thinking that Mr. Tanner had been right; history did repeat itself. She only hoped her story didn't end like Katherine's. 'But she chose
'Sounds kinky,' murmured Bonnie.
'Sounds
'You got it,' Elena told her. 'Katherine was sweet but not very bright. Stefan and Damon already didn't like each other. They told her she
'Oh, my God, how ro—'
'No, it
'To cooperate at what?' Meredith asked.
'I'll explain about that later. But first I want to know what's been going on in town since I—left.'
'Well, hysteria mostly,' Meredith said, raising an eyebrow. 'Your Aunt Judith's been pretty badly off. She hallucinated that she saw you—only it wasn't a hallucination, was it? And she and Robert have sort of broken up.'
'I know,' Elena said grimly. 'Go on.'
'Everybody at school is upset. I wanted to talk to Stefan, especially when I began to suspect you weren't really dead, but he hasn't been at school. Matt
'Oh, God—Matt.' Something terrible was stirring at the bottom of Elena's mind, some memory too disturbing to be let loose. She couldn't cope with anything more just now, she
Meredith was going on. 'It's clear, though, that some other people are suspicious about your 'death.' That's why I said what I did in the memorial service; I was afraid if I said the real day and place that Alaric Saltzman would end up ambushing you outside the house. He's been asking all sorts of questions, and it's a good thing Bonnie didn't know anything she could blab.'
'That isn't fair,' Bonnie protested. 'Alaric's just interested, that's all, and he wants to help us through the trauma, like before. He's an Aquarius—'
'He's a spy,' said Elena, 'and maybe more than that. But we'll talk about that later. What about Tyler Smallwood? I didn't see him at the service.'
Meredith looked nonplussed. 'You mean you don't know?'
'I don't know
'Well…' Meredith paused uneasily. 'Tyler just got back from the hospital. Same with Dick Carter and those four tough guys they had along with them on Founders' Day. They were attacked in the Quonset hut that evening and they lost a lot of blood.'
'
'Well, Tyler's father tried to make him one, but the police couldn't make the times work out. They know approximately when Tyler was attacked because he was supposed to meet Mr. Smallwood, and he didn't show up. And Bonnie and I can alibi Stefan for that time because we'd just left him by the river with your body. So he
'I see.' Elena felt relieved on that score at least.
'Tyler and those guys can't identify the attacker because they can't remember a thing about that afternoon,' Meredith added. 'Neither can Caroline.'
'
'Yes, but she wasn't bitten. Just in shock. In spite of everything she's done, I almost feel sorry for her.' Meredith shrugged and added, 'She looks pretty pathetic these days.'
'And I don't think anyone will ever suspect Stefan after what happened with those dogs at church today,' Bonnie put in. 'My dad says that a big dog could have broken the window in the Quonset hut, and the wounds in Tyler's throat looked sort of like animal wounds. I think a lot of people believe it was a dog or a pack of dogs that did it.'
'It's a convenient explanation,' Meredith said dryly. 'It means they don't have to think any more about it.'
'But that's ridiculous,' said Elena. 'Normal dogs don't behave that way. Aren't people wondering about
'Lots of people are just getting rid of them. Oh, and I heard someone talk about mandatory rabies testing,' Meredith said. 'But it's not just rabies, is it, Elena?'
'No, I don't think so. And neither do Stefan or Damon. And that's what I came over to talk to you about.' Elena explained, as clearly as she could, what she had been thinking about the Other Power in Fell's Church. She told about the force that had chased her off the bridge and about the feeling she'd had with the dogs and about everything she and Stefan and Damon had discussed. She finished with, 'And Bonnie said it herself in church today: 'Something evil.' I think that's what's here in Fell's Church, something nobody knows about, something completely evil. I don't suppose
But Bonnie's mind was running on another track. 'So Damon didn't
'I think,' said Meredith with a glance at Elena, 'that you had better forget about Damon as a love interest.'
'Yes,' said Elena emphatically. 'He
'I'm supposed to leave Damon alone; I'm supposed to leave Alaric alone… Are there any guys I'm
'
'I don't know. Something tremendously strong—but it could be shielding itself so that we can't sense it. It could look like an ordinary person. And that's why I came for your help, because it could be anybody in Fell's Church. It's like what Bonnie said during the service today: 'Nobody is what they seem.' '
Bonnie looked forlorn. 'I don't remember saying that.'
'You said it, all right. 'Nobody is what they seem,' ' Elena quoted again weightily. '
'Well, that would seem to make
'Right,' said Elena. 'But we'd better get a note pad and pencil and make a list of the most important ones. Damon and Stefan have already agreed to help investigate, and if you'll help, too, we'll stand an even better chance of finding it.' She was hitting her stride with this; she'd always been good at organizing things, from schemes to get