Immortal Strangers: The Experiments

Chapter One: A New Start

Today was going to be different. Damon and I hadn't been in contact for a while now. I feel like it's safe to move forward with my life. Or at least what this part of my story is. I left the place that I had called home for the last several years and found myself being drawn to a new place. I can't quite put what it is about this small town that felt like it was pulling me in. Was there something new here? A new start? Another chance at living my life like a normal person?

When I first got to Hawkins, Indiana. The first thing I did was find a safe place to hunt. I wanted to make sure no one would find me. There were a lot of different places for me to hunt safely and that made Hawkins seem like the perfect place to settle down in. So I did, and I'm still here today. The next step at getting past everything, all of the pain, that my brother had caused for so long. Was developing new relationships with new people. People that I could interact with without feeling like they were going to pick apart everything I did. Without worrying about whether they were going to kill someone I loved. Today was a new day, with everything around me pulling me in. I decided that I would find somewhere to call home. I knew it was time to begin my new life.

"Welcome to Hawkins Family Video, if you need anything let me know. My name is Steve." The man behind the counter at the local Family Video store spoke as Stefan entered. Bells jingled above the door as his hand outstretched and pulled it open effortlessly. Steve was hard for him to read but he seemed very distracted. So with a nod, he made his way to the older movies section. Was he there to rent a movie? Not really, but he wanted to get to know the locals and see who was around. A girl came from the back and Stefan peered over the shelves at her as she approached Steve.

"Dude, have you seen this new shipment?" Steve stood up straight and shook his head.

"No, what's in it?" Her eyes grew wider and she grabbed his elbow to pull him along. "Robin, we have a customer." He attempted to point in Stefan's direction but she glanced over at Stefan and back at him. After a few seconds, she managed to pull him into the back room. Part of him assumed that they might be together but he couldn't tell just from that small interaction. Now that he had the store to himself, he comfortably continued to browse the selections they had. Though he focused his hearing to try and eavesdrop on the two just to make sure everything was okay.

"I told you. Isn't it crazy? I found it like this." It was clear that Robin was confused by something. The shipment? Did that mean new movies that had come in?

"Why does it have this goop all over it?" Steve questioned, his tone was disgusted.

"Hey, don't touch it!" Stefan heard a slapping sound and smirked to himself. She must have slapped his hand away.

"Well, how can I figure out what it is?"

"Gloves, dingus..." There was silence and then after about a minute, he heard them shuffling through things. "Gross!" She proclaimed and Stefan was starting to grow more curious.

"So gross. You know what it looks like?" A moment passed of silence before he could hear Robin speak.

"No..." What did it look like?

"Yeah, it does. Like that shit that was all over the trees and killed all the farm crops that year." Stefan needed to know what they were talking about. The two of them knew what was going on and that meant they wouldn't say anything too obvious to the outsider. So he needed to do a little more investigating. Making his way to the counter, he tapped the bell. "Uh, just a minute!" Stefan heard Steve's voice say and the smacking of him removing the rubber gloves as he came from the door which led to the backroom.

"Hello." He stared at Steve and smiled nicely and glanced to the door and then his gloves. "Is everything okay?" Steve's eyebrows raised and he nodded.

"Oh, yeah. I think, uh, something with the shipment. Nothing to worry about. Did you need help with anything?" He seemed agitated and nervous. Why?

"You know, I know a thing or two about movies. I might be able to help?" Steve shook his head.

"No, no. It-it's fine. I think, uh, the movies might have just fallen or something. They're really dirty."

"Dirty?" Stefan cocked his head to the side slightly.

"Yeah, they just have this weird gross gunk all over them. It's happened before." Steve attempted to play it off as though it was normal. Stefan wasn't stupid though nor was he one to be disturbed easily by things.

"Mind if I take a look?" Steve once again seemed uncertain and shook his head.

"No, no we can't let customers in the back room. Sorry." He nodded.

"That's fine, you can bring me one of the tapes. I also have a lot of knowledge in chemicals and I might be able to tell you what's on it." He paused, swallowed, and glanced back at the door.

"Uh, Robin. Can you bring me one of the tapes?" He licked his lips and took in a breath as he turned back to Stefan.

"The gross ones?"

"Yes, Robin..."

"I guess..." After a few seconds, she appeared from the back room with a VHS tape in her gloved hand. "Why?" He looked at Stefan and she looked in response. "Oh, uh, it's nothing to worry about. Our movies are perfectly fine. We'll just have to send this shipment back." With a smile, Stefan looked at her and stepped over to the tape. Taking one of Steve's gloves that he had in his hand and took it from her. "Oh!" She yelped as Stefan began to investigate it.

"This isn't gunk..." Just from being near it, Stefan could feel the evil. He could sense that whatever this was it was not normal. That it was dangerous and he needed to figure out where it had come from. "This is dangerous stuff. I've never seen anything like it before but the smell alone is potent." He closed his eyes briefly before looking at them. "Where did this shipment come from?"

"Oh, all of our stuff comes from local people. This is a shipment of donations we received. They usually go through some investigation before we get them to make sure they're not scratched, broken, torn... etcetera." Robin's response seemed forced and practiced. It was just something they said when someone complained about a donated item that might be broken. "This whole shipment came from one place though. I'm thinking it's just old items. I don't think that this stuff is still growing anywhere anymore." She tried to reassure Stefan but he wasn't reassured at all.

"Anymore? So you've dealt with this before?" She nodded to him and glanced away to think for a moment. "Could you show me?" She pulled her eyebrows together and opened her mouth to speak but then turned to Steve.

"Uh, sir, I don't think that's appropriate. She's working and I'm not even sure she'd be able to show you. She wasn't there when it was." Steve was trying his best to prevent Robin from having to go anywhere with Stefan. He wasn't a creep or a pervert though. His only intentions were to help them and so the only thing he needed was for someone to show him.

"You can show me. It doesn't have to be her or maybe even both of you. We could all go? When do you guys get off work?" Steve visibly swallowed and Robin took in a breath.

"Okay, look we don't even know you. I appreciate your concern, sir, but this is not something we're willing to share with a stranger. I'd like to ask you to leave." It was that serious. They weren't willing to show a stranger. It was suddenly starting to make sense why he felt so strongly pulled toward Hawkins.

"I'm not a normal stranger. I'll be back tonight. I just want to help." Stefan nodded to them and turned just as they had asked and left the store. He could feel their eyes on him as he slipped into his vehicle to leave. Starting the engine, Stefan stared at them through the windows. They looked back at him but he turned his head and backed out. What was this substance they had found? Where had it been growing before? Why was it growing? This seemed very serious. Whatever it was, it was not safe for anyone to be around.