The Vampire Diaries

Episode 10: Unpleasantville

Late at night, within the serene confines of the Whitmore residence , Ava and Julian lay in bed together, reflecting on the events of the previous day.

Ava's curiosity nudged her to inquire, "Julian, who was that man in the road?"

Julian's brow furrowed in contemplation. "I don't know. Do you remember anything else about him?"

"I wish," Ava sighed, her memory still clouded. "I never really saw his face. He was wearing a hoodie. All I can remember is that there were these black boots coming towards me."

With a sense of protective foresight, Julian reached for a box at the end of the bed. "I brought some vervain for you and Amanda." He carefully opened the box, revealing its contents. "And, um, I made this bracelet for Caleb, a few extra ones for friends."

Handing Ava the bracelet, Julian explained, "You can put it in jewelry, or you can even put it in food or drink, but as long as it's in you or on you, a vampire cannot control you."

Ava inspected the bracelet, absorbing Julian's advice. Julian then offered her a small vial of liquid vervain. Ava's eyes widened in realization as she picked up a dried-up branch of vervain from the box. "Wow. So much to remember."

"I know," Julian acknowledged, his tone serious. "But there's another vampire in town. So until we find out who it is and what he wants, we have to be careful."

Ava nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation, as they prepared to face the unknown dangers that lurked in their midst.

Downstairs, Caleb sat sketching at the dining room table when the doorbell rang. With a quick shuffle, he rose to answer it. A pizza delivery guy stood on the front porch, holding a warm pie in his hands.

"Hey. It's gonna be $22," the pizza guy announced, pulling the pizza out of the bag.

Caleb's voice echoed up the stairs as he called out, "Ava, I need the money! Uh, here. Come in. Just put it on the table."

With a nod, the pizza guy stepped into the house, placing the pizza on the table. As Ava descended the stairs, she retrieved the money from her wallet.

"Hi. Um, keep the change," Ava said, handing the money to the pizza guy.

The guy accepted the payment, offering a polite, "Thanks. And you have yourself a good night."

Ava smiled in return and shut the door. However, as the pizza guy turned to leave, he pulled the hood of his sweater over his head, concealing his features, and walked down the steps of the front porch. It became evident that he was the vampire responsible for Ava's car accident, and now, having been invited inside her house, a new wave of danger loomed.

At the Nightingale boarding house, Julian entered the library to find books scattered about haphazardly. His gaze fell upon Sebastian, who was rifling through the shelves with a sense of urgency.

"What are you lookin' for, Seb?" Julian inquired, his tone laced with curiosity.

Sebastian, without bothering to look up, replied dismissively, "Not your concern."

Julian's expression tightened with concern. "No, but putting Ava in harm's way, that is my concern."

Flipping through a book, Sebastian remained unfazed. "Hm hm. What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Virginia," Julian stated firmly.

Sebastian finally glanced at Julian. "Oh, yeah. Ava and I had a blast."