Shh…can you hear that? It’s a…a bloodcurdling scream that can be heard from miles away! But…it couldn’t be. It shouldn’t be. Mystic Falls is safe. But is it really? Ever since the mysterious Stefan Salvatore entered the quaint town in Virginia, strange things have stirred. People are on the streets with their bodies drained of blood, a sign of a vampire. However, these blood-sucking supernaturals are just the beginning of what the characters of CW’s The Vampire Diaries battle with.
   

The series commenced nearly seven years ago, following the compassionate Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) after the death of her parents in a car accident. She and her best friend, Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham), meet Stefan (Paul Wesley), who inevitably becomes their stepping stone to the supernatural world. They delve into a string of mysteries from as far back as the 1300s, dealing with some of the most powerful villains of all time. However, they are not left completely helpless, as they have allies of their own.
    

When people generally think of vampires, they have sharp incisors, and extreme speed. To keep up this notion, the makeup artists have teeth that are specially made for each actor, and they alter the skin tone to make it pale and dead. The editors also play a part in helping actors look like vampires; they can make the vampires look as if they’re racing across the screen. Thanks to them, The Vampire Diaries will never look fake. 
    

Along with that, the editors incorporate spooky music that could make your skin crawl. They know just when to add it, and they never make it over the top. They also tend to add popular songs to the mix, such as “Let Her Go” by Passenger. This creates a mood perfect for the scene that’s playing out. The editors know exactly how to make the ends of our neck hairs stand up, and when to make us melt into a puddle of “feels”. 
   

Of course, the show wouldn’t be so unique without the witches and werewolves. The supporting cast members fill these roles. Actors such as Michael Malarkey, Joseph Morgan, Sara Canning, and Annie Wersching guest star in a number of episodes, and even though their time on the set is short, their characters make a huge impact on each episode’s outcome. Without them, the show would be nothing more than a bore with a one-star rating.
   

The cast aren’t the only talented people on the set. The producers hire a variety of directors, such as Chris Grimer (who also directed episodes of ABC’s hit show, Pretty Little Liars) and Marcos Siega, (executive producer of The Following), who make sure that the actors depict the scenes perfectly, while the writers busy themselves with witty, sarcastic lines balanced with just as many inspirational, “feels”-worthy quotes. For example, the character that said, “Some girls just can’t resist my good looks, my charm, and my unflinching ability to listen to Taylor Swift,” was the same who said, “It’s because I love you that I can’t be selfish with you.” Of course, there’s a lot more where that came from, as the writers display their talent for making the fans go crazy with just a single phrase.
   

During the years, Elena changed from an innocent teenager to a courageous vampire, while seeing threats carried out from certain doppelgangers, witches, and even the first immortals. Along with these supernatural instances, characters continuously fall in and out of love, and we finally get to see the true colors of who we once perceived as evil. As season six came to an end, we laughed in delight as some of our favorite adult characters tied the knot, and we lost—temporarily, of course—one of our favorites.
  

  Don’t get too comfortable, though. Evil is all around you, lurking in every shadow, hiding in every nook and cranny, Powerful beings scour the Earth, and you might just be their next target. You can run, but you can’t hide from them. They will find you, and they will kill you. Keep a stake with you at all times, and stay away from Mystic Falls. You might just have a chance at survival.