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My heart was racing in my chest as I sat up on the couch. As I grew accustomed to my surroundings, I noticed the familiar features of the Salvatore Boarding House. Confused as to what happened, I swung my legs over the side of the couch and prepped to stand up just as Damon entered the room with a weary look on his face. The moment he noticed me, his expression brightened.
"Anna, you're awake. How are you feeling?"
"I have a headache, but for the most part, I feel okay." I replied, noticing his worried glances. "Why, what happened? How did I get here?"
Damon sighed deeply, walking up beside me and placing a gentle hand on my lower back. "You might want to sit down."
"Why?" I stepped away from him. "What happened, Damon?"
"Katherine," he responded in a somber tone. "She attacked you in the Mystic Grill last night."
"What? How come I don't remember-" I began, but trailed off as fragments of memories flashed through my head. I saw Katherine pulling me into the girl's bathroom and compelling me to leave the restaurant before she attacked me out front. I saw her fangs flash in my line of sight as she fed me her blood and snapped my neck. "Oh my god. I'm a ....."
"Yes." Damon nodded, frowning as he saw panic cross my eyes. "You're transitioning into a vampire."
"No!" I screamed loudly, grasping the hair on the top of my head in frustration. "No! This can't be possible! I can't be a vampire! I haven't even graduated high school yet!"
"I'm so sorry, Anna. I never meant for this to happen."
"This happened because of you! Katherine told me I was her revenge against you. I'm dead because of you!" I paused, feeling my head start to spin. "I'm dead. I am dead."
"Anna-" Damon began, but quickly paused to catch me as I stumbled forward. "Woah, easy there. Your body will start to shut down if you don't feed soon."
The realization of what I was becoming overwhelmed me, and I broke down crying. I felt myself sink into Damon's comforting arms as I slid to the floor, my face in my hands. As I sobbed uncontrollably, Damon simply held me, whispering reassuring things in my ear. He placed a soft kiss on my temple every so often, never wavering with his comforting. The two of us sat like that for at least an hour, neither of us really having a conversation, but rather me trying to cope with my new life, and Damon being right there to be with me while I did so. After some time, I felt my tears lessen and I pulled back to look into his blue eyes.
"I don't think I can do this." I whispered after fully catching my breath.
"You are stronger than anyone I know, baby." Damon smiled warmly, brushing my hair away from my face. "You made an amazing human, a fantastic girlfriend, and you are going to be an even better vampire. I know it."
"How can you be so sure?" I asked quietly.
"Because I know you." Damon kissed the tip of my nose. "You will get through this. You will live the life you've always wanted, and you have an eternity to do it. You will prosper and thrive as we all know you would do, and I will be right here by your side as you do so."
"You promise?" I sniffled, clutching his closer to me.
"I promise." He nodded. "Now, how about we get you accustomed to your new life source?"
I grimaced. "Do I have to?"
"If you want to achieve all you have planned for in life, then yes, you have to." Damon chuckled. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll make sure it tastes good. I can even mix it in with one of those fruity drinks that you like."
"Okay." I replied, cracking a slight smile.
"You can do this." He gave me one last reassuring pat on the back. "Remember, I will always be here by your side, helping you along the way."
