Beyond the Blood

Chapter Six

Autumn blinked in the mid-afternoon sunshine as she stepped out from the artificially lit school hallway, amidst the whole group of her friends. This was her first day back at school since the night of the comet, Jenna having insisted that she took a couple of days off even though she felt perfectly fine. Her aunt apparently wouldn't accept that someone could collapse one day and then be perfectly okay the next, no matter how many times she had tried to tell her so.

It was the end of the school day, the last bell having just rung, and she had nothing to do; Bonnie, Caroline and Elena all had cheerleading practice, and Elena was currently trying to convince Stephen to ask Mr. Tanner for a tryout for the football team. Autumn smiled at his protests that seemed to be falling on her sister's deaf ears. Apparently he didn't think football was exactly appropriate for the new boy to be playing but she wasn't having any of it. Apparently she had seen him catch a ball Tyler Lockwood had thrown at him in some kind of twisted hazing episode earlier and somehow his reflexes were beyond measure.

"What are you going to do?" asked Elena, turning away from the boy, as the group reached the edge of the football pitch.

"Figured I'd head to the park or the grill, I don't wanna go home just yet," said Autumn with a shrug, "I'll pick you up after practice?"

"Yeah, sure, meet me back here?" she asked, "We're giving Caroline a ride too"

Autumn nodded in agreement and watched as the other girls headed off to the side of the pitch to set up cheerleading practice, Caroline carrying a boom box on her shoulder. Autumn turned away and headed towards the school gates; cheerleading wasn't exactly her thing, she'd never joined the team, even when her mom had said that it would look good on her college transcript. She had joined the school committee as a peace offering, agreeing that she would help out with event organisation and such like.

Talking of that, Halloween was coming up soon and she had a committee meeting with Caroline later this week to discuss the Fright Night that was planned. Caroline had some interesting ideas, but some of them seemed a bit extravagant; Autumn was unsure as to how far the school budget would stretch.

When she arrived the park was fairly busy; younger children who had just come out of school heading for the climbing equipment in the corner, adults trailing after them to make sure they were safe, or that someone for a hug was there when knees got scraped, or toes got tripped over. There was the odd picnic happening in various places, and an older gentleman feeding ducks by the pond. Autumn chose a secluded spot on a small hill away from the children's play park. She felt like after an entire day at school she needed a little bit of relative piece and quiet.

She sat down upon the grass, moving her school bag to the side of her before rifling in it. Upon finding what she was looking for she pulled out a copy of The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, rolled over onto her front, found her marked page and began to read. She lost herself in the story of post-war Czechslovakia for a while, feeling little sympathy with the protagonist as he whined about the women he was sleeping with, trying to decide whether he was in love with them, and whether sex could be meaningful without love.

She only looked up when a shadow fell over the sunlight. Damon was stood in front on her, a smile playing on his features; she sat up quickly and smiled back.

"Good book?" he asked

"Yeah," she said, showing him the cover page, "Ever read it?"

"Yeah, a long time ago," he said with a shrug, "D'you mind if I…?"

"Oh, not at all!" said Autumn motioning to the grass, "In town for anything special?"

"Not especially, just finding out a few things," he said with a shrug, "Why are you not with the others?"

"They're at cheerleading practice," she said, "And I believe your brother is currently trying to get on the football team"

"Really?" asked Damon surprised, "Think he must be a little rusty at that, he hasn't played in a while"

"It can't be that long?" said Autumn with a smile, Damon shrugged again with a small smirk, the corner of his upper lip turning up slightly.

"You not the cheerleading type?" Damon asked

"Not exactly, not opposed to it, just not entirely my thing," Autumn said, "Elena's more then 'cheering' sort"

"I figured," he said, "You strike me as more the art club girl,"

"Well don't you have it all figured out?" said Autumn with a grin, "But now that you mention it…"

Damon chuckled a little, his smile reaching his blue eyes causing them to soften in his flash of enjoyment before he spoke again, "So is everything okay after the other night?"

Autumn blushed crimson at the memory and dipped her head so he hopefully wouldn't see, "Ah that was so embarrassing,"

"It's alright, it's not every day I get to save damsels in distress," he said firmly tongue in cheek.

"Yeah, but the fact you had to anyway…" Autumn said looking up at his face. His blue eyes seemed to sparkle somewhat in the sunlight and she couldn't help but look at them; he didn't seem to find this awkward, to the contrary he appeared to like it.

"Did they ever figure what was wrong?" Damon asked

"No, the only thing being that the bruises haven't faded," said Autumn, "No idea where those came from; you can't just get bruises from thin air though right?"

"Stress can sometimes cause them?" suggested Damon.

"I guess," said Autumn, "They're not hurting though. Anyway, enough about the embarrassing experience – how long are you staying in Mystic Falls?"

"I don't know," he said, "I've got a few things I want to do here, Mystic Falls is my home so it's nice to be back,"

"Why did you leave?" asked Autumn, pushing her hair back from her face.

"Various reasons, mainly because of college" he said, "That and after a while you feel like you need to get out and see the world"

"And have you?" Autumn asked

"Oh some of it," he replied, "But there's always more to visit or to see"

"Deep," she said with a grin, "I'd like to travel, but I've never really had the chance. Furthest I've ever gone is Richmond."

"Oh well, I'm sure you'll get the chance later, you're only young" he said

"So are you!" Autumn said with a grin, "And you've had more opportunity than me!"

"Older than you," Damon said with a shrug, "Therefore I get to be the fount of all wisdom"

"Oh really?" she asked, "Pulling the age card?"

"Of course," he said, "You'll do it soon enough – almost guarantee it"

"Ha, I guess so," she said and then jumped as her phone started to ring, "Oh crap! I forgot about Elena!"

Damon laughed as she stood up quickly and answered her phone in the same moment.

"Yeah?" Autumn said, "Yeah, I know, I'm in the park – I'm just coming! Alright, alright; I'll be there in a second"

She hung up the phone and put it in her pocket before turning to Damon, "Alright, I'm sorry, I've got to go"

"It's fine; wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of Elena," he said with a grin.

"Or Caroline, I'm giving her a lift too," said Autumn.

"Ooh, scary thought!" he said getting to his feet, "Alright, well tell Stephen I'll see him at home, if he's still with them"

"Alright, well hopefully see you around Damon," said Autumn with a smile and small wave before turning around and jogging off towards the park gates. She thought he watched her go for a moment but when she turned around he was gone. She couldn't see him walking away and figured he must have moved out of sight somewhere.

Upon reaching the school she was immediately pounced upon by Elena and Caroline.

"Guys, I was like ten minutes late. I was just in the park," Autumn said, rummaging in her pocket for the car keys.

"What were you doing?" asked Caroline.

Autumn shrugged, "Just reading and talking"

"To who?" asked Elena

"God, what is this? Freaking twenty questions?" Autumn said as they walked towards the car, "How was practice?"

"Fine, except Elena forgot 60% of the moves since we did it last week," said Caroline bitchily.

"Did not!" said Elena, "And anyway, I've had a lot of my mind this week – it's been fairly hectic,"

"Whatever," said Caroline getting in the backseat of the car, as the twins got in the front.

"Wow, what got her in such a foul mood?" Autumn asked as they started the drive away from school.

"Tyler didn't wait for her after he'd finished practice like he said he would," said Elena with a shrug.

Autumn rolled her eyes and looked in the rearview mirror at her friend, "Tyler Lockwood, really?"

Caroline didn't reply for a moment, "What? He's attractive!"

"Yeah, and he's dating Vicky Donavon," said Elena

"Pfft," said Caroline, "They're not dating, they're just hooking up – in the same way Vicky's hooking up with your brother"

"Yeah well I don't think that's going to end well," said Autumn as she turned the car into Caroline's street, "I would stay well away from Tyler though"

"Whatever," said Caroline, "Wait to see what I'm wearing for Halloween, no man, Tyler or not, will be able to resist me"

"Should we be worried?" asked Elena with a grin.

"Not at all, well maybe about your boyfriend!" said Caroline with a giggle.

Autumn rolled her eyes again as Caroline got out, only when the car door had slammed shut did she turn to her sister.

"Boyfriend?" she asked, "Is she talking about Stephan?"

"I guess she is," said Elena, "But it's Caroline, she's talking crap. We just like hanging out together is all,"

"I don't mind!" said Autumn registering the guilty look on her sister's face, "You two seem to get on well, it's just you've known each other about a fortnight"

"Well, we're not dating yet," said Elena

"Yet?" said Autumn with a grin, "On that note, what are you planning for Halloween?"

"Well obviously the school do…" said Elena, "As for costume – I have no idea yet. Wanna plan something together?"

"Of course!" said Autumn, "And I'm pretty sure that Caroline will want to make sure we're not stealing her thunder"

"Probably," said Elena as they turned into their road, Autumn smiled and parked up in the driveway, her mind thinking up Halloween costumes and ideas for the dance.

^^^

Darkness had fallen a few hours ago and the sky was clear so the crescent moon was just visible through the trees. Damon had watched it rise from his solitary position by the falls, waiting for cover of darkness to do what he must; feeling it somehow leant to the ease and to the dramatics of the situation.

He got slowly to his feet, looking across the water and attempting to ignore the feeling of gnawing hunger; of it coursing through his veins, pulsating into every atom of his being. He liked it when he let it in, but for a time every day he liked to push it back and feel comparatively normal. He vaguely wondered who would be about tonight. And what they would taste like.

The forest blurred past as he let his senses take over, there was no right way to find what he was looking for, it was more like every instinct in his body was leading him the right direction, with no conscious thought involved. He grinned to himself when he heard movement coming from somewhere to his left and headed towards it.

The scene he came across was something akin to a buffet. There was a group of people, clearly stoned, lying on the floor around a badly built fire. He grinned to himself, this was going to be even easier than usual. He let it in. He felt his fangs elongate from his gums, felt every sense his body scream for the kill, and he let it take over.

There was something so wonderful about the feed, the softness of a breathing body in his arms as his vampiric side completely took over, his fangs sinking into warm flesh and then taste of immortal life passing over his lips. There was little struggle from these ones as they were too far gone on the drink and the pills, but the look as their eyes glazed over was one he would remember forever. And not in a good way. He remembered each and every single one of them, everyone he had ever killed either by accident or on purpose. Every night before sleep took him, he saw them all on the edges of the darkness. That was the price he had to pay.

The third one there was a pretty brunette, so far gone on the pills that her eyes didn't even focus on his face before he leaned in to get what he needed. Her hands even went around his neck, as they might a lover, pulling him in closer. A dance with death.

The girl let out a small sigh as she lost consciousness, a far cry from the screams that some of them decided were going to be accompanying their ends.

He let the girl go and she thudded to the ground, he stood up and surveyed the scene of carnage. He vaguely wondered what sort of animal attack they would dream up this time, he slung his jacket over his shoulder and walked away, leaving the mess behind for someone else to clean up.