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He wasn't. Deep in the woods, where no one would see him, he'd come to feed. Now he licked at his gums and lips painstakingly, to make sure there was no stain on them. He didn't want to take any chances. This masquerade was going to be hard enough to pull off as it was. For a moment he wondered, again, if he should just give it all up. Perhaps he should go back to Italy, back to his hiding place. What made him think that he could rejoin the world of daylight? But he was tired of living in shadows. He was tired of the darkness, and of the things that lived in it. Most of all, he was tired of being alone. He wasn't sure why he'd chosen Fell's Church, Virginia. It was a young town, by his standards; the oldest buildings had been put up only a century and a half ago. But memories and ghosts of the Civil War still lived here, as real as the supermarkets and fast-food joints. Stefan appreciated respect for the past. He thought he might come to like the people of Fell's Church. And perhaps – just perhaps – he might find a place among them. He'd never be accepted completely, of course. A bitter smile curved his lips at the idea. He knew better than to hope for that. There would never be a place where he could belong completely, where he could truly be himself. Unless he chose to belong to the shadows… He slapped the thought away. He'd renounced the darkness; he'd left the shadows behind him. He was blotting all those long years out and starting afresh, today. Stefan realized he was still holding the rabbit. Gently, he laid it down on the bed of brown oak leaves. Far away, too far for human ears to pick up, he recognized the noises of a fox. Come along, brother hunter, he thought sadly. Your breakfast is waiting. As he slung his jacket over his shoulder, he noticed the crow that had disturbed him earlier. It was still perched in the oak tree, and it seemed to be watching him. There was a wrongness about it. He started to send a probing thought toward it, to examine the bird, and stopped himself. Remember your promise, he thought. You don't use the Powers unless it is absolutely necessary. Not unless there is no other choice. Moving almost silently among the dead leaves and dry twigs, he made his way toward the edge of the woods. His car was parked there. He glanced back, once, and saw that the crow had left the branches and dropped down on the rabbit. There was something sinister in the way it spread its wings over the limp white body, something sinister and triumphant. Stefan's throat tightened, and he almost strode back to chase the bird away. Still, it had as much right to eat as the fox did, he told himself. As much right as he did. If he encountered the bird again, he'd look into its mind, he decided. Just now, he tore his eyes from the sight of it and hurried on through the woods, jaw set. He didn't want to be late arriving at Robert E. Lee High School.
Chapter Two Elena was surrounded the instant she stepped into the high school parking lot. Everyone was there, the whole crowd she hadn't seen since late June, plus four or five hangers-on who hoped to gain popularity by association. One by one she accepted the welcoming hugs of her own group. Caroline had grown at least an inch and was slinkier and more like a Vogue model than ever. She greeted Elena coolly and stepped back again with her green eyes narrowed like a cat's. Bonnie hadn't grown at all, and her curly red head barely came up to Elena's chin as she flung her arms around Elena. Wait a minute – curls? thought Elena. She pushed the smaller girl back. "Bonnie! What did you do to your hair?" "Do you like it? I think it makes me look taller." Bonnie fluffed up the already fluffy bangs and smiled, her brown eyes sparkling with excitement, her little heart-shaped face alight. Elena moved on. "Meredith. You haven't changed at all." This hug was equally warm on both sides. She had missed Meredith more than anyone, Elena thought, looking at the tall girl. Meredith never wore any makeup; but then, with perfect olive skin and heavy black lashes, she didn't need any. Right now she had one elegant eyebrow raised as she studied Elena. "Well, your hair is two shades lighter from the sun… But where's your tan? I thought you were living it up on the French Riviera." "You know I never tan." Elena held up her hands for her own inspection. The skin was flawless, like porcelain, but almost as fair and translucent as Bonnie's. "Just a minute; that reminds me," Bonnie interjected, snatching one of Elena's hands. "Guess what I learned from my cousin this summer?" Before anyone could speak, she informed them triumphantly: "Palm reading!" There were groans, and some laughter. "Laugh while you can," said Bonnie, not at all disturbed. "My cousin told me I'm psychic. Now, let me see…" She peered into Elena's palm. "Hurry up or we're going to be late," said Elena a bit impatiently. "All right, all right. Now, this is your life line – or is it your heart line?" In the crowd, someone snickered. "Quiet; I'm reaching into the void. I see… I see…" All at once, Bonnie's face went blank, as if she were startled. Her brown eyes widened, but she no longer seemed to be staring at Elena's hand. It was as if she were looking through it – at something frightening. "You will meet a tall, dark stranger," Meredith murmured from behind her. There was a flurry of giggles. "Dark, yes, and a stranger… but not tall." Bonnie's voice was hushed and faraway. "Although," she continued after a moment, looking puzzled, "he was tall, once." Her wide brown
Page 2 and 3: Vampire Diaries Volume 1 THE AWAKEN
Page 4 and 5: "Are you having a good time?" Elena
Page 6 and 7: HarperPaperbacks A Division of Harp
Page 8 and 9: Elena Gilbert stopped writing. She
Page 12 and 13: eyes lifted to Elena's in bewilderm
Page 14 and 15: could be more than that, could beco
Page 16 and 17: presence of that mind again. It glo
Page 18 and 19: Chapter Three The first light of da
Page 20 and 21: silver ring, also set with lapis, o
Page 22 and 23: They were enjoying the game, slouch
Page 24 and 25: Chapter Four By the time Elena reac
Page 26 and 27: were alien, unfamiliar, vaguely men
Page 28 and 29: I'll swear." Closing her eyes, she
Page 30 and 31: her lips and laughed shortly. "Sure
Page 32 and 33: His sight was sharper, his reflexes
Page 34 and 35: But that was before his brother Dam
Page 36 and 37: Bonnie picked up the photograph. "W
Page 38 and 39: Chapter Six September 26 Dear Diary
Page 40 and 41: "Matt," she said, slowly, "don't yo
Page 42 and 43: in, and compliments rained down on
Page 44 and 45: Outside, she threw herself into the
Page 46 and 47: "Why don't we go inside?" Vickie sa
Page 48 and 49: Tyler tried to roll off, giggling s
Page 50 and 51: Even through the numbness, Elena fe
Page 52 and 53: me, or you might get a disease." He
Page 54 and 55: smudged and grimy with dirt. She wa
Page 56 and 57: "I've been at the boarding house, w
Page 58 and 59: Chapter Nine She was not the reinca
Page 60 and 61:
" - or your duty? Do you love her e
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Spanish Inquisition is not a rock g
Page 64 and 65:
Elena nodded, dazed herself. Not in
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eat either. We didn't touch each ot
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Chamber. They'll go straight out of
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artificial twilight, but she could
Page 72 and 73:
Chapter Eleven Elena stumbled down
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thing." "It's hard to see him all w
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She remembered the smile, too. "Tha
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"Hush," she whispered again, and he
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clothes were as natural as his usua
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Outside, thunder rumbled again, and
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"No! Shut the doors! Don't let anyb
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Stefan turned toward the gym, as if
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soon… now. The boarding house was
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she should see what he truly was, w
Page 92 and 93:
silversmiths in Florence." Stefan w
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Chapter Fourteen Elena felt her fle
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His harsh sobs went on and on, as s
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"I… don't remember," he said blea
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pleading. She knew that her own fac
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other. She has a spirit and a fire
Page 104 and 105:
Stefan did not look back or try to
Page 106:
there were a crushing weight all ar
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