Such a Dark Place to Meet a Witch

The sun had just set about 45 minutes ago. The colors in the sky faded from vibrant colors to nothing but darkness. The wind was chilly as it blew against my exposed skin. The cold didn't bother me but I pulled my jacket closer together out of habit. I walked across an old bridge and started to walk through the lines of head stones. I was alone in the Cemetery, there was no sign of anyone's presence. I continued to walk, I began memorizing all of the names on the stones. I walked over to a mausoleum, and leaned against it. I looked down at the graves in front of it. I was lost in thought and didn't know how long I was standing there. Suddenly I heard a strong heart beat nearby.

Damion had spent the day with his father practicing spells out of their grimoires that they had around their house that they had just bought. Later he had decided to take a walk by the cemetery and pay his respects to his mother who had passed. Her headstone was rather amazing, there was a black stone angel-type creature perched on top, with the headstone reading: Rest in peace, loving wife and mother. Followed by her date of death and name. His attention was drawn to a woman who was standing around the area, he could sense that there was somebody there. His powers were well prepared. He wasn't as powerful as his father, but he was still able to bring down several vampires at once, even while being 18. He was rather powerful for a witch his age, probably from either his bloodline of witches, or practice from the grimoires. Damion began to walk over, beginning to see a slight figure leaning against the mausoleum, and spoke. "I didn't expect to find anyone out here, this time of night" He looked to the silhouette, wondering why someone would be around a cemetery if they weren't visiting anyone.

My head turned towards the heart beat. I didn't move, I kept my calm demeanor but stayed ready for a fight. I stood up straight as a guy appeared in my field of vision. "I could say the same thing to you!" I stated in a gentle tone, I didn't want to frighten him. I never saw him around town so I figured he was new. The wind started picking up a little more so I automatically pulled my jacket tighter.

Damion watched on as the girl turned her head and saw her silhouette stand and ask him the same thing. "What I do around here is no business but my own. I trust you know that, or else you would have answered my question without another" He told her, in a calm tone. He did not see a reason to get angry or agitated, seeing as he thought he could drop her easily with a little aneurism. His glance looked back to the grave he had been at moments before seeing the girl, and then he turned back to her waiting for a reply.

I smirked at him. "Feisty aren't we!" I muttered under my breath. I stepped forward a few feet. I crouched down to the head stone in front of me. I gently graced my fingers over the giant head stone in front of me. The black marble had two angels carved into it. They had carved it the exact way I had told them. The name read Jessica Moore. Her death date was exactly 70 years ago today. She was killed for helping me when I told her not to. I leaned my head against her head stone. "Stupid old woman." I whispered.

"I know it is none of my business. I didn't mean to be rude, but we are both here to pay our respect to the dead. Whether they are loved ones such as family or friends or even people that we didn't even know." I spoke to the guy that was in front of another tomb stone.

"I love you, Jessica. I kept my promise, your family is safe and you have a beautiful baby grand daughter named Raylee." I placed a kiss on the head stone, and took the red rose out of my pocket. I gently placed it on her grave. I didn't care that the guy heard me, speaking to the grave. I let the tears slid from my eyes and roll down my face. I had promised to keep her family safe, it was her dying wish.

His stance seemed steady as he watched the girl crouch down. He had not met very many vampires in his years as a witch, being but a teen still, but he could still faintly sense whenever he was around one, it was one of his gifts. And the girl in front of him was a vampire, but as he watched her cry and tears bead down her face, he didn't know what to think. He had never met a vampire with a conscious before, let alone one that cried and showed human emotion. "Think nothing of it, I just prefer to keep some things personal. Looks like the same with you" He told her as he placed his hand on the angel that was on his mothers headstone and whispered 'Mother, how I wish you were still here'. But, unlike the vampire, he did not shed a tear, and remained steady on his feet, lowering his hand.

I gracefully stood up and turned to walk closer to the the guy. I stopped at the head stone next his mother's. I was cautious of him as he tensed at my closeness to him. I crouched down in front of the grave. It was Bonnie's grandmother. The head stone read Sheila Bennett.

"Hello again Sheila! I wish I would have showed up sooner. Don't worry about Bonnie we will take care of her. You have my word, I won't let anything happen to her." I blinked trying to prevent more tears from falling but I failed. A few tears managed to sneak out of my eyes. I pulled the second rose out of my coat and placed it in front of her tomb stone. I had only meet the witch once when she was a young girl. It only felt right to promise to look after Bonnie. After all I did have eternity to protect people.

When I found out about Sheila's death I was deeply saddened. She was a kind strong woman who would do anything to protect her family.

Damion didn't know of much to do at the cemetery besides visit his mother's grave, which he had already done. It was sad, how his mother had died, and the pain that came with it knowing it was from witchcraft, and the tough times that his family had since her passing: Having to move, get affairs in order, the will, individual emotions. It was a very trying time for the both of them: Father, and son. He watched as the vampire walked up to the headstone beside his mothers' and began talking about Sheila Bennett. Must have been Bonnie's grandmother or distant relative, and she was a witch, just like Bonnie. He did not feel like talking about the woman's words to Sheila about protecting her granddaughter, so he attempted to ignore the tears running down the girls face. "It looks like you know a few people in here." He told her, attempting to be rather social, or however social a witch could be with a vampire.

I glanced at him over my shoulder. "There are more here then there should be." I stated the regret was clear in my voice. They didn't die by my hands but they died way before their time.

He looked on to her as her vision went behind her shoulder toward him as she replied. It would make sense to him to know a few people in the graveyard, but vampires always seemed to know more people then most, with their immortality and all. He didn't quite know what to say in a situation like that, seeing the Vampire cry was a first. He didn't know what else she knew, or what else is hurting in her lifetime. "How long did you know Sheila?" He knew that with the last name Bennett, she was related to Bonnie, and by the time stamp on the grave, that she was at least her grandmother. Perhaps this way, he would get to know a kinder vampire better, even though he tried to stay out of their business.

"Not long, I met her years ago." I stated sadly. I stood up quickly, and closed the distance in between us. I moved too fast and caught him off guard. I placed my hand and on his arm. I felt the familiar hum that I normally got when touching a witch. I removed my hand and took a step back. "You knew what I was I just needed to know what you are. I will not hurt you, you have my word!" I said taking another step backwards. "I will not lie, I met Sheila as a little girl."

He listened to her reply, and could tell that she was telling the truth. But was caught off guard as she sped up to him and placed her hand on Damion's arm, he thought that she may have wanted to rip it off or do something vampirish, but she soon let go and stepped back. "Yes, I know. I haven't met many vampires in my few years as a witch. All of them tried to either manipulate me and my father, or tried to kill us. You're the first I've met that shows emotion. But I do want to thank you for that truce, I also give my word to not harm, unless of course, I am harmed first." He told her, face staying steady, not showing much emotion as she told him about Sheila. "I take it she wasn't a very powerful witch if you met her when she was young"

I laughed. "Now your a witch or do you prefer warlock, that I can relate to. I don't cause harm unless I am harmed first." I smiled at him. "There's one thing you should know about Mystic Falls. There are more Vampires around this town not all of them will hurt you." I looked around the cemetery. "I choose not to turn off my emotions it keeps me tied to my humanity. Most vampires turn it off, so they can kill without feeling anything." I looked at him directly in the eyes. "When I met her she was about 6 years old, I saved her from being hit by a car." I smiled sadly. "That was the last time I got to speak with her."

He let a small smile slip as she laughed, it wasn't a vampirick cackle like he had expected, more so a feminine giggle that shocked him a little bit. "It doesn't matter to me. I do not think of the two words as different genders, they both have the same meaning. Although warlock sounds darker then witch, I am fine with being called either" He nodded in her direction as she told him about Mystic Falls and the vamps. "I had a feeling there were more vampires around, I could sense them, but had a hard time pinning down their identity. But, that is rather comforting to know that there are some that are like you" He said, smiling again as she looked him in the eyes, and his to hers. She began speaking about Sheila Bennett, Bonnie's grandmother. "Oh, so that was really early. She probably didn't even know that she was a witch back then. She was lucky to have you around" There was a gleam of sincerity in his eyes as she continued to look into them, but Damion couldn't hold the staring anymore and broke it, looking down at Sheila's grave. He wasn't sure what else to say to the woman, he had never really had a friendly chat with a vampire before, seeing as he is a witch, they didn't get along. "I don't think I'll regret this" He whispered under his voice, "I'm sorry, my name is Damion" He introduced himself, holding out his hand to shake hers, attempting to be social with a vampire was a little new for him.

I smiled when I heard him introduce himself. I honestly wasn't expecting him to. "It's a pleasure to meet you Damion, my name's Ravyn." I took his hand in mine and shook it then I released it. "Everyone around here seems to fancy calling me Ray." I slipped my hand into my pocket and fished out my pack of smokes. "Do you mind if I smoke?" I asked before opening the pack and taking one out.

Damion watched as she smiled and then shook his hand, quickly releasing it afterward. "Pleasure" He said, he didn't quite know what to say to Ravyn after she introduced herself, he had never really formally met another Vampire. "I'll probably just stick to calling you Ravyn, but thanks for the offer" He replied back, sliding the hand she had just shook into his pocket, there was a motion that looked like he was rubbing something off of his hand, but it was subtle. He looked at her as she took out a pack of smokes, "No, not at all. My father smokes so.." He didn't seem to want to finish the sentence, as he finished rubbing whatever it was off of his hands he pulled his hand back out, trying to appear casual.

I noticed that he seemed to be wiping off his hand but I didn't let it faze me. I opened up my pack of cigarettes and put one in my mouth. I quickly lit it and inhaled. "Here's a heads up, the Original vampire family is in this town, you do not want to mess with them." I said sternly.

Damion's mind began to wander as Ravyn began lighting up a smoke and placing it in her mouth. Once the word 'Original' popped up, he knew there would probably be trouble heading his way if they caught his scent. "yea, I've heard of the Originals. My mother was a researcher and such, she did spells, lore, almost anything, although she could never find any of them, I only know of their legends. But, I do always like to come prepared to a town that has a history of vampires" He said, looking around hoping not to find anyone else skulking around. "Yea, I read about the past that happened here, or rather, a book that was passed down in my family from the old times." He began to get calmer as the conversation wore on, and Ravyn kept getting more relaxed.

I looked at Damion as he spoke. "Your mother didn't find any of them because they didn't want to be found. A few months ago there were only two of them that were alive, well as alive as vampires can be." I wasn't actually comfortable about mentioning the fact that Klaus staked his siblings. But I noticed that the more we spoke the more calm Damion seemed to get, which caused me to relax.

He nodded in her direction. If there was anything that old vamps knew how to do, was to stay hidden. But once Ravyn had mentioned only two were alive, he seemed a little stricken with curiosity, but he'd wait to find out the details until later. Damion noticed the vampire relax more as she continued puffing on her smoke before exhaling, and proceeded to reply as he leaned on his mothers headstone. "I met that witch, Bonnie, granddaughter of Sheila. I am guessing that was who you were talking about when you were speaking to her memory, she is pretty powerful."

I smiled. "Yes Bonnie is very powerful, especially since she's from the Bennett bloodline. But that doesn't mean she can't drain herself and die because of it. That's what happened to Sheila." I said sadly as I finished smoking my cigarette. I dropped it to the ground and put it out with my heel. I quickly bent over and picked up the butt and slipped it into my jacket pocket.

Damion nodded, as he took a quick glance to the surrounding headstones and graves that were around the area, but he wasn't able to make out any of the names except for the two that were on either side of him, Sheila's and his mothers. He knew that no matter how strong a witch was, they could still drain all of their powers, but he hasn't actually seen it happen, only witches he has known were him, his father, mother, and now Bonnie. It upset him a little bit, the idea of how little witches there were around where he lived, they seemed rare. "yea, I know what you mean. I've never seen it, personally. I hope I never have to. But, death is a natural thing. It is inevitable, even if you are a vampire." He told Ravyn, honestly as she picked up a smoke butt off of the ground.

I sighed. "People so young don't deserve to die or be turned like they are. Normally when witches strain themselves it's to protect their family." I glanced down at Sheila's head stone. "We all die sooner or later, that much is true. I can not let my life end right now even though sometimes I wish it would. But I have promises to keep, especially the lives of family that I have promised to the deceased."

Damion glanced to Ravyn as she spoke about death. He agreed with her, but, nature did have it's own course that had to be followed, even in death. He noticed the glance down to the headstone, and after her reply he knew what she had meant about the whispering earlier to Sheila's headstone about protecting Bonnie. "I understand those types of promises. I have never made them myself, but they do cause you to want to strive to complete it, seeing as you made the promise on their death bed, and wouldn't want to disappoint them in the end." He told Ravyn, still seeming to remain calm and collected as he stood straight and took his hand out of his pocket.

I looked at Damion as he spoke. "One day you will make those types of promises, it's bound to happen sooner or later." I sighed knowing that it was unavoidable. "I wouldn't be surprised if you end up asking one of my kind to protect you bloodline." I stated matter of factly.