The sun was at its highest in Macon, Georgia, it was hot enough to make the flies drop out of the sky. Elena Gilbert was in the backyard of her small white vinyl sided house laying in her hammock. This was a pass time she enjoyed every afternoon, the sound of the crickets playing their symphony was always a relaxing song to her soul. Elena lived with her twice removed Aunt Jenna who is spunky as a spring chicken, wild and free as a stallion. Jenna has a colored past been married four times, a groupie for the Montley Crew band and sampled every drug that's come her way. Elena's momma passed away when she was 3 in a freak accident and her daddy, well her daddy was someone not even worth mentioning. That left Aunt Jenna to take care of Elena not that Elena minded she loved Jenna just like a mother. Who cares if the townsfolk say that her hair is to high, jeans to tight and shoes a little too tall. Things were really great for Elena and Jenna until HE walked into their lives.
Damon Salvatore had always been a take charge type of man. It was no different when he was among the living his presence sent fears in the hearts of all around him. During his time on this earth when he walked among the living he pillaged, conquered and demanded everything he wanted. He was no stranger in the ways of lust he would woo any woman he felt was worthy of his time. Damon was a towering man who stood at 6'05, with a jet black hair that shone in the moonlight, a flawless face, bulging arms and six pack. There are a lot of females who would kill at a chance to spend just one afternoon with him. Damon was not interested in any of these women. For years hes had an obsession with his neighbor. Currently, the object of his affection was laying in her hammock in her backyard.
Whenever Elena laid in her backyard she always felt eyes staring at her she could never figure out where exactly it came from. If only she knew it was coming from the old Victorian house. The house had the potential to be beautiful Elena thought as she gazed at it. The vines that were overrun in the back and the weeds in the old flower garden defiantly did not add to the beauty of the home. Elena lazily wondered why the owner of the house was such a loner. Elena thought about his looks that defiantly weren't a problem he was a good looking man who had women in town going crazy. Elena then pictured Damon in the basement with a woman's dress on and high heel shoes and giggled to herself before falling into the dream world.
As Elena drifted off to sleep Damon wondered what made her giggle. He wondered what about that particular girl had his mind spinning in a 1000 different directions. He had been alive for over 500 years and never before has a female drawn him in. He thought about his conquests and how they were all a good rut and dinner. As Damon sipped on his gin and coke he took in the sight of her laying in the hammock. Elena was a stunning beauty with her dark brown hair, dark eyes, long shapely legs and a smile that would stop any man in his tracks. Damon realized with vigor that he had to push these thoughts out of his mind he was meant for an existence of loneness and isolation. No matter how many times he tried to push her out of his mind his eyes always drifted back to her and his mind would go in places he was not yet ready to think of.
Elena had been working at the paper facotry ever since she graduated 4 years ago. She was fine with the job seemed most of the town worked there. It was owned by a mystery person no one ever saw or knew who it was. There were all types of rumors flying around, the government owned the building and had secret operations going on in the back of the warehouse that a rich old man who liked watching all the women in the factory work. How wrong they all were if only they knew it was really a 500 year old vampire who owned it they would be running from the business. Elena knew when she went into work and saw the gleam in her friends eyes that she was going to be spending her evening in the local pub in town called County Grill. Elena was aware that her three friends Bonnie, Caroline and Brenda were the type of girls who loved to go to the smoke filled pub and pick up the local boys and get so smashed they couldn't remember what they did with the local boys the next morning.
Corial came into town that same evening. As usual she ran through the town no humans would even know she was there. Corial was every mans wet dream come to frication. She is tall, blonde hair, green eyes with a shapely figure she loved to dress in anything red and tight. Corial was a deadly beauty with a spunk for the practical senses if humor. It was nothing to see her hanging from a building just to scare people or following men in alleyways to frighten them. Corial was Damon's oldest friend. He had met her 400 years prior when she had been sired by a band of rogue vamps. Rogue vamps are the lowest of vamp society falling right under the golems. They ran in pacts and killed and changed humans for no more than the thrill of the hunt.
"Dammey!" Corial screamed as she jumped in his arms. Damon then twirled her in a circle before sitting her back down. "To what do I owe the great unpleasure of having you blow into my town, little one?" Corial giggled as she sat down in his plush, red leather chair. "Well Dammey, I thought I'd come shake the dust off you dancing shoes," she exclaimed with great pleasure. Damon inwardly rolled his eyes wondering why he'd been friends with her for so many years. Damon went into the kitchen and made Corial a concoction of orange juice and blood. As she sipped her drink she looked at Damon she tried to figure out exactly what was different with him.
...
Elena decided she was going to put on her best dress for the afternoon she never went anywhere else so decided she would just wear it there. Her purple sweater was cut low showing off her size D cleavage her jeans were so tight you could see the outline of her red Victoria secret underwear. Once she was done getting dressed she sauntered down stairs to see her aunt laying on the couch watching another rerun of Oprah. As her Aunt's eyes landed on her she did a double take. "Wow, girl you look good enough to gobble up," she giggled. Elena rolled her eyes as her Aunt ran up gave her a hug and exclaimed, "I can't believe how fast you have grown girl; let me tell you I had a sweater like that and this boy I met.." Elena covered her ears she knew what was coming next She was not ready to hear another story about her Aunts escapades with strange men, she was practically her mother. Jenn started to giggle as Bonnie, Carolyn and Brenda burst through the door squealing and giggling telling each other how great they all looked.
Elena felt odd the entire night like something was going to take place that would change her life forever. When they got inside Carolyn made a run for the bar getting them all drinks. Elena headed over to the pool table. The pool table was situated in the back of the bar with the behind them. Elena felt like eyes were on her the entire time. Brenda came over to her table with two really rough looking men. Elena got an uneasy feeling about these guys but brushed it off as her being paranoid. She had always had accurate instincts ever since she was a small girl most times she knew when something terrible was going to happen or when someone she loves was in danger. Tonight she figured it was just the booze and continued to play with the two guys and Brenda.
Damon and Corial were sitting in the dark corner booth sipping on water catching up to old times. That was when Damon saw Elenal. He frowned into his glass and wondered if he would ever escape her. It seemed she was always on his mind and always in his sights. As he delicately scented the air he realize with a startling realization that she made every nerve stand in his body stand on end. She has a scent he would never forget, It smelled like rain at midnight and he was finding he could not get enough. When he looked up from his glass he saw Corial staring at him with a smirk on her face, "Not a word" he muttered under his breath. He had to keep reminding himself not to look over in her direction.
Elena was playing pool and she observed the guys Brenda had brought over. Brenda had a tendency to pick out the worst possible men in any given situation. Something about these guys were giving her a creepy feeling. The taller guy with the red hair and beady blue eyes introduced himself as Ralph. The shorter one with a mop of greasy brown hair and acne introduced himself as Shawn. These guys were not locals they were passing through town. Elena definitely believed never before had she got the hibbie jibbes from anyone in town. Brenda and Shawn walked to the front of the bar probably to make out Elena thought with a sigh. As she looked up at Ralph she noticed that he had a look in his eye's that scared her. Ralph walked over to her and leaned so close she could smell the booze and what he had for dinner on his breath. He stuttered out, "Hey girlie you wanna go around back with me?" Elena at this point felt she had been punched in the stomach. She had one of her feelings that something bad was going to happen. Elena started to walk away when Ralph grabbed her arm and started pulling her towards the exit. His grip felt like a vice and no matter how much she pulled against him she could not get away, every time she tried to yell she was drown out by the jukebox playing the very loud very tacky country music. As the door to the back of the pub closed Elena felt terror like she had never felt before.
After returning from the bar Damon realized that Elena was not in the same room playing pool he glanced around the bar and didn't see her. Damon slightly raised his head and scented the air. When he smelled Elena's scent and the fear entangled within it his heart stopped. He ran out the rear of the bar looking for her. When he saw the scum Ralph that had her pinned against the wall, a part of his mind blanked out in a rage so pure in all his 500 years he had never felt before. When Elena felt the lips pressed against her neck and the calloused hand on her breast she turned her head and pictured herself anywhere but in the filthy dark alley behind the bar. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed that someone would come and save her. Neither her or Ralph heard the door slam shut. When Elena felt the pressure of Ralph leaving her she opened her eyes and saw her neighbor Damon with his teeth sunk in his neck and blood dripping down Ralphs shirt. Elena noticed it was her neighbor and wondered briefly how he did that. As Ralph fell to the floor Elena slowly wiped the blood off his mouth on his black leather sleeve. "Are you ok?" he asked Elenal in a low voice, he didn't dare move in fear of scaring her.
Elena stood in shock but she realized he couldn't be that bad after all he did just save her life. When she slid to the ground Damon reached down and touched her face tenderly as he stared into her dark eyes he felt a bigger piece of his heart melt but he knew what he had to do. "Elena, you will not remember any of this, you will remember stumbling in the alley before you met your friends inside where you will decide you want to go home and sleep." He kissed her on the forehead and disappeared down the alley. Damon knew that Elena would not remember their encounter. As he walked away he felt his heart shatter just a fraction, "I will never have a life with her" he chanted over and over in his head. That night Elena dreamed of a dark haired stranger who saved her life but his face was always blurry. Corial knew where to find him as he sat brooding in his office all she could offer was a comforting hand on his shoulder and silent company as he was lost in his thoughts.