ghostly «» damon salvatore

ii.

Luna Grove is dead

Luna gasped as she awoke. She was quick to get on her feet, swaying like a drunk and almost falling back to the ground, but managing to stay on her two feet. She felt like a toddler newly beginning to walk. Just standing on her feet felt like thousands of pins and needles digging into each and every single one of her nerves from the tips of her feet and spreading to the rest of her legs like an infectious disease. She looked around, dazed and perplexed, only to find that she was in her home town. Mystic Falls. She was in the town's square where people were decorating everything and putting up a stage, no one noticing the teenager who just woke up on the grass. Every breath she took felt harsh to her throat like the air itself was suffocating her and trying to claw at her throat. She felt uncomfortable in her own skin, her mind cloudy and her vision ever so slightly blurred. She didn't know what the towns residents were decorating everything for, her mind blank as to what the day even was. Luna assumed it was just another Mystic Falls tradition that she had failed to remember. Her mother would surely remind her later on in the day, fussing about how forgetful and distracted she always is. Speaking of her mother, the blonde girl wondered where Marissa Grove was.

Usually, the woman would always be the first one there when it came to traditions. Usually in times like these, Marissa would be everywhere at once, helping people put up posters or hang banisters and lights. She felt happy when it came to helping people or doing something good for the world. It's something she enjoyed. That little woman had more positivity and goodness in herself than it seemed humanly possible. Luna's mother was like the sun appearing from behind the clouds, bringing everyone happiness. Or like the rainbow appearing in the sky on a rainy day. It was impossible to not like the woman.

So not seeing her anywhere in the crowd, really confused Luna. But she simply shrugged it off, believing that her mother was helping somewhere else or that she was at home, cooking for the day ahead. She felt a tad bit awkward, seeing as she was never really into the celebrations in her hometown, so she wanted to just walk away and head home. Also awkward because she had just woken up in the middle of the town square after most probably blacking out. The immense pounding of her head and the general discomfort she felt, led her to believe she was experiencing a simple hangover. She felt a deep shame at the state she had woken up in but ultimately didn't even realise not a single person had noticed her.

So she began walking around the town square, hoping to run into a possible friend or at least a familiar face. She smiled politely at the people who passed her, but they seemed to ignore her like she wasn't there. As if she didn't even exist. She subtly rolled her eyes offended at the rudeness of the people around her, because she was trying to be nice. She wasn't always, so it wasn't really a common thing for her to smile at a stranger or to be kind. She opted whether she really should go home, knowing her mother would be absolutely fuming at her state and at the fact she hadn't returned to her own home the night before. But she also knew Marissa must've been worried sick for her only daughter. So the girl decided that she would ultimately take the wrath of her mother directly with the sole consolation that at least it would soothe her mother's conscience just a little.

The Grove girl looked around, trying to find a familiar face, knowing that would make her feel a tad bit less awkward. When she failed to do so, she sighed heavily and turned to the first person on her left. It was a tall man dressed in a suit. He had brown hair with a ton of grey visible. But nonetheless, he seemed to be in good shape, for his age.

"Excuse me?" She tried to get the man's attention. He just ignored her, and continued putting up posters. She tried again, a bit louder. Once again he ignored Luna. She scoffed, muttering about his unbelievable behaviour under her breath. But she then turned around only for someone to walk right through her. A gasp of shock slipped past her lips involuntarily. She looked back at the person in utter surprise, her mouth hanging agape. She saw the person shudder as if they were suddenly cold even under the beaming heat of the sun. Then realization set in and it made her understand why everyone was acting like she didn't exist. They couldn't see her, because she wasn't there.

Because Luna Grove was in fact dead.