Drugs, beatings, gang violence. All have infested the city streets of Fell's Cathedral, and now it's becoming worse.

Even as I walk, the sky becomes darker and the street lights turn on, with few of them flickering, the alleyways crawl with thugs, gamblers, hookers, and people much like me: a man looking for a blood addict to sell to.

"Hell you looking at fucker? yelled an idiotic human woman to a drunken street gambler.

Harsh words were exchanged until I finally had to start walking faster to get the sounds of the beating out of my mind.

The sky was completely black now and the air was heavy with the smell of smog and cigarettes. And continuing to walk through the streets was almost unacceptable by all lowlife gang members. I thought about how screwed up this place had gotten. Ever since the Cannibal had come through everything changed.

The timer on my watch went off and I swore. I dashed off to the Floris Boarding. Mrs. Flowers, the old hag of a witch, had died and the property was never left to someone. So when the Cathedral Project started they decided to turn the boarding house into a thirty story apartment home. Only the apartment soon filled up with drinkers, crack heads, gamblers, and the occasional wife beater. The place had the smell of drugs, and looked like someone threw-up on walls and carpets.

I jogged into the lobby and ignored the werewolf who asked to see ID. I pushed the twenty-seventh button.

The elevator was small, slow, and smelled of alcohol. It also only went to the twenty-seventh floor, so I had to run up the next three flights to get to the thirtieth story.

I flung the door open knowing I was going to be late. I made my legs move faster and I made it to the door. I flung that door open too and walked into the living room hurriedly.

Stefan was on the couch watching the news.

-"Welcome back to our special report of the underground in Fell's Cathedral. Is your family safe? The turf war remains a stalemate. Police seem uncertain if the recent epidemics of abductions and mutilation in the surrounding areas are incidents of gang related violence…or the work of an outside individual. Tension is thick and rightly so. As many of us are still haunted by the rampage of the now institutionalized psychopath cannibal. So hard to believe since its been eighteen years since the 'Quiet Cannibal'. The wounds of Fell's Cathedral have yet to heal from this madman. In fact it is said that it was her actions had finally defeated the undefeatable: the Salvatore brothers and the queen Elena Gilbert."

I stared at the screen with rage.

"Though we here at channel 8 don't know everything we let the facts speak for themselves. It was soon after the cannibal's imprisonment that the brothers and queen lost control of the city. After that the crime rates soared and the local Mafia Dons took control, and gained power and influence."

Stefan flipped off the switch, stood up, and looked at my angrily. "What the hell you looking at brother?"

I stared at him with an old hatred and then walked out of the room. It only took two strides before I was in the bathroom and had the door locked. I got on my knees and opened the cabinets to the bottom of the sink.

A simple flick of the wrist broke the false pipe and Blood Pills poured out.

I filled an old film canister and put the pipe back. I checked my watch again and saw that it was almost ten minutes after I was supposed to meet my customer.

I shoved the canister into my pocket and hurried back into the living room. Stefan was gone. He had most likely walked out to get Elena.

Deciding to stop getting distracted I rushed back down the three flights of stairs and back into the elevator.

When finally back on ground level I ran outside and down a block to where an old parking lot was. My customer wasn't there like we had planned.

I hit my head on a wall for being so stupid to be late.

I sighed and turned back to go back to the apartment. As soon as I took a step out into the street, Mutt, or "Hound" as his gang members refer to him, stepped from the sidewalk and out into the street right in front of me.

"Hey. I thought I told you not to come here anymore."

Mutt laughed. "Damon. Buddy. I have to check if you got the merchandise. And anyways it's not like we're that far away from the lot."

I stared angrily at Mutt. To think this kid used to be Elena's old boyfriend. Even more astonishing: that he was even her friend at one point. Hell he used to be Matt Honeycutt. Now he lives off Blood Pills and Crazy 8 with essence of vervain.

Mutt looked at me impatiently and snapped his fingers. Two horned creatures stepped out from the shadows with large hammers.

"What's with them?" I looked at either side of Mutt, where they stood still.

"Oh these are dangerous times. It's like that cannibal shit all over again." his voice dropped to a low whisper. "They say this guy likes to disembowel his victims. All they found of these kids he just did was their internal organs. Tiny guts. No one knows what he does with the rest of them."

I stared at him horridly. Disembowel. Such a disturbing word for the mind.

Mutt looked at the two horned creatures and said, "Give us some air kids." they backed away slowly.

Mutt rubbed his hands together and looks at him skeptically. "You got it or what?"

I sighed heavily and dumped a handful of pills into my palm. He took one and put it into his mouth.

He swallowed and smiled. "You always got the good Damon." He licked his lips.

I shoved the canister into his hands spit at his shoe. "Just take it and go."

"I got that stake holding bastard and his pigs up my ass and you want me to carry your sale? You know the drill." he shoved the canister back into my hands. "Come to the shop and we'll make it work."

I was getting really pissed off. But before I could throw a punch, a car door slammed.

Stefan and Elena were walking towards us, and a taxi drove off.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Stefan pointed a finger to Mutt and glared at me with disgust.

"Hey, back off he's just business."

Mutt seemed to notice Elena and smiled. "Oh, princess, I didn't realize you frequented these parts."

"You know you're not welcomed on my streets!" shouted Stefan.

Mutt turned and faced Stefan. He sneered, then smiled. "You're parts?" he paused. "Don't wine yourself up. I was just going."

He turned around and walked slowly. "You know it's a shame about all this. I mean it isn't entirely your fault for screwing us all up so badly."

Stefan walked up and leaned in to Mutt's face. "What the hell did you just say to me?"

Mutt grinned. "I'm calling you, a no. good. vampire."

Stefan let out a short yell and caught Mutt right in the eye with his fist. When Mutt was on the ground Stefan climbed on him and continued to hit him over and over again talking nonsense.

The horned beasts started to walk towards us again.

Elena and I pulled Stefan off Mutt, and watched as the horned beasts dragged Mutt onto his feet.

Mutt stood up and spit out a mouthful of blood. "You bring that shit to the shop tonight." he said pointing a skinny figure at me. "Or else the whole city knows where that useless broad's been slumming it!" he spit again and walked away.

"Tell your boss hi for me!"

Mutt turned back and looked right at Stefan. "Fuck you!" he shouted.

I sighed heavily and looked at Stefan. "Look. I didn't know he was going to be here."

"You!" he turned towards me with his bloodied fists clenched. "You don't make ANY sales without my knowing! You got him near Elena!"

"Stefan stop it!" Elena pushed Stefan and sighed.

"You stay out of this! This is between the Salvatore brothers!"

Elena squinted her eyes and turned. "You never told me about him."

"Look little brother, I'll make sure she gets back home. I need to make this drop anyways. You know make some money for the house."

Stefan cringed. "Get out of here…you no good drop."

"You need to cool your head little bro. Times are changing. You're going to get yourself in trouble." I put my hand and his shoulder and he nodded reluctantly.

XxXx

afterI walked Elena home I thought about Stefan. I've been saying a lot of that kind of shit lately. It's the only way to keep sane in a world like this. But truth is, I'm not so clean myself.

xXxX

Elena lied next to me. Sex with her was no common. It usually only happened when we were both depressed. Like now.

She got up and put on a robe. "You must think I'm a whore." she said sadly.

I shook my head. "No. This city is eating you alive. Devouring you. You are the queen! But me. Hell maybe this is all I'm good for. " It sickened me to say so. But it was true. Back when Fell's Cathedral was Fell's Church, small town and not a city of hell, I was empowered and strong. But now…

Elena walked over to the window and opened the curtains. You could see the whole city of Fell's Cathedral from the top floor. Her cell phone went off and she answered it on the second ring. "Hello?" her eyes got wide. "Oh…" there was a long pause before she started to talk again. "What?" another long pause. She hung up and looked at me horrified.

XxXxXx-Channel 8 News-xXxXxX

"A horrible twist in both the rash of disappearances and the stalemate between Mafia Dons: Klaus, Tyler, Shinichi, and…Katherine. Word from police Chief Alaric Saltzman they have discovered the remains believed to be those of…Katherine herself. A word from Chief Saltzman now."

"Well. The intestines. You don't want to see them…"

XxXxXx- Damon's apartment –xXxXxX

"You're being ridiculous! Y-you're the queen! This isn't part of your responsibilities!" Insane. She couldn't go.

"What's going on?" asked Stefan as he walked up to me.

"She's going to the asylum." I ran a hand through my hair and hit the wall.

"Oh no! No woman of mine is going anywhere-"

"This is not up for discussion!" snapped Elena.

Stefan sighed. "I'll go."

"We'll go!" I corrected.

"You won't go anywhere Dam-"

"Neither of you are going anywhere! She won't speak to me if I'm no alone!" Elena gathered some files and stacked them.

"Love…listen to yourself! You know who we're talking about! You know…" Stefan took a shaky breath "what she's done."

"If she got the chance she'd kill you for fun and dance around in your skin!" I grabbed her by the shoulders so that she'd look at me. "She's a monster-"

"A psychopath! A cannibal. I know. I haven't forgotten." Elena studied me and then turned to Stefan. "She's the only one who could possibly get into the mind of whoever is behind this…this… butchery!"

"The police can interrogate." I stretched.

"The police? They're stretched thin as it is already. As good as it has done anyone. God knows I can't trust my own court anymore and you two haven't been useful since…" she looked at both of us frustrated. "Children and police are being slaughtered and with Katherine dead the stalemate is over! The gangs are going to rush in and try to fill in the void. And while that happens, Fell's Cathedral will die screaming in the flames!"

"Now wait here-"

"No! How many people have to die while you two just sit around and do nothing but consume Blood Pills and drink!"

I looked at my brother and we both walked out of the room.

Dames.

XxXxX –Elena's P.O.V. – XxXxX

I walked down the stairs. The room being shut off from light.

It was cold, and there was a complete silence when I finally reached the bottom step.

I walked past cages filled with silent people.

Rows of silent people.

I reached the back of the room and opened a door. A large cage was placed in the room with only a small light illuminating the dark.

"Meredith?" I asked.

Meredith smiled and walked from the shadows in the back of the cage. "Hello…Elena."