Vampire Diaries Imagines

Struggles in the Dark - Tyler Lockwood

I parked my car outside the Gilbert house, my heart pounding with worry. YN had been hiding away from everyone for the past few days and nobody seemed to know what was going on with her. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong. It was just figuring out what that was something is that was going to be the tricky part. Growing up with the YHC-haired girl, I knew that with how guarded she had always been, getting through her walls was going to be a difficult task in and of itself.

Elena and Jeremy had called me earlier in the morning to see if I could get through to her. I had told them it could possibly be a long shot with how long YNN had been avoiding everyone, but I would try the best I could. So here I was. She was my best friend and whatever she was going through I wasn't about to let her suffer alone. Jeremy and Elena were sitting on the porch when I approached, looking just as concerned as I felt. Her eyes were red-rimmed, as if she had been crying.

"Hey, Tyler," Elena greeted me, her voice heavy with concern. "Thanks for coming over."

I nodded, my throat feeling tight. "Of course, Elena. How is she?"

Jeremy shook his head, his expression troubled. "We don't know. She's been locked in her room for days. She won't talk to anyone, and she's barely eating. It's so concerning its scary."

My concern deepened. YN had always been strong and resilient, but whatever had her holed up like this had to be serious.

"Have you tried talking to her?" I asked, hoping that maybe they had more luck than I would.

The older sister sighed, her shoulders slumping. "We've tried, Tyler. We've knocked on her door, called her, but she just won't respond. It's like she's shut herself off from the world. Called Damon to see if he could get through to her, he got nothing out of her and that's her boyfriend. At this point you're the only option we have left. If her best friend since childhood can't get anything out of her, then I don't know what we're going to do. "

I exchanged a worried glance with Jeremy, then turned back to Elena. "I'll try to get through to her. You guys aren't the only ones worried; I can tell you that."

Elena gave me a grateful smile. "Thank you, Tyler. Just be careful. I don't know if YNN's fully broken down yet. If she hasn't then she hasn't then she's not far from it."

I nodded and headed inside, making my way to YN's room. I could feel the tension in the air as I approached her door, my heart pounding in my chest.

"YN?" I called out, knocking gently. "It's Tyler. Can we talk?"

There was no response, just a heavy silence that seemed to stretch on forever. I tried the doorknob, and to my surprise, it was unlocked. Maybe she wasn't trying to hide at all, just needed the right person to talk to. I pushed the door open cautiously and stepped inside.

YNN was sitting on her bed, her back to me. She looked so small and fragile, a stark contrast to the strong and confident woman I had always known. Her shoulders were hunched, and her hair hung like a curtain, hiding her face. It wasn't necessarily something I had never seen before, I had seen it just a few times before, but it never got easier.

"YN," I said softly, taking a step closer. "It's me, Tyler. Are you okay?"

Slowly, she turned to face me, her eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and exhaustion. "Tyler," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I... I don't know anymore."

I moved closer and sat down next to her, my heart aching for her. "Well, whatever it is you have going on, you don't have to go through it alone. We're all here for you."

She looked at me, her eyes filled with tears. "I just... I don't even know where to start, Tyler. It's all so messed up."

I took her hand in mine, offering what little comfort I could. "Start wherever you're comfortable, YNN. We'll figure it out together."

She took a deep breath, her voice trembling as she began to share her struggles. "It all started when I had that run-in with Kol a few weeks ago. He... he got into my head, Tyler. He used his compulsion on me, and I couldn't fight it. I did things... terrible things."

I tightened my grip on her hand, offering a reassuring squeeze. "It wasn't your fault, YN. Compulsion can make anyone do things they wouldn't normally do. Things they don't want to do, and they don't have a choice about the matter."

She nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "I know, but the guilt, Ty. It's eating me alive. And then there's this constant fear that he might come back and make me do everything all over again."

I could see the fear in her eyes, and I wished I could do more to comfort her. "We won't let him. Not me. Not Jer. Especially not Damon. God forbid someone even gives you the wrong kind of look the man is ready to tear their throat out."

She managed to give a weak smile, gratitude shining through her tears. "Thank you. But there's something else... something I haven't told anyone yet."

I leaned in closer, giving her my full attention. "You know you can trust me, YNN. What is it?"

YN hesitated for a moment before continuing, her voice barely above a whisper. "Kol turned me, Ty. He turned me. That's why it's so dark in here and I haven't been coming out. I've been having these cravings, these urges... and it terrifies me. I don't know how to tell anyone. I don't want them to think of me as some sort of uncontrollable monster."

My heart sank at her words. The thought of YN, one of the strongest and fiercest people I knew, succumbing to the darkness of vampirism was unimaginable. But I knew that we had to face this together. Speaking from experience, it's not an easy road to go down but it's easier with the people you love around you."

"We'll get you through this, YNN, I promise," I assured her, determination burning in my eyes. "But you know what you should do?" She shook her head gently. "Talk to your boyfriend. He can help you better than I can. Talk to your family. They'll always accept you no matter if you're human or vampire. Talk to your friends. Most of them are like you anyway, they'll understand. But don't shut us out. Every single one of us can help you no matter the problems you're facing."

YN nodded as her eyes glistened with gratitude and she squeezed my hand. "Thank you, Tyler. I don't know what I'd do without you."