Hello all. I published this fic before under the title 'Road to Hell' on a different account however ended up dropping it due to a huse case of writer's block. A few months ago I decided to try again with this story because I think it has potential. I have edited the original chapters and written some new ones. So without further adieu here is my newer, improved story I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own TVD just Evelyn and the mess she makes.

Home Again

Well my life has gone to complete and utter shit.

This was the first thought that entered my head as I stepped out of my aunt Jenna's car and into the driveway. The air was warm and dry, not a hint of the impending autumn anywhere. The scent of freshly mowed grass and family barbeques hung in the air. I could hear the faint melody of bird song from somewhere above me, and the laughter and shouts of children making the most of the last few weeks of summer. However I could see nothing.

Last year my twin sister, Elena and I had been at a party. This was not unusual, being two of the most popular girls in school meant we were always invited to parties, but this one was different. I had a bad feeling all day so when Elena came up to me later that evening, just before we sat down to enjoy family night, begging me to come with her, I knew it was a bad idea.

I tried to explain my feelings to her but she wouldn't hear it. We never went anywhere without each other and so eventually I gave in and agreed to go with her. That was about the worst mistake I ever made.

After about half an hour of partying Elena had already gotten into a fight with Matt, so we called Mom and Dad, who came to collect us. Everything was fine until we came to Wickery Bridge. Without warning Dad lost control of the car. Adrenaline and fear bubbled up from my stomach as the feeling of pure weightlessness took over and just for a split second, we were flying.

Then we hit the water. The force jerked my body to the side and my head hit the window with a sickening crack. The last thing I ever saw was Elena's terrified expression, arms reaching out to me.

I must have passed out for a second after that because the next thing I always remember was the terrible pain in my head and the suffocating darkness that I found myself ensnared in. All I knew was that I needed to escape or I would die here trapped within this terrible pain. Death wasn't an option. At least not then.

I remember that the window was smashed. I cut myself on the jagged edges as I made my escape and I remember collapsing at the shore unable to catch my breath and then nothing. I passed out and woke again in the hospital three days later.

I could feel the anger rise in my chest, the festering ball of hate growing as these thoughts and memories began swirling around my head. I tried to think of happier things, like Jeremy and how I would soon be with him. I think the worst thing about being away for so long was not being near him. We had talked every night over the phone but it's not the same as sitting next to him, feeling his presence, holding onto him. I missed him. It had been almost nine months since we had been in the same state. I couldn't wait to see him and from the sounds of it neither could he.

Jenna must have texted them to let them know we had arrived as I could sense the presence of both Jer and Elena's minds waiting excitedly just inside the front door looking forward to seeing me.

That's another thing that changed after the accident. I began to read minds and hear thoughts. It was as if the trauma had destroyed some kind of wall I never knew existed. All of a sudden the thoughts of everyone around me began pouring into my head and I was powerless to stop it.

Over time I learnt to control my new found abilities and even harness them, using it to peer into the minds of others uncover their darkest secret and learn what they thought.

Although I could no longer see with my eyes I found that I was now able to worm my way into the minds around me and see through their eyes. It wasn't half as good as being able to see myself, I could only see what others saw, not what I wanted and the images were never as clear or colorful as they had once been but it was much better than nothing. I would never complain.

It had been scary in the beginning, waking up in hospital to darkness and the thoughts of hundreds of people crushing down on me. It was the most terrifying moment of my life. I heard them all, every single thought. I could hear old women dieing, new life bursting into existence, terrible hopelessness but also breathtaking happiness. It was too much to bear. I knew I was going crazy. After only a few seconds of madness I began to scream and after a few more seconds had passed, I was sedated by the nurses who believed I was in pain.

I shuddered at this memory, desperately trying to repress it back into some dark forgotten corner of my mind.

"Don't forget your cane." Jenna chirped interrupting my thoughts, "Don't want you falling and hurting yourself on the first day back."

Ignoring her completely I turned and walked back towards the house, refusing to reply to such a stupid comment. I made sure to flip her off as I walked away. I didn't need my stupid cane, not with her eyes following me all the way up the drive. I looked into her mind and used her sight to guide me up to the front door leaving her to deal with my luggage. How I hated her pitying thoughts and careful words. I hated it all.

Before I could even raise my fist to bang on the door it was flung open by an over excited Jeremy who hadn't seemed to be able to contain himself any longer. The next thing I knew I was being lifted into the air and hugged tightly. I feared suffocation. Grinning, I wrapped my arms around my brother and laughed as he swung me around and squeezed me tighter.

"Calm down Jer... can't... breath!" I gasped and carefully as if I was some tiny china doll he placed me back on the ground, holding me at arm's length to survey me properly.

"You've lost weight," He finally said, "and you shrunk."

I laughed at this comment "I didn't shrink Jer, you just became a giant."

Jeremy pulled me in for another bone crushing hug.

I smiled softly at him pulling myself from his embrace.

"I missed you too." Elena whisper from just inside the door. I pretended not to hear.

"I'm kind of tired so I think I'll head up to my room to relax for a bit."

"I'll come too." Jeremy chirped a little too innocently.

"Jer it's fine, I don't need a babysitter I'm not about to off myself, you don't need to keep me under suicide watch."

"I know, I know I just want to catch up. I've missed you."

Sighing I decided not to press the issue, knowing that resistance was futile. They would all probably be on high suicide alert for the next few days as they got used to having me home again. It was the same for the first week in the psych ward. At least here I could go to the bathroom alone.

Me and Jer trudged up the stairs chatting. As I moved towards Elena I could feel her tense up and when I brushed by her we both relaxed. We hadn't been on good terms since the accident, barely speaking and going out of our way to not end up alone together. Neither of us could find it in ourselves to forgive the other and so we were both trapped in this awkward limbo. Neither of us sure how we should act around each other. I hated her not because going to the party had been her idea or that she had insisted that mom and dad pick us up. No I could have stopped her. I could have said no. I was equally to blame. I hated that she could see and I could not, that she was able to go on living and not be submerged in thoughts like I had been, that she could live, oblivious and naive to the thoughts around her and I had to live a lie. Maybe that made me selfish but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't forgive.

When we reached my room Jeremy threw himself across my bed while I meandered around the room reacquainting myself with it. Despite the cool uncaring front I put up for Jenna and Elena I had missed this place. It brought me back memories of a happier time.

We stayed up there for a while, just relaxing, listening to music and enjoying eachothers company. I was happy to find my small stash of rollies were still hidden under the window where I had left them and even happier to find Jeremy no longer smoked.

"Proud of you." I said when he refused my offer. "They destroy your lungs, you know." I said imitating Elena as I took another drag from my cigarette and blew the smoke out my open window.

We talked a little but not too much and Jeremy was careful to keep away from heavier subjects such as Mom, Dad and Elena.

After a few hours I had begun to drift off. It was peaceful here, sitting in my window seat, listening to music while Jeremy read silently on my bed. I was drifting in and out of sleep content to stay like this for the rest of the day. If not for the eruption of voices which came suddenly from the hall, I would have. I sat up startled, which caused Jeremy to jump up also and drop whatever book he had been reading.

"Shit Eve, you scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry Jer but what's happening down there?"

"Oh crap, I totally forgot Jenna's hosting some kind of barbecue, I should probably go down there and help out." He jumped off the bed but paused at the door. "Do ya want to come... or maybe I could just stay up here with you..."

"Jer I'll be fine up here for half an hour, promise not to do anything but sit here and listen to the chillies while you're gone."

Jer watched me for another few seconds before deciding to trust me. I was glad. I didn't want to keep him away from anyone and I didn't mind hanging out by myself. It beat having to go down stairs and talk with people who would only be awkward and uncomfortable around me after everything that had happened.

I got up and lay across my bed. Content to simply relax up here alone. I was planning to stay like this and wait for everyone to finally leave, that is until I hit a wall. Not literally, that would have been difficult to do from bed but after a while I got curious and decided to see what was happening down there. Reaching out with my mental probs I began searching through the heads of everyone downstairs. I could sense Jer and Jenna chatting together and Elena was talking to Caroline but when I reached out to Caroline, I hit a wall. I couldn't sense anything off her. Her mind was simply cold and blank, like a corpse. All I could sense from her was a cold presence, as hard as I tried I couldn't get a read off her. This was the only mind that I had ever had any problems accessing.

Sighing in frustration I decide to move on and investigate the other two minds which seemed to be in the kitchen, maybe I would be able to find out what was going on with Caroline. However as I reached out to the first mind I found that it too was like hers and could get nothing off it. I had never come across a mind like this before and now here I was presented with two at once. It couldn't be a coincidence.

I knew I would get nowhere with this mind so instead of wasting my energy on it I turned to the last mind. Although I couldn't get a proper read on this mind either, I could still understand some things. Unlike the other two, this mind wasn't completely silent, it was more like a radio station that you continued to listen to despite the fact you were almost out of range, it had that fuzzy unfocused quality to it. If I concentrated hard enough I found that I could hear some things. For example I knew that Mason Lockwood was the man in possession of this mind but not much else.

I huffed angrily, annoyed at not knowing what was going on. Finally I couldn't bear to simply lay in bed for a moment longer and as my curiosity overcame me and I decided to go downstairs and investigate.

Sliding off my bed I padded silently down the stairs and towards the kitchen where I knew two of the three strange minds were lurking. I paused outside the kitchen wary of entering. I could hear Mason and the other man talking quietly together. Without sparing any chance for second thoughts I marched quickly into the room, heading in the direction I knew the two men to be.

"Hey there Mase, long time no see." I joked.

"Oh hi Eve... I didn't know... I mean Jenna didn't mention... you're back! It's good to see you..." Mason spluttered.

I laughed at Mason's attempts to act casual around me and pretend everything was normal. "Jeez Mase." I finally interrupted, taking pity on him. "Calm down I know I'm all grown up and gorgeous now, but at least try to maintain some composure."

At this Mason seemed to relax and slip back into his usual self. "I'll always see you as that cute kid who ran around naked with Tyler in my yard, despite how gorgeous you may be now."

"Dude that was one time and it was a rough period in my life, I had only just found out santa wasn't real."

We laughed at the memory until the man with the strange mind interrupted reminding me why I had come down here.

"Hello there I'm Damon Salvatore, I don't believe we've met."

"Damon it's me Eve, we were talking just the other day in the supermarket."

"Wait what..." He trailed off while Mason and I dissolved into another fit of giggles.

"I'm only messing with ya." I smirked "I'm Evelyn, Elena's twin sister. I've been... away for a while. I presume you move here recently?"

"My brother Stefan and I moved here a few months back."

"That explains why I haven't noticed you before, I must have left just before you arrived."

"Where did you go?" Damon asked curiously.

"Well that is an awfully personal question don't ya think Mase?"

"I'd have to agree Eve." Mason laughed as Damon glowered at them both.

Although I had appeared relaxed and calm throughout the interaction I was actually tense and focused inside directing the full force of my mental abilities at Damon's mind trying to find any crack or blemish that would allow me to worm my way into the fortress that surrounded his thoughts. Despite my many attempts I had no luck and already I felt the beginnings of a migraine approaching as a result of all the mental stress and strain I had forced myself through. I finally gave up after another few minutes of mundane, idle chitchat.

"Well it's been fun but I think I'm gonna head, see ya." I chirped waving in their direction

It was just as I turned to walk back upstairs that I realized I could not look into either man's head and right now I was completely blind. It was just as this occurred to me that I walked face first into a wall and fell backwards landing promptly on my bum. I could hear both Mason and Damon laughing as I attempted to stand rubbing my bruised backside.

"Damn walls always getting in my way."

When I finally pulled myself into a standing(ish) position I moved, much slower this time, arms outstretched before me, towards the door, careful to avoid any more of those pesky walls.

I breathed a massive sigh of relief when I finally made it back to the hall. Something didn't feel right. I needed to figure out what was going on.

She was interesting. When she first came into the kitchen Damon had mistaken her for Elena but on closer look there were differences. Unlike Elena she had short hair which barely made it to her shoulders and frizzed around her head in an unkempt cloud. She was much skinnier, too skinny, she looked like she would blow over in the wind. Then there were her eyes; black, cold and unseeing unlike her twins soft brown ones.

Damon hadn't even realised she was blind until she, quite humorously, walked straight into that wall. She carried herself with such grace, like a dancer. The way she moved was so sure, completely unlike that of a person without the use of their sight.

Although she looked calm and chatted away to the two men Damon could tell her mind was on something else completely. Most would have missed the subtle tensing of her jaw every now and then or the slight narrowing of her eyes, but he hadn't. It was as if she was attempting to solve an increasingly difficult puzzle and getting nowhere, however her voice had never wavered once during the conversation and she'd never made any obvious signs of annoyance.

Something wasn't right. It left the vampire with an uneasy feeling in his stomach. First Mason and now this. Even if she was Elena's twin he didn't trust her. He would be keeping an eye on her.