The hangover she felt so strongly was evident in her eyes. As she dropped two dissolvable Panadol tablets into a small cup of water she fingered her right temple with her index finger and groaned, loudly. It was her own fault really. No one had forced the free bottle of whiskey into her hand. No one had forced her to down all of those shots in a row but she was regretting it now. As she always did.

The bitter taste of stale alcohol and the smell of smoke was enough to turn her stomach. As the tablets fizzed and dissolved at the bottom of her glass she dry heaved once more into the sink in front of her. A clammy sweat had broken out on her forehead and she had to fight off the shakes but she couldn't help it as her teeth chattered and clinked together.

My name is Alice Young, she thought, as she always did after a heavy night out, and I am a complete mess. This statement, although utterly vague and seemingly pointless, might as well have been permanently burned into her flesh. Alice eyed the glass in front of her warily but took the glass in both hands and downed the contents in one gulp.

As she threw herself onto the worn down couch that had springs digging into her sides she tried her best not to wake the other squatters. The shabby apartment was tiny in comparison to her home back in London but she reminded herself, for the umpteenth time, that this wasn't London.

This was America. The land where dreams come true.

As she eyed the junkies and drug dealers that were passed out around her she found that term almost laughable. Alice knew with an undeniable burning passion that she had to find a way out. This life had engulfed her and she knew she was slowly drowning.

As she forced herself up, brushed her teeth and ran a hand through her hair, she picked pockets and gathered any money that she could find. She pocketed two hundred dollars and eyed the vial of cocaine that was lying carelessly on it's side.

They won't miss it, she concluded and stuffed it into the side of her black bra. Alice figured she could sell it on the way to the next town anyway, although she was no stranger to that life. She vaguely remembered snorting lines last night and as she stuffed stray clothes into her brown leather messenger bag she found a small plastic bag full of Ecstasy and three tabs of Acid.

"Good god, woman," She whispered to herself in shock. "Sort yourself out, would you."

She grabbed anything she could and exited the dingy apartment block with her head held high with no intention of ever coming back.

Alice made it to the highway on foot. South Carolina hadn't been the most memorable city she had encountered but it was by far the most helpful. As she held her bag to her body and felt the chill through her black blazer she held her thumb out in front of her and waited for a car to pick her up. She didn't have the luxury of splashing out on a taxi or a flight. Alice was a common hitchhiker but she didn't mind. It got her from point A to B which was all that really mattered.

Cars blazed past her in a blur, flashing headlights and beeping their horn. Alice simply replied with a waving middle-finger. She had no time for people's shit. A few minutes passed until a silver Volkswagen Golf pulled up beside her. Inside was a late twenty-something year old man, a cigarette lit in his mouth, brown hair that fell in waves against his forehead.

"Where you headed?" He asked, his arm lounging against the steering wheel. Alice smiled, then.

"Wherever you're prepared to take me."

The man laughed and motioned for her to hop in and so she did. A few moments of silence passed between the two before the man cleared his throat.

"I'm Peter,"

"Alice," she replied with a small smile, noticing the collection of CDS that were in a pile at her feet. She made disgusted sounds while flicking through the pile until she found some music that she could actually bear. Which wasn't anything fantastic, mind you.

"Does my music taste not appease to your standards, Alice?" Peter asked, mockingly. She couldn't help but laugh. Not because Peter was funny or remarkable in any way but because she could see straight through his flirtation tactics. Alice was intuitive like that and she was proud of the skills she had obtained over the years.

"If I'm honest, Peter… your music taste is pretty shit." Alice was laughing internally because Peter genuinely looked offended but as she smiled in his direction he quickly let it slide. Alice had that affect on people although most of the time she was completely oblivious to her talents.

"Aren't you a cheeky British chick." Peter teased as he ran a hand through his hair. He kept a steady pace along the highway and Alice felt her eyes drooping. It had taken her most of the afternoon to walk to the highway and even then all her body was running on was Panadol and traces of cocaine.

She hadn't even asked Peter if it was alright to sleep but it was too late for whilst Peter was in the middle of telling Alice a joke she began to snore softly.

Alice woke up with a jolt as the door slammed shut. It took a moment for her to gather her bearings before she realized where she was. They were at a Petrol Station and Peter was in the middle of filling up the tank with gas. Sleepily, Alice gazed around and rubbed at her eyes. It was true she had no idea where she was, who she was with or where she was going but this was an everyday occurrence with Alice. She spent most of her time in strange apartments, alien clubs and underground raves. The most comfortable place Alice had slept in in over a year was in an abandoned doorway. This was one of the first nights in a long while that Alice had been perfectly sober. Warning bells probably should have been going off in her head at this point but Alice lived for the now. Not for the past or the future. She lived for herself and by her own rules.

Peter came back with a six-pack of beer and a packet of Pretzels. Alice's eyes lit up at the sight. She realized she hadn't eaten a proper meal in- her face scrunched up in thought- God, she couldn't even remember.

"I thought you might be hungry." Peter offered her a can of beer and the bag of Pretzels. Alice took a handful and handed the bag back to him.

"Thank you so much," She said, feeling the warmth of the beer travel down her throat.

"Not a problem." Peter replied with a wink and after a few minutes of silence, whilst Alice finished her measly handful of Pretzels, she turned to Peter.

"Where are we?"

The sky was jet black and she could barely see ten feet in front of her. They simply followed a long and empty road.

"We're in Virginia." He commented and pointed to the sign ahead of us.

Welcome to Mystic Falls!

Mystic Falls? Wow, Alice thought. The founders must have been tripping balls when they named this place.

Alice folded her arms against her chest, laying her head back, when she felt the vial of cocaine against her skin. Her eyes widened. She had forgotten to sell it. Alice glanced at Peter from the corner of her eye. He didn't look like he did drugs and yet, neither did Alice. She had quickly discovered to never judge a book by it's cover in America.

"Peter?" Alice asked.

"Hmm?"

"You like to party, right?"

Alice realized how this might have sounded and tried to recover as Peter pulled over to the side of the road.

"College life is just one big party." He shrugged his shoulders and eyed her impishly. "Why?"

Alice dug her hand into her bra and pulled out the vial of cocaine.

"You want to buy this?"

It took a few moments before the realization of what she possessed dawned on him and his eyes widened before a smile played out on his face.

"You want to party with me?" He grasped the vial of cocaine in his hand, leaning towards her in the process. Alice didn't recoil but had to admit that this man was repugnant. She gulped back her nausea and pulled her hand and the vial of cocaine away from Peter.

"Two-hundred. For the vial,"

Alice was an experienced negotiator. She had been dealing and buying for both herself and third parties for the past two years. Peter scoffed but remained mere inches from Alice although she promised herself that she wouldn't back down.

"I could get more for less up at Duke,"

A sarcastic laugh escaped Alice's lips. Did he think she was an idiot?

"No, honey," She lifted a hand up and boldly stroked Peter's face. "You can't." He knew from the get-go that she was mocking him. And that didn't sit well.

Peter grabbed Alice's hand but she didn't scream. Alice learned from a very young age that screaming got you nowhere. Instead, she clawed at Peter's face but he had grabbed the other hand in the process. The man leaned up against Alice until her body weight collapsed underneath his. During the struggle Alice noticed the two top buttons of her black shirt had come undone. Peter noticed this as quickly as she did and before Alice could even comprehend it the man who had so kindly offered her a lift was pulling at her shirt, ripping off buttons in the process.

Now, Alice screamed. She screamed until her throat was raw.

"Shut the fuck up!" Peter barked but she did not listen. How could she? Alice stopped screaming. Instead she closed her eyes as tight as she could and bit her nails into the skin of her palm. She felt his hands, slithering down her bare stomach and to the crotch of her jeans. Her whole body tensed and she heard Peter's growl of a chuckle. When Alice opened her eyes again Peter's hand gripped the golden vile and he poured a messy line along his hand and held it out to her. She wasn't prepared for this and would give anything to escape reality. So she took it.

"Good girl," She heard him murmur. Alice began to collect herself before the drugs were to kick in. She knew she would never be in her right mind to get herself out of this predicament. Alice knew she had to act fast. She waited until Peter began to fiddle with his belt buckle before she dived for her messenger bag. Peter's hands were already gripping her hair tightly as she screamed and flailed her hands about to grasp the metal knife she kept on her at all times. For these kinds of situations. She felt the blade dig into the skin of her hand as she grasped it and whipped it out in front of her. The knife was beautifully carved with silver insignias of roses at the base. Her breathing was already becoming elevated and sweat began to break out all over her body. The rush went straight to Alice's head and burned more than adrenaline ever could. She grinned then, a manic expression. Peter held up his hands and backed away slowly.

"If I ever see you again I am going to cut off your balls and wear them as earrings. You got that?" Alice screamed, her words falling into a jumble as she grabbed her bag and fell out of the car backwards and onto her rear. The car sped off before Alice had fully fallen out. Her mind and body was far too sensitive for the fall and she felt everything.

Gravel and stones bit into her hands and elbows and as she tried to stand up, wobbling on all fours, she realized her black shirt had been ripped open and her jeans were unzipped. She didn't like the fact that her lacy underwear had been on display. Barely able to keep her stance, Alice rummaged through her bag until she pulled out her worn Nirvana t-shirt and pulled out the black blazer she had been wearing earlier. She changed in the middle of the empty road and once she was satisfied, although not completely coherent, she made her way to the town of Mystic Falls.

The clock tower, that was situated in the middle of Mystic Falls Square, chimed midnight and Alice began to sob. It was times like these that she wished she had a home. A warm bed to sleep in and a family to kiss her goodnight. This was a luxury Alice hadn't been accustomed to for many years. Her parents had been brutally murdered in their beds as she slept only a few feet away from them. Alice had been eleven then and had been circulating foster homes until the age of seventeen. That's when she had decided enough was enough. That was the moment Alice had packed what little belongings she possessed and made her way to America.

She got mixed up with the wrong kind of people: prostitutes, drug dealers and junkies. She did whatever she could to make money although she vowed to herself she would never sell her body like so many of the young girls she had encountered. Alice knew that was not the life she wanted.

She collapsed onto a wooden bench and folded her arms around herself. She began to shake violently and her breathing elevated until she was hyperventilating. The cocaine was driving her insane. The shakes were what Alice looked forward to the least. As her teeth began to chatter she felt the unbearable dizziness overwhelm her once more. It wouldn't be the first time she passed out from taking coke but she vowed it would be her last.

Alice bit her lip, hard. She didn't want to faint here, so out in the open. She would be sure to attract unwanted attention. Alice gazed around her and came to terms with her surroundings. She needed sugar and water. She remembered living off sugar and water for the better part of two weeks. It wasn't a pleasant memory.

As Alice stumbled across the Square clutching her bag to her chest she spotted an establishment with the title Mystic Grill hanging at the front in neon green lights. Alice couldn't help but scoff. Nothing in Mystic Falls seemed very mystic at all but she stopped complaining and made her way over to the successful bar and restaurant.

The crowd inside the establishment was larger than she expected. Alice hated being in crowds. Especially when she wasn't all there.

Being off your head on cocaine and cramped into a tight bar wasn't something that could go well for Alice, or anyone for that matter. She pushed herself up on a stool at the bar and mumbled an order of a glass of water and three packets of sugar. The total came to three dollars.

As the glass was pushed in front of her Alice didn't waste any time. She had never felt so thirsty until that very moment in time. She ripped at the sachets of sugar and poured them into the crystal clear water. Alice didn't even bother to stir it before she began gulping it back. As quickly as it had been put in front of her it was gone but she couldn't afford another glass. Three dollars was a lot when you didn't have a constant flow of a steady income. Alice never knew when she'd have more money again. Every cent was precious.

"Is that a weird new diet you chicks are on?"

Alice jumped, startled. She usually reminded people of a little doe. Especially when she was as vulnerable as she was now. Huge, wide eyes that stared at you in wonder. But Alice wasn't innocent. The innocence she had once possessed had been ripped from her a long time ago. She glanced to the side and came face to face with a young man with dark eyes and a dark mop of wavy hair. He wore a tight black leather jacket and was nursing, from what Alice could smell off his breath, Bourbon. Neat, by the looks of it. He wasn't looking at her now. He was staring down at his hands that were cupped around his glass. In one swift motion he downed the Bourbon and motioned for the bartender for another. He noticed Alice again and raised his brow.

"You look like hell. Rough party?" He commented and motioned for the bartender to pour Alice a drink. She didn't decline. It wasn't everyday Alice got to drink Bourbon, for free.

"You have no idea," Alice shook her head and grumbled into her glass before she knocked it back and swallowed it in one gulp. The man was staring at her again, curiosity obvious in his dark eyes. Alice didn't feel cold anymore but her hands were visibly shaking so she clasped them to her lap. The man noticed this, smiled sadly, and held his hand out for her to take.

"Damon Salvatore," He stated, suavely. Alice simply stared at his hand. She could feel the tremors running through her cut fingers.

"Alice," She replied, clenching her hands into fists by her sides. Alice never gave out her second name. And when she had to, she quickly made one up. Technically, she was still a missing person back in London even though two years had passed she felt like she would always be on the run. As the bartender averted his gaze Alice's sticky fingers returned. She popped the lid back onto the half full bottle of Bourbon and dipped into her bag. She hadn't cared Damon Salvatore was staring right at her. He raised his brow when she glanced at him again. Alice noticed he did this an awful lot. Was she a surprising character? She had never though of herself so.

"What's your deal? Kleptomaniac?" Damon smiled at Alice but she was untouched by the gesture. She wasn't ready to trust the men of Mystic Falls quite just yet. She eyed him, warily.

"It keeps me warm. I need to be warm," Without waiting for a response Alice pushed out her stool and meandered her way through the crowd. She didn't breath until she was out in open air. The only thing she had left to think about was where she going to sleep. In a mound of bushes if she had to.

She found herself on the bench again, gazing up at the clock tower. She was counting down the seconds to sunrise while holding the stolen bottle of Bourbon, that was almost empty, in her frail hands. It had successfully done it's job. Alice couldn't have felt the cold even if she were naked although she might as well have been. Her dark denim jeans were worn and felt like a wisp of silk against her numb legs. She wondered then what would she look like to passer-bys, although she thought it unlikely for residents to be out and about this early in the morning. It was barely past five.

Alice was small in stature, as she always had been, with cropped white blond hair that fell in layers to the nape of her neck. Her fringe, full and heavy fell in a blunt line that complimented her elfin features and bright eyes. Alice pulled out her trilby hat that she had decorated with a white ribbon and placed it on her head. This hat had been her dads. The only keepsake she could bare to keep with her that reminded her of her parents. Memories leaded to pain, that's all Alice could comprehend. That's why she had begun to dabble with drugs. They helped her forget and numbed her of all feeling. She couldn't feel the tears running down her face but tasted them as they found their way into her mouth. She pawed at her eyes with numb hands and wiped the remaining tears away.

A sliver of pink began to submerge over the horizon's edge and Alice gripped herself.

"Out to watch the sunset?"

Alice couldn't have jumped even if she wanted to. She was far too drunk for antics such as that. Instead she ignored whoever had sat beside her on the bench. She figured if she died right this second it wouldn't matter. No one would care, or cry. Alice would simply cease to exist.

Keeping her eyes on the horizon her hand dived into her bag. She hadn't noticed that she had began to grumble, incoherently, to herself. She grasped an E tablet between her index and forefinger and popped it on her tongue. She easily could have dry-swallowed the small tablet but it was an excuse to finish off the bottle of Bourbon. Alice threw it over her shoulder and it landed in a bed of roses. She heard him chuckle and she finally glanced over to the man who had sat beside her.

Tight blond curls, blue eyes and a deadpan expression met her blurring eyes. He didn't seem all that interesting, Alice thought to herself.

"In all my existence a sunrise still manages to take my breath away." The man had spoken again and Alice smiled as his English accent met her ears. She was slipping away again, though. She could feel the happiness playing tug-of-war inside of her very being. With wide eyes and the serenest smile the man had ever seen Alice laughed.

"Another lost soul," Alice began, looking up towards the sky and witnessing the sunrise as if it were her first time. "Oh, it's absolutely beautiful!"

Exhaustion had completely escaped her as she bounded up and down on her feet. Really, she had absolutely no clue what she was saying. All she knew was that words, beautiful words of all manners, came tumbling out of her mouth.

"I would very much like it for someone to take me away… far away." She pointed to the sky that was splattered with shades of light pink to bright orange. The ecstasy was playing a part in her maddening exuberance but Alice, as per usual, wasn't all there. She could have been sitting here talking to a crow and she wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

The man was staring at her with a confused, astonished gaze. Alice barely noticed. She sat back down and their shoulders touched, if only for a second.

"What is your name, love?"

Alice was gazing off into the distance, lost in a magnificent world where everything was stunning. She had completely forgotten of the English man who had been keeping her company.

"Alice," She replied, wistfully, her head falling to one side on the mans shoulder.

"Alice." The man said, as if tasting her name on his tongue. She felt his index finger tug at her chin to look at him and when she did she saw the deep yellow eyes that were framed with light eyelashes and protruding veins that were dark purple in colour. Alice laughed. Under normal circumstances she probably would have felt fear but these eyes were strange yet familiar.

"Vampire," She tasted the word she hadn't spoken in months. It wasn't a secret. Alice knew of their existence. More than that, Alice had been fed on all of three times in her life. When days were bad and Alice was starving she knew a drug dealer who specialized in Vampire Feeding Parties. Looking back on it, Alice felt sick to her stomach. Humans who were involved were paid a handsome sum of money and Alice could feed herself for another month. The vampire looked almost taken aback but he quickly recovered as Alice let her head fall to his shoulder again.

"Not quite," she heard him mutter and curse under his breath. Alice gasped theatrically and tapped him on the nose. The man snapped at her fingers and Alice giggled. This man reminded her of a distrustful, rabid dog.

"Oh, bite me vampire." Alice meant it as a retort. A figure of speech. It wasn't until the words left her lips that she realized just how wrong that sounded. An invitation, if anything. The man smiled, a wicked grin that transformed his face. His fangs, long and sharp, shone in the new morning light.

"Don't mind if I do, Alice,"

She didn't scream. Mostly because she didn't have time to. Instead she gripped onto the man's shoulders and held herself there. She was so exhausted she was afraid she might fall. Alice's brain was too buzzed to register pain and a weak laugh escaped her cracked, heart shaped lips as the man began to gnaw at her neck and drain the life essence our of her body.