Sunday, October 30, 1938

Feeling a chill, Damon pulls his coat collar up as he steps out of the barn after feeding their livestock. The Salvatore family lives on a farm near Grover's Mill, New Jersey. Not too long ago the sky was painted a beautiful panorama of reds, oranges and pinks but now it's only a black canvas with a million twinkling stars scattered across its inky expanse. A brisk breeze kicks up and blows his cap off his head. Laughing, he runs after it and puts it back on his head securely. Putting his fingers into his mouth, he whistles loudly and is rewarded by a loud bark when the family dog, Jake comes running. He bends over to ruffle his fur and the two of them walk towards the house.

Once inside, Jake lazily ambles into the living room while Damon slips off his jacket and hangs it on the hook. Looking around, he sees his brother Stefan listening intently to the radio with their little sister, Katherine who's playing with her doll. Walking into the kitchen, he gives his mom Louise a peck on the cheek and starts putting the dry dishes away. His dad Giuseppe is sitting at the table, enjoying a cup of coffee while looking at the newspaper.

Damon's about to pour himself a cup when suddenly Stefan runs in, an excited look on his face.

"What are you so excited about?"

"You have to hear this, c'mon." Stefan grabs his hand and pulls him into the living room. Shaking his head, Damon follows along, taking a seat while his brother turns up the volume on the radio.

"Ladies and gentlemen, here is the latest bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News. Toronto, Canada: Professor Morse of McGill University reports observing a total of three explosions on the planet Mars between the hours of 7:45 P.M and 9:20 P.M., eastern standard time. This confirms earlier reports received from American observatories. Now, nearer home, comes a special announcement from Trenton, New Jersey. It is reported that at 8:50 P.M., a huge flaming object, believed to be a meteorite, fell on a farm in the neighborhood of Grover's Mill, New Jersey, twenty two miles from Trenton. The flash in the sky was visible within a radius of several hundred miles and the noise from the impact was heard as far north as Elizabeth.

We have dispatched a special mobile unit to the scene and will have our commentator, Atticus Shane, give you a word description as soon as he arrives at the scene. In the meantime we take you to the hotel Martinet in Brooklyn where Finn Mikaelson and his orchestra are offering a program of dance music.

"Did you hear that Damon, a meteor? Can we go see it?"

"I don't know, Katherine, we'll have to wait till we know more," he starts to say when the announcer on the radio cuts in again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Atticus Shane again, at the Forbes farm near Grover's Mill, New Jersey. Professor Tobias Fell and myself made the eleven miles from Princeton in ten minutes. Well, I.. I hardly know where to begin to paint for you a word picture of the strange scene before my eyes, it's like something out of a modern day, "Arabian Nights.'

Well, I just got here so I haven't had a chance to look around yet, I guess that's it. Yes, I guess that's the... thing, directly in front of me, half buried in the vast pit. Must have struck with terrific force. The ground is covered with splinters of trees that it must have struck on its way down. What I can see of the... object itself doesn't look very much like a meteor, at least not the meteors I've seen. It looks more like a huge cylinder. It has a diameter of.. what would you say Professor Fell?

"What's that?"

"The diameter of the crater?"

"About thirty yards, I think Mr. Shane."

"About thirty yards... The metal on the sheath is... well, I've never seen anything like it. The color is sort of a yellowish-white. Curious spectators are now pressing close to the object in spite of the law enforcement efforts to keep them back. They're getting in front of my line of vision. The police are now pushing the crowd back, We're looking for the owner of the property, Mr. Bill Forbes but apparently he's nowhere to be found. Professor, can you please tell the radio audience what you know about the rather unusual visitor that dropped from the sky?"

"Damon can we go there, please? That's Caroline's place," Stefan blurts out excitedly.

"Maybe you run over there and see if you can help, son," his father mentions, having heard the commotion from where he's standing at the entrance to the kitchen.

With an admonition from their mother to be careful, Damon, Katherine and Stefan jump in their old pickup to drive to the Forbes farm. Damon can't explain the uneasiness he feels as they lumber down the road. The darkness surrounding them had a velvet quality like the air had been thickened somehow. Without an upwards glance, Damon knows the sky is star speckled and cloudless. Their headlights shine bravely into the night, only to be swallowed by the pressing darkness. He's a little surprised that there isn't much traffic considering the urgency he heard in the radio announcers voice. Not wanting to alarm his siblings, he keeps quiet about the way his stomach is churning and his heart is pounding over what they heard on the radio. Glancing in the rear view mirror, he smiles tightly when he catches Katherine meeting his gaze for a millisecond before looking out of her window again. Beside him, Stefan's foot is bouncing an excited cadence against the floor as he peers into the darkness.

As soon as they reach the farm, Damon is even more perplexed when he doesn't see anyone around. They get out of the truck and walk to the front door. Katherine raps excitedly, pausing only when Liz Forbes opens the front door. Stepping aside, she lets them in and pushes the door closed. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"We came for Caroline," Stefan interjects.

"We heard something on the radio...?" Damon adds, looking rather reluctantly at Liz.

"Aaah, all the commotion is out back, about a half mile due north."

"May we?"

"Of course, go through the kitchen door and it's a short walk."

Stepping outside, Damon's mouth drops when they see a string of lights in the near distance. There's cars, people and a flurry of activity. No sooner do they start walking towards the crowd when Caroline runs up to them, pointing excitedly at the growing crowd.

Despite Stefan's obvious ploys to grab her attention, Caroline latches onto Damon's arm and leads them towards the crater. State police are doing crowd control but they're not having much luck pushing them back. Headlights are illuminating the huge hole in the ground. Smoke is shrouding the depth as it rises and dissipates. It's not quite as the radio reporter described it, what is visible is rather grey but otherwise similar to what he heard. He's never seen anything remotely similar to what is right in front of him. Trancelike he steps forward, he wants to touch it but something is holding him back. It's not until another bystander bumps into him that he snaps out of whatever state he was in. Glancing up, he breathes an unexpected sigh of relief when he sees his siblings. Stefan is standing next to Caroline and Katherine's head is bobbing up and down as if agreeing to everything the blonde is chattering about.

As they're standing nearby watching and listening, the crowd grows even more, many of them saying they didn't hear a thing other than the police sirens as they rushed to the Forbes property. With all the people pushing and shoving to get a closer view, Damon and the others get pushed back. As he's looking around, he suddenly hears a female voice next to him.

"This must have been a tremendously loud crash." They all turn to the melodic sound and Damon gasps slightly, she's the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. She's raising on her tiptoes to see the now visible gleaming silvery colored something. All Damon can think about is grabbing onto her so she won't slip and fall into the crater.

Confused by the girl's observation, Caroline interrupts, "No we didn't hear anything."

The girl finally turns to Damon and he has the chance to look at her. Soft wisps of brunette hair sweep past her ear and caress the skin of her neck, jaw and cheek and around her beautiful yet mysterious deep eyes. Her brown eyes rimmed with thick, long dark lashes that brush her cheek every time she closes them seem almost pierce his very soul. Shaking himself out of his stupor, when Stefan clears his throat, he introduces himself, "I'm Damon."

"I'm El... Elena."

"Shining light," he blurts out, knowing that in Italian that's what her name means.

She just smiles at his pronouncement. The others introduce themselves and try to move closer again, they talk, all befriending the stranger.

"I've never seen you around here," Damon observes, his eyes drifting from the hole to her pretty features.

"I'm from... Trenton."

They come up with theories, Elena nods but doesn't offer any opinion as she tries to keep up with the conversation. Despite her quiet demeanor, Damon finds he's much more interested in her than he is in the saucer. Although he wants to do nothing more than stare into her endlessly mysterious eyes, suddenly they're being pushed back by the police.

The crowd is getting noisier, people all around them are saying that it needs to be examined, to which Elena cautions them not to touch it before the proper authorities arrive, it seems to work before the ruckus dies down for now.

Kat tugs at Damon's sleeve asking, 'Where is the man from the radio? He said he'd be here?" They admit it's true and step back to look for him.

"Stefan, you and Caroline go around that way and we'll go this way, meet us by that tree over there in 20 minutes. Got it?"

"I got it, come on Care." He offers his hand which she takes and after looking back at Damon, walks away with Stefan.

Damon hangs onto Katherine's hand, Elena steps in beside him as they work their way through the crowd to try to find Mr. Shane. But his interest in the beautiful stranger is piqued so he tries to engage her in conversation.

"How did you get here from Trenton? Did someone give you a lift?"

"No."

"Do you have family nearby?"

After glancing around the area briefly, she tugs at her ear and replies, "I'm just passing though. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that I've never seen you before."

She shrugs her shoulders but doesn't respond. "What about you? Are you from here?"

"Yeah, I grew up on a farm down a few miles outside of Grover's Mill."

"A farm?"

"Yeah," he replies, feeling there's something strange about this insanely beautiful girl."

"Tell me about it, what do you do on a farm?"

"You've never been on a farm?"

She hesitates, turns away and brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. When she sees Katherine eyeing her, she smiles, "No, I'm from the city."

"We need to go back to meet Stefan and Caroline. Urging both girls forward, they head over to the tree. He spots Stefan waving at them. Together the five of them try to get closer to the crater but the crowd is so large that they can't quite get close enough. Damon raises up on his tip toes to no avail, he sees nothing. When they hear a shrill keening noise, he spreads his arms and uses them to urge his family away from the edge.

Why don't we go back to the house and listen to the radio, maybe we'll know more," Caroline suggests and they follow, including Elena.

They run into Bill Forbes on their way inside and ask him if they can turn on the radio. "Sure," he chuckles, clearly not taking any of this seriously. When he takes a step towards the barn, Damon remembers the radio guy saying they couldn't find him.

"Mr. Forbes, the radio man was looking for you to interview, did you talk to him?"

"No one was looking for me, Damon," he laughs again and walks away quickly.

Damon finds it weird but doesn't say anything to the others. Once inside the house, they gather around the radio, Liz serves them hot chocolate as it's a chilly October night. Atticus Shane's voice cracks.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we're still looking for the owner of the farm where this thing has fallen. I wish I could convey the atmosphere... the background of this... fantastic scene. Hundreds of cars are parked in a field behind us. Police are trying to rope off the roadway leading to the farm. But it's of no use. They're breaking right through. Cars' headlights thrown an enormous spot on the pit where the object's half buried. Some of the more daring souls are venturing near the edge, they're silhouettes stand out against the metal sheen."

A faint humming sound comes over the radio. Atticus voice breaks in again. "One man wants to touch the thing... he's having an argument with a policeman. The policeman wins...

"See I told you we shouldn't touch it," Elena mentions, her eyes drifting to Damon's who quickly turns back to the radio when they hear Shane's voice again.

"Now, ladies and gentleman, there's something I haven't mentioned in all this excitement, but now it's becoming more distinct. Perhaps you've caught it already on your radio: Listen"

The humming noise continues and Damon looks at Stefan and then Elena. "I wonder where Shane is, I didn't see him anywhere."

"Do you hear it? It's a curious humming sound that seems to be coming from inside the object. I'll move the microphone closer... Now we're not more than twenty-five feet away. Can you hear it now? Professor Fell!"

"Yes, Mr. Shane."

"Can you tell us the meaning of that scraping noise inside the thing?"

"Possibly the unequal cooling of its surface."

Damon is sitting in a chair right next to the radio. His posture is stiff, his elbows on his knees, his clammy hands are knotted together. One by one he eyes his siblings and the girl, Elena. Under different circumstances, he could stare into her eyes forever. He's full of nervous energy and just as he's about to stand, a loud clanking, thunderous sound reverberates in the room and then they hear voices.

"She's off, the top's loose! Look out there! Stand back!"

Shane's voice then interrupts, his voice drowning out the others. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the most terrifying thing I have ever witnessed... Wait a minute! Someone's crawling out of the hollow top. Someone or... something. I can see peering out of the black hole, two luminous disks... are they eyes? It might be a face. It might be..."

Shouting comes over the radio and Damon's mouth drops. He can see shock and fear in his sister's eyes. Caroline's is agape too, she grabs Stefan's hand and squeezes tightly. Before anyone can utter a peep, Shane comes over the radio again.

"Good heavens, something's wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake. Now it's another one, and another. They look like tentacles to me. There, I can see the thing's body. It's large, large as a bear and it glistens like wet leather. But that face, it... Ladies and gentlemen, it's indescribable. I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it. The eyes are black and gleam like a serpent. The mouth is V-shaped with saliva dripping from its rimless lips that seem to quiver and pulsate. The monster or whatever it is can hardly move. It seems weighed down by... possibly gravity or something. The thing's raising up. The crowd is falling back now. They've seen plenty. This is the most extraordinary experience. I can't find words... I'll pull the microphone with me as I talk. I'll have to stop the description till I can take a new position. Hold, will you please, I'll be right back in a minute."

"Let's go back outside, I want to see it Damon," Stefan sounds excited.

We have to stay together, no wandering off," Damon cautions and gets up to follow his family. Oddly Liz seems unconcerned, she's ironing clothes and smiles as they disappear through the kitchen door. Bill is nowhere to be found either.

As soon as they reach the crowd again, Damon looks for someone in authority but strangely enough, there doesn't seem to be anyone. He looks around, even climbing a tree but he doesn't see Shane either. The state police cars are there yet but there's no one in uniform in sight. The crowd continues to grow. Looking around he realizes Elena isn't with them. He scans the crowd but there's just too many people, he doesn't see her. Right now, his immediate concern is for his family, together they try to move forward to look into the pit.

Quite unexpectedly, they find Elena near the crater's rim, looking a little unsettled. When he addresses her, she smiles at him and he's not sure he didn't imagine it before. "Do you get the feeling that something isn't right here? I mean we've heard all the excitement on the radio but I don't see Mr. Shane or any microphones..."

"I saw some movement in that bushes a little bit ago," Elena says, pointing towards a clump of them a few feet away.

"Damon, let's go home," Katherine interrupts, tugging at his sleeve. Dropping his eyes Damon nods and gestures with a tilt of his head for Stefan and Caroline to follow. Elena stands still for a few moments but when he looks at her, their eyes lock and then she walks along with them.

"Are you going to come back with us or do you want me to drop you off somewhere?" His fingers are crossed in hopes that she'll stay with them. There's something captivating about her that he just can't put his finger on but he wants to know more.

"No, I'll go with you if that's alright?"

"Yes," he adds quickly and then there's silence as they continue their trek.

When they reach Caroline's place, Stefan walks her inside to make sure it's safe. Her parents were acting a little weird earlier. In the house, Liz is dozing on the sofa while Bill is snoozing in the rocker. Embarrassed, their daughter thanks the younger Salvatore and walks him to the door. She leans in and kisses his cheek, eliciting a huge smile from him.

"Goodnight, Care."

"Goodnight, Stefan." She watches him get in the car followed by Elena and Katherine, closing and locking the door when the truck turns onto the road.

When they arrive back at the Salvatore farm, they all walk inside. Damon's dad is still awake. "Did you find anything?" he asks without looking up from his newspaper. Stefan turns the radio back on to see if there's anything new.

Something weird is going on, there were people there and a few police officers but I didn't see any radio people."

"Who's the young lady?"

"Dad, this Elena, she was at the site." Turning to face her, he says, "This is my dad, Giuseppe Salvatore."

"Hello sir," Elena starts to say when an explosive sound comes through the radio.

"The whole fields caught on fire, the woods, the barns, the gas tanks of automobiles. It's spreading everywhere. It's coming this way... about twenty yards to my right."

There's another crashing sound and then they hear Shane's voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, due to circumstances beyond our control, we are unable to continue the broadcast from Grover's Mill. Evidently there's some difficulty with out field transmission. In the meantime, we have a late bulletin from San Diego, California. Professor Indellkoffer, speaking at a dinner of the California Astronomical Society expressed the opinion that the explosions on Mars are undoubtedly nothing more than severe disturbances on the surface of the planet. We now continue with our piano interlude."

By now Damon and Elena are sitting on the couch, Katherine is sitting in the chair curled in next to their dad and Stefan is on the floor all listening intently. Piano music plays for only a few seconds when an announcer interrupts again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have just been handed a message that came in from Grover's Mill by telephone. At least forty people, including six state trooper lie dead in a field east of the village, their bodies burned and distorted beyond all possible recognition. The next voice you hear will be that of Brigadier General Montgomery Smith, commander of the state militia in Trenton, New Jersey."

"I have been requested by the governor of New Jersey to place the counties of Mercer and Middlesex as far west as Princeton and east to Jamesburg under martial law. No one will be permitted to enter this area except by special pass issued by state or military authorities. Four companies of state militia are proceeding from Trenton to Grover's Mill and will aid in the evacuation of homes within the range of military operations. Thank you."

Damon and his father share a look. That doesn't include us. I'll be damned if I let some Martians take over my home. Let's get your mother and we'll get down to the cellar," Giuseppe announces firmly. Standing up, he sets his newspaper down and pulls his rifle out of the gun case.

"I have to get home," Elena says rather detached. She gets up and runs outside.

With his father's nod, Damon runs after her. "I still think something is off, we didn't see anything like that."

"I'm going home," she says, staring almost through him.

"I can't let you go alone. Come back inside. Once I get my family safely in the cellar, I'll drive you home, okay?" He extends his hand hoping she'll take it. Elena absentmindedly nods and entwines her hand with his. He almost gasps at the sparks he feels. Damon smiles and leads her back to the house. The radio is still blaring and Damon pauses when the announcer says the words 'national emergency'.

"You just heard from the Secretary of the Interior speaking from Washington D.C. Bulletins too numerous to read are piling up. We are informed a central portion of New Jersey is blacked from radio communication due to the effect of the heat ray upon power lines and electrical equipment. Here's a bulletin from Winston Field, Long Island. A fleet of army bombers carrying heavy explosives are flying north in pursuit of the enemy. Ladies and gentlemen, we've run special wires to the artillery line in adjacent villages to give you direct reports in the zone of the advancing enemy."

Shaking his head at the surrealism of it all, Damon grabs the radio and then helps get his family to safety in their storm cellar. After having a few words with his dad, he gives him a hug and takes the keys from him. And although all of them try to convince Elena to stay, that her family would want her safe, she will not be persuaded.

Unexpectedly Giuseppe follows them outside and pulls Damon aside. "We'll be in the cellar, make sure you use your Aunt Marie's knock, that way I'll know it's you. Come straight home, don't stop for any strangers. And Damon, if you have any trouble and feel it's safer to spend the night at another farm or where you're taking Elena, err on the side of caution and come back in the morning. I trust your judgement."

Damon nods and climbs in beside Elena, turns the key and drives off.

Giuseppe watches till the tail lights disappear in distance.

Damon's carefully driving on the gravel road through the trees that will take them through Grover's Mill township and then to Trenton. The October air is fresh and crisp. Looking around, even in the dark, he marvels at the fall beauty visible under the truck's high beam. Rolling down the window slightly, Damon savors the smell of burning leaves, a plume of smoke is visible to his left.

He doesn't know what it is about this night... Perhaps it's Elena's presence that makes him feel special? Her head is turned away as she silently stares out the window. She must be afraid. The sense of protectiveness swells in his chest and his blood pumps furiously, he'll keep her safe even if he has to fight a horde of Martians.

"Where are we going?" she utters, still not looking at him.

"Don't worry, I know these roads well, even if it's rather dark tonight...," he looks up at the sky. It's rather worrisome how silent everything is...

"I'm not, it's just... weird," she finally turns to him and her eyes shine instead of the stars that too are absent tonight. She once again falls quiet for several minutes and he has trouble releasing himself from her soulful gaze. He feels like she's speaking to him just looking at him. She probably notices though and turns her head back to the forest surrounding them. Pondering it, the unusual silence is rather deafening. Sometimes it's hard to hear things over roar of the truck's engine but tonight... not a single peep.

He finally turns on more decent road and for some reason Damon breathes a sigh of relief. Now it should be much better.

"Seriously, Damon, where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home, to Trenton I mean..." he answers confused.

"NO! I don't...," she controls her voice as soon as she realizes she's overreacting. "I... could you just please...?"

Before she can tell him what exactly is on her mind, because Damon, God knows has no idea, the car makes a creaky sound, gives a hiccup and stops. It takes him a few seconds before he realizes he didn't gas up the car after they returned from the Forbes farm. Luckily, his dad insists they keep a gas can in the back.

Jumping out, he empties what left in it into the tank. In the dark, he doesn't know if there's enough to get them all the way to Trenton... He hopes so but if not, he is certain there's enough to get them to the gas station at the Brunswick Pike exit. He sighs mentally.

"Elena? We'll have to stop to fill up the tank but we're good till we get there," he tries to reassure her.

Elena seems to process the information, then nods calmly. Luckily, she's clearly not one to panic.

Unsurprisingly the gas station is quiet. In their rural part of the state, there isn't a lot of traffic this time of the evening on a normal night. But this night is anything but normal given the fact that the whole country's probably trying to figure out how to retaliate against the alien invasion. He hopes his friend who runs this place, didn't do anything stupid... Since the lights are on Damon suspects that Enzo's in the body shop in the rear of the building. He's a good guy and always one of the first to volunteer if anyone needs a helping hand.

They get out of the car, Elena's looking around rather guarded. Damon can't blame her, the eerily silent gas station located in the middle of nowhere would put anyone on edge.

"Enzo?" he yells, then repeats himself when it's met by nothing but blaring quietude.

"Yeah?" the window flies open and Elena startles at the unexpected sound. She must be exhausted after today, no wonder she's jumpy.

"It's me! I need some gas?"

"Sure you do," Enzo barks and disappears again with the slamming of the window. Damon shares a look with Elena. "Sorry, he can be a little quirky but he's a good friend. Although he'll deny it till he's blue in the face, he has a heart of gold," he tries to reassure her although he's not sure she actually needs reassuring, she's so strong...

"What the... are you doing here at this hour?" Enzo reappears outside, clearly caught off guard by Elena's presence. He slowly whistles giving her a look from tip to toe. "And where did you find this pretty little Martian?"

Damon knows Enzo's a stand up guy and that he's just joking, still there's this weird unfamiliar feeling... he doesn't like it at all. "This is Elena, Elena - Enzo. I need to get her home, she got stuck at the Forbes farm, we met her there."

"Oh really? And how did it look? " Enzo asks eagerly and Damon describes the events while his friend is filling their car with gas. "Well," Enzo shares when Damon finishes their story, "come inside for a bit, they just announced... well you'll hear it yourselves."

Damon and Elena share a look then follow him inside, Enzo turns up the radio and gestures for them to sit. He offers them a coke. Elena's eying it a little suspiciously, but when she takes a sip, she thanks Enzo with a smile. They don't have to wait longer than a few minutes when the radio crackles back to life.

This is Orson Welles, ladies and gentlemen, out of character to assure you that The War of The Worlds has no further significance than as the holiday offering it was intended to be. The Mercury Theatre's own radio version of dressing up in a sheet and jumping out of a bush and saying Boo! Starting now, we couldn't soap all your windows and steal all your garden gates by tomorrow night. . . so we did the best next thing. We annihilated the world before your very ears, and utterly destroyed the C. B. S. You will be relieved, I hope, to learn that we didn't mean it, and that both institutions are still open for business. So goodbye everybody, and remember the terrible lesson you learned tonight. That grinning, glowing, globular invader of your living room is an inhabitant of the pumpkin patch, and if your doorbell rings and nobody's there, that was no Martian. . .it's Hallowe'en.

The theme for the Mercury Theatre Radio show comes on a minute, before stopping again when the announcer's voice comes over through the box.

Tonight the Columbia Broadcasting System and its affiliated stations coast-to-coast have brought you The War of the Worlds, by H. G. Wells, the seventeenth in its weekly series of dramatic broadcasts featuring Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre on the Air. Next week we present a dramatization of three famous short stories. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.

Damon's astounded. "They what?"

Enzo shakes his head. "It's unbelievable. They're clearly a bored bunch of folks."

"Oh, that's why the Forbes' were so calm about it earlier, they must have known about it beforehand," it dawns on Damon.

Elena's a little taken aback, but her clever mind seems to process the information quickly. "So they just... made fun of the whole world?"

Damon gives her a small smile. She's so cute. "Maybe not the whole world but you have a point."

"Well, it makes sense actually," she perks up. "It was just a little weird."

"Right?" Damon agrees. "But hey, it's like a Halloween party!" He won't admit it out loud, but the sense of normalcy's kind of a relief. How would they go about dealing with an Alien invasion if it really were to happen?

"Where did you say you're going?" Enzo walks them back to Damon's car.

"To Tr..."

"Back to the farm," Elena interrupts him.

He quirks his brows and looks at her strangely. Is she serious? "Why would we go back to...?"

"Now that we know we're not in any danger, don't you think it would be exciting, Damon?"

Those eyes. He just can't resist them. "If that's what you want..."

Enzo's dark eyes sparkle with amusement. "Okay," he draws, "whatever the lady wants lady gets apparently. Okay, buddy, stop by again soon. For a chat."

Damon rolls his eyes. "Thanks Enzo. I owe you one."

"You bet!" his friend yells after them as he turns the truck around and heads back to the Forbes farm.

Enzo watches the vehicle until it disappears, a light smirk playing on his lips. Damon's a lucky bloke!

The drive is slow, the night is dark and he has to keep her safe. He also has to admit he wants to have a few more moments with her. Yet he's a little perplexed and unable to figure out what they're going to do when they arrive at the Forbes farm... Still, he knows he doesn't want his time with her to end. Every now and then he steals a glance at her.

Elena feels amazing. Now that the threat has passed and the mystery's been solved, there's no need for worry and confusion. The night's cold air is flowing into the truck and the shadows are dancing over the trees they pass along the way. She feels free... admittedly it may have something to do with the boy, the man sitting next to her. She catches one of his looks, he quickly jerks his eyes back to the road but she's pretty sure she didn't imagine it. Earlier they were surrounded by a crowd of people but now...

"Do you like me, Damon?"

The question gives him a shock and he stops the truck in an instant. Is he dreaming? "What... what do you mean?"

"I mean, do you like me like... as a person? Or a friend? A girl...?" she notices how perplexed he is and panics. "Oh... don't mind me, just forget it." Oh no, what is she doing? Get a grip, Elena!

"No," he catches her hands in one of his, not sure what he's doing himself. "I do like you. You're... pretty, beautiful actually and nice, I've never met a girl like you."

The confession is both surprising, he certainly didn't plan to make it, and very true. He likes her so much, she makes him feel things he so far has only imagined. She's looking at him with wide eyes, clearly not expecting this honest answer. Doesn't she know how gorgeous she is? He hesitantly lifts his hand and touches her face with the back of his fingers. He can hardly see her in the darkness but he can feel her nervousness, her eagerness and warmth radiating from her through his entire being.

And then he leans over and kisses her.

This new experience leaves him shaken, hot and cold running through his veins. He has kissed girls, he even did a bit more but now recalling the memories they pale in comparison to this. Only a thought of something more fires him up, he must be under some kind of spell. He doesn't even notice when she grabs his arms for support and straddles him on the driver's seat. Her lips and teeth eagerly sink into his and her sweet taste invades his senses. It's overwhelming, there's no way this is really happening.

But it is. He's not even aware that his hands start wandering, slipping under her blouse causing goosebumps to erupt under his touch. The tips of his fingers must be extra sensitive because he can feel them, small bumps on her otherwise smooth skin.

"Elena...," he breathes into her mouth and the air coming in and out of his lungs is ragged, his control quickly slipping away.

"Damon...," she answers and he tries to figure out if it's a plead for him to stop or if she's just as desirous of him as he is of her. Subconsciously he probably suppressed his responses because she looks at him questioningly, a shade of embarrassment starts creeping in her expression.

No...

She shouldn't feel this way, she most likely has no idea what's happening with them just like he doesn't but it feels right and she's simply irresistible. Damon decides to follow his instincts. Squeezing her sides under her blouse, he's caressing her ribcage with his thumbs. She shivers and he realizes it's cold. She must have been chilled the whole time, yet, she's warm to the touch. He can see the determination in her eyes when she crosses her arms and lifts the blouse up over her head leaving her bare for his eyes to feast upon.

No bra.

He takes a shaky breath and when he, with another look re-assures himself she wants this, he bends his head to touch the perfection of her breasts with his lips. She leans her back against the wheel behind her and encourages him guiding his head to taste every inch of her chest. At one point she lets out a soft mewl when he closes his mouth over one of her hardened nipples, which turns out to be his undoing.

He reaches behind him for the blanket that he grabbed earlier for his sister and drapes it over Elena's bare shoulders. He quickly takes off his sweater and lets Elena wrap it around them both. They're now in their own warm bubble, touching skin to skin creating their own heat. Their mouths soon find each others again and Elena returns the favor exploring Damon's upper body with her gentle fingers. Once again burying his head on her shoulder, partly because she smells so good and partly because he's not sure of her reaction, he hooks his fingers on the hem of her underwear and pulls anxiously awaiting her reaction. She straightens up just a little to help him get rid of the offending garment and his fingers brush under her thighs like molten lava.

That's it. That is what she could have only imagined, the feeling of sweet torture and satisfaction at the same time, she just wants..., needs something and is not sure how to proceed...

Aaaahhh...

Damon has managed to unfasten his pants as well, pushing them down to his knees, bringing Elena quickly back to him, impossibly close. She feels delicious pressure and then he's filling her. Never ever has she imagined this connection might be so tight. It's satisfying really. He's giving her time to adjust and despite the fact he's probably not sure about what they're doing either, she has no doubt that's exactly how it's supposed to feel. She experimentally rocks her hips against him and he hisses, his fingers sinking deeper into the skin of her ass. She likes it.

Knowing it's time she shifts grabbing onto his shoulders and with his help starts to move. Up and down, pressing against him and withdrawing, letting his hands guide her. It's the most simple and complex dance, one she's not going to abandon anytime soon. Her mother was right. The pull of the blood singing in their veins is undeniable now, getting stronger by the second. But there's something to be done first.

She can feel his arms tightening around her and his body start shaking. Amazingly, her own reacts to his in the same way, her inner muscles squeezing, holding him in place for a few movements till she feels him explode, grunting in the final moments of ecstasy. His tongue pushes in her mouth, possessing her being completely.

She's ethereal.

His last conscious thought makes his head spin.

Slowly becoming aware of his surroundings, Damon's surprised to find Elena sitting in the passenger seat. He must have blacked out because he still feels a little fuzzy around the edges. Seeing her fully clothed and eyeing him cautiously, he can't suppress a sting of disappointment, maybe it was all just a beautiful dream? Although he's trying hard to recall his memories of the last half hour, he still can't quite discern illusion from reality. He opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out, he's clueless about how to approach the subject.

How does a man go about asking a beautiful girl, one he just met, if he had his first and no doubt the best intercourse of his life?

Looking into her eyes is making him dizzy, it's like staring right into her very soul. He sighs mentally, preparing himself to break the connection when he detects a shift in her expression, a short glance over his form. Just that small hint of interest makes his heart beat louder. For some inexplicable reason she seems to react to that too. He looks down at himself, surprised that he's still wrapped in the blanket. Its soft texture feels good on his bare chest. Dropping his eyes further, he's now aware that his pants are too tight around his thighs. An audible gasp leaves his mouth at what looks like blood droplets on the blanket.

Did he hurt her? His heart constricts with anxiety at the thought.

It's all true… it really happened.

The corners of her mouth lift and the sweetest shade of pink colors her cheeks. She feels embarrassed. His chest swells with a powerful emotion and God knows where this courage is coming from. "It felt better when you were under it too..."

The shade of pink darkens, but her smile widens. He can't help but grin. He has no idea who moves first but he reaches for her just when she grabs his hand to get closer. He hugs her to his chest, his breath hitches when her fingers immediately travel over his naked skin. His mind is in the stratosphere so he's not sure but he thinks she's actually pulling up her blouse to feel him skin to skin. The thought has his pulse quickening, his mind immediately reliving their earlier activity.

"Did you feel it too?" she can't hold back her curiosity.

Damon feels many things but he does have an idea of what she's asking about. "I did," he nods, not taking his eyes from hers. Strange how it looks like they change the color, the star's effect, the hint of silver is palpable even from this near. "It felt like… you were part of me, for the moment…," he frowns as he thinks about it, "I can still feel it, to some degree…?"

She nods, satisfied. "I was… I am. And you are a part of me." She rests her head against his shoulder for a few more moments, accepting every kiss he offers, then sighs. As much as she'd prefer to enjoy this new kind of closeness and explore more of the bond they share, or share more…, they need to get going. "Should we go?"

He clearly doesn't want this reality check, it breaks her heart to be the one delivering it but they can't stay parked in the middle of the forest all night long. She lays her palm on his face. "Damon…"

He turns his eyes to her, momentarily caught in her soulful gaze. She wills him not to worry, to trust her, to trust his own feelings. Eventually, he gives her a small smile and nods. "Okay. The Forbes farm it is…" He's still at a loss to comprehend what they're going to do at that place in the middle of the night... But maybe Elena's right and this whole crazy evening was a prank, meant to entertain people. Who of a common sense would be entertained by such theatrics?

Maybe they're already covering their tracks and by tomorrow, all the evidence of their trickery will have disappeared. He helps Elena back to her seat and passes her the blanket to keep her warm. She gives him a shiny smile and with new found enthusiasm Damon sets out on the road.

He drives a fair distance from the house, he doesn't want to alarm the dogs or wake up the family. He stops the truck under the trees and leaves the lights on. The night's deathly quiet when they reach the crater. It's huge, Damon realizes now that the crowd has left, probably after word came that it was all a hoax.

"Elena? How do you suppose they got that thing down there? And the hole…"

She takes his hand and pulls. "Come, lets explore."

Damon's not one to get spooked easily, but this place, this thing, he doesn't have a good feeling about it. Let alone the fact she's there, he feels strangely protective of this slip of a girl. "I don't think so, Elena. It may not be safe. It may crush us, crush you."

She leans into him with a small grateful smile and gives him a gentle kiss. "I'll be careful, I promise. It's perfectly safe... you can trust me."

He can do nothing but nod and follow her, finally at least a bit excited about what they may find. He touches the surface, it feels cold like metal, although he's not sure if he's ever seen anything like it before. The color is indescribable, it's not painted, it's just how the metal is colored. Elena keeps her palm on the object too, walking around it to the furthest spot. Damon quickly catches up, not willing to let her out of his sight. He stops in his tracks when he sees what she's doing. There are several bumps on the object's side, barely visible to the naked eye. Elena arranges her fingers on them and presses. A loud cracking sound cuts through the silence and the disk shaped thing splits. He wants to stop her but she's already pushing it open and climbing inside.

How is he not in a full panic?

He has no time to process what's happening, he just quickly climbs inside right behind her. It's... tight but when he reaches the end of the tunnel he finds himself in a small room full of different switches, lights, sounds and machines. The interior is utterly seamless, no visible means of propulsion and no weaponry. After a few moments Damon feels a sudden calmness tinged with euphoria. "Oh, they really went to extremes with this trick," he offers, a peel of laughter leaving his mouth.

Elena looks at him searchingly. He returns it, feeling somehow inappropriate.

And then it dawns on him.

"Elena, you're a reporter, aren't you?" he blurts out. "You did this. You're part of this Halloween hoax!" She watches him for a moment, then sighs.

"There's something you need to know. Sit," she gestures to the strangely shaped arm chairs.

He hesitantly moves and sits down. Even the structure of the surface feels...odd. He looks up and then mimics Elena leaning against the back of it. It does feel comfortable and he relaxes, although there's nothing relaxing about this situation. Maybe he had an accident on the way home from Enzo's station and this is how his brain's dealing with his fatal injuries?

How isn't he freaking out now?

"It's a gift of my kind."

What does she mean by 'my kind? Damon pulls back slightly.

"I can help you to deal with anything. Through the bond and our eye connection," she answers his unasked question. Can she read his mind too?

"And with that...eye thing... you can make me do whatever you want?" The thought is definitely scary.

"Not exactly. It's a matter of trust. And blood-sharing multiplies the connection. You trusted me from the beginning, you see, you're my other half. My... in your world, mother had a similar experience. We aren't all humanoids where I come from. But most of us are. We need blood to survive. If we're lucky, we find someone that forms an attachment to us. The more varied our... partners are, the better we thrive so we travel long distances to find it. That's what happened to my mother, she found her other half here on Earth. She said it was the most intense encounter she's ever felt or heard of... I'm the result of it... When she told me, about my father, I couldn't not come, to see where my roots are. She's never forgotten..." And she will regret letting him go forever.

"So the blood earlier...," Damon's quick to put two and two together.

"Wasn't mine...," she gives him an apologetic look. "Sorry about that. For me, it's instinctive. It's also safe. It gives me access to the bond, a taste of what it could be. I didn't give you mine though. It's your choice to make ..."

As much as it's killing her, everything inside her is screaming to claim him and never let go, she knows she must give him the choice to walk away right now. If he takes it though, she will never be the same...

"I want to be with you forever...," he tells her seriously, without even a moment of hesitation, hoping he doesn't sound like a child to her.

They're no doubt very compatible and the one act, blood-sharing, will bind them together. Forever. He even gets the concept of forever... Elena's in awe about how the universe works. How could she be so lucky?

"Okay, Damon, you need to help buckle up so I can get the ship's engine started," she glances at him with a smile on her face. "And then we fly... "

To a galaxy far, far away...

*** The War of the Worlds was an episode of the American radio drama anthology series The Mercury Theatre on the Air. It was performed as a Halloween episode of the series on Sunday October 30, 1938 and aired over CBS radio network. Directed and narrated by actor and future filmmaker Orson Welles, the episode was an adaption of H. G. Wells 1898 novel 'The War of the Worlds'. It became famous for allegedly causing mass panic, although the scale of the panic is disputed as the program had relatively few listeners.

We hope you enjoyed this year's Halloween story. I had this idea last year and thought it would be fun to try to do something with it.

My husband promised he'd never forget the date if we married on Halloween and so we did and he hasn't. :)

Thank you Eva for helping me bring our version of this classic story to life.

The italicized parts were taken from the transcript of the original Orson Welles and The Mercury Theatre's production of 'The War of the Worlds'.

I did post the sequel one shot to "November Rain" yesterday. It's called "Never In a Million Years."

You're all the best. Have a safe and wonderful Halloween. WTTJ will return next week.