Lottie Salvatore // Vampire Diaries

Chapter 12

New Jersey, 1978
There's nothing like the taste of blood and the sound of screams first thing in the morning. And, my were there a lot of screams. I had come into this bar originally to just get a drink, and bring one or two cute drunks to some hotel, but like most days, I went overboard and killed everyone in the bar. It's not my fault though, the bartender pissed me off. I suck the blood out of my last snack. She has green eyes and red hair. Her karaoke song "I will survive" still rings in my head. A bit ironic in song choice. She's really very beautiful. Screams almost too loud. I feel her body go limp, and let her drop. Scanning the bar for anyone else, I wipe the blood of the corner of my mouth with my thumb and lick it clean. The taste of blood just seems to get better and better everyday.

I begin to leave the bar, when I hear a footstep behind me. I must have missed someone in the bar. I use my vamp speed and catch the culprit by the neck. Before seeing his face, I'm pushed to the other side of the room, with a forearm on my neck. This stranger is strong. But then this is no stranger.
"Elijah?" I question, putting a hand against his arm to fight him off me, although it was no use. He has not aged a day since I saw him last a hundred years ago. He was still very handsome. He wore a suit, and smelt like expensive cologne. He had beautiful dark eyes filled with disappointment, and a thin frown across his face.
He removes his arm from my throat and takes a step back. "Hello, Charlotte." He says, rubbing the blood that was on my neck off his arm "you've been making quite a mess."
I stand up straight, and stretch out my neck. "You're a vampire like me? What the hell are you doing here?" I ask, crossing my arms. He takes out his handkerchief and passes it to me, signalling me to wipe my face. I must not have gotten all the blood. I do as he signals, staring at Elijah as if I had seen a ghost.
"You are not difficult to find. You're leaving quite the trail of bodies." He says, gesturing to the bar full of people I just killed, "I saw many reports of animals attacking bars in Delaware, and thought you may need some assistance. However I did not think you would be this lost."
This makes me snap. Did he come here just to judge me? "Then leave." I say, tossing his blood-filled handkerchief back to him. "I didn't ask you to come. I'm doing fine on my own."
"Convince me you can live without killing a bar full of people, and I will happily leave you be." He says sternly, locking eyes with me. My gaze shifts slightly. Then he turns away, beginning to walk around at the bodies.
"Why?" I ask, searching for his attention, "we're monsters, Elijah."
"You still have the means to live a meaningful life."
"Bullshit." I say. I find my way to the bar, and reach over, pushing the old dead bartender off it, and grabbing some dark liquid. I take a big drink, and watch Elijah. He examines the bodies of my victims, giving some who are still fighting for their lives his blood, which heals them. He then compels them to forget and lets them leave. After he's checked every body, he walks over to me and takes the half empty bottle.
"Hey, what the hell!" I say, which he ignores. Then I take another similar looking bottle and continue drinking. He pours the liquor on the body's and makes a path to the door.
"I would suggest coming with me." He says, taking out a box of matches. "Unless you are wanting to go up in flames in this bar." I roll my eyes, but do as he says, standing beside him at the entrance of the bar. The bottle I was drinking from is snatched from me, and thrown onto the floor, which angers me even more. He grabs a jacket from the coatrack at the entrance and passes it to me. I look down at my clothes and notice I made a mess of my meal, so I put it on. Then, Elijah lights a match and throws it into the liquor, engulfing the bar in flames.
"Let's get going" He says, walking onto the streets of New Jersey. "It's time I teach you some restraint."
"And why the hell should I go with you?" I say, closing the bar door.
"Well, you do not have to, but if you decide against it, just know I will stop your next meal much earlier." He says, refusing to turn to me.
It was cold outside. I could tell by the frosted windows. But ever since I first tasted blood the cold wasn't a bother to me. The streets were empty. Most people were likely in for the night. I'm not sure what day it is, but it's likely not a weekend, because the streets were usually packed on those nights.
"So you're just gonna follow me around stoping me from feeding until I come with you?" I say, putting my hands on my hips.
This causes him to stop walking away, and turn to me. "Yes. This is no way to spend eternity, Charlotte."
"And why do you care?" I say, taking a step towards him.
"Because, the woman I met a century ago is still somewhere hidden behind this wretched killer I see before me," his anger fades from his face, revealing a twinge of sadness, "and she deserves to live a life full of culture and happiness." With this, he turns and walks away from me.
I hesitate for a moment, wondering if he would really hunt me down each time I killed. I don't care if he thinks I am not living my life the way he believes I should. Who is he to tell me how I should live my life anyway? No, screw this guy, I think. I turn away from him, and walk in the opposite direction. I continue my night by looking for the next open bar to snatch someone who's too drunk to care about dying.