𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐲 | 𝐭𝐯𝐝

-prologue-

My breathing hitched as my car rolled into my old home. It was new, all except for the same sign to welcome people into the town. There were fewer trees and more of a fuel and human smell. Expected.

I parked outside of the nearest bar I could find and looked around. I wore jeans and a white shirt, nothing special. I was tired and bored. But overall hungry. I walked into the bar/grill. It was mostly candlelit and dim. Coming in from the bright sun made it nearly impossible to see through everything, but yet I still managed to sit at the bar. "Rough day?" A voice asked next to me. I turned to see a man with blonde hair and a blonde stubbled beard. He had a cup of beer and seemed stress. "Yes. Yes, it is." I mumbled back. "You look like a friend of mine." He chuckled. The man seemed harmless. "Well, I'm obviously not. How long have you lived here?" I questioned. I asked for a glass of bourbon and the stranger answered, "A while. Maybe a year or so now. Did you just come into town?"

"Yeah. I actually did. I used to live here many years ago. It's changed a lot." I raised the glass up to my lips and could smell vervain. I slowly put it down. They know. "Really? What was it like when you lived here?"

I thought of his question and smiled, remembering the old scent of fresh-cut wood that used to linger. "There weren't any roads. There were dirt paths, maybe gravel at some places. The houses were either larger or small, there wasn't an in-between. It used to smell divine, Stranger. I mean-" I began rambling. "Alaric." He corrected. "Alaric," I repeated. "It smelled like wood, fire, and Earth. We didn't appreciate it back then, but now I'd die to be there again."

"Wait, you're a vampire?" He whispered. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. "You don't go around asking people that, Alaric." I snapped. "No no, trust me. I have friends who are species I didn't even know existed three years ago." He promised. "Well thank you for the talk, but I'll be leaving now. I'm not exactly in the mood to chat anymore. Until next time, Alaric."

"Wait, I never got your name."

"River. River Ambrose."

-

I found the closest apartment complex and went up the elevator. A man was banging on a door. "Keep it down!" He yelled. "What's the problem?" I asked. "My neighbors are so obnoxious! They've been screwing around all night like rabbits!" He spat. "Calm down. No need to shout." I scoffed. "Don't tell me what to do."

I stared into his eyes. "What do you think about life right now?" I compelled. "I hate it. It's too hard. I got laid off by my boss and-"

I snapped his neck. I didn't ask for his life story. I dragged him into the open door and into the bathtub, then picked up a box of cigarettes from the bar and a lighter. "Thanks for the room, man. I appreciate it."

I lit the cancer stick and took a long drag before letting the smoke leave my lips. I then walked out to the balcony, which was small and only big enough for one chair, and put the lit cigarette out. I walked back in with a smile.

I'm back, Mystic Falls.