4.) Isobel

An: Hey guys. I have some down time today. Just gonna write till I don't feel like it anymore.

Quick question before we get started, is any of your audio reading not working today or just me? I don't know what the message it's sending me about why it's not working means.

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Zach Pov

After too many questions from Caroline I tell the sheriff I'm going to try and make some friends.

I quickly leave before Caroline can catch wind of what's going on and breathe a sigh of relief when I get to the mystic grill when I see the classic Isobel and Alaric face to face scene in the parking lot. I decide to hide and watch this in person.

My hearing is one of my greatest abilities. I can hear the conversation happening as Isobel speeds up to her ex husband and pins him to the car.

"Tell Elena I want to meet. If you don't I'll start killing the people of Mystic Falls, and I'll start with your history students." She says before throwing him and a napkin a few feet away before using her vampire speed to blur away.

I wait a couple of seconds before I begin approaching, "hey! You okay?" I call out to the drunk, depressed teacher.

He looks up at me and speaks while taking my hand for help up, "yeah. Just some loon. What exactly did you see happen?" He asks.

I laughed before looking back over my shoulder, "looks like you and your girl just got into a spat. She's got a hell of a right hook too." I say trying to breakup the tension.

He sighs before speaking again, "I appreciate the help kid. But I'm gonna go home. Gotta sleep this off before work tomorrow." I nod and wait for him to begin entering the car before replying.

"If ever you need a help up again, call someone else. I have no time to be a baby sitter," I call out trying to joke. Alaric chuckled before closing his door and making his way off in the car.

'Probably not a good idea to let a drunk guy drive,' I think before stopping that train of thought. The guy is experienced enough in doing it.

I continue my path unobstructed to the Grill and step inside. The vaguely familiar interior of the place is just another assurance that I'm actually in this situation.

I approach the pool table and see a familiar blonde headed guy cleaning one of the tables beside it.

"Hey,where's the rack?" I call out grabbing a stick and the que ball.

Matt Donavan turns around and looks to his left before grabbing it out of the seat beside him. "Sorry man. I didn't see it."

I wave him off. "No problem, I'm Zach." He nods and replies, "Nice to meet you zach. I'm Matt. You new here? I haven't seen you before?"

I nod once, "Yeah, I just got in. Had a bit of trouble and hit my head. A little case of amnesia and here I am. I'm currently staying with the sheriff while I try to find a job and convince the motel manager to let me rent monthly instead of by night."

Matt nods to my statement before saying, "the grill is looking for a busboy." I ponder for a moment before deciding I have no better option. In truth, it's times like these I would like the ability of compulsion that vampires posses. The ability to get what you want with some eye contact and words it's insane.

"Great, let me get the application. I'll be right back."

I watch as Matt leaves and think about the tragedy of his life thus far, a shit mom, shit sister, and stuck paying the bills as a teen.

If I remember right he even became a sheriff in The Originals only to die when he got in the middle of Lucien, Elijah, and Finn's fight that ended in Lucien becoming the upgrade.

I sigh thinking about that. He was one of the only people in tvd that actually cared about innocents. Although misguided and dumb, he tried to keep vampires out of Mystic Falls and it cost him his life.

He returns with a paper application, something I haven't seen in forever after my last life became mostly digital post the pandemic.

I take it, fold it up into fourths and stick it in my pocket, "I appreciate that Matt." I say and begin to leave, not even remembering I wanted to play pool.

I step back out into the chilly night air and begin aimlessly walking. This town isn't too big, but I want to get intimately familiar with it. Afterall, a predator must patrol his territory. It may be the wolf in me but I don't care to argue with it. I need to start listening to my wolf and becoming more familiar with it.

Afterall, I may not have had a choice in the matter about becoming a wolf, but it will be my greatest defense after knowledge of where this timeline is going mostly.

I also begin thinking about ways to get my own pack. A wolf alone is nothing. After a few minutes of thinking I decided to use the time during summer break when Stefan and Klaus are traveling the country trying to turn werewolf packs into hybrids.

If I just so happen to take a few wolves with me before they can get to them what's the problem? Klaus doesn't have all the pieces of the puzzle and will just kill a couple hundred wolves for nothing until he figures out doppelgänger blood is the only way for a werewolf to successfully transition.

Better they stick with me. Because of my knowledge, should I find a witch I trust and a pack I can get them moonlight rings that allow them to control the shift. I'm not dumb enough to bind them to me like Hayley did to her pack or Klaus when Genevieve betrayed him to the Gurrerra pack.

So, find wolves, get them moonlight rings, stay safe. I know it's not that simple. But cmon, a single wolf bite will kill any vampires sans the original variants. Getting even 2 or 3 more of those beside me to back me up should something go down is already a huge plus. Regardless of age, all vampires must be weary of their werewolf counterparts.

By the time I stop thinking about how To safeguard myself against the groups of supernaturals I'll have to fight in a year or two, I see I'm at the quarry where Stefan was thrown into for a couple months and constantly drowned over and over.

I sit down and look at the scenery. While I may dislike that I was thrown into this world of supernatural wars, I can admit that Virginia looks beautiful. The quarry rock faces mixed with the water below it sets a beautiful scene.

As I'm getting lost in future plots and the nature surrounding me I hear a rustle of leaves. Out walks a beautiful blonde girl with a sweet smile.

Many men would be fooled by such a figure. But my nose tells me a different story. 'Vampire,' rings in my head over and over. One I don't know like the Salvatore's or mikaelsons, meaning she's not important to the story, meaning I need to be careful with how I approach this because her character is unknown to me.

"Hey, what're you doing out here alone?" I ask her trying to play the part of a concerned but also hormonal teenager who just spotted a beautiful girl alone.

She smiles at me and speaks while walking my way, making every one of my muscles tense up beneath my hoodie and jeans, "my car broke down a ways back and I waited for someone to come drive by and help me for an hour. I got tired of waiting and decided to be proactive, so I started walking."

I knew she was lying. Her heart never missed a beat, but I could smell it. I gave a sweet, tight smile of my own then responded, "I could help. How far back is it?" I ask standing up to face her on my feet.

She smiles again and gestures behind her where she just came out of the woods, "over this way. There's a game trail that leads almost directly to my car."

I nod slowly getting ready for anything fishy.

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I was right to be on guard. As soon as we get 50 yards or so into the tree line I'm slammed into one of them by the lithe beauty.

She speaks with her vampire face coming out, "sorry, but I'm really, really hungry. Be a dear and don't scream." She said trying to compel me.

She doesn't get a chance to see if her compulsion has worked when my hand rips it's way through her back holding her heart in within it.

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Unknown Vampire Pov

I found one. Finally. I was close to simply eating a rabbit and calling it a night. But I finally found a human to feed from.

About 6 foot tall with dark hair and a lean muscle structure. I get him to follow me into the woods and barely 2 minutes later my hunger takes over.

After looking into his eyes to compel him I feel a coldness. Looking down I see his arm going through my chest and a slight breeze on my back letting me know he has the other end sticking from there.

I look back up into his face in confusion as the darkness turns my vision to tunnels. In that tunnel I see two luminous Scarlett orbs glowing eerily.

After that comes darkness.

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Zach Pov

I throw the now greying vampire corpse away from me with her heart beside it.

Slowly but surely I calm down and try to reconcile what just happened. How easy it was to end her, how angry I got at her for trying to drink my blood.

Then the true reality of what I've done hits a few minutes after coming too. I'd just killed someone. Vampire yes, but still, a life was taken beacuse of me.

I get up and begin to run away, only to stop beside the quarry a few seconds after running. Athletes can run 40 yards wuickly, but not in the hilly and dark Forrest.

"What the hell am I?" Comes out of my mouth as I try to understand how I just killed a vampire with ease and can run like one too.

I sit back down, 'I need to find a witch,' I think looking up into the midnight sky.

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3rd pov

Inside mystic falls the Founders day Parade is about to begin. As such, the school is putting together floats to show famous scenes from the towns history.

After Mr. Saltzmen told Tyler he was leading the float for his class, he looked to matt and spoke, "Hey, you wanna help me with this?"

Matt looked at him with a deadpan stare, "no I don't."

Elena and Stefan walk in the back door while Alaric comes up to them, "We need to talk." He says before turning around without another word.

The two exchange glances before following behind.

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At another table in the cafeteria, Bonnie and Caroline are thinking of ideas for their own float. "We should reference last years Float," Caroline says while typing key words into the search engine.

After seeing the picture she wanted she turns it to Bonnie for opinions. They both agree it's not good. Caroline makes a suggestion that Bonnie instantly sees through, "You mean gone with the wind?"

"How did you know?"

"You channel Scarlett Daily."

After some laughs caroline groans, "ugh, where is Elena? she's supposed to be helping. "

" I don't know," Bonnie replied quickly.

"What's going on with you two?" Caroline presses.

"Nothing." Bonnie said quickly again.

"Cmon, this whole parade is about coming together and everyone is fighting. Matt and Tyler hate eachother and now you and Elena are on the outs. I don't like it."

Bonnie sighs. "I'm sorry caroline. I can't talk about it."

Caroline sighs. "First all my friends suddenly don't like eachother and my mom brings home some random guy from the street."

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Bonnie Pov

Hearing Caroline's last statement was weird. Sheriff Forbes wouldn't usually do that. "What's so special about him?" I ask trying not to think about the possibility of an unknown vampire living with my best friend.

Caroline throws her hands up, "I don't know. Mom just said he needs to stay until the end of the week so she can get him somewhere to stay. Apparently he's been living in the woods with no memory of his life until a few days ago."

I decide to help Caroline with something at least, "well I'll come over and sus him out tonight. It's not good for you to stay with someone you don't know. Safety in numbers." Caroline gives me a grateful smile before frowning and speaking.

"He doesn't speak much though. I mean cmon. You'd think a teenage boy who gets the chance to live under the same roof as this," she begins to gesture to herself before continuing. "Would be tripping over themselves to speak to me. He simply looked at me, introduced himself, and apologized for messing up my routine with his being there before he left. Not the attitude I expected."

I chuckle. It seems Caroline was just upset he didn't fall in love with her after meeting.

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Damon Pov

After coming up with a plan for the meeting between Isobel and Elena, Alaric and I find ourselves outside beside a bench.

"We should be in there," I say pacing around unable to hide my concern.

"No," the teacher replies. "Isobel said we're not to step foot inside."

I sigh. "I'm not gonna kill her in a crowded restaurant." Alaric responds immediately.

"You're not gonna kill her at all." I almost roll my eyes. But I decide to let it go.

"She ruined your life and you're still protecting her." I say to him not understanding why.

"She's my wife." I look at him with a raised brow that said everything my mouth did not. "Was my wife," Alaric corrected himself after a moment. He stayed silent for a second before speaking again.

"I looked for the women I married but that person was gone. The one in her place is…. Cold, detached." I decide to drop some knowledge on the aimless teacher.

"It's beacuse she's given up her humanity."

He replies, "see I don't get that, stefan still has his humanity. He's a good guy. Hell you're a dick but I still see something human in you. With her though… it was non existent."

"You can turn it off," I say to Alaric after some silence. "It's like a button you can push. Stefan is different, he wants the whole human experience. To feel every single episode of 'how I met your mother'. But as a vampire your instinct is not to feel. Isobel chose the eaiser road." I say coming to rest beside the teacher on the bench.

"No pain. No guilt. No shame. Cmon Alaric. If you could choose to turn it off wouldn't you?" I ask him.

He looks to me and replied, "you haven't."

I chuckle trying to hide that he'd gotten it correct, "Of course I have Ric. That's why I'm so fun to be around."

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Scene change

Alaric Pov

I'm walking down the hall way and make a right turn only to stop as a silhouette on the left catches my eye. Turning around I see Isobel. "Why are you here? You say you don't care yet you hunt me down."

She replied, "you hate me. Good. It's easier that way."

"No. You care about me. If you didn't why would you give me this?" I ask and hold up the ring she left me when she disappeared.

I continued, "I don't believe it," I say while taking off the ring.

"What are you doing?" Isobel asked. I replied.

"I'm ring free. So either kill me or compel me. Because I don't buy it."

In an instant she pins me against the lockers and begins to speak. But I don't remember what she said...

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Scene change

Zach Pov

I've just returned to the Forbes house sans my hoodie that was covered in blood. Thankfully I don't encounter either Forbes women on my way back to the guest bedroom.

I sit on the bed and begin to once again think of a plan of action. I need Allies in this town above all else. Maybe after the mayors funeral I can try to integrate more.

If I Remember right, Mayor Lockwood was killed after the Device 'invented' by The Gilbert's ancestor affected his werewolf heritage. That means for the next few days I'll need to stay in the house so I won't be apart of the cleanup of supernatural creatures in this small town.

After that it should be easy going until the originals arrive. With those thoughts I begin to drift off to sleep.

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End of chapter.

Authors Note: hey guys, really appreciate the interaction so far. I will stick to the episode system to keep my ducks in a row. There may be chapters with 2 episodes involved in it should I get ansy and want to move the story along.

Have a good day!