Living life on the move wasn't easy. It was hard not to get attached to certain places, certain people, certain homes.

Since 1864, I had to leave my home of Mystic falls behind forever. If I had stayed, soon people would notice that young girl who strangely never aged, yet possessed no abilities to explain why.

And so I had been on the run for the past 146 years. There were doctors who knew about me, doctors who wouldn't stop searching for me and then finding out the mystery behind my ageing problem.

As far as I knew, I was the closest thing to the supernatural that I had ever heard of. I had spent many decades looking for other supernatural creatures, any indication at all that I wasn't the only freak in the world, but with no luck.

I had gotten caught once, in 1906. I had been experimented on for almost 5 decades, before authorities found out about the place, and released us.

I spent the next century making sure I never made the mistake of getting captured again. I travelled the world and saw all of its wonders, never even daring to go back into my hometown.

But that was until 2010. I had travelled almost everywhere, been in almost every country, and I had no idea where to go next.

And so I came back to my quaint town of Mystic Falls. Not much had changed over the years. There were still the same festivities and same founding families, but I felt safer. I knew that no one would think to look for me there, and so I quickly nestled in, hoping for a few quiet years, before I got on the move again.

Well, the keyword was hoped. What I would soon find out, was that the minute I stepped into the town, my range of supernatural was going to expand by a lot.

∆ ∆ ∆

I woke up with a jump at the sound of my phone ringing, and turned around in my bed, reaching for the nightstand.

"Hello?" I croaked in a terrible morning voice.

"Kaitlyn! Where are you? You promised you would help set up the parade for Founder's day," a male voice chastised, and I groaned hideously.

"Ugh, Matt, I'm sorry. I must have slept through my alarm," I apologised meekly, hearing him sigh on the line.

"Okay, that's fine. Just get here as soon as possible," he said, and I agreed.

Matt Donovan was the only true friend I had made in the few weeks that I had arrived in Mystic Falls.

My initial plan hadn't been to integrate with society and make friends, but I met Matt when I was lost in town, and he helped show me around.

He also promised to accompany me when I joined the school in a few days.

And besides, he was a kind person, and I hadn't had the pleasure of knowing many of those.

He tried to introduce me to his girlfriend, but she was too dramatic for me.

Besides, I don't think she liked me very much.

I slowly got out of bed and ate a quick breakfast. Normally I had to have a gigantic breakfast to function, but I knew Matt would have my head if I was even later.

I went back upstairs to change into some comfy clothes. Sighing, I realised that the long identical twin scars on my shoulder blades were visible with my tank top, and so I quickly changed into a long sleeve shirt.

Then I got into my car and drove to the school.

Matt was already helping his girlfriend set up at the front, and I walked over to join them.

"Hey," I greeted Matt, and he smiled at me.

"Glad you could make it Katie!" he mocked, and I rolled my eyes.

"I told you! I slept through my alarm!" I laughed.

"So you just let us do the work then right?" a blonde asked, scoffing.

I gave her a once-over. "And what's your name again?" I asked indignantly.

"Caroline," she spat.

"Right, the girlfriend. Sorry for the inconvenience. I slept late, deal with it."

The rest of the hour went okay, I was helping out Matt hang all the banners and prepare the float accordingly.

Finally, it was time for the people on the float to get dressed, and so Caroline finally left.

"I'm sorry about her," Matt told me apologetically. "She can be a little insecure."

"Please, of you and me?" I snorted. "I mean, no offence, but she has nothing to worry about."

We both laughed a little, watching the banners wave in the breeze.

"Well I need to go change," Matt spoke up and left.

After about 30 minutes, Caroline came back with another girl, a brunette beauty who I couldn't quite see in the distance.

As soon as she got closer though, I gasped.

She was a dead ringer for Katherine.

Same dark brown hair, though hers was duller and straight. Same body type, face, eyes and smile. The only difference was that the girl carried an innocence that Katherine had lost centuries ago.

But Katherine was gone, wasn't she? She was human, she had died over 100 years ago, right?

I looked around to see if anyone else had noticed this girl, but everyone acted normally.

I walked over to them, and breathed out, "Katherine."

The girl snapped to attention and looked at me with wide eyes.

"No, I'm Elena," she told me, and I shook myself out of whatever trance I had been in, about to leave before she grabbed my arm.

"How do you know Katherine?" she hissed, but then a woman came up to the two girls, looking anxious.

"Ladies, take your boyfriends and get on the float, now!" she ordered

They nodded and left, leaving me standing alone. Elena gave me one last suspicious look, before following Caroline.

I didn't understand how Elena looked exactly like my former friend. And I wondered who her boyfriend was.

It was probably just another blonde jock on the football team, smitten by her looks.

I sat down in one of the chairs, distancing myself from the cheering crowd and moving float.

I sighed dramatically, fiddling with my fingers. Just because I didn't have many friends, didn't mean I didn't want them. I think every person needs a tight circle which they can talk to.

But I never had that.

∆ ∆ ∆

It seemed like ages, but the parade was finally over, and I was standing by the drinks with Matt, looking over the crowd.

"It was a success," I complimented Matt. "You didn't even need my help, Donovan."

He smiled a little and squeezed my hand.

"I just want you to have fun Katie," he murmured earnestly.

My heart constricted at the emotion in his voice. "I.....I have to go, Matt," I apologised. "My mom needs me at home," I then lied, and he nodded understandingly.

"Okay, bye," he waved and I walked away.

I was walking down the street, the sounds of people getting quieter and quieter, before suddenly I doubled over, pain rushing through my head.

There seemed to be a thunderous ringing in my ears, and I turned around squinting to see where it was coming from.

In the distance, I saw a few other people falling to the ground in pain, and then my eyes widened in fear as I saw men rushing towards them, injecting them with something and taking them away.

I tried walking further away, but the pain was too much to handle, my vision was spotty as I collapsed on the floor, ears throbbing.

I saw a masked man walk towards me with a syringe, and tried to fight him, but he plunged into my neck.

I managed to get up and punch him in the throat feebly, but he dodged my other attempts.

He quickly realised that whatever was in the syringe didn't seem to affect me, and raised his hand over my face, giving me a blow that immediately knocked me out.

∆ ∆ ∆

When I woke up, I smelled smoke, and I coughed roughly, my lungs getting polluted with the air. I sat up to see I was in some kind of basement, with a fire roaring up the stairs with a life of its own.

I wheezed for more breath, but my throat seemed to get clogged as I crawled across the floor.

There were many other bodies surrounding me, some already dead, and the rest about to be.

Eventually, I couldn't move anymore, and I rolled onto my back, seeing the cracking ceiling above me.

Then, a face hovered in front of me, and through blurry vision, I swear I saw a man with dark hair and wide blue eyes, staring at me in astonishment.

"Damon?" I croaked before I blacked out.

∆ ∆ ∆