It had been raining hard these past few days. Not that it mattered much to me. As a vampire the rain did little to affect me, nothing really bothered me in the sense that I was dead. I walked idly down the stairs.

I could hear the pounding rain on the roof and the splash of distant cars as they sped through the watery roads. This super hearing was handy sometimes, but when there was no useful purpose it just left your head filled with unwanted noises.

I made my way into the lounge room where I saw Stefan seated on an arm chair by the fire. He held a book in his hands and was intently reading it. I didn't bother asking what it was about because truthfully I had no desire to know. Instead I strode past him and opened the liquor cabinet and poured myself a drink.

"You know this drinking of yours could classify you as an alcoholic," Stefan noted. I gulped down the glass of gin and then poured myself another.

"And this brooding act of yours can be classified as depression," I shot back, downing another drink.

He smirked but didn't remove his eyes from his book. It bugged me a little that he had become so blasé about my attempts to mock him. My whole purpose here was to annoy and torture him. But that was becoming harder to do now that he had just begun shrugging off my comments or replying with snarky ones of his own.

I moved over to the fire place and leaned against the marble. My eyes staring into the flames as I mulled over all that was going on. So far there was the problem with that Gilbert fellow that was determined to make my life hell. Then there was that unnerving Pearl and her demand that I help her take over this town, crazy woman.

Though I had many other things on my mind there was always one thought that constantly harassed me. That little spit fire Stefan insisted on keeping around, Elena. I could never quite understand her, and that was what drove me crazy.

She looked just like Katherine, and yet she was so different. Katherine was manipulative and selfish. But Elena was always thinking of the well being of others, she was kind and warm. She was all of the things that Katherine wasn't.

Before my mind could wander any farther I heard a strange noise coming from outside. My eyes darted quickly to the window and I saw Stefan do the same. I couldn't see anything but there was definitely something wrong.

"Did you hear that?" I questioned Stefan.

"Yes," he replied as he moved closer to the window, "I'll go check it out," he offered. He darted quickly from the room and out the door.

I continued to stare intently out the window, my ears straining to figure out where the sound was coming from. I heard a disturbance outside and then found myself rushing out to check and see what had happened.

"Stefan!" I called as I looked around, the rain soaking me. I heard a rustling in the nearby trees and I approached slowly.

"Stefan!" I called again. There was still no response. I paused just before the large trees. Where could he have gone? I thought to myself. Just as I was about to turn I heard something come behind me. But whatever it was, it was too quick for me.

Without notice I felt a sharp sting in my neck and then after that everything went black.