Summary: A fresh wave of worries sweeps Mystic Falls. Not only does fall instigate social pitfalls, it generates the most brutal drought on record, along with the emergence of a visitor. Sula Irons is a woman with an agenda for she plans to settle into this small town world. It is up to the Salvatore brothers and Elena to sway whether or not she succeeds in carrying out her design.

I.

Moon Child

Do you believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ?

The evangelist declared over the late night airwaves. The verve with which he spoke one could only envision the vessels bulging beneath the skin of his neck and surely the spittle flying forth from his mouth and the sheen of sweat coating his brow. The passionate minister would possibly then with a bejeweled-fingered hand wipe that brow in a triumphant gesture. This all played out as Elena's hybrid vehicle cut through the silence of the darkened small town world, with the cool, fresh air coming in through rolled down windows. She hadn't the idea what had provoked the self-reflecting need to debate the condition of her mortal soul, maybe it simply was that these empty assurances held the most conviction her ears had come across all day.

Perhaps, it seemed that her mind held little thought than the grueling ping pong between considering her mortality, the reality of everything, or even the menial happenings of life. A mind loosening yawn disrupted her musings. And what quickly followed was the regret of not considering even asking Stefan of possibly coming to get her from the group study.

Her gaze found the full, iridescent moon hanging above like a perturbing globe.

She'd been avoiding him, but she'd have to remember that if she wanted to continue doing so. And the guilt, there had been this immense guilt she'd been taking around with her for the past few weeks that caused her to force him away. It was not fair to him or even herself what she was possibly putting them both through. He'd wanted nothing much but to possibly place his lips against hers or touch her skin, oh and she recalled those privileges all too well. There was also the other brooding figure clouding Elena's judgment, one she'd been fervent and vocal about and against. But now she wasn't too sure, now that she was apart from Stefan and apart from the whole mess even if momentarily. Not to forget Katherine either, damn. There would always be something or the other, for there was just no getting past anything.

So yes, she was definitely missing Stefan. They were able to be together during the daylight hours but it wasn't enough. There would be a liquid spirit flowing through her flesh, her veins, and mind whenever they were able to have their precious moments. Those were now becoming so scarce and-and here she was brilliantly putting them to waste. She could call him now. Well, at least right on about nearing home, he'd have enough time to meet her just as she was pulling in.

Be careful of what you invite into your life…your hearts…

Elena lowered the volume of the prime time minister, for a moment tiring of listening and ruminating just how damned she was. Unthinking, she dexterously fumbled through her bag on the passenger seat all the while making sure her eyes were firmly on the road. It was not necessary to again crash a perfectly good car, in all of a single year.

There'd been one missed call so far.

"Stefan," she said under her breath. Her heart did silent somersaults, up until this very moment she hadn't realized just how much she had missed him.

Her phone went off unexpectedly, which startled her for a second. Damon. He'd texted her at least several times now. Which duly inspired her, "Damn it."

She hit the DISMISS key. When would he understand the meaning of "You Are Being Ignored?" hence her not replying to any of his feeble attempts at any gestures or uttering any words with a semblance to an apology. At this point his inaction of not expressing any humanity was just as if he were to get the thinking of becoming some kind of modern day unorthodox, supernatural Mother Theresa. She was indifferent and his doings were all the same to her, she did not care. The phone silently fell to her lap and all she could focus on was navigating through this lush, wooded area. It at times made her pensive and overly mortal feeling when in dark, uninhabited locales.

A deep shudder erupted in the pit of her stomach and coursed its way through her extremities, and it wasn't even cold out.

"Just a little while longer," she coached herself. "It's nothing but the hibby jibbies… nothing but the darn woods with nothing creepy, crawling and wanting to slit my throat with a smile. Great."

Quite suddenly, later on she'd try to piece the chaos of it together, her phone lit up in celebration:

Oh well, I love you, pretty baby

You're the only love I've ever known

Just as long as you stay with me

The whole world is my throne

Beyond here lies nothin'

Nothin' we can call our own…

"Damn it Damon," she said as she glanced at the Caller ID. She was definitely going to end his immortal ass. The ringtone, possibly set at the theft of her phone by that damned- guy and his passion for Bob Dylan. The phone in the crescendo of belligerent song and vibration slipped from her lap to her feet. "Crap."

"Stop calling!" The phone shifted closer and closer beneath the pedals. The device died momentarily then blared back to life with the tune, her fingertips barely grazing the illusive phone. This caused the car to veer slightly over to the left hand side and that was all it took for her to lose her veneer. She cursed him, up to the very grave he should've inhabited right at the instant. The car dipped forward, her legs exerting way too much pressure than necessary, the night air coming in through the windows in billows now. The air was now wet and heavy, when had that happened, with the minister returning with his gilded words. And she could've sworn there was something in those thick woods fixing to get at her.

"Oh no," she breathed. There was something on the road with her. Instinctively, she clutched the wheel silently praying, she actually caught herself praying. Her foot touched down hard, jostling her insides, the tires screeching with the lung power of a banshee. She was definitely familiar with the priceless seconds it took to define transcending the streak between life and death.

~o~

For a few minutes she remained within the car, not certain she was intact. It had been all too real again this time, she thought as the bile made its way up her throat that was dry, desperate. Her breath hitched, feeling as though her mind was scattering into a million pieces. The adrenaline abated and finally her fingers could leave the steering wheel. She could breathe now. The car had not flipped, thankfully. But surely she supposed it had done a half circle on the meager breadth of road.

There had been a woman in the road, she remembered.

Elena fought against her seat belt, half kicking through her door before she could set herself right upon the desolate asphalt. There was only silence and her haggard breathing. And with not much light upon the road it was very difficult to see, what little there was came from the slightly overcast full moon and her high beams.

There was no one in the immediate vicinity.

"Hello," she called out.

Her voice was hoarse from the cold front pulling in, and the light sweater covering her upper body didn't do a lot to keep any warmth from the impending chill. "Hello," she called again through a cupped mouth. "Is there anyon-"

Before her, maybe a few yards in distance, away from the haven of the car lights she found what she was looking for. "Oh my gosh," Elena's hand flew to her mouth.

The figure stepped forward and into the scope of the illumination. The woman, a young woman stood before her as though she'd just meandered her way into her bedroom, nightgown and all readied for nothing but sleep. Except there was a thick coating of mud lining the hem of her knee-length slip. Her legs slightly dirtied, with dark stains and scratches. And her hands, they were filthy and covered in the same dark stain.

That had been Elena's line of vision and assessment, until she got to the other girl's face which had an almost feral quality to it. Her brown complexion was a severe contrast to the scarlet splatter on her mouth, chin and the now dried flow congealed upon the neckline of her dress. Elena stood there, not knowing what to do.

Fear rushed her towards a quick decision, fight or flight?

She couldn't be a vampire, could she? Certainly not, and she hoped she was correct, but possibly she wasn't one because if she had been, wouldn't she be newly deceased by now? Instead she still here, being able to assess the situation so easily. A cat did have her tongue, but she struggled to regain it. "Oh my God. Are-" her eyes scoured the nearby vegetation, and thankfully as far as she could make out there wasn't any sort of imminent danger. "A-are you okay?"

The woman struggled forward, falling to her knees three times. Elena impulsively rushed forward, stringing her arms through the other woman's. The girl's skin was near frozen. "Are you okay? Oh gosh, oh gosh." She peered down into the girl's face and there was not the presence of any humanity within her. She was completely… vacant.

Elena helped her to her feet, not even knowing from where to go at this point. Other than the blood, there seemed to be little damage done which had to be a good sign. Perhaps internal bleeding, she was fearful. "I'm going to take you to the hospital, do you hear me?" She touched the girl's face trying to inspire some kind of response.

Click, just like that, a switch had suddenly gone on. The woman snapped back into life. "No. Hos-pital," her voice was guttural, raw.

Elena dismissed it as pure delirium. But she was extremely fervent, "No. Hospital. P-please." She shook her head wildly and a sort of fear wrote itself across her bloodied face.

What am I going to do, Elena desperately tried to quiet the fear rising in her belly. They ambled to the car, Elena helping her in the back. Seated in the front seat her hands frantically shook and dove into her hair. She'd call Stefan. He'd know how to fix this. And she was beginning to think that maybe this was something she hoped she wasn't making a poor decision in. Furthermore, she wanted for this to be normal, something normal.

She located her phone, the source of all this mess but she'd come back to that at a more appropriate time. There were five rings, and she prayed that the seventh would not come through. Stefan's voicemail. Damn it.

"Stefan, please pick up. Something happened and I r-really need you," her voice cracked and the overdue tears found themselves flowing. "I-I just picked up someone off the pass going into Cuttler. I-I don't know what to do. I'm heading over to your house right now. So please be there."

There wasn't any sound of life coming from the back seat but a glance over and she saw the girl broken down and her slender limbs gathered into the fetal position, her wide-moon eyes threatening to lose themselves in a vacuum of nothingness. And the silence was now in here accompanying them, drowning out the still ranting minister and the steady resonance of the insect wildlife.

Where were you through the trial and the tribulation? Oh you knew exactly where you were heh-heh. And where was He? Suffering, right there along with you my friend. Saying not to agonize, not to worry but you cannot hear Him. But oh yes, He is here.

Do you believe in Him, wayward traveler?...