PLAYING WITH FIRE
Prologue: Maybe It's Time
by W. A. Ravensdale
Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of its characters.
A special thank you goes to RunningInAir and SapphireKisses for their amazing beta work!
My twitter: WARavensdale
Peace.
She felt completely at peace as the calmness of the deep, dark sea surrounded her. Silence enveloped her, and she pleasantly welcomed it. Her eyes fluttered open.
As she smoothly floated underwater, the surroundings bewitched her, and all she could do was let her blurry gaze observe them in awe. Beneath her danced the bottomless darkness – trying to lure her in like a beautiful siren. It was persuading her with its simplicity and mystery. She felt vulnerable but at the same time curiously alive and free.
Why was it that the dark always managed to suck her in? To tempt her and dominate her so easily, when the light struggled and fought for her attention?
And even though the blackness excited and enthralled her, she couldn't help but shudder at the secrecy and complexity of the intimidating void. It mocked her, making her feel like it knew a fascinating secret which she would never grasp – like it was better and much… more than her. It was simultaneously simple and confusing, easy to understand yet tangled.
The thoughts swirled in her head, and before she could think about it further, her eyes skipped to the brighter, friendlier, crystal-blue water which embraced her with its purity and honesty. Even though her vision was blurred and her eyes were starting to throb, she could make out the rays of sunlight penetrating the water level above her. The light danced in the water as various different colors played around her, but the allure of the darkness beneath soon won over, and she disappeared further into the unknown.
It was so perplexing and frightening – she never knew what was lurking in the shadows. Deep down, she was at the mercy of the cold water and complete darkness. Danger and adventure always charmed her and captivated her – that was the main reason why she kept being who she was, kept doing what she did.
She absolutely hated dull and uneventful days; she believed life was to be lived to the fullest – she just believed truly living meant doing and dealing with things that were out of your comfort zone. For her, life was all about pushing her limits and achieving the impossible.
A few bubbles escaped her mouth when she sank deeper, and the pressure in her ears magnified. She knew it was time to turn around and get some air in her system, but she stubbornly willed herself to go just a little lower. Her lungs burned from the lack of oxygen, and adrenaline rushed through her body at the sensational feeling of numbness.
Time stopped as she weightlessly floated in the cool water. All of her worries just vanished, and an indescribable serenity washed over her. The world could wait – now was just about her. There weren't many places or people that could make her feel as peaceful and calm as the deep sea did, and she wasn't ready to let go of that feeling just yet.
The equanimity unfortunately only lasted a few seconds before the panic took over, and her body instinctively moved towards the light, desperately trying to hold on just a bit longer.
Her body jerked out of the water, and she drew in a long, devastating breath. The water gracefully slid down her face, and her heart pounded furiously in her chest. The feeling was twistedly euphoric.
Reality came crushing around her the moment she opened her eyes, and with a sly smile, her gaze fell onto the distant, luxurious yacht. It was time to leave the glamorous Mediterranean Sea behind.
It was time to go home.
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