Chapter One
I stumble across the damp ground, my fingers grasping for something to hold onto. My head is pounding; my mouth aching. Every noise, even my hands brushing against the wet leaves, echoes in my ears.
I am dying.
I desperately try to remember how I got here. The last place I remember being is at a party, at Quinn Bradley's cottage in Richmond. Apparently it's a traditional post-high school ritual that's been going on for years, starting with Carter Bradley, Quinn's phenomenally successful older brother. To be completely honest, I don't know the Bradleys very well-Quinn was in my World History class during the second half of senior year, but I hardly ever spoke to him. I hardly speak to anyone, really. I haven't been home in six months, on account of the fact that my mom's dating this asswipe named Ian whose only appeal is his money. My mom isn't that much different from Ian. She works at a Laundromat all day and comes home smelling like a mix of lavender scented soap and cheap perfume. Usually, she would ask how my day was (with no real interest in the answer), leave twenty bucks on the table for me to get food, and hide out in her room until either Ian came to visit or she fell asleep. When she told me that Ian was moving in with us, I packed my bags and left with only my clothes and one of Ian's credit cards.
Back at the party, I was absolutely shitfaced, drowning my sorrows in spiked punch. I started talking to some girl I'd never met before, who seemed to actually be interested in my life's story. I don't remember much about the conversation, but I remember her asking if I missed my family, and my response being that sure, I missed my mom sometimes, but I looked out for myself before anyone else. She asked me if I wanted a way out, and I said yes. Then she bit her wrist-which creeped me out a little, but I was too drunk to think much of it- and told me to drink her blood. I said no, but somehow she made me. And then she killed me; snapped my neck, right in the living room of Quinn Bradley's cottage.
I woke up in the woods, about 24 hours ago. I guessed that some guys at the party figured I was dead and dumped my body in the woods behind the cottage. The sunlight burned my eyes, and my head throbbed. At the time, I figured I was just really hungover, and started walking through the forest, trying to get to a road, or at least somewhere I could get cell service. But the forest kept going for miles, and my health got increasingly worse. I was hungry, starving, and my mouth ached, as if I'd been stabbed in the gums with a thousand needles. Then I collapsed.
It took me awhile to get back up, after that. But I did, and I kept walking, until now. I can't walk anymore. I scream out for help, but it's no use. There's no one out here.
Finally, I see something that gives me hope: a telephone pole at the top of a small hill. With a small burst of adrenaline, I crawl on my hands and knees up the hill, not stopping until I feel asphalt. A car skids to the side of the road, coming to a halt about three feet in front of me. A man who looks like he's in his mid-twenties leaps out of the car, dashing towards me.
"Excuse me, miss, are you okay? Are you hurt?"
I try to respond, but I can't. The sound of a heartbeat pounds in my ears, and my eyes are drawn to the man's exposed neck. Every instinct in me tells me to bite; to drink.
"Help me," I whimper. The man kneels down beside me.
"Let me help you up. I can take you to a hospital."
My hands reach up to touch the man's neck. I can feel the blood pumping through his arteries underneath my fingertips. The man grabs my waist, helping me to my feet. He's about the same height as me, so when I look up, I'm looking right into his eyes. I feel as if I should care about him, or feel grateful that he's trying to help, but I don't. I want to kill him. I want to drain him of his blood so that I can satisfy my thirst. He is nothing to me.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shoots through my gums, and I can feel a set of sharper canines coming through. I lunge for the man's neck, biting down as hard as I can. The moment his blood touches my tongue, I realize what I'm turning into.
I am becoming a vampire.
It doesn't take long for me to completely drain the innocent man of blood. I'm not proud of myself, but I'm not ashamed, either; just confused. Why would someone turn me into a vampire and just leave me, without explaining anything? Someone who doesn't even know me? I should be upset, or hurt. But I'm not. I'm vengeful.
Slipping a wallet and a set of car keys out of my victim's pocket, I hop into the car and start driving in the direction the man was going. I figure that, at this time of night, he was probably heading home, and I need to get to shelter fast. If there's one thing I know about vampires, it's that they burn in the sunlight. Before I even get close to a town, I see a man standing in the middle of the road, not even bothering to move as my car approaches. Both annoyed and still hungry, I park the car right in front of him and get out.
"Are you crazy?! It's not safe to stand in the middle of the road at night, especially while wearing black."
"Who are you, the fashion police? Besides, it's not exactly safe to park your car in the middle of the road, either."
I shrug. "It's not my car. What're you doing out here?"
"Hunting," he replies.
"What kind of animal do you expect to catch in the middle of the road?"
The man smirks. "Human."
"Ooh, a serial killer. That's hot." I twist a strand of my messy auburn hair around my finger.
"Are you flirting with me? Either you have a death wish, or you're just plain stupid."
"Actually, I'm a vampire." I pin him to the ground at lightning speed.
"Funny you'd mention that." He flips me over, his hands around my neck as he pins me to the asphalt. "So am I. Now, who are you, and what are you doing in Mystic Falls?"
"Mystic Falls...?" I ask, gasping for air, "I was in Richmond, and someone killed me. I've never even been to Mystic Falls before."
"Who are you? Who turned you?"
"I don't know! I was piss drunk, okay? It was some girl at a party who took pity on me. My life sucked."
The man loosens his grip, but doesn't let go.
"I'm hungry and homeless and I'm tired! I've been walking pointlessly through the middle of nowhere all day, in heels." I point to my feet, on which are still my mother's old high-heeled boots I stole the day I moved out. "Can't you just let me go?"
The man shakes his head. "Nope, too risky. You'll expose yourself, or worse, you'll expose me. I'm Damon, by the way, Damon Salvatore. By the way, you never answered my question. Who are you?"
"Cassidy Tyler." Damon lets go of my neck, but quickly grabs onto my wrist as he helps me up.
"I want to go home, Damon."
Damon raises his eyebrows. "Aren't you homeless?"
I shrug. "Technically. I prefer the nomad life. I've been staying in Richmond for a week now. Can't you just take me back to my hotel?"
"Like I said, too risky. You're coming with me."
"So you're kidnapping me?" I groan. "Come on, I'm new at this! It's my first day! I won't kill anyone else for at least...twelve hours."
"We also need to find out who turned you. And more importantly, why."
"Is it really that important? I was miserable. I was probably turned out of pity." I'm impatient now. All I want is to get back to my hotel room and take a long, hot bubble bath. "I'm dirty, Damon! My hair is a mess, and there's blood on my shirt! Not to mention the fact that the sun's going to rise soon, and I'm going to burn up."
"You might want to come with me to the house, then!" Damon snaps, sounding very much annoyed.
"Someone's impatient," I mutter, "What's the hurry?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but I may or may not have someone at home who doesn't know I'm gone."
"Ooh, relationship troubles. Drama," I smirk. "Can't help you there, bro. The only thing scarier than an angry vampire is an angry girlfriend."
Damon rolls his eyes. "We're not having relationship troubles. I couldn't sleep, and I was hungry. What's a guy to do? Besides, the plan was to go out into the middle of nowhere and hunt unsuspecting humans in vehicles, or maybe crash a bush party. You weren't part of the plan."
"Well, I'm sorry," I say, sarcastically, "How was I supposed to know that you weren't going to get a mental text message through some weird vampire telepathic network saying 'hey, I turned this random girl into a vampire and had to leave town, mind if you fill in as a mentor?'"
"I'm not your mentor."
"Oh yeah, I forgot. You're kidnapping me." As I mention the kidnapping again, Damon's grip tightens on my wrist.
"People don't get turned for no good reason, Cassidy. Not this close to Mystic Falls."
"What's so special about this Mystic Falls place, anyways? I've never even heard of it."
"Let's just say it has a long history of vampires."
"Sounds spooky. Alright, I'm in." I sigh. It's not like I have anything better to do, or anywhere to go, for that matter. I might as well cooperate.
Damon smiles, his grin a cocky reflection of his personality. "Follow me."