I opened my azure eyes to my surroundings and breathed in deeply. Life was precious, and I loved it. I was immediately aware and on guard, ready to attack. I was hungry. Famished, starving. I climbed out of my resting spot, and realized I was on a truck. I looked around and saw familiar coffins like mine throughout. It was dark, but my eyes easily adjusted. I could smell the autumn air from outside the prison and I then wondered where and when I was. I was decked out in the typical outfit of the beginning of the new millennium, but I could not tell for how long I'd been asleep. How had I woken up? There was no one but me that breathed in here. All my relatives were in their own caskets, until they were to be reawakened.

Exercising my patience and hunger, I walked around the small space, my pointed-toe black high heeled boots that reached halfway up between my knee and ankle, clacking on the wooden planks. I suddenly felt very aware of my attire, and smoothed out any wrinkles or dust from my flowing black mini-skirt, and my simple tank top with All American Rejects on front, and the design around it was modern and my taste. Shirts with name on them of bands and such used to anger me, until I too fell into the fad to be fashionable at school. I fixed my hair, which was the height of fashion in 2000- long, straight, and I had a side part. I looked and felt dangerous. I opened one coffin out of curiosity and gasped when I saw who it was. Uncle Elijah. I could easily pull the dagger out of his chest, but I didn't want to go back to my own bed so soon. I wanted to catch up on things, get into the groove, make friends, as my old ones could be dead for all I knew- I didn't know how long I'd been out for.

I snapped the lid shut on the casket, and my stomach rumbled. I felt a gigantic pang to go eat and escape at that moment, and so, I rushed forward into the metal door and screamed in agony as I tried to rip it apart. I was fragile and weak for my kind, still young. Part of my genetics was getting more and more common every day- like the plague, but a part of me- was almost human. It didn't make sense though; I wasn't born from a human. But my humanity was intact, and somehow, someway, defying all rules, even the rules of vampires that went against nature already, I could age. I could turn off my aging, and turn it back on- until I reached 45- that an expert witch had told me when Father had been so confounded by my nature. I could picture it as clear as yesterday, what she'd said.

"You, my dear, are something the world has never seen before. You can age- but the spirits will only allow it up to 45 years of age- no vampire should be beyond that age. You can turn it off for as long as you wish at any time, and you can will yourself to age again at any time." She'd turned her head to my father, who stood a few feet away from us, his arms crossed over his chest, looking intrigued and frustrated at the same time. "She'll make an excellent weapon. However, her nature will cause her to be weaker than other vampires until she reaches 16."

"Why 16?" I'd asked in a small, quavering voice. I'd quickly glanced back at my father and then gulped when I looked back to the witch. I had been 9 at the time.

She'd smiled at me. "Sweet sixteen darling. All the girls want to celebrate it nowadays."

I was 9, but I'd been in existence since the Middle Ages. Father was so confused as to how I could only look a decade old, when I'd been around for practically 5 centuries.

Then, the witch had gone cold and whispered, "You aren't allowed to live though. The spirits won't allow it. They already hate your family, and to them- you're just another Original." Then she'd started a spell, still grasping my wrist, but a fire inside me started to consume my wrist and traveled throughout my body.

I'd screamed in agony, begging for it to stop…

I shuddered and kicked the door off its hinge and jumped down onto the paved road.

I went out farther and realized where I was. The sign was in front of me. "Mystic Falls." I was in the town square.

Mystic Falls…home of the Gilberts, Salvatores, Lockwoods, Forbes…all those founding families that had something to do with me and my family…or just our kind in general.

I traveled the town, and bumped into a police officer.

"Hey! Why aren't you in school?"

He obviously thought I was a punk rocker or something that skipped every chance they got.

"I'm not from around here." I said in a strong British accent.

He scrutinized me. "What's your name?"

"Emma." I said quickly.

"You can't be more then 15." He stated.

"I'm 14." I told him, somewhat truthful.

"Carry on Miss Emma. Have a good day in Mystic Falls."

He turned his head for a moment, and when he turned back- I was already gone.

I got to the high school, figuring if my entire family was in storage here, we were going to be around for a bit, and I might as well get reacquainted with everything.

I saw action on the football field, and jogged over lazily. The cheerleading squad was practicing, football players were on the field…I did a double take. It couldn't be.

One cheerleader stood out to me, as she stretched, a bored look on her face.

After a few minutes, the blonde captain who had just blew a kiss to a tan and sweaty football player, noticed me, and whispered to the squad, "Who's that freak staring at us?"

Then, the person I was focusing on snapped her head towards me, reminding me of an angry tigress.

She saw me standing there, with my leather jacket now clutched in my hand- I'd grabbed it out of my coffin when I realized how cold it was- I knew exactly where we were now- but still not the time.

Her blue eyes widened and she murmured something to the girls, careful so I wouldn't overhear, and then she hesitantly walked over.

"What're you doing here?" she hissed.

"Aunt Becca." I gasped. "When are we?"

She sighed. "2011."

I stepped back. "10 years…a decade…"

"I was out for 90, so suck it up niece." She said dryly.

"We have to go shopping." She looked at me outfit. "What happened to the cute little…feminine girl I loved?"

"She grew up." I shrugged.

"You are your parents." She shook her head in disdain. She grabbed my arm and began to pull me along. "C'mon."

"What're you doing?" I struggled against her grip.

"We're going to get you enrolled in school here as a little froshie, and then we're going shopping. We'll act as sisters- not aunt and niece."

"Aunt Becky." I pleaded. "Why are you in such a foul mood?"

"Elena Gilbert." She said regretfully.

"Who?"

"The Doppelganger…your relative." She shuddered. "She holds the Salvatore brothers in the palm of her hand…she's out to destroy us- especially Nik." She paused. "Nevermind, here she comes now."

I looked at where she was looking when she let me go, and I stood close to her, and I saw my mother. Or at least, I thought I did.

"Rebekah. What are you doing with this girl? Is she under compulsion?" the doppelganger examined me.

"No, I'm not. I can speak for myself thank you. I'd appreciate it if you left me and my family alone." I spat.

"Who are you?" she asked suspiciously.