Fog washes over the forest floor, covering the soil, making fallen trees nearly invisible. Light breathing can be heard from a few feet ahead, a girl frightened by the rapid change in weather. Tonight was predicted to be clear. A light breeze winds its way through the forest, carrying the girls sent towards her predators awaiting nostrils. She's completely oblivious to what is about to happen. I almost feel sorry for her, but then again it's her own fault she's ignorant and decided to wander off alone. She deserves this.
Suddenly the dark haired man who was standing by my side is looking at me from across the way; one of us behind the girl, the other in front. Even if she did try to run away, she wouldn't make it very far.
"Jeremy," the girl calls out, "this isn't funny."
I can see his smirk, that cocky attitude he gets right before a kill taking over. It's something I've always loved about him. Just as I go to return the grin, Damon Salvatore has sprung at the girl, knocking her to her feet; teeth plunged deep into her throat. I wait, listening for the slightest noise. If we get caught a hunt will go up in Mystic Falls and the news crews will quickly descend…that's not that plan; at least for now.
"Damon," I hiss, hearing two of the far off voices growing closer, leaves and various other things that cover the ground crunching under shoes. "Damon, we have to go."
He snarls before the two of us take off into the trees. The people will blame it on another animal attack and warn kids to be careful and avoid going into the woods if they can. No one will ever suspect that a vampire had moved back into Mystic Falls, at least not anyone that can't be taken care of.
"Who was out there?" Damon questions as we head towards the Salvatore manor on the outskirts of town.
I shrug, "They weren't voices that I directly knew but someone was coming. I wouldn't have stopped you if there wasn't danger."
The dark haired vampire nods. He knows me well. Feeding is the most important part of our lives right now. He needs to be strong…we both do. His brother will try and drive us out of town we need to be as alert and ready for the fight that will ensue if we plan on staying.
"Your brother is home," I announce as Damon and I move to stand on Stefan's balcony.
The younger Salvatore meets his brother's gaze, a look of sheer hatred is shared between the two, "Damon…Elizabeth."
Damon smiles, "Hello brother."
The crow that Damon has taken under his control for dramatic effect squawks from Stefan's desk before being sent away. It really serves no purpose until we need it to scare people so that they will come running right into our trap.
"Crows a bit much, don't you think?" Stefan starts, breaking the stiff silence that was beginning to creep across the room.
"Wait till you see what he can do with the fog," I answer back with a sneer.
I've not liked Stefan since the day him and Damon turned. He whines and insists that he get his way. I believe they call it younger sibling disorder or something but all I know is that it's utterly annoying and it's caused both brothers serious pain. I won't let that happen anymore. Stefan will learn his place…will pay for the pain inflicted on Damon. I no longer have pity for the brown haired child. He should've died a long time ago.
"When did you get here?" Stefan questions.
"Well, we couldn't miss your first day of school," Damon scoffs, moving around his brothers room, picking up odds and ends off the desk and bookshelf. "Your hair is different…I like it."
Stefan does not look impressed, "It's been fifteen years Damon, even longer for you Elizabeth."
Damon, always one to make light a situation laughs, "Thank God, I couldn't take another day of the nineties."
"That horrible grunge look did not suit me," I add on, leaning up against one of the many dark bookshelves that line the walls of Stefan's room.
"Or you brother," Damon injects. "Remember Stefan, it's important to stay away from fads."
"What are you doing here?"
"I missed my little brother. Elizabeth and I just happened to be going the same way…for the five years," Damon answers with a laugh.
"Damon thought it would be good to check in on you," I add on. I'm just along for the ride. I tried to convince Damon that coming back to Mystic Falls wasn't a good idea. I hate small towns; they're full of boring streets and boring people.
"You both hate small towns, it's boring, nothing for you to do," Stefan insists as if his words are magically going to make us come to our senses and walk right back out the door. He's always been a little dense.
"I've managed to keep myself busy," Damon answers, winking at me.
"You know you left that girl alive tonight. That's very clumsy of you," Stefan continues as if this is really going to affect us.
Damon grimaces, pretending to be really worried about what his brother has just said, "That could be a problem."
I saunter over to the younger Salvatore brother, a smirk set on my cherry red lips. My finger trails its way from Stefan's ear to his chin a few times, eventually landing right in the middle of his chest, "For you."
With that I walk to stand near Damon the two of us laughing quietly between ourselves.
"Why are you here now, both of you?"
"I could ask you the same question, however, I'm fairly certain your answer could be summed up all into one little word," Damon says walking towards his brother and then looping back towards me.
"Elena," I let slip out with an evil grin.
Stefan's face contorts into a look of horror as the girl's name falls from my lips. If we know she's here it only means bad things, at least in Stefan's eyes. He's obviously already formed some kind of bond with the human. Bad idea Stefan.
"She took my breath away, Elena, she's a dead ringer for Katherine…even had Elizabeth fooled for a bit." Damon smirks.
"Is it working Stefan?" I question, seeing that our words are starting to affect him.
"Being around her, being in her world, does it make you feel alive?" Damon eggs on as the veins under Stefan's eyes begin to bubble.
"She's not Katherine!" the younger Salvatore explodes.
"Well, let's hope not…we all know how that ends," Damon replies, maintaining his composure.
"You ended up falling for her equally sadistic little sister and we hate each other," Stefan answers bluntly.
Damon is in the mood for a fight tonight. He's not just here to stand around and have idle chit-chat, if he wanted that we would've joined everyone at the party. Stefan seems to want to keep things under control. This is not going to end well for him.
"Tell me something," Damon begins trying to rile his brother up, "when's the last time you've has something stronger than a squirrel?"
Stefan scoffs, "I know what you're doing Damon, it's not going to work."
"Yeah, you started it," Damon sneers. He doesn't like it when people bring me into the conversation in any way but positively. "Come on, don't you crave something stronger, let's do it, all together, I saw a couple girls out there."
"Let's just cut to the case Damon," I interject getting bored with the jabs going back and forth.
"Let's just go for Elena," Damon says, finally getting the reaction out of Stefan that he wants.
Stefan can no longer control himself; the veins appear his eyes darkening. His hands collide with Damon's shoulders, pushing the dark haired vampire backwards into the wall, "Stop it!"
I hiss ready to attack Stefan if he goes much farther. I don't take kindly to people who try and harm those that I'm with. Damon has been with me from the beginning, I'd lay my life down in order to save him.
Damon steadies himself, ready for Stefan's reaction to what he is about to say, "Don't you wonder what her blood tastes like? I do!"
"I said stop!" Stefan yells, lunging at his brother.
The two bodies crash through the window, falling towards the ground below. From the window I watch as they twist and turn, Damon leaving his brothers grip only seconds before the impact with the ground. Stefan who is much weaker hits the glass covered concrete. He grunts, pushing himself up off the ground, turning around to face Damon slowly. Stefan is clearly weak. Animal blood is hardly anything to survive off of. I'm actually surprised Damon's brother is still alive.
"I'm impressed," Damon says, leaning up against the small brick wall that lines the driveway. "I give it a six; missed on style but I was presently surprised, very good with the whole face raw raw thing." Damon impersonates his brother, making growling noises his hands raise, face contorted. "It was good."
I laugh. The oldest Salvatore never ceases to amaze me. He's so much more than this angry, dark, brooding creature. He's got a sense of humor and the sharpest mind I've ever encountered. He's the only person I'd actually ever been able to connect with on a higher level than just for food or convenience.
"Yeah, it's all fun and games Damon, huh?" Stefan begins. He always has been the more serious brother. "Wherever you go people die. Tragedy follows your little girlfriend around. You two are bad omens."
Damon looks confused like he doesn't understand why Stefan thinks this is a bad thing, "That's a given."
"Not here, I won't allow it."
"I'll take that as an invitation," Damon replies, that shit eating smirk creeping over his full lips.
"Damon please," Stefan begs, taking the groveling road, "after all these years can't we just give it a rest. Can't you and Elizabeth go someplace else?"
Damon sighs clearly frustrated that his brother isn't getting it, "I promised you an eternity of misery so I'm just keeping my word. As for Elizabeth, well, you and I both know no one can control her."
I wink down at the dark haired vampire who is beaming up at me.
"Just stay away from Elena," Stefan says as if that's really going to work.
Bored with watching from above I launch myself out of the upstairs window, landing gracefully on the driveway before walking over to Damon. He wraps and arm around my shoulders, laying a kiss on my temple.
"Where's your ring?" Damon questions Stefan, giving him a perplexed look.
Stefan looks in horror at his finger, feeling around in his pockets with the other hand. Without the ring Stefan can't survive, he can't protect Elena.
"The sun's coming up in a few hours and then you know 'poof' ashes to ashes," I antagonize with a small smirk, twisting my ring around my finger.
Damon laughs, "Relax, its right here." He holds out his open palm, the blue and silver heirloom sitting in the middle.
Stefan looks confused and cautiously reaches forward to take the ring, quickly sliding it back on his finger his almond colored eyes fixed on me. He knows more than I thought he would.
"She comes in quite handy," Damon says before his eyes turn a piercing blue, veins drawn to the surface as his turns from man to vampire. His hand wraps itself around Stefan's neck, lifting him from the ground and propelling him back towards the garage door.
Stefan falls to the ground, making no move to stand and fight. He knows he's lost this one. For now he is just going to have to deal with us occupying Mystic Falls alongside him.
"You should know better than to think you're stronger than me. You lost that fight when you stopped feeding on people. I wouldn't try it again." Damon says calmly. He's always been very good at controlling his emotions.
From inside the house come noises of someone walking around, a light on the side flipping on. The commotion from outside could be heard inside and probably disturbed the other occupant in the house. "I think we woke Zach up."
"Sorry Zach," Damon says as we head into the house, leaving Stefan to lie there and think about what has just happened.
"You should've just left him without the ring," I say as Damon pours us both a scotch.
"I want to keep him alive for a while. I can't really torture him if he's dead now can I?"
I let out a groan. Stefan as a person has always bothered me. He's stuffy and uptight he ruined everything for us. I'm sure if it was up to him our kind wouldn't exist. He's better off dead.
"Come on, let's get out of here, I don't want to be inside when Stefan decided to come inside," I answer.
Damon obliges, offering me his hand. As we exit the house his eyes flick towards the garage where he knows Stefan's car is parked. I shake my head. It would actually take us longer in the car. With that we head towards the local coffee shop.
As we find a seat a black girl gets up leaving a blonde to sit all by herself. She looks defeated, staring sadly into her coffee cup. She's a perfect target. When she looks up Damon smiles kindly at her nodding at the girl to join us; he receives a large smile back. Mystic Falls might not actually be that bad of a town.
I