o. NEAR DEATH
{ chapter one. }

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     Margaret had been wandering around the town square with no actual purpose for what seemed like forever. The students were getting all ready and dressed up for the Founder's Parade; the adults were socialising and trying to make themselves seem better than they actually are; and she, the sexy French teacher at the local high school, was trying to banish the thought of leaving and going home to her nice, warm bed.

It was not meant to be though, as she had stupidly volunteered for the event because she needed the unsuspecting — and not so unsuspecting — townsfolk of Mystic Falls to believe she was normal. So therefore, it was a priority of hers to get out of the house, once in a while. And one of those times happened to be the day of the Founder's Parade.

     Many people, students and other, greeted Margaret as she made her way to the float. It was rather big, mostly red and white with blue detailing. Props, such as guns and foliage, were scattered around the one based on the 'Battle of Willow Creek'. Fake ash and explosions were simulated with black paint. She was truly impressed, because it was a float her students created, and felt something akin to pride when she gazed up at it.

     She grew closer and was about to make it to the main event, but before she could, the sight of Elena Gilbert dressed in attire dating back to eighteen-sixty four caught her eye, for a split second. Margaret froze, momentarily believing her to be Katherine, and the noise faded into nothing. The memories of their time together, filled with love and happiness and joy ( mostly ), made themselves known and she stumbled back into a person.

     The feeling of arms catching her made everything brighten and the noise bombard her sensitive ears. She felt faint, but with her limp figure hanging on the arms of some stranger, she knew she would be forced to get up.

     "Woah, Miss Pierson, are you alright?" The concerned — and familiar — voice of a student called out.

"Yes, I'm fine. And thank you for your assistance, Mr Salvatore." She nodded along to what she was saying, though her eyes kept drifting back to Elena. "Lovely dress, Miss Gilbert, you suit it well."

It was the last thing she said before wandering off, wanting to bash her head in the entire time.

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The feeling of actually having her head bashed in greeted margaret with an unwelcome smack to the face during the fireworks. The pain was so fierce and unyielding she fell to the ground on her knees, hands clasped over her ears and face scrunched up in silent horror. The sound ricocheted through her mind and left shattered pieces in it's wake. A thousand needles were piercing her brain, it felt like, and she didn't know how long she could go on before she lost consciousness.

     Vaguely, Margaret's mind registered hands grabbing her from under her elbows, and vervain being injected through her forearm. Feet shuffled, stairs clattered, and suddenly everything was hot, so very hot. The pain from earlier had stopped but now all that she could feel was heat, like someone had trapped her in a furnace and was cranking up the temperature full blast.

Margaret's eyes opened slowly, trying to adjust to the smoke in the air. She was a basement of some sort, but what really caught her was the fact that it was on fire. She panicked and sat up, groaning from the pain that shot up her back and through her arm.

Many vampires were already dead, having fallen victim to the flames that licked at their feet and devoured their flesh. One person stood out though, Damon Salvatore, local vampire and older brother of her student, Stefan Salvatore. He was groaning on the ground, looking to the recently deceased Mayor Lockwood, whom she knew was not a vampire.

What is he doing here?

The blonde vampire saved those thoughts for later and called out to Damon, voice thick with underlying pain.

"Damon! Da-mon! What is... h-happening," she asked in a fit of coughs, wheezing from the effort used.

He looked her way in confusion but answered back, saying a plot was set to kill all the vampires in a Mystic Falls. Margaret didn't bother giving a reply, all her energy going into staying awake and avoiding the fire surrounding them. It was all an overload of information for her mind, which hadn't dealt with much more than grading papers and what tv show she was to binge next for the longest time. She didn't want people to know she was a vampire and so stayed in the shadows, as per the request of Katherine. It was all fine, she didn't involve herself in the supernatural drama that seemed to gravitate towards Mystic Falls and kept to herself. So now that this happened... she wondered if any of it was worth it in the end.

She looked for an escape, but the chances of them getting to safety were minimal, what with the stairs engulfed in flames and the floor above them nearly collapsing in on itself.

But none of that would matter in the end as she passed out from the toxic fumes entering her lungs.

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