𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 | 𝐭𝐯𝐝

26

"Sundance? You aren't supposed to be here. No no no, you're just a child." I lifted my head. It was fuzzy around me, but it slowly faded. A face I never thought I'd see again popped in front of me. "Mommy?" I cooed, sitting up. She and a pair of arms embraced me. I looked up at my father. "What are you...what are you doing here, Sundance? You're merely sixteen." My father asked. "She isn't here, my love. She's a monster." I heard my mom say. I looked up at her. She was raising a stake over me. I gasped and forced myself to wake up. It worked.

I got up to my feet to begin my second week as a vampire.

It's been weird. To have everything heightened, to be hungry, and most of all, be away from my family. I have been staying with Stefan through this journey. He taught me how to hunt, control urges (though it is very powerful at times), and tries to repress my waves of anger. Keeping in the pain... it was hard when I first saw Damon.

The trees moved in sync with the wind. It was beautiful outside, almost like a welcoming into a new life. I almost broke a smile. The flower outside my window waved as a greeting. I could hear the birds outside. Today was a new day. A new life. A long adventure. I closed the curtain and turned around, only to see the man who created a monster-to-be. Damon Salvatore stood in disbelief in front of me. "Sun..." He began. Anger bubbled to the surface as I sped over to him at an unnatural speed.

"You did this," I remember saying. "I was intoxicated." The man spoke. I no longer recognized him as a friend. Rage filled my veins as I grabbed his throat and strangled him the way he had done to me. The way he did before he took my life from me. "How could you?!" I ran to a wall and kept him against it. Damon took it.

"You were supposed to protect me, Damon! You promised to give me a long and healthy life. T-to look after me and my children and grandchildren and let me die!" I turned around and threw him, reminiscing about a talk we had while drunk. "I was supposed to grow old and die!" I screamed. Tears rolled down my cheek. "Please...I didn't mean to- I..."

"Go away! Just leave!" I screamed.

Since then, a lot has happened. Caroline was turned into a vampire by Katherine, Mason Lockwood returned home (what a hunk by the way) but he was looking for a moonstone. Stefan and Damon noticed he was weird and ended up finding out he was a werewolf. Jeremy wanted to kill Damon but didn't. I get it. Stefan and Elena were finally reassured in their relationship. I was stuck at the Salvatores. How boring.

Downstairs I heard the door shut and Alaric's voice. I sped downstairs and hugged him. "Sundance." He let out a sigh of relief and hugged me back. "I missed class a-and the carnival...ugh how are you and-" I rambled.

It was true. I really missed the world. Now that I'm...this...I just want to explore, learn a few languages, and do whatever I desire. However, Saint Stefan has other plans.

"Anyway!" Damon cut in. "Thanks for coming, Ric. Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, bourbon? Bourbon in your coffee?" He said, pouring a glass. "I should put wood chips in your drinks." I thought aloud. Stefan snickered. "Elena mentioned you needed my help." Alaric ignored. "How is she?" I asked. Alaric looked down.

"We were hoping you could help shed some light on the Lockwood family." Stefan finally said. "Now, why would I know anything about the Lockwood's?" Alaric put his hands in his pockets. "I mean, my mother might." I leaned against the doorframe. "You said that she had spent years researching this town," Elena said, walking into the room. "Elena!" I chirped. I sped over and gave her a large hug. "You're crushing me, Sundance!" She gasped. I let go.

"H-how are you?" She asked. "Swell." Sarcasm was laced in my tone. She sighed. "Anyway, Alaric, you said that Isobel had spent years researching this town." I looked over at the man. "Isobel's research here in Mystic Falls rooted in folklores and legends but at the time I thought much of which was fiction. Like vampire and lycanthrope." Alaric explained. "Werewolves. Let's speak English here, Ric." I snickered. He cracked a sarcastic smile. "No way, impossible, way too Lon Chaney. I've been on this planet one hundred and sixty some odd years, never came across one. If werewolves exist, where the hell are they?" Damon shrugged. "Why do you suspect the Lockwoods?" The teacher thought. "Ooo ooo! I got this down," I cleared my throat and recited what I had heard Stefan and Damon talk about. "Because vervain didn't affect the mayor at Founders' Day but the Gilbert device did and it affected his son Tyler. And at the school carnival his uncle Mason exhibited inhuman behavior when he fought with one of the carnival's workers. It suggests it's some sort of a supernatural entity." I recited with a smirk. "We were hoping that Isobel's research could help us figure out what it is," Elena said. "Well, all her things are still at Duke. I mean her office is still there. She's technically still missing."