Chapter Text
// part 1
october 11th, 1899 //
~ stefan ~
More…
There it was, the little voice that whispered commands into his mind.
More…More…
Ever since he turned, it always sat in the back of his mind; sometimes a dormant entity that allowed him to act of his own free will, other times it flared up and swarmed his head until it felt like his skull might split into two. This voice was like a parasite; some foreign entity that attached itself to his mind and tortured him every chance it got by stripping him of his own inhibitions until all he could think about was blood. And this voice was always hungry, always yearning for more.
Always urging him to consume more.
Stefan let out a low, guttural sound as he continued to feed on the woman’s neck. She had gone limp in his arms by now, her eyes dull and glossed over as she stared emptily at the ceiling, lips parted in a silent scream. He had compelled her to stay silent, not to make a word as he fed from her. On some level, he could appreciate the irony of the whole thing. Just as this helpless woman was stripped of her ability to act of her own free will, so was he. Forever a slave to the sinister entity that lived inside his mind. Stefan supposed that was his karma; his cosmic punishment for turning and then convincing his brother to turn with him. Who could have predicted his bloodlust would have been to this magnitude?
More! It hissed again, interrupting his thoughts.
His fangs went deeper into her neck, and his grip on the sides of her fluffy dress tightened like a vice, as he continued to feed. The rush of blood always warmed his cold, unfeeling body. It was warm and tangy and set his whole body on fire with a sensation of pure euphoria. It was a feeling that he always craved; like a fix, he was always chasing after. It satiated the voice inside his head and brought him rare moments of peace. A feeling almost akin to happiness, but Stefan knew better than to label it as that.
But of course, like any drug, the high can only last so long, and everything eventually comes crashing back down. As Stefan felt the last drops of blood drain from his victim’s body, he could already feel the euphoric sensations fading away. He could already feel the voice in his head stirring again.
More! More! More!
Stefan unceremoniously dropped the body onto the dark chaise. Panting heavily, he wiped the blood that dripped down the sides of his mouth and stained his skin, before licking off the remnants of the crimson liquid. Stefan stared blankly at the woman, a small feeling of guilt swelled in his chest, but it was quickly stamped down by the overwhelming presence of the voice in his head.
MORE!
Stefan winced, his hands immediately clutching the sides of his head as the vein in his temples pulsed wildly. He glanced around the room, taking in all the bodies that were discarded in various places in the room, all similarly drained of blood and staring lifelessly. He counted fifteen people in total. He just drained fifteen people completely of their blood and he still wasn’t satisfied. He was still starving; he still needed more.
“Fuck!” Stefan hissed out a curse as the sharp surge of pain raced to his head. His legs buckled under the sudden attack, and he fell onto the soft carpet. He groaned loudly, uncaring if it drew attention to any of the other people in the house.
Once the pain finally subsided, Stefan begrudgingly got back on his feet and stood to his full height. This time, he walked over to the small mirror that hung above the fireplace and fixed his slightly disheveled suit. He readjusted his waistcoat and tie, before smoothing his long, dirty blonde locks back into place. Once he was satisfied, he walked towards the exit, ignoring the room full of bodies as he slipped through the door.
The staunch silence was immediately replaced with the sounds of laughter and music as people danced all around him to the quartet playing music. It was a ball, Mystic Falls Founders’ Day ball to be exact. The hall was full of townspeople, all dressed in dazzling evening gowns or three-piece suits. Some of them chatted amongst themselves while holding flutes of golden champagne. Others followed the intricate steps of the Waltz, twirling their partners around like a carousel as they smiled and danced. Their long luxurious gowns shuffled as they moved across the velvet carpet, which was splashed with warm beams of light from the sets of candles that lined the walls. Stefan was making his way around the large hall, thinking about his next fix when he was approached by a young woman.
“Evening Mr. Salvatore,” a woman with garnet-colored hair and a matching dress greeted him with a small curtsy.
Stefan politely bowed back. If his memory serves him correctly, she was one of the Fell daughters. He couldn’t bother to remember her name, his mind was too preoccupied with other thoughts. Specifically the thought of tearing into her neck right at this moment.
She smiled, her lips were also painted a gentle carmine. So much red, Stefan thought with bemusement. It was as if she was trying to tempt him, but not in the way she was probably hoping to be tempting. A small, perverse smile made its way to his lips at the thought.
“I find these things so dreadfully boring,” she went on to say, her gloved hand sweeping a loose curl behind her ear as she looked up at him through her lashes. “I personally prefer a much more tranquil, private place to pass my time.”
Stefan gazed at her for a moment, his stare fierce and unflinching as he regarded her. She met his strong gaze for a moment, before she sheepishly looked away, a hint of rose coming to her pale cheeks. Internally, the blonde snorted at that. Such a bold proposition for a timid girl.
He forced his smile to be less predatory and more amiable as he held out his arm. “Care for some company to pass the time with?”
Her eyes widened briefly with surprise, before she eagerly latched her arm unto his. Her smile was wider, more confident as she tipped her head towards him. “Where should we spend our time, Mr. Salvatore?”
MORE! MORE! MORE!
The voice rang inside his mind like the deafening sounds of the church bells in the town’s square. His temples began to painfully throb again.
Stefan’s eyes were playful as he began to lead her towards the exit. “I know just the place.”
~ bonnie ~
“Don’t touch that, child.”
Bonnie jolted up in surprise as her head snapped towards the woman who had suddenly made her presence known. She was an older woman, with tawny skin and curly brown hair that matched her own. She had crossed her arms over her chest as she pointedly raised a thin eyebrow at the younger woman.
“Grams!” Bonnie exclaimed in bewilderment, her cheeks flushing. “I…it’s not what it looks like!”
“Mmhmm,” the older woman hummed incredulously as she walked over to the table where Bonnie stood sheepishly.
Bonnie’s dark gaze flitted back down to the four large lilac-colored stones. She had been originally drawn to the stones because of their vivid color, but as she got closer, she felt like something was pulling her closer to it. Almost as if the stones were calling to her.
She tilted her head in curiosity as she watched her grandmother gingerly wrap them in individual cloth. “What are those for, Grams?”
“It’s a very rare type of stone. Their nickname is ‘Siren Stones,’” Grams explained as she finished lacing the last knot on the clothed stone, “they are renown for their ability to amplify magic. Siren Stones are drawn to anything magical, and it sends out a signal when anything with magic is near, hence the nickname. Witches use them as a conduit to enhance their magic, but they can become dangerous and fatal if the magic is not channeled properly. Which is why I don’t want you touching it until you’ve had more training, my child.” She moved across the room and pulled up a small wooden drawer that was full of wrapped objects, before depositing the stones in there.
Bonnie’s eyes widened in amazement. No wonder why she had felt so drawn to the stones. “Wow. Where did you even find stones like that?”
The woman turned back to her with a mischievous smile of her own. “An old witch like me doesn’t reveal all her secrets.”
Bonnie rolled her eyes in fake annoyance, but followed the older woman towards the front of the store as she flipped the painted wooden sign from the side that said ‘closed’ to ‘open.’
For as long as Bonnie could remember, her grandmother—known as Mistress Sheila to the townsfolk— ran an apothecary in Mystic Falls. To the average citizen, it was simply a wondrous shop filled with different types of herbs and medicinal potions that she had collected from all over the world. But to the covert witch community in Mystic Falls, her grandmother’s shop was the place to acquire any ingredients needed for any spells. Her Grams had always told her that Mystic Falls had a strong ancestral connection and was a good location to draw energy from.
This is why for as long as the Bennett family has lived in Mystic Falls and participated in its society, importance was always placed on practicing magic discreetly. The apothecary was the perfect cover story; it was a place where her grandmother could store medicine and precious materials without raising any suspicion. It was also a way for the Bennetts to help both regular citizens and witches, Grams always talked about how helping people was her true calling.
“Bonnie,” Grams called softly, snapping Bonnie out of her inner musings.
“Yeah, Grams?”
“There’s a package I’m supposed to be receiving today. The post rider should have arrived, could you go down to the Post and pick it up for me?”
“Of course.” Bonnie nodded politely as she walked to a rack that held her outdoor clothing. She draped her dark, wooly pereline around her shoulders, before tying her bonnet at the base of her neck. Grams had moved closer to her while she was getting dressed, and handed her a pair of slim leather gloves.
“There’s a mean chill in the air today,” she said as Bonnie gratefully took the gloves from her and slipped them on. “Make sure you keep warm.”
Bonnie nodded again, a wide smile splitting her lips as her grandmother affectionately rubbed her cheek. “I’ll be back soon, Grams.” Her grandmother nodded, and turned to open the door for her.
Bonnie walked through the threshold, and immediately wrapped her pereline closer to her chest as a frosty wind swept through the air and chilled her face and neck. The sky was a dull, ashen color as it was covered by clouds, and with the increase in cold winds, Bonnie knew it wouldn’t be long before the first frost of the season came. She walked down the sidewalk that ran alongside the long, wide trail through Mystic Falls—it was the main road on which all the horses and carriages traveled. The town was lively and buzzing with the chatter of people as they walked down the sidewalks, or stopped to talk to shop owners selling their items on the roads.
“Bonnie!” A familiar voice called in the distance, and the brunette turned in the direction of the voice. She smiled as she saw two women in long dark skirts, furry perelines, and bonnets similar to her own pick up their skirts as they rushed over to her. The taller woman had bright, golden ringlets that bounced as she ran, while the other had straight, long black hair that was swept into a braid that rested against her neck.
“Caroline, Elena,” Bonnie greeted them both eagerly. They have all been friends since they were young.
“Thank goodness we ran into you,” Caroline, the one who had called out to her, had continued once they stood beside her. “Have you heard about what happened at the Founder’s Ball yesterday?”
Bonnie shook her head. While the Bennetts have lived in Mystic Falls for quite a while, they were never considered to be ‘founders,’ so she couldn’t get into the exclusive events like the Founder’s Ball. “I have not. What happened?”
Elena sighed. “It is a blessing that you could not attend it.”
“It’s been the talk of the whole town! They found fifteen people dead in one of the rooms of the Lockwood Manor,” Caroline continued. She looked around warily for a moment, as if concerned someone might overhear them, before leaning closer to Bonnie. “They were all drained of blood. Olivia Fell had disappeared during the ball and was found later on in the woods near the outskirts of town in a similar state. Can you believe that?”
Bonnie’s eyes widened in horror. Sixteen people were killed? How on earth could something like that happen? “Oh my god. Did they apprehend the killer?”
Elena shook her head. “The police are still looking for the killer. Nobody has seen anything, so until they do, they are going to enforce an eight o’clock curfew every evening.”
“I heard my parents talking about it,” Caroline added, her eyebrows drawn together as she lowered her voice, “they speak of monsters invading Mystic Falls.”
“Monsters,” Bonnie repeated.
“Oh, don’t be preposterous Caroline. There’s no such thing as monsters,” Elena scolded.
“There must be! How else do you explain all those deaths? What do you think, Bonnie?”
Bonnie didn’t reply right away, her mind was still spinning at the shocking news. She knew from her Grams that the supernatural existed and often interacted with regular humans in Mystic Falls. Her family was a prime example. But she didn’t know much about the other supernaturals, she had only read about them in journals or tales from her grandmother. From the way Caroline described the deaths, it sounded like the culprit was a vampire.
A small shiver ran down her spine at the thought. Grams warned her very clearly about the dangers of vampires. She taught her multiple ways to kill one if she ever encountered one, but she mostly told her to stay away from them at all costs. They were ruthless killers who fed on and terrorized humans. Could the killer really be a vampire? She would have to check with her grandmother to be sure.
“Bonnie?”
She was pulled out of her thoughts again, suddenly remembering that Caroline had asked her a question. Both her and Elena had been looking at her expectantly, but now their gazes had a little bit of worry in them.
“I do not believe in monsters either,” she said, “but I do believe they will catch whoever is responsible for this tragedy and bring them to justice.” Elena nodded at her statement, but Caroline frowned. She opened her mouth to say more, but Bonnie continued. “You’ll have to excuse me, but, Grams sent me on an errand to the Post. I cannot speak for long, I must go. I’ll see you two later?”
“Of course, we don’t mean to keep you, right Caroline?” Elena asked as she linked arms with Caroline. The blonde girl frowned even more but nodded. The brunette turned back to Bonnie. “We just wanted to warn you to be careful.”
“I will,” Bonnie replied, before giving her greetings.
She continued on her way down the road, taking a right turn onto a less crowded path. Another gust of wind rustled her clothes, and Bonnie could’ve sworn the temperature felt like it dropped a couple of degrees. Her thoughts were still revolving around the conversation she had with her best friends. She had never seen a vampire in person before, but she knew Grams had encountered a few. She always said that vampires were ‘bad for business’ because they were reckless and brought a lot of attention to themselves. They were not only a threat to humans, but to the Bennett family as well.
Bonnie turned another corner, wondering if her grandmother would teach her some more defensive spells now that there was a threat loose in Mystic Falls. Even before she started practicing magic, Bonnie was always in tune with the psychic abilities witches had, which was why she could immediately sense that she was being followed. Bonnie slowed her pace, suddenly all too aware of the fact that the Post was on the edge of town, and there were no longer any people wandering about the streets. She turned around, and her heart picked up a little faster in her chest when she realized nobody was there.
Could my senses be wrong? She thought to herself as she continued walking.
The feeling of being watched continued to plague her, and she could feel her skin breaking out into goosebumps. Another shiver ran down her spine, but this time it wasn’t because of the cold. There was definitely someone following her, all of her senses were urging her to run, but Bonnie stopped in her tracks. She closed her eyes for a moment, calming her breaths and her heart as she debated her next move, before she opened her eyes and turned around again.
“Whoever you are, you should cease these games and come out now,” she said, her voice firm voice with fierce determination as she glared at the open space around her. “Your tactics will not work; I’m not afraid of you.”
“Ah, what a shame. I was just starting to have a little fun,” a male voice suddenly spoke up from behind her. Bonnie’s heart jumped into her throat for a moment, and she quickly turned back around to face her stalker. Her eyes widened as she gazed at the rather tall man that stood in front of her. He was very handsome; with his smooth long nose, defined jaw, and fitted dark clothes. His dirty blonde locks were pushed away from his face, but some strands still fell in front of his face, but the most prominent feature on the man’s face was his eyes. They were a deep, dark green color that seemed to almost glow in the muted light.
“W-Who are you?” Bonnie asked, her voice still firm even though her heart was pounding in her ears. She had never seen this man before, she would have remembered his face if she had. He had the type of looks that was hard to forget.
His lips split into a wide, cheshire-like grin as he bowed his head in a satirical-like curtsey. “I’m a Salvatore. Stefan Salvatore to be exact.”