I do not own Vampire Diaries

Chapter One

We all stand in straight lines. My hands are at my sides much like everyone else's. My hands grow extremely sweaty and I feel the urge to scratch my head. We are all female. I always loved being a girl; I loved having long hair and pretty dresses. But know that they are in control; all of Mystic Falls has been cut down to pale blue, white, and gray clothing. The previously white sundress that is now a dusty gray clings to my body rather uncomfortably and the need I feel to constantly adjust it is tiring. I have owned this dress for three years. I would gladly give it up if I could. But the waiting line for a new one would take ages.

I feel a hand snake its way into mine and I look down at the olive skin in contrast to my fair skin. My best friend Elena Gilbert gives me a weak smile and squeezes my hand. They always keep the Founding Families in the front with no particular order thankfully. I don't know what I would do if it Elena wasn't with me. I exchange a glance at my other best friend Bonnie who is a good two rows behind us but she doesn't catch my eyes. She looks straight up at the stage where I suddenly find my eyes staring at a second after. She clears her throat and Caroline's hand is gone.

"Well good afternoon everyone!" She pipes gleefully; her blood red lips puckered and stretched out in a smile. "Before we start, I would just like to welcome our new ladies for their first year and the many to come," a few awkward coughs and sniffles come out as a response. "I am Rebekah, for those who were unaware."

The silence is almost unbearable. I hope she can just take her handful and go already. I would feel really bad for whatever poor girls get put into separate cages and sent off the Originals but all I know is in all of the three years I have participated in this, I haven't been chosen, and I really don't plan too. "Founding Family Females are always first."

One of her brothers arrives, Kol I think his name was, holding a very big glass bowl filled with names. He gives her a nod, and she uses the tips of her fingers to shuffle around the crisp white pieces of paper. When her hand stops, so does my breathing.

"Caroline Forbes," Her eyes find mine as if her calling my name was purposely done and choke on words. I am going to die.

In a flash, a man I have never seen before takes my wrist in his strong grasp and tugs me forward. He injects me with the same clear liquid other poor girls were injected with a year ago and the year before that. I expect to see Elena or Bonnie jump up and try and save me but when I look desperately to Bonnie she looks at her feet and Elena picks at the strands of loose string falling from her dress. This is it. You are dead. My mind tells me defeated.

"Please," I whimper to the man as my vision begins to blur.

"I think she's dead…"

"Her chest is still moving,"

"She got the injection before we did,"

"Ugh," I groan. I try and lift myself up but I am immediately pushed back down. My eyes are squinted as I attempt to get my vision back. Silver bars surround me, and other girls of different ages are in their own set of bars. The cage is short so I can't lift myself up. It's dark outside, and then I realize I am not panicking when I should be. "No, no, no, no, no." The volume of my voice increases with every no.

All the other girls look at me with strange looks. "What?" I grumble feeling for my wrist. They quickly look away. My wrist is throbbing and a let out a moan of pain. We are in a dark room with one small window. How long have I been out? "What's going to happen?" I hear a small voice ask. My stomach clenches, she's just a kid. "You're going to die," I blurt out immediately using my throbbing limb to cover my mouth.

"What the hell? You can't tell a kid that," Someone shrieks at me. After a minute of soothing, it goes back to the dead silence. "I'm Caroline," I say shyly. All my fellow inmates slowly turn their heads and one girl in the back that I can't get a good view of shouts, "Yeah, we know! You were the drama queen who decided to cause a scene. Now where are all locked up because we don't know how to behave."

"Sorry," I mutter awkwardly. I am sure we are here for days but that can't be the case because the color of the window has only changed fully once from dark to pink to yellow. That's it? They just keep girls here to starve. Well at least I'm not missing anything back home. I think.

"Well ladies I am just starving! Thank heavens you're all here!" Everyone's heads perk up to the malicious voice that opens the door. My stomach churns and I feel my body move to the far end of my cage. The cold metal that hits the back of my neck causes goose bumps to rise and my legs stretch out to try and get me farther away from where he is. His head cocks to the side and I can feel his burning gaze although I am looking away.

Everyone begins to cower away and whimper at his presence by I refuse to. I look down at my grey dress and hope he either doesn't like blondes enough to bother them or enjoy blondes but won't hurt them. His steps grow closer and my breath hitches. "Tsk Tsk Tsk… you sure are a pretty little thing." He mocks me. But I still don't look up.

He kicks my cage I let out a shriek. I look up at him eyes watering and hands squeezing my sides. I must look like a dead puppy. "Hey Blondie," he sing songs, "I'm talking to you." He says bending down to my level. His pale blue eyes bore into my own and I whisper my response. "Yes?"

He smiles at this. "I normally go for brunettes. Such a shame really, you do have a pretty face." Unsure of what to do I look up at him. "Thank you?"

"Oh! I know! Stefan would just love you!" He says gleefully. My eyes widen at this. Stefan is the notorious ripper. He'd not only kill me, but do it as painfully as possible. Before I could respond, the cage door is unlocked and yanked open. He pulls me out of the cage and over his shoulder and chuckles.

"Damon, don't play with your food. That's my job," I hear a playful voice say as he locks the door behind us. Damon just laughs and I watch as he puts me down and guides me by my shoulders to the Ripper. "Actually Brother, I picked her especially for you." Damon grins.

"What, did you make her drink vervain? Trying to poison me?" The Ripper asks twirling a piece of my curled hair between his fingers. I stay silent and close my eyes. "Come on Stefan, you cannot seriously be turning this one down. I mean look at her." His hands trail down my body and I immediately try and escape from his hold but he pulls me further into his embrace. "Ah, ah, ah, Blondie. Let my brother Stefan get a good look at you."

He pushes into Stefan's arms and Stefan holds me with ease. "You are pretty," he murmurs in my neck and I look away from Damon's curious eyes towards the door that I imagine as an exit. "She smells wonderful too." Damon agrees.

The door opens and a man shouts, "I always get first pick!"

His eyes land on me and he smiles. I watch lip between my teeth as he strides over to Stefan and I. "Klaus I got her first," he says shielding me away from the beautiful man before me. "But like I said, I always get first pick. His hand extends towards my face and strokes my cheek lightly before his thumb removes my lip from my teeth. "Such pretty lips." He mumbles. "What is your name, love?"

"Caroline," I say eagerly to be removed from Stefan's ever so tightening embrace. "Caroline," he repeats. My name rolls of his tongue with ease and I am sure my legs are getting weaker with every word that falls from those lips. Caroline! You are better than this. He is a monster! You're too smart to be seduced by him!

"I am too smart to be seduced by you," I say to myself out loud without even realizing it. He smirks at me, "That is why I feel I am going to take a liking to you,"

He glares at Stefan, "Release her." I feel Stefan's grip loosen and my hands limply fall to their sides. He smiles at me once again, "Come Caroline," He extends his hand I gladly take it as my mind continues to scold me endlessly.

A/N: Not quite sure about this. Review your thoughts about it please. Thanks for reading.