Entry #1

For over a century, I have lived in secret. Hiding in the shadows, alone in the world. Until now. I am a vampire. And this is my story.

I shouldn't have come home. I know the risks. But I have no choice. I have to know her.

I hunted before I left for school. I wanted to make sure my never ceasing hunger for blood was quenched, even if it was never fully satisfied, before I surrounded myself with all those walking, talking, pulsing heartbeats.

As I strolled across the Mystic Falls High School campus towards the administration building, I was aware that my progress was being tracked by dozens of pairs of eyes. I ignored the stares and entered the building.

Maneuvering my way through the milling teenagers in the hallways, my ears picked up amusing bits of conversation. 'Who is that?"', 'He's hot!", 'Where did he come from?' 'Who cares where he came from, just so long as he stays!'

I tuned the comments out as I entered the office and addressed the secretary behind the desk. I introduced myself and handed her the admissions paperwork I had filled out. She accepted them with a smile and quickly scanned through them. Her smile faded as she told me that the paperwork was incomplete because I hadn't included my immunization records or transcripts. Trouble was, I'd never been immunized against any diseases,because vampires can't catch them, and it had been close to fifty years since the last time I had enrolled in school of any kind.

I lowered my sunglasses, catching her gaze, and asked her to check again. The compulsion worked to my relief, and she proceeded to tell me everything seemed to be in order. I thanked her and left the office.

I headed for the men's room down the hall,still ignoring the various looks and comments my presence garnered from the other students. I reached the bathroom just as the door opened and SHE came out of it.

Elena Gilbert. My sole reason for risking my very existence by returning to Mystic Falls. She was even more gorgeous than I remembered. Exquisite face. Long ebony hair. Amazingly rich brown eyes. My pulse ratcheted up a notch just being in such close proximity to her. Her unique scent teased my senses and made my mouth water.

I quickly clamped down on the surge of Power, keeping myself in check, at the same time watching in fascination as her cheeks flushed. Hastily she started to explain why she was coming out of the men's room, before giving up and just telling me it was a long story.

We did a little side step move around each other as Elena brushed past me with an embarrassed smile and I proceeded into the men's room.

I saw her again throughout the day as we had a couple of classes together. Her close proximity continued to assault my senses, messing with not only my control, but my concentration as well. If simply being around her is going to jeopardize my control, I was going to have to be even more cautious. I would have to feed every day and work even harder to keep myself under control. Leaving wasn't an option. Not when I was this close to actually getting to know her.

When the last bell rang, I was so relieved. I was the first one out of my seat and out of the classroom. It was imperative that I put some distance between not only me and Elena, but me and all those walking food sources. I dashed into the forest and after gorging myself on the warm, salty blood of two rabbits and a squirrel, I made my way to the cemetery.

I always made it a point of visiting my parents, other relatives, and old friends, every time I came home. As I strolled through the rows of graves, glancing at names of the newly departed, I felt a surge of Power brush past me. Fog slowly rose from the ground upward, shrouding the cemetery in its denseness.

I peered around me, reaching out with my own Power, but didn't touch on the one controlling the fog. I started walking toward the gate, noticing that the fog was beginning to dissipate. I rounded an angel statue and practically ran into Elena again.

She was out of breath and had a frightened expression on her face. She let out a gasp when she saw me and I quickly asked her if she was okay. She quickly told me that she had encountered a large crow, along with the fog I had noticed, and my pulse ratcheted up a notch. Another vampire had definitely been in the cemetery with us.

I smelled it then. The rich, intoxicating elixir of blood. In her haste to escape the crow and fog, she must have fallen and injured herself. I cautioned her to examine her legs, and when she did, she revealed a large gash on one calf. The sight and smell of her oozing blood hit me like a sledgehammer. I felt myself losing control and turned quickly away from her so that she wouldn't notice. I suggested she go home to care for her wound, and fled from the cemetery as if the bats of hell were chasing me.

I lost control today. Everything I've kept buried inside came rushing to the surface. I'm simply not able to resist her. I have to know her.