Mystic Falls, Virginia was just another small infested town. Cheyenne could feel the intense aura's of the supernatural entities that called this place home; though one particular aura vibrated towards the edge of her mental shields quite intensely.
I'll definitely keep that one in mind… Cheyenne thought as she walked down the sidewalk from the bus station.
It was a brisk fall day, the leaves shook in the blustery wind, pedestrians jogged rather than walked down the sidewalk to reach their destinations quicker.
She kept on walking, smiling at strangers, most of who smiled back. This town, overall, was very welcoming to outsiders…though maybe a little too welcoming.
After another ten minutes, Cheyenne came to an olive green building with gold lettering that read "Mystic Grill." She placed her right hand gently on the gold handle, her fingers burned slightly as she pulled her hand away.
Vervain…they know. Cheyenne pushed the door open and gritted her teeth as her hand burned angrily.
Again, that fastidious aura stood out against the ordinary yellow's and greens. Too tired to think about it, Cheyenne threw up her mental shields as well as she could and sat down in one of the dimly lit booths.
A tall, lanky boy ambled over while pulling a note pad out of his waiter's apron. He had sandy blond hair and bright, sky blue eyes. He was very broad in the shoulder and looked like he competed on some kind of sports team, football probably. Cheyenne thought as she put on her best casual smile.
"Welcome to MysticFalls. My name is Matt and I'll be your server. And the only reason why I am saying, "'Welcome to MysticFalls' is because I'm pretty sure I've never seen you around here before."
It was a very well practiced speech, though he still stumbled over a few words. I'm making him nervous…Cheyenne thought happily, broadening her smile.
His aura was a pale yellow, like muted sunlight. Cheyenne usually compared that with being hopeful or positive.
"This is my first time here. My name is Cheyenne." She held out a hand and he shook it, "I'm Matt," He replied smiling even more brightly.
"Well Matt, what can you tell me about this place? I'm only here for a short while, and I'd really like to get my fill…if you know what I mean."
She let her smile fade a little; she knew he was watching her azure blue eyes, her long silky black hair which she had braided, but it was probably ruined from the short walk. Her dark Native American skin…he was probably wondering where she came from, what she was doing here, and of course trying to find out what she really meant by "get my fill."
"Well, uh," He glanced towards the bar area, he stared for a moment, and then turned his attention back to her. "There's the beauty, the history, and…well, that's pretty much it. From a guy's perspective…" His eyes flicked nervously over towards the bar area again and then he seemed to sigh with relief.
"Oh, well thank you Matt." She said. He nodded.
"What can I get for you?" Cheyenne noted that his hands were rather shaky.
"Just a coffee please, extra milk, extra sugar. I hate black coffee." She smiled while he scribbled her order down and walked away ruffling his hair to calm his nervousness.
Bright yellow…Cheyenne thought as he returned ten minutes later; looking at him now was like looking at a beam of sunlight.
"Hey, Caroline!" A tall blonde Barbie impersonation had just walked through the doors. She wore a dark denim jacket and jeans that hugged her figure so tightly that she probably used the jaws-of-life to take them off. She turned slightly at the sound of Matt's voice and waved, walking with an air of distinct authority.
"Hey Matt! Hello." She added to Cheyenne as Matt moved in so that she could perch herself on the edge of the booth. Caroline's aura was a soft blue, indicating calmness. Though there was still something off about her that screamed supernatural to Cheyenne, but she decided to push it aside for now, she couldn't raise suspicions so early upon arrival.
"Hi, I'm Cheyenne." Caroline didn't bother to hold out her hand, but nodded and started talking as if the pair of them were already good friends.
"So, are you here for the Founder's Ball? Are you a relative of a founding family member?" At the mention of this "Founder's Ball" Caroline's light green eyes sparkled.
"No, I'm just in town for a while, but what is this "Founder's Ball?" Cheyenne had never been to a dance...having never attended a proper school would be the cause of that.
"It's the 150 year celebration of MysticFalls…They do it every quarter century, I think…" Caroline flashed a smile.
Cheyenne thought about this, a town social would be a good way to ask questions with out drawing too much attention.
"Sounds great, well, I guess I should go get a dress…Thanks for the coffee Matt." She left a five on the table and walked out, feeling the burning sensation on the door handle and the presence of that intense aura upon departure.
Damon shrugged off Stefan's hand and stalked up the isle to Barbie and the Quarterback.
"Who the hell was that?" Damon demanded, his liquid brown eyes burned into Matt's.
"I don't know, just some new chick. Relax man, I didn't tell her anything!" Matt held up his hands in defense while Caroline shifted a few inches so that she was in between Damon and Matt.
"Damon, walk away before I tear out your liver…" Caroline whispered threateningly.
Damon obliged, but only reluctantly…he had work to do.
"Damon!" Stefan's voice was like static in his ear. Damon kept up his furious pace while he heard each tiny piece of dirt be moved by his brother's quickening steps.
"What do you want Robin Hood…coming to save the innocent towns people?" Damon sneered.
Stefan stepped in front of Damon, his determination made Damon falter then stop.
"I'm not going to do anything…" he said, but apparently Stefan caught the unsaid but implied "yet."
"She's innocent Damon…she's just curious! If you do anything to make her suspect-"
"Relax Brother, you've got it all wrong…I'm not going to hurt her, or do anything of the sort. I do however, have a tux to rent. Good day, Stefan."
In a flash of wind Damon was gone. Stefan stood there furiously watching the leaves being kicked up by the wind.
If only Damon could play the Robin Hood role for once…He thought bitterly.
Cheyenne walked along the old bridge; the waterfall was peaceful, she had always loved nature…it returned to her the strength that the modern world surrounding it evaporated.
She leaned against the withered railing and watched as tiny fish swum upstream inches from the surface. The leaves, pale gold, bright orange, dusky yellow and brown all shifted slightly as the wind died down, making this patch of forest eerily silent.
The sound of hard soled boots on old wood broke that silence. Cheyenne turned slightly and noticed a tall, dark man standing a few feet from her. He had dark brown windswept hair, with matching brown eyes that reminded her of a tiger's stalking prey. He had a lazy, stance as he leaned an elbow against the railing, but he looked strong, like he could break it like a twig.
Cheyenne smiled and threw her mental shields up quickly. It was her only natural defense, her other defenses were in her bag, and cautiously placed under her clothes.
"Hello. I haven't noticed you around here before…and I notice everyone." His smile was casual, but Cheyenne wasn't fooled by his demeanor.
"I'm new…I'm Cheyenne."
"Damon Salvatore." They shook hands, neither one's gaze venturing from the others.
Cheyenne couldn't get an aura reading from him, but she could smell the blood on his clothes and skin. Vampire…she tensed, feeling the point of her favorite dagger against the palm of her hand, conveniently hidden by her sweater.
"So, what do you think of my town?" He leaned casually against the railing again, Cheyenne would have loved nothing more than to shove him off and over the side.
"It's…different than most places I go. I can say that…" She crossed her arms and leaned her back against the railing; sticking her hand inside her sleeve she jerked the stake slightly so that it released itself from the plastic holder.
"Where do you usually go?" Damon inquired, closing in a few more inches.
"Where ever the vampire's roam…" Cheyenne charged and thrust the stake; Damon sidestepped and bared his canines. Cheyenne charged again and slammed all her body weight against him, the force was enough to knock him off his feet and slam against the old wood, causing it to split in several places.
"Damon!" There came a far off cry which buzzed uncomprehendingly in Cheyenne's ears.
Cheyenne pushed the dagger downward, Damon's hands clamped around her wrists were the only thing saving him; if he released his hands now, he would be dead.
She felt herself being lifted up by her waist, if she didn't let go of the stake she'd break her wrists. The stake fell with a clatter as she was tossed onto the dirt near the opposite end of the bridge. Coughing from the dust cloud she looked up to see the blonde Barbie and another dark haired girl staring at her.
"Goddamn vampires!" She said the word as a swear.
They all stared at each other as the dark haired, dark skinned girl helped Damon up. She was definitely a witch; Cheyenne could feel her power trying to break down her mental shields.
Cheyenne grabbed the small medicine pouch from inside her pocket and extracted a small handful of the glittering black dust. She muttered a few words, and before the vampires could regain their senses, she threw the dust to the ground and vanished.
