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CHAPTER 08: MODERN DAY WITCH TRIALS

❝ my mom is a lot smarter than aunt caroline. ❞

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RIGHT NOW THE JOURNEY IS NOT ABOUT LOVE. Right now the journey is about Enola. This is the season she is being challenged to be her own savior, to be her own safe place. Right now she is being reminded that the people who she lost were only ever leading her back to herself, were only ever leading her here. And here she is okay on her own. Here she is rebuilding. Here she is adapting and mending and reclaiming all of the pieces she let them walk away with. Here she is being kinder to her soul, she is giving herself the same kind of love she has always given others. Here she is not rushing her heart, she is not depending on another human being to fix it. Instead here she is doing that on her own. Here she is healing.

Enola is in the process of teaching Caroline the same with the help of Hope and Finn. It has been a few weeks since that disastrous Christmas Eve dinner. Stefan and Damon were off searching for the evilest of souls to feed Cade. Bonnie and Enzo were away in Paris. Alaric had taken Lizzie and Josie out of Mystic Falls but not without having the twins siphon the curse out of Rebekah. It was Christmas after all.

Enola could leave Mystic Falls at any time. But it never felt right with Caroline here all alone. Not to mention that Hope and Finn liked it here. It took little persuading from Hope and Finn for Enola to decide to stick around a little while longer. At least until Caroline was okay. Until then, the four of them would be staying at the Salvatore Boarding House. They had been spending every last moment together it would appear. Even today, after Caroline was sent to Mystic Falls High School for work.

Enola sat at a table in the back of the classroom, drawing pictures with Hope and Finn as Caroline sat at a nearby desk interviewing a student for an article. They wanted to make sure she was okay. They didn't want her feeling alone, so they just made sure she wasn't. She didn't mind them tagging along. It was her boss that was the problem. Though it wasn't nothing that a little compulsion couldn't fix.

"And on top of everything she does, she even volunteered to organize Miss Mystic Falls." Class President, Violet Fell, informed in excitement.

"Wow," Caroline muttered, jotting the words down in her notepad. "Your teacher sure does have a lot on her plate."

"Yeah, but I help her out with projects. We all do." Violet said with a simple shrug. "Everyone loves her."

"I find that to be very unrealistic," Enola chuckled.

"What does unrealistic mean?" Finn inquired, completely butchering the pronunciation.

"It means it is a fucking lie," Hope boldly claimed.

"Hope Miranda Mikaelson," Enola warned. "You watch your mouth!"

"But Aunt Hayley said—"

"If Aunt Hayley said you were a robot created by the government to destroy humankind would you believe her?" Enola questioned.

"Well—"

"Good morning, everyone!" An oddly familiar voice chirped excitedly. Enola turned to the doorway of the classroom to find Sybil entering with a bright grin.

"No wonder it is unrealistic," Enola scoffed. "You sirened them."

"Duh," Sybil grinned, setting her stuff down on the desk at the front of the classroom. "How else was I supposed to get a class full of imbeciles to listen?"

"What are you doing here?" Caroline spat.

"Well, yesterday we finished the Revolutionary War, so today we are gonna start with the 1800s." Sybil chirped.

"I mean, why are you masquerading as a history teacher." Caroline corrected, immediately standing from the desk she had been seated behind.

"I am not masquerading," Sybil scoffed, offended. "I give a lot of homework." Her eyes flickered around the room as if searching for backup. "And pop quizzes, right?"

"You're the best teacher at this school," Violet claimed.

"Don't you have better things to do than to mind control a bunch of kids?" Enola quirked a brow.

"Not really," Sybil shrugged, prompting Caroline to move forward. "Before either of you try to attack me or call the police or ask anyone for help—just know that if you do, none of these kids will make it out of here alive." Sybil glanced from Hope to Finn before landing on Enola. "That includes your kids."

"Mommy, I don't like her." Finn frowned.

"Me either," Hope agreed. "What a cunt."

"I am going to kill Hayley," Enola muttered in annoyance.

"I learned that one from you," Hope hummed.

"Wow," Sybil blinked. "I might just kill this brat regardless."

"Touch her and I will rip your fucking head off, cunt." Enola glared.

"I see where she gets it from," Sybil nodded.

"Can we just skip to the part where you tell us what you want?" Caroline huffed.

"Sure. If we can skip to the part where you admit that you would rather be doing anything except think about what Stefan is doing right now. Who he is murdering while his emotions are off." Sybil shot back. "And to answer your question—I want to teach you history. Why else would I have told your boss to send you here on an assignment." Eyes briefly flickering to Enola, Hope, and Finn. "Though I wasn't exactly expecting you to bring company."

"The news assignment came from you," Caroline realized.

"I just said that. You must not have been a very good student. We are gonna have to try to remedy that." Sybil chirped. "Students, please turn to chapter three. Antebellum Virginia."

"Mommy, what is going on?" Finn inquired quietly.

"I am not quite sure, honey." Enola answered honestly.

"Who can tell me when Mystic Falls officially became a town?" Sybil questioned. Every single hand shot into the air. "Caroline? Do you remember anything you learned in this incredibly ugly building all those years ago?"

"Mystic Falls was founded in 1860 when a Lockwood, a Forbes, a Fell, a Gilbert, and a Salvatore gathered to sign the township charter." Caroline answered.

"Name dropper. And wrong." Sybil hummed, earning a chuckle from the students.

"Those are the founding families," Caroline pointed out with a frown.

"Your ancestors took credit, but they weren't the first people here." Sybil explained. "Do you actually know your town's history, Enola?"

"In the 1600s, migrating settlers from Salem sought refuge from the witch trial persecutions. Then in the 1700s, after a neighboring settlement experienced a sudden wave of anti-witch hysteria." Enola hummed. "The town decided to round up a vast group of men and women, of whom they suspected of practicing witchcraft. They tried them as witches, tied them to stakes, and watched as they were consumed by fire."

"Wow," Hope breathed in awe. "My mom is a lot smarter than Aunt Caroline."

"Watch it, brat." Caroline glared.

"But it is true," Sybil agreed. "I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the most delicious smell. The smoke lasted for hours."

"How could you know that?" Caroline frowned.

"Who wants to go on a field trip?" Sybil wondered. Her eyes flickered around the room as hands began to shoot up one by one. "Me too. The bus is outside." Everyone began to scurry for the exit. "Mrs. Mikaelson? You can sit with me."

"No, thank you." Enola deadpanned. Almost immediately a student collapsed to the ground.

"Oh, look at that. I have perfected my long distance technique." Sybil noted. Caroline rushed forward in an attempt to heal the kid with vampire blood as Enola pulled Hope and Finn closer. "Your blood isn't gonna save him. I have told his mind to shut down."

"What do you want?" Caroline spat.

"For Enola to sit with me," Sybil answered. "You wouldn't mind watching her kids while we had a very grown up conversation, would you?"

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All Sybil did the entire bus ride was complain about Damon. Enola found it quite amusing considering Sybil and Damon were as thick as thieves during that Christmas Eve dinner. Apparently after he saved her from that unfortunate situation, he pulled her heart out of her chest and left her on a park bench in town square. That was the last time she saw him before he left to do the devil's bidding.

Sybil only stopped complaining when they reached the old witch house. Enola stared up at the old house in a reminiscent manner as the students bristled about. She held each of her children by the hand as they ate ice cream cones they had picked up along the way. It was an attempt to make them think everything was okay when things were so clearly not. And it seemed to be working. They were distracted enough for them to continue with the very adult conversation that mostly consisted of life and death.

"This place has gone downhill since 1790," Sybil noted.

"I always forget you're so much older than you look," Caroline said.

"Talk to me in a couple thousand years and we will see how you're holding up," Sybil scoffed.

"Do I wanna know why your last visit to this place was around the same time a hundred witches burned to death?" Enola sighed, already knowing the answer.

"I had been traveling the region with my sister, looking for tasty souls to feed Cade and the witches took exception." Sybil shrugged simply.

"Are you saying it is your fault the witches were burned at the stake?" Caroline questioned in exasperation.

"Clearly you don't know the full story—how the witches really died." Sybil hummed, unbothered by all of the judgment.

"Why do I feel like you're about to break into song?" Enola wondered out loud.

"Don't tempt me," Sybil teased. "The witches gave some magical help to a local metal smith who was making a church bell for them. This bell had a special purpose." Her eyes scanned the area almost proudly. "But what no one realized was that Seline and I had just befriended this metalsmith. We threw a little wrinkle into his plan."

"Mommy," Finn suddenly spoke up. "What are they doing?"

Enola and Caroline followed Finn's confused gaze to the students. There were wooden poles that seemed to decorate the grounds. At the foot of the poles were large piles of twigs that the students had spent the last fifteen minutes or so collecting.

"Call it extra credit," Sybil smiled down at Finn.

"You are one creepy lady," Hope noted.

"And you are a brat," Sybil glared. "Peter Maxwell was the last one to have his hands on that witches bell. Right up until he threw it off a bridge, some twenty-odd years ago. I looked into his mind and I saw the whole thing." She scowled in annoyance at the memory. "Some kind of a parade, a bell hanging on a float."

"The Founder's Day parade," Caroline nodded. "They ring the charter every year."

"It is a replica. The real one went over something called Wickery Bridge in 1992." Sybil said. Enola and Caroline shared a look. "Anyway, I have spent the last three weeks sending people into that river to look for that bell and they haven't found a thing—but I know it still exists because it can't be destroyed."

"That is definitely not ominous," Enola scoffed sarcastically.

"Blame the witches. No wonder people found them so annoying." Sybil huffed. She suddenly clapped her hands together before facing the students. "Now please."

It was then that the students began to gather around the poles. Five were tied to each as a spare student stood nearby with a torch. Enola and Caroline were no fools. This was meant to be a witch burning. Call it insane. Call it symbolic. Either way, if they didn't stop this, these innocent kids would die.

"No," Caroline breathed.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Enola stressed.

"Afraid not," Sybil grinned manically.

"Everybody stop!" Caroline tried, eyes pleading.

"Hello," Sybil scoffed. "They are sirened."

"Let them go," Caroline spat angrily.

"Any other useless demands?" Sybil drawled. "I'm not going to release them until you bring me that bell."

"What do you even want this bell for?" Hope wondered.

"I am sentimental. I want it." Sybil answered vaguely. "I just need help to find it."

"Or everyone dies—is that it?" Caroline scoffed.

"Well, you can't save them all." Sybil shrugged. "Torches, lighter fluid—poof."

"Yeah, I know how fire works." Caroline huffed in frustration.

"How exactly are we supposed to find this bell anyway?" Enola huffed.

"I don't expect it will be easy," Sybil shrugged before motioning to the students. "That is why I have given you an incentive."

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Caroline and Enola stepped away from Sybil to call Matt. Hope and Finn didn't seem to mind. They sat on the steps of the old witch house as they finished off their ice cream cones and watched this all unfold in mild confusion. They understood the circumstances to an extent. Sybil was the bad guy and the students were in trouble. But they had faith that their mother would be able to come up with a solution just like she always did. It was why they admired her so much.

"Matt, when is the last time you saw your dad?" Caroline questioned the moment there was a small click on the other side of the phone.

"I'm with him right now," Matt informed, confusion marring his usually stoic voice. "You sound stressed. You okay?"

"I'm fine," Caroline lied smoothly. "I just need to get Sybil the antique bell that your dad threw off Wickery Bridge."

"Wait. Slow down. You lost me after I'm fine." Matt confessed. Caroline sighed when Enola snatched the phone.

"When your dad lived in Mystic Falls, he took our charter bell to Wickery Bridge and then threw it off the railing." Enola quickly explained. "Sybil wants it back. She says it has got sentimental value or something."

"When was this?" Matt inquired, choosing not to question the switch between Caroline and Enola.

"1992 according to the head-dive Sybil did on your dad," Caroline continued.

"That makes sense," Matt confirmed.

"Why?" Enola questioned.

"Wickery Bridge is where your parents' car drove off the road. When the officers dredged out the car, they found something else—the old charter bell." Matt informed. "It was broken, but they saved it."

"Well, let's hope they didn't sell it on eBay." Caroline breathed.

"No. Your mom had it in storage." Matt said. "I only know this because I cleaned out her office after the funeral."

"All those boxes you brought over to the house—they are still in the garage." Caroline gasped at the realization.

"Take me there," Sybil demanded. "Now."

"Don't do it," Matt begged. "You guys need to get away from her."

"We don't have a choice," Enola sighed. "These kids are going to kill each other."

"What kids?" Matt wondered worriedly. "Where are you guys?"

"Hi, Matt!" Sybil greeted, snatching the phone away. "If you try to stop them from helping me, I will send a psychic command and my students will die. If you come over to Caroline's house, my students will die." She paused as if for dramatic effect. "If I find out that anyone is trying to interfere—"

"Okay! We get it." Enola huffed, rolling her eyes. "You really should have been a teacher."

"Maybe that will be my second career," Sybil smiled. "After you ladies get me that bell."

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Enola spent the rest of the day sifting through a garage full of junk with Caroline and Sybil. With Lizzie and Josie gone there was an empty bed for Hope and Finn to lay down for a quick nap. She knew things were bound to get messy from here if they were unable to retrieve what they were looking for. Thankfully they were able to send Matt the location where the students were and pray that would be enough to save them from burning to death when things inevitably went wrong.

"Not seeing anything bell shaped," Sybil grumbled in irritation. "Looks like you haven't even bothered to open half these boxes."

"I didn't have the heart to," Caroline muttered, an image of her deceased mother appearing in the back of her head. "But you wouldn't understand that, would you?"

"No, I wouldn't." Sybil confessed almost sympathetically. Though any trace of sadness left her at the next words spoken. "I never had a garage."

Enola scoffed at the complete incompetence displayed by Sybil. Though she didn't comment on it as she stepped deeper into the garage so that her friend wouldn't have to. It didn't take her long to spot the imprint of a box that was no longer there. However, a note seemed to be left in its place instead.

"Found something," Enola informed, waving the notecard in the air.

"What does it say?" Caroline questioned.

"Hey, sissy. Looking for something?" Enola smirked. "Signed, Seline."

"Now I know why she kept organizing my house," Caroline commented.

Sybil snatched the note up in a hurry. Her eyes scanned the words over and over again as tears sprung to her eyes. She looked genuinely upset as she crumbled the piece of paper up. Using the back of her hand, she wiped the tears away and turned to face Enola and Caroline with her usual charisma.

"Suddenly I feel the need to vent," Sybil hummed. She closed her eyes as she sent out a mental command to the one holding the torch. And then she went on a rampage. She began throwing things around in a massive temper tantrum that could rival the children inside. It wasn't until the sound of a text coming through that she took a deep breath. She turned to Enola and Caroline with a deep glare. "Let me guess; that was Matt telling you he managed to save my history students from burning." Caroline snarled, storming forward. "Whoa, whoa, whoa—before you get any of my blood on those stupid little pointy toed boots, you better be one thousand percent sure that I'm not still linked to your children."

"What do you mean?" Caroline paused.

"We spent a lot of time together on that little road trip we took. There was plenty of time to plant an off switch in their brains and I can drop them at any second." Sybil snapped. "So you better not piss me off."

"No. You are lying." Caroline said. "Stefan made sure my kids could be safe."

"Are you certain that he thought of every possible loophole when he was bargaining his soul away?" Sybil teased. "The only way to really find out is if you try to hurt me and roll the dice. Is that what you want to do, Caroline? Is that what you would do, Enola? Gamble with your children's lives?"

"No," Enola said firmly.

"You are so rational when it comes to protecting your daughter's," Sybil noted. "Unlike Caroline who plans on marrying a ripper." Sybil turned to Caroline. "How do you not see that as putting their lives in danger?"

"By the time I marry Stefan, he will be the man I have always loved." Caroline announced boldly. "He has gotten through ripper sprees before."

"Yet every single time he manages to find a way to fall off the wagon. Every single time." Sybil mocked. "Do you know what the definition of insanity is? It is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." With that being said, she made her way to the exit. But of course she had to pause to taunt them some more. "I just hope that the next time he goes ripper, your kids aren't in the house

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AUTHORS NOTE.
this chapter had plenty of hope and finn. i don't think the last one had any. thought i would spice it up a bit. thank you for reading. until next time, my loves!!!