Self destruction is such a pretty little thing
-Asking Alexandria, To the Stage

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Elena woke up with a start, panicked when she found herself attached to machines. She couldn't focus, and her first instinct was to scream in fear that she was being tied to a bed. But then when her vision cleared, she took in the surroundings: She was laying in a comfortable bed in the middle of a dark room. There was a little nightstand and a catalogue, and when she took it in her hands weakly, she read the words "Saint Mary's hospital". It was then that she realized that she was wearing a thin, cotton nightgown.

Right at that moment, a woman in her mid 20's came in the room, carrying a tray. She smiled at Elena and put the tray on the nightstand.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I…What happened?"

"You were brought in yesterday," The nurse said. "You have a minor concussion, nothing too serious, but you need rest. The doctors were afraid that you'll be in a comatose state, so it is important not to fall asleep," She explained while handing her a glass of water.

"How long have I been out?"

"Five minutes, give or take. It hasn't been that long."

Elena nodded her head, still not understanding. "I don't understand. Did someone call the police…?"

"Police?" The nurse said, confused, "No. You were leaving your apartment, and you fell down the stairs. A man found you and he phoned an ambulance. You were struggling to stay awake, but you lost consciousness for a few minutes. It hasn't been that long, dear."

"What stairs?" Elena asked, looking at the bruises in her arms. "I was attacked. In the alley. I…I was going home."

"Miss Gilbert, I think you need to rest," The nurse said gently. "There has been a minor head trauma."

"No," Elena said, "I was attacked, in an alley…"

"Miss Gilbert," the nurse said again, "A doctor will check on you in a few minutes. It is important to stay relaxed. Are there any family members or friends you'd like me to call?"

"No, thank you," Elena said politely.

"Good. Please, rest. A doctor will be visiting you soon."

"Hello, Miss Gilbert."

Elena sat up, her back straight, and shook the man's hands. He was quite tall, in his late twenties, and had dark brown eyes and a hazelnut hair colour. He gave her a gentle smile.

"I'm Doctor Saltzman," He said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit dizzy, but I'm fine…"

"Very well, Miss Gilbert…"

She was feeling very uncomfortable. It had been way too long since she was reminded who she was-To her, Elena Gilbert was nothing more than an illusion, maybe a memory of a life she once had.

"You might have a minor concussion," the doctor said as he examined her, "You hit your head pretty hard, but not hard enough. Do you feel any tingling or numbness in your arms or legs?"

"No," She said.

"Double or blurred vision?"

"A bit blurred…"

He continued to ask her questions until he eventually nodded his head. "You have nothing to worry about, Miss Gilbert. However, I do suggest that you stay here for a day or two, and you have to tell me if you feel severe pain in your head, drowsiness, and decreased coordination. I will also ask you some ability questions tomorrow, to make sure that your memory isn't affected."

At that, Elena's eyes widened. "No…I can't stay here…"

"Miss, I strongly suggest that you'll stay here," The doctor said. "You might need further treatment."

Elena closed her eyes. This couldn't be happening! She didn't have enough money to pay for the hospital expenses!

Doctor Saltzman came in front of her. "It is your choice, Miss Gilbert. However, I do not think that it is a good idea to go home." He sighed. "I know that no one likes it here, but it's for the best."

He turned to leave. "Oh, and a man asked me to give you this."

At that, Elena's eyes snapped open, and she looked at him with confusion in her eyes as he handed her an envelope.

"If you need anything, just press that button over there," He said. "It is important to not fall asleep. I will call a nurse to check on you."

Elena nodded and he left, leaving her alone in the darkness. She looked at the envelope and opened it slowly, taking out a single piece of paper. There wasn't much to read, however it was the most perfect handwriting she had ever seen in her life.

The payments are being covered, it read.

It was a long night for Elena. She couldn't stop thinking about the letter…who could possibly be paying her hospital expenses? He probably didn't even notice that she was gone, and Elena didn't have any friends who could pay for her expenses.

A nurse came in, and had instructed her that if she wanted to sleep, she'd have to be woken up after fifteen minutes for the first two hours, then hourly for the rest of the night, to make sure that there wasn't a risk of a coma. Elena thought that it wasn't worth it to sleep, instead she lay awake, thinking about what her life had become in the past few days.

She was nearly raped, for Christ sake. She was still under a shock, yet no one in the hospital seemed to care. She couldn't understand how she ended up in the hospital, either, and a part of her was afraid-There was this sudden bad feeling inside of her and she didn't know what was causing it.

With tears in her eyes, Elena took out a picture from her coat, a picture that she carried with her everyday, wherever she went. A little girl with curly pigtails smiled back at her, and Elena's eyes welled up with unshed tears, as she held the picture closer to her chest.

"I'm so sorry…" Was all she said. "I'm so, sorry."

Morning came, and things at the hospital were pretty hectic. She was moved to another room, a bright, and beautiful room, and when Elena asked who was paying for the best room available, the nurses said that it was from a man who wanted to remain anonymous. Elena paid for nightgowns and clothes, fearing that if she returned home, he would be there. She didn't want to tell him that she was in the hospital-Not after what happened the last time she was there.

At about six, the nurse checked up on her and allowed her to have a little nap, which she was grateful for. It was the best nap she had in about a year.

She woke up a couple of hours later, and a nurse gave her breakfast before she was tested again.

When she returned to her room, however, she was stunned. In the middle of the room, there was a cute but giant teddybear, a flower, and 'get well soon' banners.

To other people, this gesture was sweet and romantic, but Elena couldn't think of anyone who'd send her these. It freaked her out, especially knowing that he wasn't going to be reasonable if she showed him the teddybear.

She picked it up carefully, however she couldn't help but smile when she felt how fluffy it was. She climbed on the bed like a little girl and hugged it close to her body-She used to do that when she was younger, more innocent.

Elena smiled a genuine smile, caressing the stuffed toy's paw. There was no name of the sender, however at that very moment all she could think about was how much she missed this-being at peace.

Elena couldn't stomach throwing the bear away, so when she got out of the hospital two days later, she made sure to hide it in the garage. When she reached her apartment, she heard his laughter way before she set foot inside.

She walked weakly and took a deep breath, going in slowly. When she entered, she found him on the sofa, his head laid back against it, moaning in pleasure. His hands were in a girl's hair, a girl who was on her knees in front of him, naked. In the meantime, another girl's lips were locked with his, and the room was filled with the faint smell of alcohol and sweat.

Elena felt like she was going to be sick.

He turned his face to her direction and smirked. "She finally returns."

"What the hell's going on?" Elena asked, trembling, seeing the mess on the floor, her face red as she felt vomit crawl up her throat.

He was in front of her before she could blink. "Why don't you join us, dear? Or have you been busy sleeping around these past two days?"

Elena bit her lip.

"Where did you go?" He growled, grabbing her roughly from her hair. "You don't answer your phone, you don't call…"

"I'm s-sorry…"

"Answer me," He barked, "Where have you been?"

"H-Hospital," Elena said at last. "I-I had a minor concussion."

"And who the fuck covered your payments?" He spat angrily, "If you're lying to me, Elena, I swear to God-"

"I'm not lying, please Mason…"

At that, he stopped, and Elena remained frozen realizing what she had just said. She started to tremble in front of him.

"Leave," He told the other girls, who immediately put their clothes on and scurried off without glancing back.

"I-I'm s-sorry…" Elena stammered.

"Sometimes you seem to forget that the same rules still apply," He smirked, playing with a curly piece of hair. "Sometimes I really think I should remind you, my Dark Rose…"

Elena flinched at the title he bestowed on her, reminding her that her name was also another thing he had taken from her.

"You do not refer to me by my first name, Elena," He hissed at her, "Never."

He stumbled away from her. "Clean up the mess. Now."

"What are you cooking?"

"Spaghetti Bolognese," Elena said, stirring the sauce, not turning around to look at him. She heard him scoff arrogantly, leaning against the chair, his feet on the table.

"Again?" He snarled.

"I…you haven't g-given me m-money…" Elena stammered, "It was the best I could do."

Elena had about five seconds head start to prepare herself for the painful slap, a slap that twisted her head around. She was about to cup her cheek to soothe the pain, but he pinned them down next to her sides.

"You dare demand my money?" He grinned evilly, taking her arm roughly and pushing her in front of the mirror, holding her by her hair. "Look in the mirror, Elena. You're in this position because of my kindness. Without me, you are nothing."

And he left Elena alone, rubbing yet another bruise.

December 19th, 2013

"You were missed last Saturday, sweet cheeks," The bartender told Elena once she entered "The Underworld". "The men couldn't stop asking about you. You're clearly their favourite."

Elena didn't say anything, because she knew that everything she'd say could be used against her. In fact, she knew the rules: She was there to entertain the clients. Nothing more, nothing less.

Elena went to the changing room-The theme in the club that night was something more gothic, and in fact, her belongings were already there. Studs, spikes…She put everything on without hesitation and focused on dark eye makeup.

She was the youngest dancer in there-Just seventeen years old-Not even legal to actually perform in this type of club. But Elena knew that he-Mason-had the power to do everything. The police feared him, and he knew lots of people-powerful people, not people like her. Mason could hurt one's family, he could kill, he could rape and torture. No one dared to challenge him.

And the worst thing was that he turned her into an object, a possession.

She nearly lost her balance when she put on high heeled boots, and one of the girls laughed at her. Of course, because they were here out of their own free will, she wasn't. She sighed, listening to the euphoric, dark music as she practiced her steps, before she went out on the stage.

The lights were dimming to a pitch black as the room fell quiet as the lights flicked on a single stoplight, tapered to a single point on the platform, creating a halo of light within the darkness. The low music beat stopped and everyone's attention was drawn inexplicably to her slim figure on the centre of the stage.

She gazed out into the crowd, watching heads turning of about twenty different men who were sat at their tables. All their eyes were fixated on her, no sound being made as she walked sensually to the edge, giving her fingers a quick snap as the signal to turn the music on.

She started stalking down the stage like a catwalk, heels hitting the ground with every beat and it wasn't until her hands closed around a thin metal pole that the show began. Her torso was wrapped in dark leather, gleaming black under the pulsing lights. It curved and twisted as she rolled her hips against the pole, inches of pale skin flashing through the bindings that lace up the back. Her legs gleamed as she hooked one around the silver pole, dipping her head forwards and pressing her hips firmly against the metal as she arched up and flung her head back.

Elena's hair flew back, catching the light at every turn as she slide down the pole.

There was whistling and cheering from the crowd as Elena bent down, while putting her hands on her ankle, spreading her legs apart. She mental thanked herself for all the years of cheer-leading she did. Gasps could be heard and Elena knew it was time.

She slid her hand from over her hips up to and over my breasts slowly, catching the string on her leather corset and placing it in to her mouth. She gave her neck a quick flick and the bow came undone slightly, giving her room to breathe.

She grabbed onto the pole at about eye level, with her right foot behind her, flat on the floor and her left foot kept straight before swinging it around, her hands inching down before
she came to stand again, unzipping her skirt, letting it fall to the floor at her feet as she kicked it to one side, leaving her bottom half in a lacy pair of panties.

Elena gripped the pole again in her left hand positioned as highest point as she could get it before gripping it with her right as well, at her waist, and then she slid down smoothly, sensually.

It was then that she caught his eyes-a pair of icy blue eyes, watching every movement. And then, like always, Elena felt strange, as if someone was taking her oxygen.

She locked her eyes with his as she concluded the rhythm, and there were whistles and claps. She walked backstage, picking up the tips, and ran-This time, she had to see him. She had to get to know him, the man who always watched her-Who made her breathless.

And this time, it worked-She found him near the exit, a drink in his hand, casually leaning against the wall.

"You," was all she said.

"Elena," He said, almost sensually.

At that, Elena froze. No one here knew her name-Not her real name, at least.

His eyes were piercing blue as he smirked, inspecting her-There was dead silence between the two of them.

"Why…Why are you giving me all this money?" Elena asked almost desperately.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Don't you want more five hundred dollar tips?"

"I…Of course I do," She admitted. "But I don't know you. What do you want from me?"

He didn't answer her.

"Can you at least tell me your name?"

"I told you last time," He said seductively. "I'm Damon."

"How d-do you know my name?"

He raised an eyebrow again, then smirked, taking a few steps towards her. Elena semiconsciously took another one back until she was pinned against the wall, with Damon standing in front of her as he placed his arms next to her sides, caging her in.

"I know a lot of things, Elena," He whispered suggestively, his breath on her neck. "I've known you for quite a while."

And then his hands were stroking and kneading her flesh, and Elena had to suppress a moan, feeling this strange desire, the usual dizziness whenever he was near-Was it because of the smell of leather, scotch and cigarettes?

"I know a lot of things about you, Elena," He whispered again against her cheek, as she closed her eyes. He slid his finger down her cheeks to her lip, pulling it down, his nose almost touching hers.

"But I don't know you," She said almost robotically, as if she had no control over her body anymore.

"Yet," He smirked at her, turning around.

And by the time Elena went to follow him, Damon had been long gone.

A special thank you to PorkChopSmall for her help on the "Pole Dancing Scene", as that scene is mostly her work. Thanks a lot, and check her stories as they are amazing. (Can't Be Tamed is my favourite)

I hope you enjoyed it and please review.