I'd like to start off by thanking all those who have reviewed, followed and read! You rock!
But, let's get down to business, shall we?
Before you read the first chapter of In Another Life, you should know that all those who are vampires in the series will also be vampires in this story. Tyler (who will eventually appear) is the only exception however, as he is neither a hybrid nor a werewolf. For now, he's human, but as in the series he "only" has to kill someone to become a werewolf, so we'll see what happens...
I shouldn't delay you further.
Here you are ladies and gentlemen:
Chapter One: Crash
(Disclaimer: I own none of the characters)
"You are now entering Mystic Falls."
Stefan paid no attention to the sign. "Mystic Falls" would simply be another small town he'd pass through on his way to bigger cities, bigger goals.
He drove over an old bridge he could barely see in the heavy downpour, then through a patch of forest.
His phone was ringing non-stop in his pocket – the consequence of leading a multi-million dollar business – but he chose to ignore it. Lately he had felt like, rather than being on top of a skyscraper, he was lying buried beneath it, millions of tons weighing him down. He wouldn't give up because he wasn't that kind of person, but once in a while, even he deserved a break.
At last the ringing of the phone became too much for him and he decided to forward all his calls to his assistant. The road was deserted anyway - no one wanted to drive in this weather. So, with one hand on the wheel, he briefly looked at the phone screen.
When he looked up again, there was a man standing in the middle of the road.
Stefan tried to steer around him – but it was too late. There was a "thump" as the man hit the hood of the car and fell lifeless to the ground.
And then things really got out of control – Stefan hit the brakes immediately after hitting the man, but because of the rain the road was very slippery and the car skidded along to the edge where it crashed against a tree.
It took a moment for him to realize what had happened. He was embedded in glass shards from the broken windshield and the hood of the car had almost lovingly wrapped itself around the tree. And – he realized with a jolt – there was a branch sticking out of his stomach.
He had no choice but to pull it out – he counted down from three and at zero he ripped it out. If it had been steel or iron, fine, but wood... next to vervain, it was the worst material he could think of.
Kicking the car door open, he stumbled out, clutching his still-healing stomach. One look at the wreckage insured him that the car could be used no more. And it was nobody's fault but his own – and the man's.
The man.
Frowning, he returned to the road.
Indeed, the man still lay there. But before Stefan could as much as take a step towards him, he started to rise with jagged movements, looking not very unlike Frankenstein coming alive. He twisted his broken arms back into place with the confidence of someone who had done it before.
And Stefan just stared, unable to look away.
Finally the man was done and he looked back at Stefan, smirking.
"How...?" Stefan began.
The man looked pleased with himself. "I'm a vampire. What's your excuse?"
It was her 50th day without sun.
As soon as she woke up she rushed to the window as she usually did and peeked behind the curtain.
It seemed to be the perfect summer day – the sky was cornflower blue and the lawns glowed emerald in the sunshine. This was the kind of day when people gathered for BBQs or went to beach. Elena on the other hand would – sadly - spend the day inside again. Alone.
It wasn't that she couldn't go outside – she could. But then she'd have to wear jeans and a long-sleeved shirt and a hat with a wide brim. Even if she stuck to the shade, it'd be much too hot for her. Besides - who would she go with? Her friends had long ago abandoned her. She didn't blame them - it wasn't very easy being friends with a person allergic to the sun.
Her parents were gone over the weekend so she had the house all to herself, which of course made her feel all the more lonely.
She went down to the basement and spent the whole day kickboxing, an activity that let her vent her feelings and frustrations, of which she had plenty.
At midnight when it finally became dark, she could finally go outside for a short walk. No one was outside, the air was cool and the night full of cricket song. Elena thought that her neighbors were certainly missing out on quite a lot – as beautiful as day was, there was nothing that could beat the night.
But her brief happiness was cut short as she got a migraine and had to return back home.
She got an Ibuprofen pill out of the kitchen cabinet and went to the sink to fill up a glass with water. But, as she turned on the tap, no water came out.
So, after filling up the glass in the bathroom instead, she called upon a plumber to check up on the problem – she didn't want her parents to come home and realize something was up with the pipes.
He came surprisingly quickly, within half an hour of her call, even if it was the middle of the night. His name was – according to his nameplate at least – Alaric Salzman, and he was friendly enough, though also a little... smug.
While he poked around in the kitchen, fixing the pipes, Elena waited in the dark living room, for some reason feeling nervousity. Maybe because the only people in her house were usually her parents and the friends of her parents.
Soon enough, Alaric came out, wiping his hands clean on a handkerchief. Elena followed him to the door.
"The main pipe was clogged," Alaric explained. "By something that isn't quite uncommon to find in pipes. I cleaned it and put it on the counter for you to have a look at."
"Thanks," Elena said a little uncertainly. So much time in solitude had made her socially awkward, "Um, just send a bill. I'll pay it."
Alaric nodded slowly, looking ever more smug. He bode her forewell, then left.
Unable to sustain her curiousity, Elena rushed to the kitchen to see what the object was.
Alaric had been right – it was indeed an item that wasn't too uncommon to be found in pipes.
It was a necklace.
She picked it up carefully and observed it closely. It was more an amulet than a necklace actually. And the piece that hung on the brittle chain, adorned with small sparkling stones, looked very much like a heart. The literal kind.
She had never seen it before. And she was sure that it didn't belong to her mother or a relative.
What was she supposed to do with it?
And – most importantly – how the hell had it ended up in her house?
That was all for tonight!
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Oh, and I'm thinking about choosing a day (or two) for updating. What do you think about this and if you do like the idea, what day (or days) should I choose?
Until next time, go out and host a BBQ – the weather's beautiful,
CheeseSwiss