Mystic Falls, a place that seems to pull you back no matter how far you go. A beacon for the supernatural. In this case a small town where everyone knows everyone.
Aaminah Gilbert, The eldest of the Gilbert's, and half sister to Elena Gilbert, has r...
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2 x 16 Wednesday March 31, 2010 5:00 pᴍ
A𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐏𝐎𝐕
"Welcome To Mystic Falls"
I grimace as I pass the sign. It was a clear indicator that I was back home. No matter how far I am from this town, it seems to pull me back.
After years of living in New York, I'm returning to this god-forsaken town. If it were up to me, I would have gone back to Syracuse, New York. That was my home. Though I spent fewer years in Syracuse than Mystic Falls, it was my home. I have great memories in Syracuse. Sadly, I had to leave to pursue my degree in California. It has been nine months since I last came here, and I dread returning. There are so many unwanted memories here.
I didn't want to stay in California, but I didn't want to return to Mystic Falls either. Whenever I tried to talk Nina out of moving back here, she would always bring up why we were moving back in the first place. I had people that I loved here who patiently waited for me to return and she has been getting her witchy juju visions. Nina isn't one to disregard visions or signs. She's heavy on the universe leads you.
As much as I couldn't stand returning, it felt like the right thing to do. I had to return to the remaining family I had.
"How does it feel being back?" Nina asks.
"You know how I feel, you little shit. I don't understand why the "universe" wants you here. I could have moved back to Syracuse." I grumble.
"Us! Not just me, us. It mostly has something to do with you; we just have to find out what." She chuckled.
I sigh deeply as I lay my head against the window. "Why'd it have to be in Mystic Falls? Why not Hawaii? Or Italy?"
"Because Mystic Falls is a supernatural beacon, same as New Orleans. I'm happy it's Mystic Falls and not New Orleans. The witches there are something crazy." She shudders.
"I think this whole move was premeditated. If it weren't, then our house wouldn't be done." I accuse.
"You got me there. I've been getting this vision for a while now." She laughs as she turns onto an off-road.
"Boo, you whore." I hiss jokingly.
"Yeah, whatever. I know you miss your family. Well, besides Elena." She smiles.
"Ugh! Don't remind me. I just can't wait to hear her whining." I grimace.
"Usually, in my experience with half-siblings, they either get along very well or don't talk at all. Yours is a work and a half." Nina tsked.
"Tell me about it. I had to grow up with her nagging and tantrums." I huffed.
This is why I have been dreading this return. Elena and her friends. They make my life here unbearable. No one is more self-centered than my sister. The attention must always be on her, or there will be hell. My adoptive parents never corrected her behavior, and it caused her attitude to be worse.
Because of the apparent favoritism that Grayson and Miranda showed growing up, I have become very selective about who I call my family. It wasn't hard for me to disassociate myself from them, but it hurt.
Growing up in the Gilbert's house wasn't great. I never felt like I belonged with the family. Everything about me screamed different. From my head to my toes, I was different from my parents, and they made it known growing up. I used to think the micro-aggressions I went through growing up were normal until I found out my dad was my Uncle John, and he taught me that they weren't.
Grayson and Miranda weren't suitable parents for a black child. I had a lot of insecurities throughout my childhood, and if it were not for my dad and Grandma Sheila, I would have been a different person than I am now.
After discovering John was my father, my parents, specifically Grayson, started treating me differently. They had stopped treating me like their child and more like a niece. At first, it hurt. Anything I would tell them was disregarded, but if Elena told them anything, it would be met with excitement, or they would believe her.
It sucked because my dad couldn't take me away. He would visit Mystic Falls more often. I'd spend all my time with him until he had to leave. When I finally turned eight and started third grade, I joined any extracurricular activity to ensure I was never home. That is when I took an interest in fashion and sports.
Which leads me to now, an owner of a successful fashion line in pursuit of 4 degrees, which was all thanks to my dad. After growing up in that household, I realized that my family is the one I made it with. I smile, thinking about seeing the people who have supported me and loved me wholeheartedly, Jeremy and Theodore Donovan.
We finally pull up to the house, well castle, and I gasp in shock.
"What the fuck! This was definitely premeditated, you bitch." I squeal as I look at the design of the castle.
"You showed me this design two years ago! I helped you design it. You told me it was for a client." I recall.
"Surprise! You are the client." She says cheekily. I huffed as I got out of the car. Of course, leave it to Nina to do some shit like this.
"Wait, does that mean you have had this vision for two years? Why didn't you tell me?" I whine.
"Because it wasn't time for us to go. The vision was spaced out, so I knew it wasn't urgent then. They recently started coming frequently, so I knew it was time." She says sheepishly.
"Whatever. Let's go in. I want to see the inside. Luckily, you sent the movers ahead of us." I smile.
Maybe it won't be too bad.
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Hello, my beautiful people!
So here's the revamped chapter 1!
I thought it'd be better to have it shorter than the original chapter 1, which was 30-something pages!
I also thought it would be better to separate her back story and introduce more of her character throughout the book instead of unloading everything in the first chapter, lol.
Please let me know how you feel about this.
Keep the old version?
Like the new version?
Thank you all for your support and patience while reading this story.
