I stare vacantly out the dirty window; watching the dark street illuminate as cars pass by. Lately the amount of traffic after dark has been scarce; no one likes to be out after dark anymore due to last Months rise in crime. The crime rate had skyrocketed above the normal then out of the blue it was like magic; people stopped going missing, crime was at an all-time low and life went back to normal. I spent many late nights at the local diner with my two best friends; Jen and Meredith lately.

"Are you in there?" Jen's voice echoed through my head.

I look up my blue eyes blinking rapidly.

"I'm sorry what?" I ask looking with a blank look on my face.

"I was talking to you and you ignored me!" She whined.

I shake my head. "Sorry Jen!" I try to laugh it off. I wasn't normally this spacey; but lately I've just been feeling not like myself.

Jen looks at me but then continues to carry on a conversation with our other friend Meredith. Jen and I grew up together; we were practically sisters, but it was at High School where we met Meredith. Meredith Franks is a short stocky woman; the female jock as Jen would refer to her often throughout school. She was short, but muscular; no one ever picked a fight with her. We were the three musketeers of the twilight zone. Jen the Cheerleader, Meredith the Jock and Me the Book Worm. We all grew up here in Holloway Grove; a small little Lakeside town just 17 miles north of a town called Mystic Falls.

"Wow, it's already 10:40pm." Meredith says looking at her phone.

Jen flicks her long blond hair over her shoulder and crosses her arms. "Well, no worries. I think we should call it a night anyways; I have to work tomorrow and your Mother always worries when we're out late Zoé."

"God you still live with your Mother?" Meredith questions as she looks at me with her little green judgmental eyes.

I let a yawn escape my mouth. "Yeah. I have about 50,000 dollars' worth of debt still to pay off for my University loan. I have to have a cigarette are you guys going to come with me?"

Meredith picks up her soda's straw before taking a sip. "That's what you get for going to Cairo and studying in a subject you will never use."

"Thought you quit smoking." Jen interjects raising her eyebrow and gives me an unimpressed look.

I run my hand into my hair and shake the brown wavy locks down and laugh nervously. "I love Egypt though and I did quit smoking but I started again." I bite on my fingernails. A nervous habit I've had since I was younger.

Jen rolled her eyes and pushed away from the table. "Okay, let's go buy your death sticks."

We pay our tab and walk out the door; the bell chimes as we walk out. I look down at my phone and check the time; 10:47pm. We run down the road towards the convenience store; I can't help but notice the road that leads to Mystic Falls. I stop and just watch; staring.

"Yo! Zoé are you coming?" Meredith yells from the store's door.

I walk trance like towards the boarder; the road that divides our town with Mystic Falls. I keep walking closer and closer. Something in me is drawing me towards Mystic Falls. I can't ever remember a time where my parents took me to Mystic Falls. I feel a tug on my arm.

"Hey! Are you alright?" Jen asks concerned.

I look at her hand on my arm and shake my head. I blink. Then look back towards the road. "Yeah...I'm fine...I-I don't know what came over me."

Jen smiles and pulls me back towards the store. "Come on let's get your death sticks and get going home."

Later that night I sit up on my bed in my white knit cardigan and my laptop open; watching Netflix. My Mother walks past my door still wearing her uniform from work, her silver name tag glimmers in the light from the hall. "Goodnight Mom!" I call out pushing up my glasses. She walks back towards my door. She has a tired, worn out look on her face. "Long night at work?"

She pushes her hand through her hair. "I'm just really tired. I had to pull a double shift night." She plays with the silver name tag; tracing her fingers over her name; Gloria. "The water bill is due next week and I just needed a little extra to cover it."

I jump out of my bed defensively. "Mom I can help you! You don't need to do that to yourself!"

Things have been tight ever since my Dad walked out on us when I was 17; 7 years later and we're still struggling. For the longest time I fought with the fact I should have stayed home to help instead of attending school so far away. My younger Brother Samuel moved out last year and has since cut all ties with me; he blames me for our financial problems and his stress. He didn't have to stay and help Mom when I left for school, but he did and if he hadn't Mom probably would have lost her house.

My Mother places her fingers on her forehead and rubs her head. "Zoé you have a lot of money; you have to pay back for school. Don't worry about me."

"I live here too and I want to help!" I interject.

My Mother turns away. "Not tonight Zoé. I'm not getting in to it tonight." She replies warn out. Lately this has been her way of dealing with things. Just shutting me out and moving along with something else.

Feeling defeated I lay back on my bed and check my phone for text messages; none. I take a deep breath; I can't sleep so much is bugging me - so I decide to text Meredith.

04/17/15 12:22am: "Hey are you still up?"

04/17/15 12:22am: "Nope, I'm riding a unicorn! Just kidding of course I'm up. I'm cramming for a test that I forgot about. Oops lol."

04/17/15 12:23am: "Haha. Very funny! I want to ride a unicorn!"

04/17/15 12:25am: "Sorry you're too tall. So what's on your mind? You're not up this late just to ask me if I'm still awake."

04/17/15 12:25am: "I was just thinking. Have you ever been to Mystic Falls? I've grown up her my whole life and I don't ever remember a time where my parents took me there."

04/17/15 12:27am: "Now that you mention it Zoé . I can't really recall ever being there myself. Weird..."

04/17/15 12:27am: "Do you think there is a reason?"

04/17/15 12:27am: "Are you watching Horror movies and eating candy again? You're like a Gremlin. Can't feed you after Midnight. You have nightmares and get paranoid^.^"

04/17/15 12:28am: "Very funny! No...it's just I got a weird vibe tonight when we were walking by the road that leads to Mystic Falls."

04/17/15 12:28am: "Do you have ESPN or something?"

04/17/15 12:29am: "Meredith ESPN is the sports channel. You're thinking of ESP and no."

04/17/15 12:29am: "Right, I knew that XD"

04/17/15 12:31am: "Well I hope the test you're studying for is about ESP because you really do need to study. I think I'm going to take a drive into Mystic Falls tomorrow before work. Did you want to join me?"

04/17/15 12:35am: "Can't I have to meet Bobby for Breakfast. Anyways I'm going to have a small sleep; night love!"

With that I put my phone back onto the nightstand, plug in its charger and take a deep breath. "I'm paranoid." I say to myself quietly; the uneasy feeling begins to drive me insane. I pull my laptop closer to me and begin to do some research on Mystic Falls; a lot of animal attacks pull up. I keep looking down the webpage; a few links on Miss Mystic Falls; Founders Day and the Founders Council. Mystic Falls seems to have a very origin that starts back in the 1800's. Families don't ever seem to leave once they're there; a lot of the current and recent council members have the same surname as the original founding families. "Fell." I say out loud. My Mother's maiden name is Fell. Dad always said he met my Mother at College in Florida. Then they moved back here when they had me...Could my Mother been related to these people? I close my laptop and lay my head down. My Mother never talked about her family...maybe that was why.

I sit down at the table and look at my Mother as she cooks bacon on the stove. I take a deep break and think of how to bring up Mystic Falls to my Mother. "Hey Mom?" I decide the blunt way is probably the best way.

"Yes Zoé?" She turns around and looks at me.

"Mom...your Maiden name is Fell; right?"

She's silent for a moment. "Yes it is why?" I see the weak smile on her face start to fade; I think I struck a nerve.

Her silence is never a good thing. "Well I was just doing some research...into my family tree and um...thought it was interesting that I don't know much about your side of the family." Good cover Zoé.

My Mother turns around and continues to cook. "Zoé you don't need to be digging up the past like that."

I shrug and roll my eyes behind her. "That's kind of my job. You know?" I tug on my long sleeves and pull them over my hands, grasping the cuffs tight in my palms. "On a side note, I was wondering if you wanted to join me for a drive. I'll be going through Mystic Falls."

My Mother drops her spatula and tries to regain her composure. "That's a waste of gas! Just cut through Glenville."

I can't help but notice my Mother's discontent with me. "No it won't! I just filled up The Beast and she's ready to go on a long drive." Mom places my eggs and bacon in front of me and adds two pieces of toast. "Mom if your worries about all the animal attacks; I won't even be out of my truck! I'm just cutting through, I've never been to Mystic Falls in all the years I've lived here." I take a bite from the piece of toast in my hand. "It'll just be to look at the town as I drive through Mom."

"Zoé I said no. Please just trust me, it's easier to go through Glenville." She grabs the tea towel and wipes of the counter. "Now; I have to get ready for work. I'll see you when I get home."

She's hiding something from me; she's never that worried about me wasting gas.

I go back upstairs; counting ever one of the 16 stairs it takes to head up there. I open the door to my room and begin searching my closet for something to wear. I find a navy floral crop top and a pair of faux leather skinny legged pants. I lay down on my bed and fight to get the tight pants on, wiggling and worming into them I jump up and down pulling them on. I pull on my crop top, grab my keys and run out the door to my Grey 1992 Ford F150.

I begin down the road towards the 'Now Entering Mystic Falls' sign. Out of the corner of my eye a black cat crosses in front of my truck. I slam on my breaks and pray I didn't hit it; it hisses at me from the other side of the road. I run my hand over my face and rub both my eyes with my thumb and forefinger. "Maybe Mom's right...about digging up the past..." I look down the road and see something laying on the road. It looks like a person.

I get out of my car; leaving it running and run down the road towards the person on the ground. "Hey! Are you alright?" I ask getting closer. The person doesn't move.

Oh god! Maybe they were attacked by an animal and now I'm out here exposed!

I turn around back towards my truck; I come face to face with a man. There is a moment of silence as I stare horrified at him.

"Run little rabbit." The man says to me with dark eyes; sharp teeth and a menacing grin.