| “ | In its glass, my true self would be revealed. [...] And when I gazed into that enchanted mirror, my heart leapt for I saw only myself. I was no monster -- now they would surely see that too. | ” |
— Ligeia writes in her dairy.
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Through a Glass, Darkly is the second volume of The Vampire Diaries Digital Comic and the fourth issue in the series.[1]
Summary[]
An innocent game of hide & seek leads to a terrible discovery when Damon and Elena crash into a bricked-up room in the Salvatore family home. But the skeleton they find isn't the weirdest surprise hidden inside!
Plot[]
Elena Gilbert and Damon Salvatore play a fun game of hide and seek; Elena hides while Damon counts to ten. Damon searches the Salvatore house and finds Elena hiding in the basement. It startles her, and she pushes Damon though a brick wall, calling him a jerk. Elena's surprised to find the skeletal remains and a diary. Damon finds a mirror, though shocked to see his reflection. As Elena reads from the diary they learn that the corpse is that of Ligeia De La Poer and it recounts the events of her life and death. Damon backs away from the mirror and holds it up to Ligeia' corpse, though its reflection is that of a beautiful young women, full of life.
Elena reads from Ligeia's diary. She was born in May of an unknown year, on a full Flower moon in her parents wagon, many miles east of Mystic Falls. Ligeia parents claimed that she kept the light of that moon and shown it on them ever after. They worked hard when they stopped and so would she, or sometimes she'd go to school. Ligeia like those times best. Eventually they came to Mystic Falls and life was good. Ligeia made friends and she felt safe and loved. According to her mother, her light never shown as bright as it did in Mystic Falls.
When she was eighteen, the Wheelwright's son proposed to her. However, she did not know him, except by sight, so she kindly declined his offer. However, people were jealous and men committed violence in her name, whether in love or lust, she did not know in her innocence. Gossip told her that the sheriff's arrival is what saved him; he survived a beating, but she never saw him afterward. Mystic Falls changed for Ligeia after that. Eyes of the menfolk were always upon her. By day, they spoke in low voices, but after dark, they would boast openly. She knew their words were lies, but gossip spread nonetheless. She did not know what she had done to deserve it, and hoped that it would all pass. She, however, was unprepared for the accusations that followed. She was accused of sleeping with another woman's husband after gossip spread of two men having "conquered" her. They called her "liar" and "homewrecker" and much worse. They could not prove the suppositions and that made them hate her more.
One night, her mother was out visiting with a friend and saw the townswomen in the woods. Their eyes were wold and their jaws were set. They were about some grim purpose her mother knew not what. Her mother told Ligeia what she way and a chill ran down her spine. To go to such lengths, she knew her fate was sealed. The townswomen sought out the witch that lived alone with her cat on the outskirts of Mystic Falls in a cottage in the deep woods. They wanted Ligeia gone by whatever foul deed it took. So, they asked the witch to reveal Ligeia's sins, and show them plainly on her face for all to see. The witch gave them an enchanted mirror and told them to hold it before her. In its glass, her true self would be revealed.
After meeting with the witch, the townswomen confronted Ligeia. Her mother tried to protect her. She barred the door and wept and raged. However, Ligeia told her that she had nothing to fear, for she had done nothing wrong. Ligeia joined them in the Town Square and gazed into the enchanted mirror given to them by the witch. She only saw herself - she was no monster. She was sure they would see that too. However, she saw their faces, their true selves. They were so filled with anger, with lust, with jealousy, and hatred. She lived, it seemed, among a madding crowd of monster. They could never admit to what they saw in the looking glass. It was better to brand her a monster then admit their truth. They dragged her to the Salvatore house and buried her alive within its walls. She begged them for a candle to spend her last moments in the light. With the fading light of the candle, she recorded the events that transpired to her eventual death. The air grew stale and she grew weak and weary. In her final moments, she knew no fear. She had committed no sin and was true to herself.
Damon mocks the story; "Here lies a goody-two-shoes." How sad. Elena finds Damon's words and behavior awful but notices the mirror he's holding and wonder if it's the mirror and wants to see it. Damon doesn't hand it over and "accidentally" smashes it with his elbow, telling Elena "sorry". With the mirror in pieces, Elena decides its time to get out of there, it's creeping her out. As Damon climbs through the opening, he asks if she's had enough of hide and seek. The night however is still young. Before turning to follow her, Damon sees his true self in a broken shard of the enchanted mirror. Like the townspeople that condemned Ligeia, he too was nothing more than a monster.
Characters[]
Main Characters[] |
Supporting Characters[]
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Trivia[]
- This is the first episode of Digital comics to feature Elena Gilbert.
Credits[]
- Art by: George Kambadais
- Colored by: Garry Henderson
- Cover by: Cat Staggs
- Page Count: 23
- Age Rating: 15+ Only
Gallery[]
References[]
See also[]
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