Unlike most people, I remember several moments from directly after my birth. The memories are hazy and flickering, but still present. Comfort surrounded me as I laid in my Grandma's arms. But as the hospital's fluorescent lights stung my eyes, I grew confused. Why was I so small and weak? How was I alive? Where were my little sisters?
My grandmother wept for weeks after my birth. Her only child had died while giving me life. Just barely two years after losing her husband. I was all she had left from the family she had built.
During this time, I focused on the memories of my past life. The births of my sisters, graduating high school and college, falling in and out of love. But the harder I tried to recall these echoes, the faster they faded away.
As my sisters' faces flashed before me one last time, I remembered the last moment I was with them. We were happily singing along to "Next 100 Years", when something powerful slammed into our car and we were thrown upside down, dangling from our seatbelts.
Realizing that my sisters had died alongside me, and I was now without them, my will to remember diminished. I stopped fighting for control of my new mind and allowed the memories of my previous existence to fade away. I, Allison Montgomery, was no more.
Alice McCullough, granddaughter of Rosa McCullough, born minutes before the death of my mother, Pauline. That is who I am now. With my father's name having never been revealed, I was deemed an orphan. With no one else to claim me, my Grandmother Rosa welcomed me into her home.
Grandma Rosa was only 40 at the time of my birth, just 3 years older than I was at the time of my death. But she certainly hadn't planned on raising a newborn in her middle age. Thankfully, with the life insurances from my grandfather and mother, she managed to raise me all by herself for 5 years. Money wasn't the reason she decided to return home to her sister in Mystic Falls, it was my awakening.
On my 5th birthday, I had begun levitating in my sleep. My grandma pushed off the idea of asking her little sister for help. It was after a few unfortunate displays of my power that she came to terms with the fact that she couldn't raise a budding young witch by herself.
Growing up, Grandma Rosa's mother was very disappointed that her eldest didn't possess the powers of our ancestors. So when she met my Grandpa Paul, she married him and moved with him to his hometown of Stayton, Oregon. Together they had my mother Pauline, and she too showed no signs of being a Bennet Witch. So it was a great surprise that I would be one. It was with great hesitance that she turned to her sister, Sheila, for help.
She returned to Mystic Falls with me in 1991. Great-Aunt Sheila's daughter, Abby, had just married a bright young man named Rudy Hopkins. So with thoughts of teaching magic to another child years away, it took Sheila a moment to accept what was being asked of her. Desperate for her sister's help, Grandma quickly explained her reason for coming to her, "I can't teach her what she needs to learn. I know almost nothing about magic. What little I do know is already not enough to manage her abilities. It's not just the levitation. Last week a neighbor kid tripped her as she was getting off the bus. All she did was stare at him and his nose started bleeding."
Sheila immediately understood the magnitude of the situation. Most witches didn't begin displaying such abilities until their teenage years. My training had to commence quickly. Without instruction, my powers could've ended up controlling me. So for three years, Sheila focused all of her spare time on teaching me.
Countless times she explained and reiterated the meaning of being a Bennet witch and how to focus the flow of my energy. Many spells were unnecessary for me to learn, as I could inherently perform them. Sheila couldn't explain my powers, which were growing to match or even exceed Emily Bennet's. It's as if there's something stronger that fuels my abilities, something more potent than just my Bennet Ancestors.
During this time of basic training, I was kept away from other children. I was homeschooled and spent years only playing by myself or with my grandmother. It wasn't until I displayed complete control of my abilities that I was permitted to mingle with outsiders. Just in time for my cousin Bonnie's first birthday party, Sheila granted me permission to rejoin society.
I loved knowing I was allowed to attend. Also in attendance were three of the founder's families and their children. Abby had met Kelly Donovan and Carol Lockwood at a prenatal appointment in her 8th month of pregnancy. Learning that all three of them were due within 3 weeks of each other, they became acquaintances and began meeting once a week to discuss their pregnancies. It was out of politeness that she invited them. Throughout high school she had been passing companions with Elizabeth Forbes and close friends with Miranda Gilbert, so it was only natural that they would attend as well.
As a lonely 8-year-old, I was ecstatic to meet so many new children. Upon meeting the one year old Tyler Lockwood, I was overcome with an unexplainable feeling of jealousy at seeing him in his father's arms. I wished to be the one he was holding. I had never felt that way when I saw Rudy holding Bonnie. So why had this feeling suddenly appeared?
I next met the 16 month old Caroline.
"Hi! Will you be my fwend?" The toddler asked.
"I'd love to, but Aunt Sheila says I have to be careful around babies." I replied.
"I's not baby." Caroline retorted and blew raspberries at me before stomping away.
The next meeting left the parents in excited confusion. Noticing something special about the 20 month old Elena Gilbert and the woman holding her, I walked up to them.
"Hi. I'm Alice. Abby is my mommy's cousin. Did you know my mommy?"
"I'm sorry, sweetie. I never met her. Why do you ask?" Miranda asked me in kind interest.
"You remind me of her." I continued looking at Miranda for a few moments before moving closer to her. Ignoring the toddler on her lap, I reached out my arm to the mother's midsection.
"Oh. It's a baby. Why is it so small?" I asked in confusion, as I sensed the embryo within her womb. I placed my hand on the woman's stomach and smiled.
"It's a boy." I informed the then bewildered Miranda. Before Miranda had a chance to respond, I was called back to the party table.
"Alice. Dear, come and meet Ms. Donovan." Rosa ordered me.
Listening to my grandmother, I turned around and walked back to the table filled with a few gifts and cake. I stood next to my Grandmother and looked up to Kelly holding her one year old son.
"Hello Ms. Donvan." I greeted her politely.
"Hello, Alice. It's nice to meet you. This little guy is my son Matthew and... Victoria, where are you hiding?" She paused her introduction to twirl around to the 3 year old hiding behind her legs. Kelly reached out her hand to her daughter and prompted the toddler to walk in front her to meet me.
"This is my daughter Victoria. I know she's a bit younger than you, but would you like to play with her while the babies have tummy time?"
"Ok." I gave a simple reply and held my hand out to the little girl.
"I'm Alice." Victoria shyly lifted her arm out to shake my hand. As our palms touched, we both cried out in shock from an unknown surge coursing our bodies. Unable to handle the sudden information attempting to bombard our brains, we both collapsed in sudden exhaustion.
February 5th, 1994 is the day the memories of Allison and Tara Montgomery have returned to the souls of their owners. The two-and-half year-old Victoria Donovan awakes crying. Remembering the pain of her brain hemorrhaging as she lost her life.
"Oh, honey. Are you okay? What just happened?" The voice of her new mother calls out.
She sniffles and blinks her eyes to wash out the tears.
"Ma-mama?" She asks in confusion.
"Yes, honey. I'm right here."
"Sisters." She mumbles to herself and finds annoyance in her limited ability to enunciate.
"Do you mean brother? Mattie is right here." The kneeling woman shifts the child in her arms to face her daughter. "Are you okay, honey? Can you stand?"
She shaked her head no. She isn't sure if she can move. The memory of her mother's face is conflicting within her. In one image, her mother has red hair, thin lips, and brown eyes. But the other, the women in front of her, has brown hair with thick lips and hazel eyes. She looks down to her own hair and was dissatisfied to find it a dark blonde instead of medium orange.
I awoke as this transpired, I groaned at the pain in my head. 37 years of knowledge had shoved itself into my small body. As I look at the toddler across from me, flashes of another face cross my mind.
"Tara?" I ask. Was this girl my sister? Had she been reborn too?
The toddler's eyes widen before she nods her head yes.
Having misheard the me, Kelly replies, "Tori? That's a nice nickname. Are you alright?".
"Yes. We accidentally bumped our heads against each other. We should be fine." I come up with a lie. I stand up and take a step towards my sister. "Come on, Tara- Tori," I correct myself. "Let's go play." I hold my hand out to her for the second time of the day.
The toddler takes my hand and uses the leverage to stand up. As she takes my hand, the image of my my previous face flashes before her.
"Allison?" Tori questions.
"Alice." I correct her.
The celebration around us resumes as the worry for the girls falls away. I lead Tori over to a tree, a few yards away from the nearest guest. With no eyes on us, I take the chance to hug my little sister.
"Oh, Tara. I'm so glad you're alright. I'm so glad you're here."
"What's hap-hapen-ning? We died."
"I know. But I remember everything. Everything from our past lives."
Victoria nods. "Where are we?"
"Mystic Falls. I don't know how I know this, but we were reborn into this world. It's exactly like the world of The Vampire Diaries. I think this is our new home."
"I'm- I'm Vicki?" Tori asks.
"Yes. Kelly is your mom and Matt is your brother, so you must be."
"Does that mean I'll die?" Tori asks solemnly.
"No. I won't let that happen. You can be different."
"Who are you? In this wold?" Tori tries to pronounce.
"I'm a Bennet. Sheila is my great-aunt."
"Are you a witch?" Tori asks in sudden excitement.
"Yes." I reply with a smile. "And a powerful one too. When I was 5, I started training with Sheila. I will protect you."
"What about sisters?" Tori asks, remembering their absence.
"I don't know." I reply sadly. "But, if you're here, maybe they are too."
Before we can discuss further, we are interrupted by Deputy Forbes.
"Hi girls. It's getting cold, so it's time to come inside."
"Okay." I obey. I make sure my sister is walking safely towards the door before I move myself. Noticing my hesitation, Elizabeth places her hand on my shoulder and begins guiding me. As I look toward the woman beside me, memories invade my mind.
Seeing the image of Damon meeting Deputy Forbes, I recall what comes next. Stefan will catch Damon feeding on their nephew's pregnant girlfriend and his attempt to control Damon will lead to the deaths of the Salvatore Boarding House's guests. This of course, will result in the Founder's Council restarting. Luckily, I also recall the date of their deaths, May, 10 1994.
I still have time! 'Damon doesn't come home for at least two more months,' I think to myself. If I can master the aneurysm spell, I can save Gail from dying. Then Damon might not be tempted to kill Zach for reminding him of his humanity. Sarah could be raised in the home she was meant to be. But would that be the best for her? To live in a town full of mystical forces? My wisdom is overpowered by an unexplainable protective urge over the unborn child. I can't let Gail die. I have to protect the baby. I need to get stronger.