1
It was a regular day for Ana as she got up from bed and went to brush her teeth. The sun was shining mercilessly outside. She had to goto work. She, unlike her fellow countrymen, loved the constant drizzling of London. Today was however a different day. She wished for a thick cloud to gather and hide her from the sun. She gets burnt so easily as if she is constantly on fire.
Just as she wished for it the sky got covered by a grey blanket. What do you know? The day was going to be great after-all.
Her first stop was at the market. She had to buy some apples and her chocolate supply was also nearing an end. Ana was a chocoholic. Clutching her brown paper bag Ana started her journey back when she saw some people beating a poor chap to death in a side alley.
Ana really didn't care. It didn't matter who was getting beaten. She didn't care if he died. Ana was immune to death after her parents passed away. Her aunt was adamant that it was her doing, but she only willed them away because they couldn't love her.
"He held a knife to my throat, that scum bag"' a man was shouting.
The voice was familiar. It was the green grocer's drunkard brother. So many people actually wanted to do that, that Ana became curious if it were any one she knew.
She tried to look from a distance and could make out only a few heads, mostly brunettes and bald ones and among them a black one. Black hair always made her curious. Darkness like that of Damon Salvatore, the vampire from L. J. Smith's novels, she spent most of her adolescence fantasizing over him. Who would not? All good girls like bad boys. But was Ana good?
"Leave me you imprudent brute. I was only doing you a favor, do you not realize that?" the accent was unmistakable and the choice of words oh-so-old worldly. Ana's curiosity peaked. Tip toeing she neared the crowd and saw the creature draped in black, all fine clothing, a little worn with wear. She had to intervene.
"Stop it every one. All you guys against one is not fair", Ana found her voice echoing in the alley.
The green grocer's brother, a hefty 6 ft 2 stood in front of her dwarfing her 5 ft 2 by a foot. "Leave Ana. It's not for ya to butt in. The psycho came at me wid a knife and gotta pay for."
"I am sorry Mr. Silverman but he looks harmless, (Who am I kidding, he looks dangerous) and he is one against so many. Maybe he felt intimidated to attack. Your size may have done that to him". Summoning all her courage Ana walked up to the frowning panther and took the knife from him. He was eying her suspiciously. "Bad boy" As she said that she heard her own voice tremble and the stranger's lips quirked up in amusement to her feigned bravery. Taking the knife she looked at it. It was made of wood but sharper than steel. "You don't need this" she told the stranger looking away unable to stand the gaze of those penetrating dark eyes. They were so dark as if from a demon: Black iris and black pupil. She put the knife in her grocery bag and tugged at his arm. She only hoped he wouldn't jerk back for she might fall, she was shaking so much.
Thankfully he complied, eyes solemnly studying her. Once out of the alley she turned to him "Are you crazy? Did you look at his size?"
"I am suicidal. Does that get you going? I just want to stop existing"
"Oh really? And why is that? Some personal tragedy?"
"The woman I love shoved me out of her world so she can be with my younger brother."
"Ooh! That is sad. Who else do you have in your life?"
"No one."
"Not even yourself?"
"Trying to be smart?"
"No I am stating the obvious. When Stan left me I was pregnant. I lived through the break-up for the sake of my unborn child but when I suffered a miscarriage I almost gave up. But look at me now. This is me. The whole damn world is scared of me and I am living for myself."
"Scared of you? Have you seen yourself in the mirror?"
"Yes I have and I don't ask people to be scared of me, they just are and one day you will be glad that they are because that is what prevented your death today."
"What have you done to instill fear in all those people."
"Well, you won't believe what they think."
"Let me hear anyways."
"It was a sunny day and the Town picnic was going on. I have a problem with the sun. In sunlight my skin feels like it's on fire, so I asked my parents to let me sit in the shade. My grandmother also begged them to let me but they made fun of me, said I should have been born an owl because I have a problem with the day. Then I was only eight years old. I got angry and in front of all the people in the town I screamed 'I wish you were struck down by lighting' and in the full glare of the sun a lightning fell on both killing them. The people think I am an evil witch or something supernatural. I grew up with my grandmother who also thought so. She asked me never to wish for anything that might harm others. I usually don't. I didn't even wish Stan ill. I just hope his life is miserable. So, do you find me scary? What's your name any ways?"
"I am Damon Salvatore and I am a Vampire"
"Yes you are and I am Elena Gilbert! No, seriously man, you must have a name, a real human name, the one you use when you are not Damon Salvatore?"
"You my lady, are not Elena Gilbert, any idiot can say that and what you did out their was pretty incredible, witch or not, save for the fact that my name Is Damon Salvatore and I have not been human in a few hundred years and witches do not exist in this world". His lips pressed out in stubbornness and Ana's heart missed a beat.
Trying to forget the blood rushing to her face Ana tried to get rid of the handsome stranger. "Yeah right freak. I am trying to help. Did you notice that? Are you Hungry? Want an apple?"
"I guess I am mortal in this world so better try some human food. I haven't fed in days." Said Damon
When he started to feed Ana gaped at how starved he was and dared to asked him why.
He smirked and then laughed. He laughed for a while. Ana stared, cold sweat forming in fear. Was this guy safe? Then he began his story.
Ana gaped in confusion as the stranger narrated his delusional fancies. The intensity with which he proceeded with the story tugged at her heart. Either he is a very good story-teller or he believes every word he is telling. Against her better judgment she wished to believe the man, even if he was a psychotic case.
"Elena is the one who shoved me into your dimension. They think that I will be harmless without my powers. I killed Caroline or the creature she had turned into and I am the monster now. I have roamed this dimension for more than a week, have tried to feed but I am so.. so... mortal." As he said this, the disgust that distorted his beautiful face made Ana almost giggle but she controlled herself, barely.
"I can't feed. I tried to kill myself but the lapis lazuli is useless. It is not protecting me here from the sun. The sun is harmless. And I can't even die or burn... Wait a second, how do you know Elena?"
Ana was unsure what to say. Was this guy pulling her leg? Is he completely bonkers? Or... No way. It has to be one of the two.
"I read about you in a book. You are... I mean Damon Salvatore is a character from a book by L.J. Smith. I know about Elena, Stefan, Matt, Caroline, and who not. I used to be a big fan when I was young. After I lost my family Fell's church became my family" Ana concluded. She intentionally skipped the part where she fantasized about him so much and wished for him to be real every single day of her life. She also skipped the part where she fell in love with Stan because he reminded her of Damon Salvatore, not nearly as handsome, but still.
The stranger eyed her suspiciously. "What do you mean by when you were young?"
"I mean in my youth." The sudden gaze of the beautiful stranger made her remember the time she had lost and the consequence it left on her mind. She also remembered another reason the people feared her. Her body had stopped aging once she turned twenty. Still she was no longer the teenage girl recently orphaned or madly in love. She is now a twenty eight year old single social outcast with a mortgage to pay off and bills to clear. Suddenly she remembered that she was getting late for work.
"I am a character from a book in your world?" The stranger spoke as if the thought was repulsive to him. There was a hint of doubt in those midnight eyes. But Ana had to work and her boss was going to fire her.
"Yes" Ana replied with irritation.
"Am I good or bad?" He was non-nonchalant ignoring her reaction before it even registered.
"You are the evil brother, unwilling to change with time, love-struck with your brother's girlfriend, blah blah blah... you want a summary or an essay on Damon Salvatore?" Now this guy was really pissing her off.
"Can I see the book?" The stranger suddenly demanded.
"Books. Why do you want to see the books? You are a perfect impersonation of the character." Ana had enough of play acting and games.
The stranger didn't seem to mind but his smoldering hot gaze fixed into her eyes in a silent appeal which Ana had a hard time resisting. "I need the book." he said.
"They are at home and I am not risking taking you there." Ana said, trying to be firm. Once bitten, twice shy. Ana knew what would happen if she took this Italian Damon-looking god home. Darn! Now she is thinking of him as Italian! As a Salvatore! 'Get it together Ana. He is an impostor' she told herself.
"Damn. Compulsion is useless without power." He said as if to himself, still in character, Ana noticed.
"Get lost freak" A chill ran down her spine. How could he keep up the charade for so long?
Suddenly the not-so-tall stranger loomed high before her as if risen in rage and his eyes glared at her. "Don't you dare? Don't you dare?" He warned at her.
Ana dropped her bag of apples and ran, looking behind her continuously to see if she were being followed. She was not. After a long time she stopped for a breath. She was alone. The stranger was nowhere in sight. But Ana couldn't stop the shiver running through her. Finding herself alone she squatted down and let out a few tears. The cawing of a crow spooked her further and she again started to run till she finally reached home.
As the day went by the thoughts of the dark freak tended to leave her psych. Ana was busy with her job as a receptionist at the local dentist. It was the best job she could get with her qualification. She wasn't complaining. It provided for her. That was enough.
There was a lot more toothaches during this time of the year and there were a lot of children coming in. By the time she got out it was dark. Ana liked dark, gloomy and the dull. She was past her Goth phase and was well into her depressed phase to notice a change but change always lurks around the corner.
Damon knew that there was no way he could open the dimensional gateway without power and the lack of it in this dimension only meant he would have to wait it out for someone to do it from the other side. The strange girl's mention of books had however given a hope that maybe someone did travel to the other dimension to write about it. Or maybe there was a way to know what was happening back there. If only he could lay his hands on the books.
Damon hadn't learnt to back down from a situation ever. His mortality only meant he had to use his brains more. He could raid a bookstore but he needed more than just books. He needed insight and knowledge and for that he needed the girl.
He had followed the girl to her place of work and had waited outside the whole day. I wasn't easy the way she ran. She was fast but Damon was always faster. There he stood on the pavement opposite the office. He wished if only the sun would come up. He had had enough of the shade. But the clouds hung thick.
It was well into the evening when she came out. The building was empty and all had left. She was quite brave, brave and reckless. He did owe her for saving his life in the morning. Yes his life, he was alive again. She turned towards a dark alley. Yes she was brave, foolishly brave...