When Bex opened her eyes as the sunset, she was hit with yet another memory. All the things she remembered were out of context and didn’t make much sense on their own. She remembered Lyssa punching her into a wall. Then Lyssa was by her side and they looked into each other’s eyes before kissing for the first time.

She scrunched her brows together in confusion before getting up. Lyssa was waiting for her when the bookcase opened up.

“I felt you remember something,” Lyssa said with a little too much excitement. After all, she had seen exactly what Bex remembered.

“I remember some things, about us, but it’s still very hazy and doesn’t make much sense.”

“What else do you remember?” Lyssa pushed as they made their way upstairs.

“I remember you turn into a cat, I think. I remember this argument we had, about you wanting me to go somewhere with you and I yelled at you and kicked you out of my house. Also were there two of you at one point or is that just my head being wonky?” Bex asked.

They walked into the bathroom and washed up together. Lyssa debated on how much she should tell Bex. Bex got dressed and then sat down on her bed in her room. Lyssa sat next to her.

“Well? Were there two of you?” Bex pushed.

“The curse made my soul split in two, I was cursed, see.” Lyssa showed Bex the spider mark on the back of her hand.

“Hmm… still foggy. But it looks like a cool tattoo.” Bex traced it with her finger.

“Do you remember your friends? Joan?”

Bex shook her head no.

“Nothing about Joan at all?”

“No… but I feel like she played a big part in things between us. There are still so many gaps that don’t really make sense to me yet.” Bex stared off into the distance, her finger absently tracing Lyssa’s hand.

“What about your family?”

“No, not really. It’s like I know they exist and that they were there but you know when you know someone but just forget what they look like? Like you can talk about them and know them well, but there is just this brain fart and you can’t recall what they look like.”

“I sort of know what you mean.”

“It’s hard to explain. I know them, I know I do, but it’s just so hazy.”

“Maybe I can help. Come on, let me show you,” Lyssa moved to get up.

They went to the art room where Lyssa had set down the photos of Bex’s family. She handed them to Bex to look over.

“That’s your older brother, Nathan. Your little sister Abby. Your mother, Phoebe, and your father Jeffery.” Lyssa pointed them all out of the photo.

Bex stared at the photo for a long time, willing memories of her childhood to come back, but felt nothing. She sighed in frustration.

“Give it time. It might take a moment, just be patient my love.”

Bex sighed and set the photos down.

“Is something on your mind?” Lyssa asked.

“Did we fight a lot? I remember fighting a lot.”

“I wouldn’t call it fighting, just disagreements.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?” Bex made a face.

“Maybe,” Lyssa giggled.

Bex sighed.

“Talk to me my love,” Lyssa pushed.

“I feel… lost,” Bex said.

“How so?” Lyssa led Bex over to the lounge room where they sat down to talk.

“I want to remember, but part of me also doesn’t want to remember. Each memory is painful and confusing. I don’t like it. I don’t know what to do.”

“I see. True there are things that will be very painful to remember and relive, trust me I am all too familiar with those types of things. But there will also be good memories. Things that are fundamental in who you are.”

“Were,” Bex corrected her.

“Right, if you want my advice, I say remembering is essential. Afterward, you can go from there, if you don’t like what you see it’s not too late to change.”

Bex frowned.

“Are you hungry? I thought maybe you and I could go hunt together.” Lyssa changed the subject.

“Do you even have to ask?” Bex smiled.

Lyssa smiled back.

“Come then Rebecca, time I show you how to be a proper vampire.” Lyssa got up and outstretched her hand.

Bex took her hand and let Lyssa help her up.

“A main part of being a vampire is learning how to mesmerize people. That is how vampires stop themselves from getting caught.” Lyssa said as they walked outside.

“How does it work?” Bex asked.

“Well, it’s hard to explain. I guess the best way I can describe it is that we have like a superpower. We can put people into a relaxed trance. Make them do our bidding and offer up their blood willingly to us. They feel like they are in a fog or a dream. Afterward, they can hardly remember a thing.”

“Sounds complicated.” Bex sighed.

“How insightful of you. But lucky for you, I am a great teacher.”

“Says who?”

“Is that a jab at me?”

“Maybe,” Bex smirked.

“I’ll let it slide, for now, after all, we have a meal to catch.”

Bex and Lyssa shared a look before Lyssa transformed into a big black bird and took off into the sky. Bex smirked at her and closed her eyes to concentrate. The bird circled overhead as Bex transformed into a small finch bird.

If Lyssa could laugh as a bird, she would be laughing. Instead, she crowed in amusement before flying off. A tiny little finch bird flying after her. Bex chirped in annoyance. Shapeshifting was harder than it looked.

The two birds landed on a branch near the town's local bar scene. Lots of cars filled the parking lot and music rumbled the night air.

Lyssa transformed back to normal and relaxed on the branch, picking up the little finch on her finger.

“Okay, listen closely. I picked the bars because the people here are already halfway out of it. That way if you mess up, no harm done. I’ll show you what to do first then you will try. Try and pick a victim who is alone, also try not to look too suspicious. Now watch and learn.”

The finch chirped at her as Lyssa set it down and hopped from the tree to the ground.

Two guys stumbled out, one of them already fully drunk.

“Dude, not cool. It’s not even midnight yet.” His friend complained.

“Party! Whoo!” The drunk guy cheered.

“Just wait here while I get the car.” The friend grumbled in annoyance before walking off and leaving the drunk guy alone at the entrance.

Bex transformed back to normal and watched as Lyssa casually walked over to the drunk guy.

“Hey,” Lyssa said.

“Well Hey to you too,” he slurred.

“Have fun?” Lyssa’s eyes turned red.

“Whoa, dude, like your eyes…”

“What about my eyes?” Lyssa stepped in closer.

“They’re…”

“Shh, come with me.” Lyssa urged.

“Okay,” He stumbled after her and followed her behind the building.

Bex jumped from the branch and used her super-speed to follow Lyssa, she watched from a safe distance.

“Who are you?” The guy asked.

“Shh, I’m just a nobody,” Lyssa whispered into his ear.

Then Lyssa sank her fangs into him from behind and drank his blood. The guy didn’t even scream or try to run. He just stayed put. When Lyssa was done she whispered in his ear,

“Sleep.”

The guy passed out on the floor next to the dumpster.

“Now you Rebecca,” Lyssa walked over to her.

They walked back around the front where that guy's friend was walking around looking for him.

“John!? John, where are you? Not cool man.”

“I know where your friend is,” Bex walked up to him.

Lyssa stayed back and observed.

“Who are you?”

Bex’s eyes turned red,

“Whoa, what the hell!?” The guy jumped back.

“Stay,” Bex commanded.

The guy was frozen in place, trembling in fear.

Lyssa narrowed her eyes in concern.

Bex walked up to him and got in his face.

“W-what’s going on?” he asked.

Bex was about to open her mouth to say something when a girl came out of the bar laughing loudly and talking on the phone.

Lyssa moved to intervein but Bex was faster. She grabbed the girl’s phone and hung up the call.

“Hey!” The girl complained.

“Silence,” Bex commanded.

The girl’s eyes got wide as she stared at Bex in fear.

Then without warning, Bex pulled the girl closer and sank her teeth into her.

“Rebecca no,” Lyssa sighed. “That’s not how it’s done.”

Bex ignored her and drained the girl dry.

The girl passed out from blood loss.

Then Bex turned to the man.

“Enough Rebecca, that was more than your fill.” Lyssa chastised.

Bex ignored her and sank her teeth into the man too.

“Stop it!” Lyssa went to pull her off.

Bex let out some type of warning growl towards Lyssa.

Lyssa eyed her in confusion.

“I said enough,” Lyssa pulled her off.

Bex grunted in frustration and pushed Lyssa so hard that Lyssa stumbled back into the club and fell on her back.

The guy screamed and ran off.

Bex chased him, tackling him to the ground and finishing him off.

“Rebecca!” Lyssa tackled her off the guy, but it was too late. He passed out.

“Get off of me!” Bex snapped at her.

“Shh, come back to me my love. Snap out of it.” Lyssa grabbed her face and tried to get Bex to focus.

“Don’t tell me what to do!” Bex complained.

“You have to control yourself.”

Bex tried to push Lyssa off, but Lyssa slapped her hard in the face.

That slap made Bex remember her own death. When she looked up, she didn’t see Lyssa, she saw McKinley. She saw fire in the background.

“Ah!” Bex cried out in pain as she held her head.

“Rebecca,” Lyssa moved to comfort her.

But Bex saw McKinley coming for her and she ran.

“Rebecca!” Lyssa chased after her.

Flashes of her death came to her, the lightning. The fire. The slaps.

She felt like she was dying all over again, she was overwhelmed with a suffocating feeling, she felt like she was on fire.

“Rebecca, I got you it’s okay.” Lyssa appeared in front of her.

“Get away from me!” Bex punched Lyssa in the face.

Lyssa flew back and hit a tree.

“Breathe Rebecca, it’s just a memory. It’s okay.” Lyssa shook it off and went to her side once more.

“I don’t want to remember!” Bex cried out as she held her head.

“Rebecca calm down.”

Bex ran all over the forest, trying to get it to stop. It wasn’t just that memory that came back, when she was shot by Rooney she remembers that too. She remembered Lyssa getting shot in the head and McKinley stabbing her in the chest. She remembered Lacy choking her out, and Yancy in the barn with the vampire with no bottom jaw.

She screamed and fell to her knees, holding her head. When it finally stopped, she was trembling in place, cold sweat dripping from her face. She forced herself to look up and around.

“Lyssa!?” Bex called.

But she was alone.

She tried to focus on their bond but felt nothing at all.

“Lyssa?” Bex looked around, realizing she had no idea what part of the woods she was in.

She waited for Lyssa to come out, to try and calm her down, but that moment never came.

“Lyssa? Lyssa where are you. I’m scared.” Bex whimpered before getting up and walking around the woods in search of Lyssa.

She heard something move behind her and whirled around. Her eyes scanned the dark, darting around in fear. She backed up, walking backward while she searched the trees.

“Lyssa?” She said quieter.

She backed into someone and whirled around, baring her fangs in defense.

“I’m sorry, it’s okay, I come in peace.” The woman held up her hands in surrender.

“Who are you, where is Lyssa?” Bex demanded.

“Who?”

“Lyssa!?”

“I don’t know who you are talking about, my name is Florence, are you lost?”

Bex looked around at her unfamiliar surroundings in search of Lyssa when she didn’t see her she nodded.

“I’m like you, I didn’t know there were others in the area. I thought the territory was open. I was just here hunting.” The woman flashed her red eyes at Bex.

“You’re a vampire too?”

“I am. You seem new at this. Why don’t you come with me? I will help you find this Lyssa person. You can meet my pack.” Florence outstretched her hand.

“I… I don’t know. I should just—”

“I don’t bite. Promise. Come on, let’s go look for Lyssa.”

Bex eyed her hand before looking around one last time and trying to feel Lyssa. When she still felt nothing, she looked back at Florence before she took her hand.

“What’s your name?” Florence asked.

“Rebecca.”

“Nice to meet you, Rebecca.”