Chapter 1- Night of the dead
"Jer?" Elena called up the stairs. She hung up her jacket on the banister, and turned to make her way up the stairs. She wondered whether Jeremy was still angry with her. He had to forgive her sometime, didn't he?
A sound from the kitchen distracted her. Was Jeremy in the kitchen? Jenna had gone upstairs- it couldn't be her. Elena walked down the short hallway towards the kitchen, hoping to find Jeremy on the other side.
Before Elena saw anything, she smelt it. The putrid smell of flesh and blood assaulted her nose. Elena's heartbeat sped up. Now she was dreading whatever was on the other side of the door.
With purpose, Elena pushed the door open. The scene in front of her made her gasp and take a step back into the door frame. A silent scream was etched onto her face.
John Gilbert was splayed out in the corner. Blood oozed from his chest and trailed lazily across the tiled kitchen floor. His left hand had been brutally mutilated; fingers hanging on for their dear life by a string of muscle or two. The grotesque sight caused Elena to whirl and dry heave into the waste bin.
Elena's eyes were screwed shut. She wished that this were a nightmare; ones that frequented her dreams often. She wished that it wasn't John- her father- savagely murdered.
Elena opened her eyes and turned slowly towards the corpse. Terror was etched upon his face, and his unseeing eyes were wide open- almost as if he'd seen something, witnessed something, that he had dreaded for a long time.
Panic then set in. What if Jenna were to walk in this moment? What if Jeremy were to pass by the kitchen and smell the disgusting scent. Blood pounded furiously around her head, making it hard for her to think.
Stefan. She had to call Stefan.
Elena jammed her hand into her jean pocket, expecting to feel the coolness of her phone. But she came up empty. Then she remembered- her jacket!
Elena sprinted to her jacket and furiously pulled out her phone. With shaking hands she called Stefan. Elena looked around nervously again, hoping that Jenna and Jeremy would stay away for now.
"Elena. Is everything alright?" Stefan answered.
"No, Stefan, it's not. Please get over here now. John- he's dead. I think...I think a vampire did it." Sobs wrenched their way free out of her body. The true realisation was hitting home. How many times had she wished that John would just leave already? Now, he was truly gone.
"Elena, love, please breathe. Calm down, I'll be right there. Keep Jenna and Jeremy away from there." Stefan spoke softly, trying to calm her.
"Please...hurry," she whispered.
Damon was splayed out in his armchair, his head buried deeply in his hands. Memories of his past whirled relentlessly in his mind. Katherine, Stefan, Elena, his father, this town. Damon found himself questioning his actions. Who had he become?
His phone ringing jolted him out of his anguish. Stefan was calling him, and instantly Damon's body filled with ice. Had Elena told him what had happened?
"Are you calling to check up on me? I'm aware that I suffered a near-death experience, but your brotherly love is making me heave up the AB negative I just ingested." Damon leaned back in his armchair, his glass tipping precariously. However, the ever-present alcohol stayed within its container and barely moved.
"Damon, Elena found John dead at home. She thinks a vampire did it. I'm going there now."
Damon could hear Stefan's car racing along the quiet streets of Mystic Falls. Damon didn't bother with questions or a sarcastic remark. Perhaps he had changed, but something told him that now was not the time to play the witty joker.
"I'll meet you there." Damon snapped his phone shut and glared at it. Another vampire was in town.
Damon groaned loudly. And things were just getting normal around there again.
A knock on the door startled Elena out of her daze. She had been in the kitchen, almost guarding the body. The thought of Aunt Jenna or Jeremy coming across the corpse made her feel sick.
Elena sprinted to the door and wrenched it open. Stefan stood at the door, with Damon loitering not far behind. Stefan reached forward, enveloping her and soothing her trembling form. With Stefan, the pressure that had built up around her shoulders melted away, and she felt like she could breathe again.
Damon strode past them and sniffed the air precariously. He could smell the staling blood coming from the kitchen. Stefan and Elena followed him.
"Stefan, Jenna and Jeremy are upstairs. What should I do?" Elena whispered urgently. Elena felt a pang of panic. She hadn't checked up on Jeremy yet, and that thought made her feel uneasy.
"Don't say anything. We'll get John out of here and clean up, and then discuss strategies." Damon answered instead. His eyes pierced Elena, confusion and pain clearly shown in them.
Stefan and Damon worked swiftly, barely passing a few words between them. They removed the corpse and Damon left to dispose it. Elena and Stefan cleaned up the misshapen remains that still littered the floor.
"Who do you think it was?" Elena asked. She concentrated on scrubbing the tiles. She wished that removing memories were just as easy as removing stains. With a hysterical laugh, Elena realised that with vampires it was.
"I don't know. This vampire was invited in, when or by who is a mystery."
"I haven't invited anyone in. Maybe Jeremy-,"
Stefan interrupted her, "No, he knows about vampires and I'm sure Anna told him about the dangers of inviting vampires in. It could have been Jenna."
"Maybe I should ask her." Elena murmured, her brow furrowing. Elena wondered what she would say to her aunt. "Hey, Jenna. I found Uncle John dead in the kitchen. Hope you don't mind," didn't seem like a good conversation starter. In an instant, Stefan was next to her and pulling her up with him. He stroked her cheek softly and kissed her forehead.
"You'll do no such thing. Damon and I will handle this."
"Stefan, you can't expect me to not do anything! There's a vampire out there that can get into this house. Jenna and Jeremy could get hurt."
Stefan stroked her cheek again. "The vampire's target was John. Both your brother and your aunt were in this house. Neither of them were hurt. I think they're safe for now."
Elena nodded in defeat, tears still falling from her eyes. She leaned into Stefan and he wrapped his arms around her, letting her know that he was there for her, and would be forever.
Damon threw the body into the hole that he had dug up. John's eyes stared up at him. Damon could almost see the accusation. "Farewell, old foe," he murmured. Damon felt no sadness for the murder. He had already tried to kill this man once, and failed. Part of him wanted to congratulate the mastermind that managed to murder the sly fox. The other part of him felt wary- it meant that someone stronger, and more cunning was loose in Mystic Falls.
Damon began filling up the hole swiftly. With every shovel, he was getting even more distressed. The feeling of not knowing was driving him up the wall. Someone was in Mystic Falls, but who and why was what he was desperate to know. For the second time that night, Damon felt a sense of protection over the town. He was determined to figure this one out.
Silently, he grabbed a few leaves and twigs and scattered them over John's grave. Whilst working, Damon wondered whether his life would ever enter a type of normality, and frowned at the repulsive thought. He liked life shocks and surprises; that's why he was a vampire.
Unbeknownst to him, Katherine was stood only feet away, nestled into the dense trees, staring at him with strange sense of affection. She smiled at his actions.
He had turned out well, she thought. And soon, she would be able to claim him again.
I apologize for the shortness. It will get longer from here on. This story will be a Season Two write-up, of how it would be seen by viewers. It's kind of hard, writing from a show's point of view. Anyways, please review and tell me what you think. Constructive critisism is greatly appreciated!
