The Vampire Diaries 1 - The Awakening

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THE AWAKENING
Vampire Diaries Volume 1
By
Lisa J. Smith
Contents
Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter ThreeChapter Four Chapter FiveChapter Six Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight Chapter NineChapter Ten Chapter ElevenChapter Twelve Chapter ThirteenChapter
Fourteen Chapter FifteenChapter Sixteen
"Are you having a good time?" Elena asked.
I am now. Stefan didn't say it, but Elena knew it was what he was thinking. She could see it in the way
he stared at her. She had never been so sure of her power. Except that actually he didn't look as if he
were having a good time; he looked stricken, in pain, as if he couldn't take one more minute of this.
The band was starting up, a slow dance. He was still staring at her, drinking her in. Those green eyes
darkening, going black with desire. She had the sudden feeling that he might jerk her to him and kiss her
hard, without ever saying a word.
"Would you like to dance?" she said softly. I'm playing with fire, with something I don't understand, she
thought suddenly. And in that instant she realized that she was frightened. Her heart began to pound
violently. It was as if those green eyes spoke to some part of her that was buried deep beneath the
surface—and that part was screaming "danger" at her. Some instinct older than civilization was telling her
to run, to flee.
She didn't move.
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THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
The Awakening
Volume 1

L. J. Smith

HarperPaperbacks
A Division of HarperCollinsPublishers
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author's imagination
and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental.
HarperPaperbacks A Division of HarperCollinsPublishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, N.Y. 10022

Copyright © 1991 by Daniel Weiss Associates, Inc. and Lisa Smith
Cover art copyright © 1991 by Daniel Weiss Associates, Inc.

First printing: September, 1991
Printed in the United States of America

HarperPaperbacks and colophon are trademarks of HarperCollinsPublishers
The Awakening
Chapter One
^ »
September 4
Dear Diary,
Something awful is going to happen today.
I don't know why I wrote that. It's crazy. There's no reason for me to be upset and every reason
for me to be happy, but…
But here I am at 5:30 in the morning, awake and scared. I keep telling myself it's just that I'm all
messed up from the time difference between France and here. But that doesn't explain why I feel
so scared. So lost.
The day before yesterday, while Aunt Judith and Margaret and I were driving back from the
airport, I had such a strange feeling. When we turned onto our street I suddenly thought, "Mom
and Dad are waiting for us at home. I bet they'll be on the front porch or in the living room
looking out the window. They must have missed me so much."
I know. That sounds totally crazy.
But even when I saw the house and the empty front porch I still felt that way. I ran up the steps
and I tried the door and knocked with the knocker. And when Aunt Judith unlocked the door I
burst inside and just stood in the hallway listening, expecting to hear Mom coming down the stairs
or Dad calling from the den.
Just then Aunt Judith let a suitcase crash down on the floor behind me and sighed a huge sigh and
said, "We're home." And Margaret laughed. And the most horrible feeling I've ever felt in my life
came over me. I've never felt so utterly and completely lost.
Home. I'm home. Why does that sound like a he?

I was born here in Fell's Church. I've always lived in this house, always. This is my same old
bedroom, with the scorch mark on the floorboards where Caroline and I tried to sneak cigarettes
in 5th grade and nearly choked ourselves. I can look out the window and see the big quince tree
Matt and the guys climbed up to crash my birthday slumber party two years ago. This is my bed,
my chair, my dresser.
But right now everything looks strange to me, as if I don't belong here. It's me that's out of place.
And the worst thing is that I feel there's somewhere I do belong, but I just can't find it.
I was too tired yesterday to go to Orientation.
Meredith picked up my schedule for me, but I didn't feel like talking to her on the phone. Aunt
Judith told everyone who called that I had jet lag and was sleeping, but she watched me at dinner
with a funny look on her face.
I've got to see the crowd today, though. We're supposed to meet in the parking lot before school.
Is that why I'm scared? Am I frightened of them?

Elena Gilbert stopped writing.