I know it's been awhile for this one, but I really want to continue this story. So here's chapter 3—a long one. Let me know what you think of it : )

Chapter 3—The Beginning of a Story

Mystic Falls—February 1900

In the middle of a cold, cool winter's day the town of Mystic Falls was bustling with life on the East side. Women and children walked down the streets shopping and playing, the men and women worked the shops and went about their business.

A typical day.

But on the other side of town…the west side, it was a different story. It was a much darker side of town and not at all bustling with life. The streets were muddy and cold, the people living there filthy wearing rags and looking more like walking zombies than anything else. Any passersby would see only a haunted town, a ghost town with the people there looking in shadowed forms and haunted looks by the people living there.

This was a day that changed everything—the start of a change.

A honking of a large black truck made the crowd part in the street as it past them at an alarming speed. Armed guards surrounded the truck wearing helmets and donning rifles.

Suddenly a shot rang out from out of nowhere. One of the guards fell to his death as a swarm of people—men wearing old, raggedy clothing and holding weapons, ran to the supply tuck knocking the guards over one by one to get to it.

Before the guards had time to react, one of the men immediately got behind the wheel, knocking the driver unconscious. The man wore a mask over his face to conceal his identity. Putting the car into motion, he immediately backed it up and drove off into the night.

The remaining guards were able to gain back their line. It wasn't long before they open-fired on anyone that stood in their way. Cries of pain echoed in the street as many of the men were shot everywhere. Their cries and screams of pain echoed even as the guards ran over to their dying frames before shooting them at point-blank range.

The rest of the gang scattered as the guards continued to shoot at anyone who ran from or toward them. Total chaos ensued as the other residents ran to safety in the nearby, although shabby, buildings for protection.

The entire thing lasted about 4 minutes total. In four minutes, about 15 of the townspeople were dead and about 30 others were injured. A few of the guards were also dead, but many of them had escaped.

A young man stood assessing the damage after the fire had burned down slightly. He was looking for survivors from his side of town.

Only to find no one left alive.

….

One Hour Later

A bar on the west side was extremely crowded as people from everywhere stood waiting, hoping for good expressions from the earlier raid. People, more specifically the men from this part of town, waited for the leader of the gang, the mastermind behind the food raid from the truck earlier, to speak on their behalf.

A man walked out from behind the counter. Wearing a leather jacket, black pants and boots as well as his short, brown hair slicked back he made his way through the crowd.

The leader of the gang stood up on the stage of the bar, holding his hands up for silence. Immediately he received it.

"My brothers! Comrades! Today went extremely well, despite a setback. The attack on the supply car was a success—we were able to take what food we could and it will be equally distributed amongst us for our families!" the man indicated to the bags and bags of food they had stolen from the supply cart just minutes ago. Applause followed this as the bruised and beaten men hungrily eyed what would sustain them for a little while at least.

He held his hands up to silence the room again. "Unfortunately…many of our own have fallen in this constant battle for equality. It is because of the rich fucking bastards on the east side that we face starvation and extinction! They have it all and toss us the bones! I must ask you—WILL WE CONTINUE TO ALLOW THIS?"

Angry shouts of NO and KILL THEM ALL! Resonated throughout the room. He smirked at the energy of the room.

"I promise all of you this—no matter how long it takes, our fallen members will be avenged! My sister, your brothers, wives, children, all of those who have fallen victim to this unfair way of life the damn "Founding Family" members seem to see fit will not have been in vain! I will personally make sure we survive, or we will DIE TRYING!"

The man stepped down from the podium in the bar to thunderous applause again. He smiled as he walked passed his brother. However, his brother could only give him a grim expression as they looked into each other's eyes.

A young man approached him as he was about to ascend the stairwell that led to the back of the bar.

"Kol, sir, it was an honor to fight for the cause today. I can't tell you how pleasing it is to realize we are actually doing something to solve the starvation problem here," the young man spoke with a little trepidism in his voice.

Kol smiled at him before shaking his hand in a firm grip. "Jeremy Gilbert! The honor is all mine! Yes, it was a small victory. But without sacrifice there would not be a victory. I'm tired of the Fells, Forbes, Lockwoods and especially the Salvatores taking everything from us! Our money became theirs, they take all of our good food supplies for their own and leave us with what's leftover and the guards on that side of town have beaten us for retaliating. Many who are taken prisoner never come back out alive. I thought it was time to make a stand and we did."

Jeremy's young face smirked back. "I promise you that I will do everything I can to help; just say the word and I'll be there!"

Kol smiled at Jeremy's spirit. "I know you won't disappoint me, my brother in arms. We will have vengeance for today, fear not. I'm working on a plan with my brother now that will ensure those rich bastards will not go unpunished for their wrongdoings. Trust me when I say this: It will be a killer of an ending."

…..

Small apartment building—West Side, a few hours later

Elena Gilbert sat at her easel, painting the beauty of the budding blooms of a flower cherry blossom tree. This was her favorite pastime because it relaxed her. Running a small hand through her long, chocolate brown tresses she proceeded to brush the pink color of the petals of the tree.

She loved the simple joys in life. She enjoyed working with what she loved—drawing those things that she felt were beautiful or whom she saw as beautiful. Not only could she sell her drawings for a small profit to put food on the table but she enjoyed it as well. She also had a small job as a waitress in the bar on the west side of town that helped them immensely when times were tough.

It was hard to think of a time when times for them were not bad. But she continued her life day by day—that's all she could do now.

Elena Gilbert was in her late teens now. Her parents had died many years ago from an illness, leaving her and her younger brother to fend for themselves. She quickly took on the role of sister and mother, for having no other choice but she had to remain strong for both herself and her brother. They had to figure out a way to survive. And they had.

Over the years she had developed her writing and artistic skills. Her work was eventually discovered and sold at certain parts of the east side of town. When that happened, she was paid and they were okay for another few weeks. This was rare but she was excited whenever it did happen. Other than that, her waitressing at different places helped her and her brother get buy.

As far as her love life went, nothing ever happened.

Sure, many of the men on the west side of town wanted to court and wed her. They thought that since she was a young unwed woman that they could marry her and protect her from what they called "the dark times to come." However, she had no interest in any of them at all. Just the thought of marriage and how it would taint her freedom made her sick.

And she knew times were tough, especially now. She had overheard some of the women in the building talk about the raid on a supply truck earlier that morning and that over 30 people were dead because of it. Thankfully she didn't know or recognize any of the names listed, but it was only a matter of time before it got way out of hand.

The sound of the front door opening caused her to stop mid-stroke.

Her younger brother Jeremy strode through the door to their little shack of a home. She heard his footsteps from his boots stride past her workroom.

"Jeremy!" she called, getting up from her work to see him. Wiping her hands on her small apron, she watched his retreating form heading towards his room.

From his stance, she knew something wasn't right…

"Jeremy, what's wrong?"

No answer.

"Jeremy Michael Gilbert, what the hell are you keeping from me?" Elena glared at her brother's retreating back. She loved him dearly but if he had been part of the fighting from this morning, she herself would be the death of him. Or at least she promised that the last time he participated in one of the fights.

Turning around slowly, Jeremy faced his sister. His face was covered in cuts and there was a bruise forming under his right eye. "Please Elena, don't start with me! I'm not in the mood-"

Elena was already beyond furious. Marching up to her brother, she smacked him across the face. "You were fighting again, weren't you?" she shouted.

Jeremy took the blow but not before glaring at his sister. He loved her just as much but even he couldn't stand her at some points. "Yes…yes I was, dear sister. And what exactly are you going to do about it?"

"Did Kol put you up to this again?" Elena seethed, feeling more furious now than she ever had before now.

Kol was one of the men who wanted her. While he was handsome with soft brown hair and eyes, she knew all about his business. He was one of the fighters, the leader of them to be exact. He wanted to spark a war between the poor and the rich on the east side of town.

"He didn't put me up to anything! I volunteered!"

Elena clapped a hand over her mouth. "No…please tell me…that you didn't! Jeremy, you're going to get yourself killed! Kol doesn't know what he's doing any more than you do! Going up against the most powerful families in the town is not a smart move, brother. What can I do to get that through that thick brain of yours?" Elena asked exasperatedly, sitting down in the nearest chair. Her heart was pounding with both rage at Kol of all people to include her only remaining family member into this ridiculous feuding and now this!

Jeremy immediately felt bad. Leaning down he sat next to her in the chair. "Elena…I'm sorry. I'm just so tired of this crap we've been dealt with. Don't you want a better life? One where we don't have to fight for our lives every single day? That's the reason I'm fighting—not just for Kol's cause, whatever that is, but for us. You and I deserve better than this Elena! I'm just trying to do my part," he explained before storming off to his room, leaving Elena dumbfounded.

Elena continued to stare into space going over everything they had been through. Yes, they had had a hard life but they were doing fine. She didn't want her brother getting involved with something that could and probably would be the death of him. This was a waging and mindless war that would end badly for all involved.

A war that would end with the deaths of hundreds.

No, no that did not sit well with Elena at all.

….

Brothel—Right outside of town—that Night

The brothel was bustling that night with excitement and sexual desires and tendencies. Girls of all sorts of different hair colors and states of undress walked around the place attending to the men that ogled them with dark and lusty eyes.

In the corner of the room was a large booth were only two men sat since this was the seating arrangement place specifically paid for-by one of them for their enjoyment.

One of them, a man with short, spikey dark blonde hair was enjoying the attentions of a brunette girl that seemed to be clinging right onto him. He kept whispering things in her ear and she giggled in response. His touches of her corseted bosom were becoming more and more frequent as the two of them consumed more alcohol.

This was Stefan Salvatore, respectable man from the east side of town and son to Giuseppe Salvatore himself.

At the other end of the booth sat a man with dark black curly hair. He watched as his younger brother enjoyed the attentions of the females that surrounded them. His striking blue eyes widened as he watched the activities of the place start to turn up a notch. Girls squealed with delight before being taken up the stairs to "private rooms" while others were flat out kissing and doing everything else. Gulping uncomfortably, he grabbed his small glass of whiskey before downing it in one gulp.

This was Damon Salvatore—eldest son of Giuseppe Salvatore known for his shyness and for, as his own father described him, a "disgrace to the family name."

Just at that moment, a young blonde girl with pigtails came over to him and sat right down on his lap. Damon looked shocked before turning a deep shade of red.

"And what are you doing over here sitting by your lonesome, love?" she lilted in a drunken southern voice.

Damon couldn't have been more horrified as the girl wrapped her arms around his neck, wiggling herself on his lap.

It was a moment before he spoke up. "Please stop that," he said in a whisper. The girl looked a little shocked.

"That's my job sir! I keep the gentlemen here company, and you could look like you could have some…loosening of the tension, if you take my meaning." She winked at him, her hand snaking its way down his clothed chest right down to his—

Without warning, he pushed her right off him and stood up. He was visibly shaking as the girl looked at him with surprise then disgust before storming off.

Stefan looked over at his brother in a weird glance. His brows furrowed at this rather unsettling display.

"Come on Damon, there's plenty of women here! No interest in any of them at all?" Stefan asked loudly, surprised. Some of the other men in the room were starting to stare at them.

Damon kept his head down, shaking his head back and forth before standing up and storming out of the brothel.

He heard a group of women giggling and laughing at his retreating form as he made his way outside. Ignoring them, he walked briskly away from the embarrassing establishment, trying to escape his own existence as he made his way back home, the other end of his misery in this life.

….

"What am I going to do with him, Anna?"

Elena and her friend Anna were walking along the edge of the woods in the line of trees on the outskirts of town. Anna was a little younger than Elena was but they had been friends for a long time. She had a shy, girly smile and a lovely face. Elena knew that Jeremy liked her, but didn't dare say anything about the issue. Elena was referring to her brother Jeremy in this instance.

"So…how do you see a solution to this issue?" Anna asked. She was a little nervous at being this close to the east side, especially one of the mansions. If they were caught…she shivered. She had heard plenty of horror stories about what happened to those who crossed the paths of one of the founding family members. She did not like to think about it anymore than necessary.

"I don't know but he's going to get himself killed! Kol will stop at nothing for revenge for his sister and he'd drag the rest of them down with him if that were what it took! I'm doing everything I can to decently put food on the table and make some type of living, but it's never going to be enough for Jeremy. He wants a cause to believe in and he thinks getting involved in this everlasting war between the rich versus the poor will solve that? Hmph,

Elena was no longer paying attention. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the form of a young man walking along the bridge of the river. He was walking slowly and looking down at his boots. It was when he stood up straight that Elena got a good look at him.

He was beautiful! Dark curly locks donned his head, his blue suit hugged him in all the right places for a man's body, his face looked like it had been carved and sculpted specifically for women's viewing pleasure. Even from a distance, Elena could tell this man was beautiful.

He didn't notice her at all as he stood at the railing of the bridge, looking down at the river below.

Elena had never been so mesmerized by a man before…until now.

Anna stepped over to her quietly, looking at the man that had caught Elena's eye. "I wouldn't Elena; he looks like he's from this side of town. He'd probably rather spit on us than look at us. Come on, let's go."

Elena reluctantly followed her but not without a second glance at the man leaning over the railing in a sad stance. He looked downright crestfallen! Elena wanted nothing more than to go to him and ask him what troubled him, but she risked death even being near this part of one of the founding family member's mansions.

Without another glance, she ran to catch up with Anna, trying to forget the sad-looking yet beautiful man she had just seen.

Without knowing why, she found herself wanting to meet him. However, it was wishful thinking: a poor girl meeting a hot, rich man no less.

Totally unfathomable.

…..