First Glimpse

For Elena, it started (this time, at least) in a trailer.

It wasn't even her trailer, it was his – her co-star's - trailer.

The dark-haired actress had been with him in his trailer for a few minutes, taking a short break. Elena was alone now, Stefan having been due on set a few minutes ago. She wasn't due to join him for nearly an hour. She decided to stay, to lie down and let her eyes close as she mentally rehearsed the scene that was coming up.

She wasn't really tired, but she found her mind drifting. She tried to concentrate, but found that she couldn't concentrate on anything in particular. She was awake, she was sure of that; so she knew that the impressions entering her mind were not dreams. They were memories. Happy memories - parties and dates, family and friends.

They were memories, but none lasted long before being replaced by another. Though they were fleeting, she recognized all of them. She recognized all of them at least, until she didn't.

It came suddenly and clearly. It was vivid, and it was real. And it was a memory, a memory of hers.

She was with friends, talking. They were younger than Elena, late teens, maybe, rather than early twenties. She knew their names immediately, she even recognized where she was – sitting on the grass in a churchyard. Somehow, she remembered what had led up to this moment – another friend had gotten married. She didn't have much of a role in the wedding, but she was at the ceremony. Now, after it was over, she was sitting on the grass with four other girls, chatting.

Her clothing was confusing. The skirt was so long, and the dress was so tight at her waist. She had worn this kind of thing before – something provided by wardrobe - period dress. Was she remembering a part she had played?

Then she realized the name her friends were calling her – Martha. Martha? Why would they call her that?

Elena thought hard, trying to remember if she had ever been 'Martha' in anything. She realized, as the memory played before her, that she hadn't. Still, as her conscious mind seemed to withdraw, she knew that Martha was her. She knew it as well as she knew anything. She remembered this incident. This was not a set. This was her life.

Even though she recognized the memory, she was unsure of what was coming next. She was surprised to see a man walked confidently, directly, to where she was sitting. Somehow she knew that he was coming to her, no one else. And she knew, or remembered, that this was their first meeting. At the same time, somehow she knew that this was just not done where she was. Men did not speak to women before a proper introduction had been made.

As Elena watched him approach, she realized that she knew him. Not that she knew his name, but somehow she was sure that she recognized him. And though her memory could not place him just then, she knew instinctively that she had nothing to fear from him. She could trust him, as much as she trusted her current suitor.

Suitor? She had a suitor? Maybe Stefan, but although they were dating, it hadn't progressed all that far. And did anyone use the term 'suitor' now anyway.

As this was running through her mind, Elena realized that her girlfriends, the girls who were sitting with her, were gasping. She knew instinctively that it was because she was being approached by a man who was a stranger here. She even saw a couple of the nearby local men watching as the she was approached, but she didn't want them to interfere with the newcomer. Really, by this time Elena was not sure if she was in control, or just watching. Whichever it was, her body responded to her thoughts. She managed to catch the eye of one the local men as she stood, and shook her head. Then she turned her attention to the newcomer.

She wasn't sure of her expression as he reached her, but she was afraid it showed something like shock. His appearance was so striking that she found herself taking in a quick breath. As her eyes rested on his, she could see that his face showed determination.

She was so quickly lost in his eyes that she was barely able wonder if the gasps of her friends were due this guy's 'rudeness' at being so forward towards her, or if they were as struck as she was by his hotness.

She was still wondering, still staring into his eyes, when his words startled her out of her thoughts.

"I remember," he said, speaking softly. "Now the choice is yours," he added, as if it should mean something to her. He handed her slip of paper, folded in half, and smiled. He looked like he was going to take another step towards her, which would have definitely brought him too close, but he stopped as she flinched slightly.

His smile disappeared, but he continued to look intensely into her eyes. His eyes were ice blue, much more intense than even Stefan's eyes, which had engulfed her so completely, so often.

His final words were so soft that she barely heard them. "Remember me, Sarah. Come to me."

He then nodded slightly, turned around and left. She seemed frozen in place, unable to follow, only able to stare as he walked out of sight.

She was still staring, when she heard what she would call tittering from her friends. Without breaking her stare, she was aware that three of the four friends with her were standing now, all staring the man's retreating figure.

One friend, somehow Elena knew the girl's name was Anne, asked, "Who was that?"

"Damon," Elena answered automatically, then realized that it was true. His name was Damon – or at least that was what she called him. Not that she could say how she knew this.

She realized she was still staring, though he was out of sight, when another of her friends asked, "What did he give you?"

Elena didn't look at whoever was speaking, she didn't even try to put a name with the voice. She just looked down to the folded piece of paper in her hand. She took a couple of breaths, then opened it carefully, aware that Anne, at least, would be trying to see the paper along with her.

She was confused again as she saw what was written. Although she was sure the man's name was Damon, she saw the name Charles Montrose written in crisp, beautiful cursive. It was only then that she realized that the man had called her by a different name – not Elena, or even Martha. He had called her Sarah.

"Richard is coming," someone said. Elena was suddenly flustered, though she didn't at first realize why. Without looking at the lines written below the man's name, she tried to think of a place she could hide the small piece of paper. While she was doing this, she realized that Richard was her current suitor; or Martha's current suitor, anyway.

She was starting to stress over the small slip of paper when suddenly, she opened her eyes.

The actress had to shake herself. She first tried to do it without closing her eyes, afraid the vision would return, but seeing the rapid movement of objects as she shook her head she quickly found herself sighing and closing her eyes anyway. As soon as they were open again she stood, trying to remember where she was and what she was doing. When her eyes found a clock, she realized that she was in Stefan's trailer, and that she still had 20 minutes before she was due on set.

She breathed a sigh of relief. She would need the time to get her mind back into character. She decided to leave immediately. She quickly found her purse, though she had to resist the urge to look inside for a small, folded piece of paper, and went through Stefan's trailer door.

But the memory remained with her. Vivid and clear, she found herself trying to place it as she walked. Was it from her work, a set of some kind? It didn't seem right, but what else could it be? She was sure it had happened. She wasn't sure of much else, but she was sure that the memory was real.