnie and Meredith leave. But the fiery rage that had sustained her that morning was in ashes now. With all her strength of will, she could not make her hand let go of Bonnie's, could not tear herself away.
The footsteps sounded right above them. Then there was silence, followed by a slithering sound on the bank.
No, thought Elena, her body charged with fear. He was coming down. Bonnie moaned and buried her head against Elena's shoulder, and Elena felt every muscle tense as she saw movement - feet, legs - appear out of the darkness.No ...
"What are youdoing down there?"
Elena's mind refused to process this information at first. It was still panicking, and she almost screamed as Matt took another step down the bank, peering under the bridge.
"Elena? What are youdoing?" he said again.
Bonnie's head flew up. Meredith's breath exploded in relief. Elena herself felt as if her knees might give way.
"Matt," she said. It was all she could manage.
Bonnie was more vocal. "What do you thinkyou're doing?" she said in rising tones. "Trying to give us a heart attack? What are you out here for at this time of night?"
Matt thrust a hand into his pocket, rattling change. As they emerged from under the bridge, he stared out over the river. "I followed you."
"Youwhat ?" said Elena.
Reluctantly, he swung to face her. "I followed you," he repeated, shoulders tense. "I figured you'd find a way to get around your aunt and go out again. So I sat in my car across the street and watched your."
Elena didn't know what to say. She was angry, and of course, he had probably done it only to keep his promise to Stefan. But the thought of Matt sitting out there in his battered old Ford, probably freezing to death and without any supper... it gave her a strange pang she didn't want to dwell on.
He was looking out at the river again. She stepped closer to him and spoke quietly. "I'm sorry, Matt," she said. "About the way I acted back at the house, and - and about - " She fumbled for a minute and then gave up. About everything, she thought hopelessly.
"Well, I'm sorry for scaring you just now." He turned back briskly to face her, as if that settled the matter. "Now could you please tell me what you think you're doing?"
"Bonnie thought Stefan might be here."
"Bonnie didnot ," said Bonnie. "Bonnie said right away that it was the wrong place. We're looking for somewhere quiet, no noises, and closed in. I felt... surrounded," she explained to Matt.
Matt looked back at her warily, as if she might bite. "Sure you did," he said.
"There were rocks around me, but not like these river rocks."
"Uh, no, of course they weren't." He looked sideways at Meredith, who took pity on him.
"Bonnie had a vision," she said.
Matt backed up a little, and Elena could see his profile in the headlights. From his expression, she could tell he didn't know whether to walk away or to round them all up and cart them to the nearest insane asylum.