𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 : 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

𝟎𝟎𝟏 ════ 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁

ESTELLA DELACOUR glared at the object that dared offend her, brown eyes fixed on the steering wheel in front of her. A deep annoyed groan left her lips, as she offhandedly glanced at her rose-gold watch realizing she was already late. Stygian smoke threatened to come out of her ears,  deep rage bubbling in her gut, silently seething and cursing her luck and fate.

Estella shifted the gear, pressing down on the accelerator harshly and the car let out a deep whine, refusing to move an inch. The brunette pressed down on the accelerator again, pressing all of her weight on it.

Abruptly the car jerked, roaring into life, almost crashing into the trash can.

Estella abruptly applied the brakes, her senses becoming acutely aware of the sound of her rapid pulse in her ears. Her heart seemed to thump violently within her chest. She inhaled deeply in an attempt to regain composure, merely allowing a flicker of memories associated with death to briefly pass through her thoughts before forcefully discarding them.

Once she calmed down, she started her car again, slowly moving into the street. Not even a second later, something black hit the windshield causing her to slam the brakes, the seatbelt preventing her from the momentum of flying outwards.

A harsh pain spread across her chest as a result, a loud shriek leaving her lips. Death crossed her mind again, having greeted her twice in the same hour. Once she calmed herself again she silently found herself questioning what the black thing was.

"What the--" Estella's brown eyes scanned her environment. 

The tall Victorian houses looked strange and silent as if they might all be empty inside, like the houses on an abandoned movie set. They looked as if they were empty of people, but full of strange watching things. She noticed a blackbird perched in the mailbox.

"A crow?" 

Estella squinted her eyes, forcing herself to focus on the crow, standing majestically in its glory, almost staring back.

It was the biggest crow she had ever seen, plump and sleek, with rainbows shining in its black feathers. She could see every detail of it clearly: the greedy dark claws, the sharp beak, the single glittering black eye.

Estela's mouth dried up, perspiration appearing on her brow. The longer she stared into its black eyes, the more convinced she became that the bird was staring directly into her soul. It flapped its wings and took off suddenly as if it had more important things to attend to. 

Surprisingly a sudden relief gripped the brunette, all of her muscles untensing as a result. She silently questioned her own actions, before shaking the jittery feelings away, starting her car and leaving behind her home and her thoughts of the crow.

Mystic Falls highschool. That was her destination.

Mystic Falls high school building wasn't anything interesting to look at; pale walls that stretched high into the sky, the large windows decorated with a dull burgundy stripe. A dull result of architecture that dated back decades.

Estella after parking her car, walked inside the school occasionally waving at a few familiar faces, giving them a bright chirpy smile, as their eyes followed her, some in envy and some in admiration.

The air inside the school felt colder than the outside, and the brunette subconsciously rubbed her bare arms. The number of eyes on her didn't make her feel uncomfortable in the slightest; it fact she reveled in it, a strange drug to her veins. The way she could easily gain the spotlight was something she loved; contrary to what other people would think.