A/N I promised a new story and here I am with it. You guys will notice that this is in first-person unlike Road Trips and Realizations, and that's the case because this needs to delve into the characters. Anyway, time to have fun and remember to leave some review love!

Official Disclaimer

I do not own The Vampire Diaries. All associated characters and entities are the property of the CW and LJ Smith. Only the plot of this story is mine and this disclaimer applies to this chapter, as well as the entirety of this body of work.

Chapter 1 - EPOV

I can feel the power surging through me, endlessly dark and irresistible. My eyes and ears latch on to the sensory framework of the forest, rendering me completely aware and yet also befuddled by the sheer volume of stimuli. From somewhere to my left, Stefan's voice breaks through the figurative fog.

"Elena? Are you listening to me?" he says, and I whip my head around.

"I am." I scan the surroundings, trying to keep in mind that Stefan's teaching me. "What do I hunt?"

"Just close your eyes and try to latch on to the sound of blood. Find the nearest source and attune yourself to it."

I close my eyes as asked. Given the lack of visual stimulation, it's surprisingly easy to redirect my focus to my ears. The seconds tick by, punctuated by bird calls. One second passes. Two. Three. Finally, I hear it.

It's there, somewhere in the distance, and my entire body is telling me to go after it. My legs are itching to run after my target, to go chase down the sound of blood pumping through veins. Before I've even registered my decision to move, my body is already zipping through the underbrush. The world whizzes by in a blur, until I collide with the deer, my fangs sinking into the object of my desires.

The whole Twilight feeling draws a quick laugh from my lips, before I go back to relishing in the warm blood gushing down my throat. The taste is definitely off, but I manage. At least, until my mind is bombarded by a sudden memory of me and Damon.

"Katherine," he says in a whisper, looking at me with the bluest eyes imaginable.

I turn to see if he's referring to anyone behind me. Seeing no one, I say,"Uh no. I'm Elena."

Clear shock takes over his features for a moment, his head moving the slightest bit in his bewilderment. "Oh. You just look..." His eyes roam over me again, clearly processing the situation. "I'm sorry. You just really remind me of someone." A single heartbeat passes in the relative silence. "I'm Damon."

I stagger backwards, the carcass of the bloodied deer completely forgotten. Right now, all I can think about is the sudden rush of remembrance. Taking Stefan's lesson to heart, I close my eyes again, willing the memory to take over my mind once more.

"Not to be weird or anything Damon," I say, "but it's kinda creepy that you're out here in the middle of nowhere."

"You're one to talk. You're out here all by yourself."

"It's Mystic Falls. Nothing bad ever happens here."

How fucking wrong that turned out to be.

An interminable wait passes between us, before I admit the reason for my presence in the woods. "Got into a fight with my boyfriend."

"Bout what?" His hands go up, placating me. "May I ask."

I shake my head. "Life. Future." I sigh internally. "He's got it all mapped out."

"You don't want it?" He looks sure, despite his questioning tone.

Fuck. Even then he always saw right through me.

I shrug. "I don't know what I want."

Ha. Nice to know how consistent I am.

He is speaking again. Even though his stance is carefree, his voice is filled with the weight of innumerable experiences. "Well that's not true," he says. "You want what everybody wants."

My resulting smile is a challenge, wordlessly asking him if he knows me. My next words reflect the same sentiment. "What? Mysterious stranger who has all the answers."

He smiles at that, and I find my own grin growing wider. His gait is easy as he responds. "Hm. Let's just say I've been around a long time. I've learned a few things." His face is as expressive as ever, and I find myself entranced by it, if only for a brief moment.

"So Damon," I say. "Tell me. What is it that I want?"

I watch him come closer with every word, the confidence displayed on his handsome face. "You want a love that consumes you." His voice arouses unspeakable things. "You want passion, an adventure, even a little danger." His smile stops me in my tracks.

Jesus fucking Christ. That was the same thing I admitted to Matt. Being with Damon consumed me.

In the next second, I compose myself. The curiosity is back. "So what do you want?" I wait, delighting in his sudden and fruitless search for an answer.

The seconds tick by again. The sound of the car breaks the spell, so I turn around and glimpse the headlights. "It's my parents," I say. When I return to look at Damon, I easily lose myself in the prison, the inescapable ocean of his eyes.

"I want you to get everything you're looking for," he says, his voice sounding so very genuine. "But right now I want you to forget that this happened. Can't have people knowing I'm in town yet." He smiles for a moment, and then his face turns pensive. "Goodnight, Elena."

As soon as the memory ends, all thought of hunting gets obliterated from my mind. There is no talk of blood, no notions of Stefan. Even the forest, alive and vibrant, seems to fade into the background. There is only that moment, only that forgotten interaction between me and the elder Salvatore brother. I'm stopped in my tracks, I'm held hostage by the recollection. Somehow I don't even care that he compelled me. All I truly care about is my sudden epiphany.

"Maybe if you and I had met first."

Oh God. Damon and I did meet first.

"Elena, you okay?"

I turn my head in the direction of the voice, somewhat annoyed that he intruded on my moment. "Be quiet, Stefan."

"Is something wrong?"

"No," I say. I point to the deer and watch him smile at my evident success. "I'm fine, but right now I really need to find Damon."

I don't wait for his response as I speed away in the direction of the boarding house.

DPOV

I feel like I'm goddamned Atlas.

The weight of the whole world feels like it's resting on my shoulder, wearing me down into undeniable and embarrassing submission. Even the burn of bourbon down my throat does nothing to dull my awareness. Awareness of what, you ask? Well, let me enlighten you.

First off, Elena's a vampire. That fact highlights Stefan's sad inability to compromise her free will, which has thus far resulted in him saving Matt Donovan. Did I mention he saved Matt Donovan and thereby allowed Elena to die? Fuck. Don't even get me started on the whole Psycho Doctor She-Needed-My-Help bit. As if that wasn't enough, Stefan's the one teaching Elena to cope.

Say it with me here. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

In no fucking universe should someone like Stefan ever be allowed to teach Elena the basics of vampirism. Teach her how to brood? Fine, he has a fucking PhD in that fine art. Maybe teach her how to style her hair? Fine, God knows how much shit he puts in his 'do.

Teach her how to be a vampire, on the other hand? Fuck no. No, no, no, no, no. Just...no.

Well with that said, I'm going off kilter here, so let me reiterate my previous point.

I feel like I'm Atlas because I'm unable to move. Just like him, my movement equals the possible destruction of the known world. At least, the Stefan and Elena world, that is. If I move and confront her in the middle of their little hunting exercise, shit is sure to go down. After all, she's said it herself. She never un-fell for my saintly fucker of a brother, so everything between us has become moot. Even her hunting methods belong in Stefan's territory.

Her choice is clearly made, and my unfortunately epic love for her is saying I should respect that choice. Honestly, when the fucking fuck did I get so moral? I'm actually expecting my hair to turn into Stefan's shortly, so just you wait.

Still, though I may have rediscovered a small bit of my severely-damaged moral compass, I'm nowhere near Stefan's magnitude. So like any self-respecting, slightly lovesick fool, I drown my sorrows in glorious bourbon. I positively revel in the burn of the liquor, imagining that same fire burning away all my agonies and hurts. For a merciful moment, it works too. My mind clouds and my awareness grows ever more hazy. Even the armchair seems to be accepting me, willing me to become a part of its plush softness.

I'm finally succeeding in my quest to move on and to forget, until I hear her soft voice in my ear.

"I need to talk to you," she says, prompting me to open my eyes. Her brown orbs seem to be burrowing into my very soul.

"Talk to me about what?" I ask, trying to keep myself detached and nonchalant. Keep it cool, Salvatore.

She pauses for a second.

"I know I met you first."

Holy shit. The compulsion is gone because she's a vampire. Why the hell did my mind repress that vital piece of information? Bad mind. Baad mind.

In the next moment, my response to her is simple. Truthfully, I don't know what else to say. Taking an unnecessary breath, I speak.

"Okay, you know. Now what, Elena?"

As I wait for her answer, Stefan strolls in, having obviously heard our most recent exchange. An unfortunate litany of fuck-shit-fuck is running through my head, mocking me to the tune of Handel's Messiah.

Is it too cliche to say fuck my life?

A/N Let no one say that I don't write promptly. Here is the first chapter of my newest project, and I so hope to hear everyone's feedback. Did I get their voices right, so to speak? Plus, do you guys have any requests for content or predictions on what's coming next? Tell me what you think through a review! Let's say, maybe fifteen for this chapter? Come on guys, you know how your feedback helps structure this story, right? I need it!