Part 3
Despite her earlier resolve that reading a person's diary, even if that person was dead, was wrong, Jane had gone back to the library that evening to find out the real story of Fell's Church. The library was shut by the time she got there. She cursed mentally, and took out a credit card, using it to open the door and sneak in.
She hadn't noticed any security guards or anything around, and no cameras or anything. She should be okay. She wasn't going to do anything wrong. She just wanted to read the diary. As she began to read once again the uncomfortable feeling of being watched slipped over her again.
She shook her head, telling herself off for being stupidly paranoid and immersed herself in the story in the diary. Weird didn't even begin to describe the events that had happened in the town.
Jane didn't know how long it took her to read the thing from start to finish, she just knew she had to read the whole thing. By the end she realised she was actually crying. No wonder people were giving her funny looks.
But if this story were true...there would be a grave in the cemetery then. She *lived* in Elena's house...she was in Elena's very room. The first parts of the diary, talking about boys and friends and dances and campaigns for dance queens...they could have been written by Jane's own hand.
But mysterious new boys, vicious attacks, sexy, mysterious older men...vampires...they were unique to Elena. Nothing like that had ever happened to Jane. She wasn't sure what to do with all the information she'd learned.
She stood up, deciding to go home. She wanted to take the diary with her, but didn't. She put it back on its shelf, vaguely wondering how much it would cost to photocopy the whole thing.
But she knew from Sarah that Elena's story wasn't the only thing that had happened. A year or so ago, something else had happened too. One of Elena's old friends Bonnie was back in town. That was what had started everyone whispering again.
She wondered what had happened to Stefan, the first gorgeous boy who had come and started the chain of events. Maybe he was still around and still available. She felt herself smiling at that.
"Hello Elena," a deep voice said as a shadow became solid. "Have you missed me?"
Jane blinked, looking up at the guy standing in front of her. He wasn't that much bigger than her, with wavy dark hair, and eyes like black pools. "You're Damon." She stared at him in utter disbelief. Damon was the shorter brother, wasn't he? And the nastier one. Oh dear.
"Well you remember my name, so that's something." His lip curled in an elegant sneer. "Florence wasn't to your taste, I take it? And from the looks of it, neither was my brother." He sounded rather pleased about that.
Jane opened her mouth to ask him what the hell he was talking about. She'd never *been* to Florence, and from the sound of Elena's diary, Stefan actually *was* a hell of a lot more to her taste.
Then she realised. He'd called her Elena. He thought she was Elena.
"I'm not Elena," she said, wondering if she should tell him who she really was. But she had a sinking feeling if she lied, he'd know, and lying to a vampire probably wasn't such a hot idea. Vampire...she was standing in front of one. One who was five hundred years old, give or take a few years.
Damon looked at her, frowning a little. "You're not Katherine reincarnated are you?"
"I sure as hell hope not!" Jane snorted. "She was the crazy one, right?"
Damon smiled again, like a cat stretching. Jane wasn't sure she wanted to be in his presence for too long. She didn't want to be his midnight snack. "To be polite, yes. Who are you?"
"Jane Keaton. I just moved here."
"Into Elena's old house."
Had he been that crow that had been following her? She'd convinced herself she was imagining it. Elena had said Damon changed into a crow. Oh great, she thought sourly. Maybe she should have acted with more caution before letting him know she knew who he was.
"You'd be stupid not to be scared," he said casually.
Jane glared. "It's not polite to read people's minds, you know!" she snapped.
Damon chuckled, rich, deep and disturbing. "I don't do polite."
Jane knew now was the time to get out of there. Despite how gorgeous Damon was she would trust Elena's word that he was bad news. Even though he'd held helped out at the end of the story, she'd rather be safe than sorry. She didn't want to end up like Elena had.
"I'm leaving now," she started, starting to brush past him and hurry for the exit.
Damon already beat her there, smiling invitingly. "So soon?"
"I...I have homework."
"All right. See you round."
And he was gone. Just like that. Jane blinked, wondering how he'd managed to leave so fast, without her even hearing a sound. She found herself breathing a huge sigh of relief now he was gone. Her skin hadn't quite stopped crawling.
She opened the door, only to find herself facing another figure. The woman looked to be in her early twenties, tall and slender with a mane of golden hair cascading around her shoulders in gentle curls. Her eyes were the colour of moonstone, her elegant lips frowning at Jane in disapproval. Her outfit was a blood red top and white leather pants.
~Please don't be Katherine~ Jane thought.
The woman smiled unpleasantly, almost seeming like a female version of Damon. "Naughty little girls like yourself who bite off more than they can chew get into trouble."
Jane blinked. "What? Who the hell are you?"
The woman laughed, the sound was like glass breaking, sending shivers running down Jane's spine. "You'll find out soon enough, Elena. I promise." And with that, she did the same disappearing act that Damon had done.
* * *
Despite her earlier resolve that reading a person's diary, even if that person was dead, was wrong, Jane had gone back to the library that evening to find out the real story of Fell's Church. The library was shut by the time she got there. She cursed mentally, and took out a credit card, using it to open the door and sneak in.
She hadn't noticed any security guards or anything around, and no cameras or anything. She should be okay. She wasn't going to do anything wrong. She just wanted to read the diary. As she began to read once again the uncomfortable feeling of being watched slipped over her again.
She shook her head, telling herself off for being stupidly paranoid and immersed herself in the story in the diary. Weird didn't even begin to describe the events that had happened in the town.
Jane didn't know how long it took her to read the thing from start to finish, she just knew she had to read the whole thing. By the end she realised she was actually crying. No wonder people were giving her funny looks.
But if this story were true...there would be a grave in the cemetery then. She *lived* in Elena's house...she was in Elena's very room. The first parts of the diary, talking about boys and friends and dances and campaigns for dance queens...they could have been written by Jane's own hand.
But mysterious new boys, vicious attacks, sexy, mysterious older men...vampires...they were unique to Elena. Nothing like that had ever happened to Jane. She wasn't sure what to do with all the information she'd learned.
She stood up, deciding to go home. She wanted to take the diary with her, but didn't. She put it back on its shelf, vaguely wondering how much it would cost to photocopy the whole thing.
But she knew from Sarah that Elena's story wasn't the only thing that had happened. A year or so ago, something else had happened too. One of Elena's old friends Bonnie was back in town. That was what had started everyone whispering again.
She wondered what had happened to Stefan, the first gorgeous boy who had come and started the chain of events. Maybe he was still around and still available. She felt herself smiling at that.
"Hello Elena," a deep voice said as a shadow became solid. "Have you missed me?"
Jane blinked, looking up at the guy standing in front of her. He wasn't that much bigger than her, with wavy dark hair, and eyes like black pools. "You're Damon." She stared at him in utter disbelief. Damon was the shorter brother, wasn't he? And the nastier one. Oh dear.
"Well you remember my name, so that's something." His lip curled in an elegant sneer. "Florence wasn't to your taste, I take it? And from the looks of it, neither was my brother." He sounded rather pleased about that.
Jane opened her mouth to ask him what the hell he was talking about. She'd never *been* to Florence, and from the sound of Elena's diary, Stefan actually *was* a hell of a lot more to her taste.
Then she realised. He'd called her Elena. He thought she was Elena.
"I'm not Elena," she said, wondering if she should tell him who she really was. But she had a sinking feeling if she lied, he'd know, and lying to a vampire probably wasn't such a hot idea. Vampire...she was standing in front of one. One who was five hundred years old, give or take a few years.
Damon looked at her, frowning a little. "You're not Katherine reincarnated are you?"
"I sure as hell hope not!" Jane snorted. "She was the crazy one, right?"
Damon smiled again, like a cat stretching. Jane wasn't sure she wanted to be in his presence for too long. She didn't want to be his midnight snack. "To be polite, yes. Who are you?"
"Jane Keaton. I just moved here."
"Into Elena's old house."
Had he been that crow that had been following her? She'd convinced herself she was imagining it. Elena had said Damon changed into a crow. Oh great, she thought sourly. Maybe she should have acted with more caution before letting him know she knew who he was.
"You'd be stupid not to be scared," he said casually.
Jane glared. "It's not polite to read people's minds, you know!" she snapped.
Damon chuckled, rich, deep and disturbing. "I don't do polite."
Jane knew now was the time to get out of there. Despite how gorgeous Damon was she would trust Elena's word that he was bad news. Even though he'd held helped out at the end of the story, she'd rather be safe than sorry. She didn't want to end up like Elena had.
"I'm leaving now," she started, starting to brush past him and hurry for the exit.
Damon already beat her there, smiling invitingly. "So soon?"
"I...I have homework."
"All right. See you round."
And he was gone. Just like that. Jane blinked, wondering how he'd managed to leave so fast, without her even hearing a sound. She found herself breathing a huge sigh of relief now he was gone. Her skin hadn't quite stopped crawling.
She opened the door, only to find herself facing another figure. The woman looked to be in her early twenties, tall and slender with a mane of golden hair cascading around her shoulders in gentle curls. Her eyes were the colour of moonstone, her elegant lips frowning at Jane in disapproval. Her outfit was a blood red top and white leather pants.
~Please don't be Katherine~ Jane thought.
The woman smiled unpleasantly, almost seeming like a female version of Damon. "Naughty little girls like yourself who bite off more than they can chew get into trouble."
Jane blinked. "What? Who the hell are you?"
The woman laughed, the sound was like glass breaking, sending shivers running down Jane's spine. "You'll find out soon enough, Elena. I promise." And with that, she did the same disappearing act that Damon had done.
* * *