Lyssa grunted in frustration and threw a book across the library. She could find nothing that might give her insight as to what happened to Rebecca. She had been at it all day, looking for answers to the mysteries of Rebecca Cross.
She found nothing.
All the text was about the change not taking all the way. Tales of monstrous beast with no sense of their former selves. These beasts were nothing like Rebecca, they couldn’t talk, they couldn’t think, all they did was eat and prey on humans. Nothing more, nothing less.
That wasn’t like Rebecca at all.
Were their varying degrees of the change not taking? Would Rebecca ever remember her former life all the way? And what was up with their bond? Lyssa still didn’t have the first clue about that. She had never heard of a bond carrying over into death and the vampiric life. Not that she was complaining, the truth was she had missed their bond very much. Like a giant hole left inside of her, but with Rebecca back and the bond back, she felt okay again.
Not 100% but okay.
She still felt lonely. She had Rebecca back, but not really. Not her Rebecca. All she wanted was to embrace the girl and kiss her and never let her go. To tell her all that had happened since her death and have Rebecca understand every word of it and why it mattered. But even if she told Rebecca now, the girl would hardly care or understand all that Lyssa had gone through. Which only added salt to the wound.
“Are you mad?” Rebecca asked, causing Lyssa to flinch.
She hadn’t been expecting her or even heard her come out of the basement. The sun had just set and like clockwork, Rebecca was awake again.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Lyssa glanced over to Rebecca who was lingering in the doorway, almost hiding behind the doorframe just watching Lyssa from a distance. Her hazel eyes blinked at Lyssa in curiosity.
“No, I am not mad. Just frustrated is all.”
“Have you eaten?”
Lyssa sighed, she did need to feed desperately, but she also needed answers.
“I am hungry,” Rebecca added.
“I see, well, come along then Rebecca.” Lyssa walked over to the kitchen.
Bex quickly followed after her.
Lyssa handed Bex a blood packet and took one for herself. The two quickly ripped into it and drained it dry.
Bex frowned at it, unsatisfied.
Lyssa herself felt unsatisfied but knew it was going to have to do for now.
“I’m going to wash up,” Bex said before walking off towards the bathroom.
Lyssa eyed her in confusion.
Rebecca was already acting odd, but Lyssa just shrugged. It couldn’t be helped she supposed.
Bex washed up and eyed her clothing selection, she wasn’t sure what to wear or what Lyssa had planned tonight, but if it was anything like the night before she knew she had a night of boredom in store.
Still, the thought of spending another night together with Lyssa made Bex blush internally. There was just something about Lyssa that she liked. Was it how sweet Lyssa could be? How understanding? How determined? How silly? All of the above? Bex may not know Lyssa but she found herself wanting to. Wanting to know more of the vampire and why she acted the way she did. Just thinking about being around Lyssa again made her insides tingle.
She smiled softly to herself and quickly got dressed.
Lyssa splashed water on her face. She was getting nowhere fast. Yet somehow Rebecca seemed to be remembering all on her own. Lyssa had a theory she wanted to test out. Perhaps Rebecca remembers more than she thought. Maybe doing old familiar tasks would help spark the girl’s memory.
After all, Rebecca did call Lyssa a slave driver and acted like her usual self, even if she didn’t remember. Maybe deep down she did remember, she just needed something to recall the memories.
Lyssa had a plan.
Maybe not the best of plans, but a plan none the less.
“So, what are we doing today? More reading?” Bex asked from the doorway.
“No, I think I have other things that might help you.”
“Yes! No reading.” Bex said excitedly.
“I will try not to take offense to that.” Lyssa frowned.
Bex giggled and shoved her hands in her pocket, rocking back and forth on her heels. Lyssa raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment on it.
Lyssa outstretched her hand and Bex grabbed it. Lyssa led her to the training room. Bex looked around in curiosity.
“Defend yourself.” Was all Lyssa said before she attacked Bex.
Bex yelped in surprise as Lyssa went in for a simple punch. Still, she was able to dodge it easily with her super speed. Lyssa went in for more attacks, simple attacks that she had once used to teach Rebecca how to fight.
As she predicted Bex easily dodged them.
Lyssa smirked.
“They say once you learn something it’s like riding a bike. You may not use that information for a while and true when you do start to use it again it may not be as good as it was before, but soon you find yourself back into that familiar grove.” Lyssa said as she continued to attack.
Bex could hardly focus on Lyssa’s words as she found herself concentrating on her movements. There was something about it that felt familiar, but she hardly focused on it. Then Lyssa made things harder, really attacking, really putting forth an effort.
She grabbed Bex in a chokehold, but Bex found herself ducking out of it, twisting Lyssa’s arm and flipping the girl to the ground. She had no idea how she knew to do that, but she just did.
“Whoa, how did I do that?” Bex asked.
“Because I taught you. Do you remember?” Lyssa got up.
Bex shook her head no. Lyssa frowned. Still, she had other ways of jogging Rebecca’s memory. So she led Bex to the art room and sat her down.
“Wait here, look at all the paintings if you want. I will be back.” Lyssa said.
“You’re leaving me!?” Bex said with a hint of panic in her voice.
“No, of course not. I will only be a moment. Can you wait here for a few minutes?”
Bex nodded but felt uneasy at being separated from Lyssa. Lyssa didn’t want to dwell on it and quickly left. She found herself at the Cross household. She was going to sneak in and retrieve a few items that might help jog Rebecca’s memory.
She jumped up onto the roof per usual and snuck over to the window. When she looked inside she could see the room was empty and all of Bex’s things were still where she left them. Lyssa tried the window and as she suspected it was open.
She jumped inside and looked around. When she heard someone coming upstairs she hid in the closet. They quickly passed the room without coming in. Lyssa sighed in relief before resuming her search. She grabbed Bex’s oboe and a couple of family photos before leaving.
She found Bex staring at a painting of a hazel eye. Her head cocked to the side in curiosity.
“I’m back,” Lyssa announced.
Bex set the painting down and perked up.
“I have something for you,” Lyssa handed her the oboe case.
Bex eyed it before opening it.
“Do you know what it is?” Lyssa asked.
Bex grunted and grabbed her aching head. Memories slowly came back to her. Years of putting this thing together and taking it apart to clean it. Of squeaking reeds, sweaty fingers, and the clicking of a metronome. The distinct smell of a band hall, the faint whispered counting to four, of watching a baton swing back and forth to a beat. She could hear band warm-up exercises, a tuning note, and the sound of her band director yelling at her to find her spot.
Lyssa could feel Bex remembering. See the memories as they flashed through her mind. It was working, her plan was working.
“What is it, Rebecca?” Lyssa asked.
“It’s my oboe,” Bex said.
“Do you remember how to play it?” Lyssa asked.
Bex grabbed it and put it together, getting the reed out of the water and carefully positioning it. She let her hands get familiar with the instrument, just running her fingers up and down the keys. The corners of her mouth already ached from the phantom tightening of her embouchure. She took a deep breath before sliding the reed between her slightly curled and pursed lips.
She blew air into the horn and out squeaked a single note.
Lyssa cringed.
Bex moved her fingers and began to play the oboe, doing her warm-up exercise. Then she played the first few bars of her marching band routine which was burned into her memory for good. After that, she just stared at the horn.
“I remember some things…” Bex said.
“Good, come on, let me show you something else.”
Bex took apart the oboe, cleaned it, and put it away again.
Lyssa led Bex to the room with the piano.
“Alexa, play a waltz,” Lyssa said.
Bex giggled, but Lyssa just held out her hand to her.
“I don’t know how to dance,” Bex said.
“Then stand on my feet.”
Bex frowned but did as she was told. Lyssa grabbed one of her hands and interlocked their fingers while positioning Bex’s other hand on her shoulder, and she put her hand on Bex’s waist. A soft waltz began to play.
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