A Visitor's Guide to Mystic Falls - By Red Page 0,46
constant needling is an unambiguous attempt to attract and hold Stefan’s attention, and Stefan’s continuous cycle of hope and disappointment at Damon’s behavior is a clear indicator of his desire to regain the loving, 6882 Visitor's Guide to Mystic Falls[FIN].indd 126
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• C a s e N o t e s : S a l v a t o r e , S t e f a n a n d S a l v a t o r e , D a m o n •
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trustworthy brother he feels he lost. Rebuilding their relationship won’t be easy, but while their past cannot be undone, it is in both their best interests to find a way past their differences and heal the rift between them. They are brothers, and undead ones at that. Why fight for an eternity if they don’t have to?
The first step is to find a way to let go of blame and start taking responsibility for the role they each played in the events of 1864 and in the dissolution of their bond. Both boys have made mistakes, and both boys have betrayed and deeply wounded each other.
The second step is to begin treating each other with respect. Damon is no longer killing to feed, which means (morality aside) that Stefan can no longer use that as an excuse to look down on or reject him. If Stefan can be forgiven for his behavior after consuming human blood, then Damon must be afforded the same consideration. Damon must stop using sarcasm as a defense mechanism and learn to be honest about what he wants from Stefan instead of using violence and insults to get his attention.
Finally, they must not allow history to repeat itself: they must prevent their feelings for Elena, and Katherine’s return, from dividing them. Competition, especially when it comes to love, is their biggest weakness, but if they can remain faithful to one another, they may yet be able to change their future.
Though Katherine’s return to Mystic Falls may provide another external enemy against whom Damon and Stefan must come together to defeat, they must learn that they need 6882 Visitor's Guide to Mystic Falls[FIN].indd 127
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• A V i s i t o r ’ s G u i d e t o M y s t i c F a l l s •
not always wait for the next enemy attack to lean on each other and to be brothers. They can forgive each other, move past their problems, and be on each other’s side no matter what is going on. Day-to-day problems can be just as challenging as a tomb of rabid vampires bent on revenge.
Together, they have faced insurmountable odds. They have hurt one another, but they have also healed one another. How they proceed in this next chapter of their lives is up to them.
heiDi r. klinG is an author of books for teens and adults. Her debut novel, Sea , a romantic adventure story of hope after tragedy, takes place in the aftermath of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami. Sea , a Summer 2010 IndieNext pick, is available at bookstores now.
Kling earned an MFA in Writing from The New School, directed children’s theatre for years, and is an avid Vampire Diaries fan.
Visit Heidi at heidirkling.com for touring information and up -
coming projects, and be sure to fol ow her on Twitter @heidirkling, where she hopes @iansomerhalder wil one day tweet to her.
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Damon Salvatore:
Vampire Hunter
• Mary Borsellino •
Not since Buffy the Vampire Slayer has a TV series devoted so much screen time to those who hunt the creatures of the night. In this essay, Mary Borsellino explores the role of vampire hunters in The Vampire Diaries: how they are portrayed as neither heroes or villains, but as people who simply want to protect their homes and families from the vampires out to do them harm. Of course, you can’t talk about Mystic Falls’
vampire hunters without exploring the town’s most unlikely protector, Damon Salvatore, who’s out hunting his own kind—not on a path to redemption as Angel was in Buffy, but because it suits his need to do so and, as Damon himself would probably tell us, because he finds he actually enjoys it.
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Vampires who kill other vampires have been a mainstay of mythology for almost as long as vampires themselves, but they’ve been enjoying a period of particular popularity in the