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MAY 23RD, 2009 THE FALLS
DAMON SALVATORE LAYS in the middle of a back road in Mystic Falls, waiting for his next victim when he lays eyes on Elsie Donovan for the first time. He slowly takes her in, from her blonde hair, dark brown eyes to the way she carries herself, like she's so certain of herself.
She's completely unaware of his presence, too engrossed in the phone call she's having with her friend, Elena. "Elena, you need to just rip off the bandaid and do it."
"I know, Elsie. You and my mom both are. I just can't bring myself to tell him. At least not tonight. My parents are on their way to come get us, so I'll meet you at the car."
Elena hangs up before Elsie can say another word. The blonde lets out a sigh, wanting Elena to get it over with. Elena is dating her brother, Matt, but she doesn't feel a connection. She loves Matt, but she's not in love with him. Matt, on the other hand, is utterly in love with Elena. She told Elsie about this, and Elsie is in a tough situation. It's killing her to keep it from her brother, but she can't hate Elena. You can't force yourself to love someone.
Damon gets a sense of deja vu when he lays eyes on Elsie, because she looks exactly like the only girl Damon's ever loved. This girl bewitched Damon Salvatore the second they met from her touch, her eyes, the way she spoke Damon's name.
His every thought goes back to the girl, and here he believes she's standing in front of him for the first time in over a hundred years. He speeds over to her in disbelief, stopping just a few feet in front of her. "Florence?"
Elsie looks at him for a moment before looking around to see if he could be talking to anyone else. Once she realizes they're completely alone, she shakes her head. "Um... no, I'm Elsie."
"Oh. You just look... I'm sorry," Damon struggles to find the right words once he realizes that she truly doesn't know who he is and that she's not his first love. "You just really remind me of someone. I'm Damon."
"How do I know you're not some creep?" Elsie demands, crossing her arms curiously. "I've lived here my entire life, and I've never seen you before. And I just so happen to meet you in the middle of nowhere. Are you gonna try to kill me, Damon?"
He blinks, slightly surprised by her bluntness. "Why would I do that? Besides, you're out here alone too."
"I normally don't have to worry about creepers, so it's not a big deal for me to go off alone," Elsie counters. "I just needed some time to think. My best friend is gonna dump my brother soon."
"Why, may I ask?" Damon questions as Elsie sighs tiredly.
"My brother is a planner. He's got his whole life mapped out in front of him, and she doesn't know what she wants. I can't be mad at her, because I mean... I'm seventeen. I don't know what I want out of life, so how can I judge her for not knowing either?"
