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ELSIE DONOVAN HAS always been cautious when it comes to driving. She knows how dangerous it is to be behind the wheel, that a life can be taken with a single mistake. Her accident last spring only made her more careful, but her mind is racing as she drives towards her house.
She's curious about the supernatural world. About the creatures that lurk in the shadows. She's also been calling her mother nonstop, because she wants to know about the adoption. Unsurprisingly, her mother hasn't called her back.
That's why she doesn't notice a vampire standing in the road until it's too late. She spots him at the very last second and gasps, swerving to the side of the road to try to avoid hitting him. Except when she does, her car spins out of control and before she knows it, the car flips. Her heart does a flip as she lands upside down, feeling the glass from her windshield breaking.
She coughs, her mind spinning from the situation. The Donovan girl attempts to move, only to find that her whole body hurts. She spots the man laying in the road and watches as he stands up, unbreaking all of the bones he broke in the crash.
He's a vampire, the Donovan girl instantly pieces together, feeling herself fill with fear. She forces herself to move and she tries to get her seatbelt off, only to find that she's stuck in the car.
The hooded vampire moves towards her, no doubt to end her life, but then he abruptly speeds away. Not moments later, Elsie is met with Damon's familiar crystal blue eyes. He kneels down beside the car, peering at her nervously. "How ya doing in there?"
She lets out a cry of surprise, inching away from him. All she can muster is his name, which comes out as a hazy whisper. "Damon."
"You look stuck," Damon observes as she heaves, feeling as though she can't breathe as she realizes she could've just been killed.
"It's my seatbelt," the girl tells him, having given up on getting herself out. Damon pulls the car door off before returning to her.
"I'm gonna get you out of here. I want you to put your hands on the roof," Damon instructs and she hastily does as told. "Okay. One, two, three."
He then effortlessly yanks the seatbelt off, resulting in her falling head first from the seat. Damon lurches forward, catching her in his arms. He eases Elsie from the car, carrying her away from the totaled vehicle bridal style. "I got you. Are you ok? Can you stand? Anything broken?"
Elsie shakes her head dizzily, the fuzziness only getting worse when Damon sets her down. She has a cut on her forehead, but Damon doesn't notice any other physical injuries. The only thing really alarming is how dizzy she appears to be. "Whoa, you're fading fast, Elsie. Look at me. Focus. Look at me."
The Donovan girl does her best to focus on Damon, trying to stay conscious. Despite this, she feels overwhelmed by the pain and dizziness. She only fights it for a moment before giving in. She falls unconscious, losing her footing in doing so. Damon catches her, only to take her to his car and start driving.
