There are Worse things than Death...
(this work is dedicated to my renewed love of the Vampire Diaries. However, no money is being made from this and all characters still belong to L. J. Smith. But the plot of this story - although weird and probably not all that easy to follow - is mine. I seriously wish I owned TVD though. I love it more than life itself! Anyways, thanks for reading and I'll try and update chapters ASAP and I do apologise for any typos and/or if the story doesn't initially make sense. I also apologise in advanced because the characters may seem a little OOC. BTW, slight mentions of almost-sex but the M rating doesn't come till later chapters, I promise. It doesn't get too steamy ;) Final point, comments/suggestions are welcomed and I'd appreciate a comment from everyone who reads if you could! Now, on with the first chapter!)
I'd never imagined how painful being immortal could be. I'd never considered the amount of pain and death that would accompany me when I constantly reminded myself I was on my own. But, then again, how could one ever prepare for something so brutal and cruel? How could someone ever prepare to be stabbed in the back by the three people you cared about most in the world? Everyone I knew had died or fled and now I was alone, in the sense that I'd lost all the people I cared about, but not in the sense that there was no one around anymore. No, the world was bustling and alive, filled with people and it moved forward with the fastest pace I'd ever seen.
But I was still so lonely. Despite the vast number of people who called this stinking cesspit their home, I was still so alone, even in crowded bars and clubs. But, I'd learned to accept that I was, in fact, unwanted and that was the reason why I was being forced to spend an entire eternity on my own. The agony of it all was almost unbearable. But, when you're in love with one of the people who betrayed you, you find that it's virtually impossible to even want to get even remotely close to anyone anymore.
I'd tried to tell myself that it was all a dream. I told myself that it was all a fantasy; that I'd wake up and Katherine, Damon and Stefan would all be there to help me through this; I told myself that they hadn't left me on my own. But then I'd open my eyes - now soulless and dull shades of grey - and I'd remember what they all did. They left me behind at that cathedral. They left me to rot under the ground, cursed by that witch to spend an eternity under their feet while they grew, evolved and developed with the new world and I was left as nothing more than a distant memory. Nothing but a speck in the back of their minds when they closed their eyes and tried to sleep at night.
That was all I was. And that hurt. But, even before she'd changed me into the monster she wanted me to be, Katherine had ruined my life by stealing away the one person in my life that even bothered to look twice; The one person who held my heart and the ripped it out and stomped on it when she arrived. Damon Salvatore was that one. The One, for me. But she couldn't see past the nose on her pretty little face. The face that I'd come to hate so much; even more than existing here. Katherine never even considered that Damon might have already been in a relationship. No, she just wanted everything and everyone she could take and manipulate with her compulsion.
She drew you in, I knew from experience, then she bit down. Hard. And that's usually when the reality of everything sets in and you realise there's no going back; you're already a monster. I'd decided early on that, if Katherine wanted a monster, she'd get one. And it would be vicious. And vicious, I was. But she didn't notice the monster she'd created. Even now, as she walks around with them, I'm invisible and she still hasn't noticed what she turned me into. This was her choice, her mistake. And, it would ultimately mean her demise.
If I worked up enough courage to face them all at the same time, that is. I was never a particularly strong, confident person. Which was probably why she chose me to be her initial victim. Because I was weaker than her; terrified of every little thing. But she was wrong. I wasn't the same, scared little bunny who'd tun away at the first sign of trouble. That wasn't me. Not anymore. I'd changed and transformed into someone else; someone new.
As I sipped away at the glass of whisky clutched tightly in my hand, I noticed that I'd been lost in my thoughts for so long, that the bar was now becoming empty. The sun was coming up too. Shit, I mentally cursed, I'm late. I'd promised to meet an anonymous person at my hotel a few hours ago. Oh well, if the guy wanted me so badly, he could wait. Tossing the final swig of my whisky back, feeling the warm liquid coat my gullet, I slammed the glass, rim first onto the bar counter and made my way to the exit.
"See you soon, Rory!" I called back over my shoulder to the bartender. He grunted in reply as the door slammed shut. Walking with a leisurely pace, I made my way to the run-down piece of shit hotel I'd been holed up in for the past three weeks. The hotel owner was nice enough and her husband seemed a little... Weird, but they were kind. Her name was Joanne and his name was Stephen. I mentally cursed any and everyone with a name even remotely similar to Stefan. Regardless, they were a nice couple and treated their guests well.
Okay, I lied, me being me, I'd compelled them into thinking I'd rented my room for the whole month so that I could come and go as I pleased without any problems. But, of course, I'd not paid a single dime to either of them and I was now becoming a really smooth - smoother than whisky, if I said so - liar and it made compelling even easier. But, it had to be on someone who had a weak mind and very little will if it was going to last as long as I needed it to in some cases. The walk along the deserted sidewalk was slow and uneventful, as usual. There was nothing to break the deafening silence except my black leather boots clipping against the concrete and the passing of an occasional car.
Around me, tall trees loomed and buildings loomed higher, stretching elongated shadows across the street as the sun beat across the buildings from behind them. The rays of sun tickled my pale skin but didn't burn it thanks to the necklace I wore. Emily Bennett had enchanted it for me. It had been a birthday gift from Stefan before I was turned. He cared for me like a sister and told me he loved me like one because I had such a positive effect on Damon. The sapphire jewel twinkled in the soft sunlight and I held the small tear-drop shaped gem between my fingers and smiled at the fond memories of my life before. I guess I couldn't blame everything entirely on Katherine.
When I reached my hotel, my nose instantly caught the scent of Joanne's cooking. Since the hotel was small and only had about three occupied rooms, Joanne found the time to cook enough for everyone staying, which was nice. It was the rarest, weirdest thing I'd ever have imagined seeing from a hotel manager. Politely, I smiled at Stephen, who was seated behind the reception desk, slowly sipping a mug of black coffee. It was his favourite beverage aside from a good beer every now and then. He smiled brightly in return.
"Oh, Harmony dear!" Joanne called from the small kitchen.
"Yeah, Jo?" I asked. She hated the nickname but never complained. Just gave me disapproving look and tilted her head at me, like I was speaking Mandarin or I'd grown two heads.
"There's a very attractive young man who said he knew you waiting in the room next to yours upstairs." She replied, giving me the same reprimanding look as she always did, from the kitchen door.
"Thank you, Joanne." I stated, curtsying before I smiled and turned to head upstairs. She gave a soft sigh as I reached the top of the stairs. I tossed a look over my shoulder at her.
"You'll never find someone to be happy with if you just go for one-night stands all the time, dear," She said before I'd asked. "It'll never be worth it. Just wait and see." I scoffed mentally.
"Yeah, I found 'the one' a century and a half ago. He didn't want me and I'm done waiting for him." I spat harshly under my breath so they couldn't hear me. I growled softly at my thoughts.
As I walked down the corridor towards my room, I ran my hand through my thigh-length platinum hair and sighed before I slipped the key for my room from my pocket and I knocked slightly on the room door next to mine. Since my room was at the end of the hall, it wasn't entirely all that hard to guess which one as there was only one room beside mine.
Slowly, I slipped the key into the lock and turned it softly before I pushed the door open and walked inside. I left the door ajar and walked over to remove my leather jacket and grey turtle-neck before I slipped my hair into a ponytail and turned, waiting and anticipating the person who had agreed to meet me. I slid my boots off as the door opened.
Standing in the doorway was a tall, thin man with blond hair and green eyes who seemed overly nervous. "First fling, kid?" I asked, teasingly. He nodded slightly and closed the door behind him.
"Well, don't worry. It'll be so good, you won't even remember it." I said smoothly, sauntering up to him, swaying my hips in a rhythm to ensure all of his attention was fixed there.
He opened his mouth to speak and I placed one finger over his lips before I ran both my hands down his chest. I could feel his toned muscles under his thin, beige t-shirt and had to admit the guy was cut. Hesitantly, his hands came to rest on my waist as he took a sharp breath between his dark, copper-coloured lips. His heart rate had increased dramatically.
I could hear it and feel it beneath my touch as I worked my slender fingers under his t-shirt and began to lift it after I discarded his jacket onto the floor. His breathing rate increased as he reached down to return the favour and began to lift my black tank-top over my head. He didn't get very far before I leaned up and captured his lips with mine, halting everything.
Swiftly, I nibbled and nipped on his bottom lip, turning him into a writhing, gasping mess within moments. I was skilled with the art of seduction - which I'd learned from Katherine - and was proud that I'd had an immediate affect; proud that after only a few delicious moments of contact, he was putty in my hands. His breathing quickened and the vein I was currently licking down on the side of his neck, pulsed enticingly, calling me in to begin my feast on his blood. But I couldn't. Not yet. I was going to enjoy this.
I was going to take my anger out on him through partially pleasuring him before I drank my fill of his blood. Tauntingly slowly, I reached my hands down to the waist of his jeans and began to work the button undone. In an instant, obviously feeling more bold now, the mystery man pushed me onto my back on the bed and straddled my waist. I stared, mouth agape before he leaned down and pressed his mouth to mine, instantly seeking entrance with his tongue. My eyes widened and I shoved hard at his chest. Maybe a little too hard but at this moment in time I didn't really care. No. The only person I had ever allowed to be rough with me was Damon but this man wasn't him.
What was I doing? Did I expect the pain of having my heart broken to just vanish after I fucked this guy? I didn't even know his name, for the love of God! With a sigh, I sat up and ran a hand through my hair before I looked up and met the eyes of the startled man lying on the cream carpet at the foot of the bed. His eyes were almost comically wide. I stifled my laughter and shook my head, smiling apologetically at the young man. He cleared his throat as he stood. He was going to leave. I couldn't allow that.
Using my vampire speed, I appeared in front of him, my back against the door, keeping it closed. He shrieked in surprise and started backing away as I slowly stalked forward, a haunting smile on my face. I allowed my fangs to un-sheath and felt the areas of my face just below my eyes morph and I lost everything human about myself for a split-second as I lunged forward, sinking my elongated fangs into the soft, sensitive skin at the junction between the man's neck an shoulder. Harshly, I sucked, drawing all the blood I could hold into my mouth before gulping it down. The man's hands flew to my shoulders and he tried to pry me away. I refused to budge even an inch.
I drew more blood, the sweet, delectable liquid coating my tongue and the back of my throat, sending me to a world of delight. His blood tasted sweeter than most. He was health then, I'd concluded. Shame. He probably had so much ahead of him in his life. His blood filled my mouth for a third time and I gulped it down. I repeated the process again and again until I felt his grip on me loosening. He was becoming too weak from the blood loss to even fight back but I couldn't bring myself to stop. The years of agony resurfaced and I bit down a little harder; harsher, and sucked more violently until the man became limp in my arms and stopped struggling and flailing. He stilled.
With a sigh, I retracted my fangs from his throat and licked my lips. Panting from the rush and heightened feeling I'd experienced, I watched the man's body for any sign of life. Around five minutes had passed and he still hadn't moved. Well, shit. This wasn't going to get me a good reputation from housekeeping. Oh well, time to up sticks and move on again.
Hm, Mystic Falls seemed like a good place to head for. I had friends there who really seemed to miss me. Wonder what they'd think if I turned up and asked to stay for a while?
AN: Please do leave a comment as constructive criticism is very readily welcomed and I would appreciate an opinion on my first published story. Thanks for taking the time to read this and let me know if I should continue and also let me know if it was too quick or could be more descriptive! Thanks and please do excuse any Grammatical errors as I may spell some things differently from you - I'm Scottish. I'll update ASAP and see you soon - Love, Angela xx