NYX’s NIGHTFALL

NYX’s NIGHTFALL

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎

‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.

“𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭“

‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.

Natalya awoke to the soft chirping of birds outside her window, a smile already tugging at her lips. Slipping out of bed, she padded across the hardwood floor to her vanity, adorned with an array of cosmetics and hair accessories. Today, like any other day, she had a routine to follow—a delicate dance of beauty rituals and wardrobe choices. She couldn't stop thinking about the dinner she and her friends had at the grill the night prior.

As if Caroline wasn't already overbearing in the school hallway, interrogating her and Elena, she went ahead and took it up another level by grilling poor Stefan on his whole family situation. Natalya was put off by Stefan; she got a weird vibe from him. Even Bonnie said she felt weird around him, but then again, she swore on her lucky stars that when she touched him the other night, she saw a vision. Natalya brushed her teeth, washed her face, and applied some light makeup. Growing up, Elena always told her how beautiful she was, and because of that, she preferred light makeup over heavy. She decided to straighten her hair down and applied two white clips on each side, pinning back her front hair. She shut the light off in her bathroom, heading for her dresser. She pulled out her favorite pair of denim jeans. She and Bonnie decided to customize their jeans one sleepover when they got bored. Hers had a Playboy bunny on one pocket. Then she grabbed a pink lace tank top and put on her pink Converse.

After quickly fixing her shirt and grabbing a sweater, Natalya grabbed her backpack and headed out of her room. But as she swung open the door, she collided with someone, causing her to stumble backward. "Ouch!" Natalya exclaimed, blinking in surprise as she regained her balance. She looked up to see her older sister Elena standing in the hallway, a bemused expression on her face. "Elena, you scared me!" Natalya laughed, adjusting her backpack. Elena chuckled, shaking her head at her sister's antics. "Sorry about that, I was rushing," Elena said, hiding her smile. "Rushing to go see Stefan?" Natalya said with her eyebrows raised and a smile in her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about," Elena said back in a sly voice. "You look amazing as always though, Talya," Elena said, looking her up and down with a smile. One thing about Elena was that she truly adored her baby sister; she was her best friend. Elena had many friends, but none would ever top Natalya in her eyes. She loved her sister endlessly and she was happy that she was finally enjoying her life since their parents passed away. "Why thank you, sister," Natalya smiled back, spinning in a circle to show off her outfit, feeling a surge of affection for her sister. Despite their occasional clashes, she knew Elena always had her back. "GIRLS!" they heard their aunt Jenna yell; they both scrambled down the stairs where they found their aunt standing in front of a mirror with her hair in a crazy updo. "Do I look like an adult? As in respectfully parental?" she asked, turning to the girls. "Depends on where you're going," Elena said, looking over at Jenna. "I agree with Lena," Natalya joined in. Jenna sighed. "Jeremy's parent-teacher conference," she said, moving her hair down. "Hair up or down?" she asked. Natalya moved behind her, grabbing her hair and putting it back up in a clip. "Sexy stewardess," she said, moving it back down. "Boozy housewife," Natalya finished, patting Jenna on her butt with a wink. "Up it is; you two are feisty today," she said, finishing pinning her hair up. "I feel good today, which is rare, so I've decided to go with it," Elena said, moving towards the kitchen. "Fly free, walk on sunshine, and all the stuff," she said, sitting at the kitchen island. "I know why you feel good; one word, starts with an S," she said back to Elena with a smug look. "And to answer you, Aunt Jenna, I slept so good last night; of course, I feel good," she said, turning back to Jenna. "Well, I'm glad Jeremy seemed miserable; something about building a birdhouse," she said, moving her hands as she went through the fridge before she paused. "There is no workshop, is there?" Both girls stifled their laughter, shaking their heads no.

‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.

Natalya was walking down the hallway with bonnie and caroline, "i'm confused, are you psychic or clairvoyant?" caroline said putting up signs for the cheer team as she walked "Technically, grams says I'm a witch. My ancestors were these really cool Salem witch chicks or something.Grams tried to explain it all, but she was looped on the liquor so I kinda tuned out. Crazy family, yes. Witches? I don't think so." bonnie said wrapping her arm around natalya's own arm, "i mean if grams told me i was a witch i'd believe her she's got the whole witch vibe going on" natalya said as she fixed her lipgloss "want some?" she pointed her towards her lipgloss to bonnie who took it from her hand "plus imagine being a witch that would be totally cool, i would totally rock the witch persona" she said with a smile on her lips, caroline turned around and tilted her head "i think if you were going to anything it'd be a vampire, you'd be a hot vampire." she said with a wink towards natalya, "no way she'd be a witch for sure, the real life good witch, my glinda" bonnie said handing natalya her lip gloss back, "Yeah, well, feel free to conjure up the name and number of that guy from last night," Caroline said, handing Natalya and Bonnie half her stack of posters. "Here, help me hand these out," Caroline continued as she turned and walked in a different direction. "You mean the guy from last night with the blue eyes?" Natalya said, recalling the man she had run into on her way home from the grill. She had left Bonnie and Caroline early after Bonnie started complaining about how Elena got every man she wanted.

"Yeah, I can't listen to this anymore," Natalya said as she started gathering her stuff. "Nat..." Bonnie said, giving her a look that Natalya could only interpret as an apology. She shook her head, trying to tell Bonnie not to feel sorry.

"Oh, come on, Nat. The only reason you don't agree is because you've never had a boyfriend for Elena to steal," Caroline said. Natalya knew Caroline was drunk and not being herself, but she still couldn't sit through it. She grabbed her things and gave Bonnie a quick hug and kiss goodbye, then made her way towards the exit.

After she left the grill, she remembered that Bonnie had been her ride home. She had been so busy with Caroline that she must have forgotten. Natalya pulled out her phone to call Elena for a ride when she collided with a stranger. "Watch where you're going," he muttered low and gravely, sending a shiver down Natalya's spine. She looked up and was met with piercing blue eyes that seemed to bore into her soul with each gaze. His dark hair was slicked back, giving him a sinister air. The man towered over her in height, and he wore a leather jacket that creaked with every movement he made, adding to his unsettling presence. Natalya took a step back, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. "I'm sorry," she stammered out. The stranger's lips turned up into a smirk. "Apology accepted," he said, his voice dripping with malice. All of Natalya's instincts were screaming at her to run, but she stood frozen in her place, unable to tear her eyes away from the stranger's haunting eyes. "What's your name?" the stranger asked. "Natalya," she whispered, her voice barely audible. The stranger's smirk widened, his eyes dilating with each word he spoke. "Well, Natalya, it seems we have a connection," he said, taking a step closer to her. Natalya's heart raced as she backed away with each step he took closer, her mind racing with fear. She'd never seen this man before; he didn't go to school with her. Part of her wanted to scream, but she was stuck frozen, staring into his eyes.

Before she could react, the stranger reached out and grasped her arm with a grip that felt like ice. "You are not going to remember this interaction; you're going to think you ran into a handsome stranger on your way home. The next time you see me, you will remember the conversation we had tonight; you will not tell anyone when you do remember. Do you understand?" the man spoke, his voice low and commanding. With her mind fuzzy, Natalya removed her arm from the stranger's grasp. "I'm sorry, I should have been watching where I was going," she said, shaking her head. Moving out of the man's way, she dialed Elena's phone number as she made her way down the street.

"I didn't see him, you did. Why didn't you just speak to him?" Bonnie spoke back to Caroline, shaking her head at Natalya.

"I don't know; I was drunk," Caroline said.

‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.

Natalya sat next to her sister at the grill with Caroline and Bonnie. It was the town's night of the comet and apparently, to Bonnie, a night of supernatural doom and gloom. "Well, I was talking to Grams, and she said the comet is a sign of impending doom. The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity," Bonnie explained. "Yeah, and then you poured Grams another shot, and she told you about the aliens," Caroline replied back sarcastically. "So then what?" she then turned her head to Elena. "So then nothing," Elena said. "You and Stefan talked all night? There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy-feely of any kind?" Caroline replied. The conversation had shifted to them talking about how Elena had Stefan over last night. "Nope. We didn't go there," Elena replied, "Trust me, I would know; those walls are thin," Natalya said with a slight smile. "Not even a handshake? I mean, Elena, we are your friends. Ok? You are supposed to share the smut," Natalya was shaking her head to agree with Caroline. "Exactly, and I've never been with anyone, so it's up to you all to tell me these things so I can live vicariously through you," Elena pursed her lips. "We just talked for hours," Caroline scoffed. "Ok, what is with the blockage? Just jump his bones already! Ok, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, sex," Elena suddenly got up, Natalya's eyes widened. "Profound, Caroline," Elena responded. "Wait, where are you going?" Bonnie asked.

"Caroline's right. It is easy. If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it instead of doing what I started the day saying I was going to do." she then walked away. "Okay, that was so out of character for her," Natalya said, sipping her strawberry lemonade. The night of the comet had approached quickly. Natalya was once again back to handing out flyers with Elena and Bonnie.

"He didn't call, huh?" Bonnie asked Elena.

"Or text, but I realized we never even exchanged that stuff. We've never gotten to the texting part," Natalya whipped her head around." Seriously?" Bonnie nodded her head in agreement. "That's an important milestone in like any relationship," Elena moved to hand more flyers. "Isn't it? The timing is wrong anyway?" Natalya stopped handing her looking at her sister. "Yeah, but when is it ever right? Remember Jason? We dated a month after Mom and Dad passed away, and I know for a fact the time wasn't right then," giving her sister a smile she turned back to start setting up candles. "I just don't think I'm ready, ya know?" Elena responded. "Again, who is?" Bonnie replied with a small smile. "At least I'm putting myself out there," Elena retorted, "Is that what we're calling it now?" Bonnie responded, "What's that supposed to mean?" Elena snaps back.

"I'm just saying all I'm hearing is reasons why you can't," Bonnie says shrugging her shoulders and walking away. Out of the corner of her eye, Natalya swears she saw the stranger from the night prior, but when she whips her head around she's met with nothing. "You okay, Talya?" Elena asks, moving closer to her sister. "Huh..? Yea, I'm alright, Lena." Elena ditched Natalya to walk around with Stefan, Bonnie got the creeps again from him, and Caroline was nowhere to be seen. Natalya was totally ditching the comet. As she walked alone to her car, the night air felt thick with unease. Her friends and sister lost in their own world, even her brother was wrapped up in Vicki land. Now, the deserted parking lot seemed to stretch out before her like a void, the only sound the echo of her footsteps on the pavement. Suddenly, she heard a rustling sound, like someone moving in the shadows. Natalya's heart skipped a beat as she glanced around, her senses on high alert. She quickened her pace, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Then, out of nowhere, he appeared—the dark-haired man with piercing blue eyes, his presence sending a chill down Natalya's spine. "You again?" she gasped, her voice trembling with fear. "How did you—" But before she could finish her sentence, the man was standing before her, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling intensity. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," Damon said as that smirk Natalya was all too familiar with settled on his features. Natalya took a step back, her heart racing in her chest. "What do you want?" she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I need a small favor from you," he said as he moved closer to her, locking her gaze with his. "You are going to pretend to be in a relationship with me. You see, I know the fact that I'm messing with your head will bother my baby brother. So his precious girlfriend's baby sister has to be collateral," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Wh— who are you?" she whispered back, her eyes still gazing into his. But the man didn't respond. Instead, he reached out and grasped her arm with a grip that felt like ice. Natalya gasped, her pulse quickening as she struggled to break free. Natalya arrived home; she set her keys on the table near the door — "Hey, Talya," Elena said, bounding down the stairs, "i was thinking we could slumber it tonight.. maybe watch a movie?" she said grabbing a bowl from the kitchen. Natalya felt this overbearing sensation to inform her older sister about the man she had met once again in the parking lot, but the words the came out of her mouth didn't reflect what was going on in her mind — actually it was the total opposite, it was like she was saying one thing in her mind but she couldn't say it out loud, so she just decided to say nothing. "I actually just want to go to bed, I had a really long night and i'm just not feeling it." she responded "Natalya are you alright?" Elena said walking over to her sister moving her to sit on the couch — if only she knew but it was like Natalya's mouth was sealed shut, "yea Elena i'm fine" she took her hand from Elena's grasp and stormed upstairs. when Natalya entered her bedroom she shut the door and leaned against it. "you wanted to tell her didn't you?" Damon said as he laid on Natalya's bed messing around with her teddy bear — "what are you going to do to me?"

Natalya whispered in a vice like fear — "well i have a couple things but right now i'm hungry. why don't you come sit down next to me?" Natalya hesitated — "cmon Natalya you have to do what i say.. that's how this works" he persuaded in a sing song voice. Natalya's hesitant footsteps move her towards the bed. she sat down next to him as he moved to her, "see that wasn't so hard" he said as he moved her hair out of her face cupping her cheek. Natalya sat frozen as Damon's lips pressed against hers, his kiss forceful and demanding. Panic surged through her veins as she realized she didn't want this, but Damon was stronger than her, his grip on her arms unyielding. "Stop," Natalya gasped, trying to push him away, but Damon only tightened his hold, his kiss growing more aggressive. "Natalya, don't fight it," Damon murmured against her lips, his voice low and commanding. "You know you want this." But Natalya didn't want this. She wanted to scream, to run away from Damon's suffocating embrace, but she was powerless against him. And then, she felt a sharp pain shoot through her neck as Damon's fangs pierced her skin.

She cried out in agony, her entire body wracked with pain as Damon drank from her. She felt weak, dizzy, and helpless, her vision swimming as darkness threatened to consume her. Damon pulls away kissing down her neck moving her sweater out of his way. Natalya felt sick to her stomach as she at him, her body trembling with fear and disgust. She wanted to scream, to run away and never look back, but she knew she was trapped in Damon's web of control. She didn't even want to think of was happened next. She knew she hated the man next to her, Natalya had never hated anyone before. But this man — he's taken something from her she'd never get back. She didn't know what he wanted with her, why he did what he did. She knew he wasn't human based on the way that when he was done with her he told her to never say anything about what happened, and she listened. The Gilbert girl hesitantly fell asleep.

‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞!!

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫! 𝐌𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐤𝐨𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐜!! 𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐚 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞!

𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 -

𝐌𝐢𝐚 𝐱𝐨𝐱𝐨