Lyssa opened her eyes and was met with utter darkness. Panic seeped through her and she tried to move. Except she found her body uncooperative. Her arms moved sluggishly as she pushed feebly on the lid above her.

“Get me out!” she cried.

Her voice cracked and sounded uncharacteristic of her. She almost sounded like a weak defenseless child.

“Hello!? Rebecca!” she called.

She left me here alone. How long has it been? Days? Weeks? Years? Not again, please not again. She thought to herself. It was too small, too tight, to confined. She needed out. She pushed on the lid but she was too weak to do anything. She was trapped.

Rebecca opened her eyes groggily as her phone rang for the umpteenth time. She looked and realized she had literally slept the day away. Her stomach growled in protest. A faint whimpering drew her attention.

“Lyssa?” she said.

Lyssa’s eyes shot open at the sound of Rebecca’s voice.

“Rebecca! Rebecca let me out!” she cried.

Bex quickly got to her feet and went to open the coffin. She heaved the lid up and watched as a very disgruntled Lyssa fell out. She was crying and heaving her breaths. She crawled away from the coffin as if she was scared of it.

“Lyssa are you okay?” Rebecca asked.

“Don’t put me in there ever again. Don’t!” She cried.

“I- I didn’t know what to do. I’m sorry.”

To Bex’s surprise, Lyssa jumped into her arms and broke down crying. She awkwardly wrapped her arms around her and patted her back. Lyssa was in a cold sweat. Her body was far from healed as her wounds still gaped open. Though Bex did note that they were considerably smaller.

“Don’t put me in there.” Lyssa cried.

“Okay, I won’t I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” Bex apologized.

Lyssa pulled back and looked into her hazel eyes. For a second Bex thought she was going to kiss her as she slowly leaned in. Her face went bright red and she tensed up, but a kiss was not what she got. Instead, Lyssa’s lips went to her neck and she bit down.

Bex winced at the sharp sudden pain.

Then in seconds, she could hear Lyssa taking in big gulps of her blood. Bex let her eyes flutter as the tingly sensation ran down her spine and radiated through her entire being. The burning desire in her once again reignited. She found her arms wrapping tighter around Lyssa, pulling her closer.

Her phone began to ring again but the ring felt distant and faded away in the daze of euphoria.

With each gulp of blood Lyssa’s wounds healed up more and more.

Bex could feel herself getting light headed. Her grip weakened and her arms fell slack on Lyssa’s sides.

“Lyssa.” Bex whimpered.

Lyssa forced herself to pull back. Bex watched as a trail of blood leaked out of the corner of her mouth down her chin. She could feel herself fading fast.

“D-don’t kill me…” Were Bex’s last words before she fell unconscious.

“Rebecca what am I going to do with you?” Lyssa sighed.

She picked Rebecca up and carried her through the house to her room. Laying her on the massive king-sized bed. Then Lyssa went to her dresser and grabbed a different necklace, this one similar to the first except the crystal was blue and not red.

Lyssa went back to the basement and cleaned up any mess, closing off her secret room once more. She grabbed Rebecca’s phone off the floor as it started ringing again.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Hello? Who’s this?” Rebecca’s father demanded.

“My name is Lyssa. I am Rebecca’s friend. Rebecca is indisposed right now, being as she has fallen asleep on my bed after helping me with strenuous activities. I will be sure to tell her to call you when she wakes up. Adieu.” She hung up.

Rebecca’s dad stared at his phone with wide budging eyes.

“What? What is it?” Her mother asked.

“I think I just talked to our daughter’s girlfriend, by the sound of it. They just had sex.”

Her mother's eyes also bulged.

“Our daughter is a lesbian.” He said in disbelief as he sat down at the kitchen table.

“Just play it cool. Her girlfriend probably thought we already knew. We will just gently ask her about it when she comes home.” The mother said.

“How did we not see this?” Her dad was in shock.

The mother comforted him as she stared at the phone in worry.

Lyssa walked back upstairs and set Rebecca’s phone next to her body. Then she walked downstairs and went to the kitchen. She opened the fridge with was sparsely stocked with food then she sighed and closed it.

She called for takeout.

After that, she went to her restroom and took a shower washing off all the blood and gunk on her body.

Rebecca woke to loud knocking.

“Lyssa?” she sat up.

She looked around to the unfamiliar room and jolted when the knock came again. She got up and stumbled around, feeling light-headed and dizzy. Then she slowly walked towards the sound of the knocking finding herself at the front door.

She opened it.

“Uh, delivery for Lyssa Norwood?” The guy said.

“Uh yeah…” Rebecca looked around for Lyssa but found the girl nowhere in sight.

She sighed and took the boxes of food.

Then she slowly made her way upstairs and back to the comfy room. She sat the food on a table by a huge bay window and looked around for Lyssa.

“Lyssa?” she called out.

She listened and her ears were greeted with the sound of running water. Not thinking much of it she walked towards the sound and found the bathroom. When she opened the door she saw a very naked lyssa washing her body. She gasped aloud when she saw all the scars she had.

Lyssa’s pointed ears perked up and she turned towards the door.

“Get out you unmannered imp!” she shouted covering her body.

“Sorry!” Bex quickly ran out her heart racing at what she saw.

She sat back on the bed and put her hands on her knees. The smell of the take out made her stomach growl but no way was she about to eat Lyssa’s food after that.

What the heck am I even doing here!? This is crazy! I just saw a very naked vampire! Wow, that’s something not many people can say. Focus! This girl wants to kill me. I need to get away. But I’m too weak to leave on my own. Maybe we could talk it out? I mean I did save her life. And what the heck is even an unmannered imp? I swear she talks like a freak sometimes.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Lyssa walked in drying her hair. Lyssa’s eyes drifted to the food.

“Is it not to your taste?” she asked.

“Huh? Ow, I didn’t know, I thought it was for you.”

“You truly are dense. I don’t eat like normal people remember.”

“Oh right.” That was all Bex needed to quickly go over to the take out and dig in.

“Would you like something to drink?” Lyssa asked her.

“Yes please,” Bex said with her mouth full.

Lyssa crinkled her nose and quickly walked out of the room.

At least she’s being nice. Bex thought to herself.

Lyssa came back shortly after with some iced water. She set the glass in front of Bex. Then she sat across from her.

Bex admired Lyssa with no makeup on. Her face looked softer. Her eyes are less menacing. Her lips are more inviting. Bex’s eyes lingered a little too long and Lyssa cleared her throat, causing Bex to go red in the face.

“Thank you, for coming to check on me. You didn’t have to do that.” Lyssa said.

“Well, I thought they killed you. I was freaked out.” Bex shrugged.

“Regardless, I appreciate your effort. Unfortunately for you, you are once again my blood uh, donor.”

“You mean slave?” Bex frowned at her.

“Yes, but I realize that term is heartless and cold. Considering you saved me from years of slumber I was trying to show you I appreciate you.”

“Why are you talking all weird?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like all, uh, snobby?”

“My speech is not snobby it is perfectly adequate and proper. Would you prefer I resort to cursing you out again?”

“Yeah, this you is creeping me out. Anyways so I am your blood slave again does that mean you are still trying to kill me?”

“Of course not,” Lyssa said almost shocked.

“Really?!” Bex said in excitement.

“I am an honorable person. A life for a life. Since you have saved me, I shall spare you. Unfortunately for you that does make things more complicated between us.”

“Do you just talk like that at school to sound normal?” Bex teased not letting the strange speech go.

“What did I tell you about pissing me off?” Lyssa sneered.

“Much better.” Bex smiled.

Lyssa rolled her eyes.

“Being my blood slave has certain perks and drawbacks for both of us. For now, I think it’s best if we come to an agreement before I go on.”

“What agreement?”

“I will restrain from draining you dry, so long as you restrain from attracting the attention of the slayers. Meaning keeping quiet about me and not drawing attention to us.”

“Okay, so this is like a secret friendship or something?”

“We aren’t friends.” Lyssa crinkled her nose.

“Right, right. Just slave and owner because that sounds much better.” Bex said sarcastically giving Lyssa a look of disinterest.

Lyssa sighed and ran her hand through her hair, brushing it to one side. It was only then that Bex finally noticed her pointed elf-like ears. Her eyes went wide.

“Holy, your ears!” she said.

“What about them?” Lyssa said in confusion.

“They are pointy! How come no one has ever noticed?” she asked.

“Well, it was because of the crystal I wore. It hid my more vampire like features. It didn’t make them invisible it just drew away your attention, forcing your eyes to focus elsewhere. It also hid my natural decaying scent. The scent is only noticeable if I haven’t eaten in a while or if I have been wounded.”

While Lyssa was talking Bex’s eyes found her fangs slightly protruding from her lips. You could only see them when she talked or if she was relaxed and not trying to cover them up. However, once Lyssa noticed Bex staring she fixed her lip to hide her fangs.

“So uh the slayers, why are they after you? Actually, rewind a sec. I thought you said crosses didn’t work on you.” She pointed out.

“They don’t necessarily work by themselves. It’s much more complicated than that. No certain religion weakens a vampire. It’s actually about faith. If you believe wholeheartedly that something can protect you. It will. Because of faith. So technically you could get a toaster and do what that guy did so long as you believe without an ounce of doubt it will protect you. It works for all religions. It’s the religious ones I have to look out for, no matter what their religion their faith is usually stronger than most.”

“Wow, that’s crazy.” Bex marveled at the vampire. Her eyes were wide with curiosity and she was eager to learn more.

“The Slayers are after me simply because I am a vampire and they don’t like vampires so they kill them. As if I asked to be like this. There is some discrimination you don’t see every day.” Lyssa snorted in amusement at her own view on things.

“I don’t know these ones look like they had a score to settle,” Bex said skeptically.

“Possibly they do. I am not so sure. If they do that haven’t made me aware of it. I just know that these slayers specifically have almost killed me over a dozen times. They get closer and closer. They follow me. They have factions all throughout the U.S. It has become a major nuisance for me.”

“Well, why don’t you just move?”

“I would like to enjoy the U.S. a bit more. I have been all over. Europe. France, Russia, Parts of China. Japan. Australia. New Zealand. The list goes on. The western area I guess you can say is still new to me. I’ve only been here 25 years, I would like to stay longer before I move on again.”

“25 years! How old are you? How many languages do you speak?”

“You are annoying me with your questions.” Lyssa sneered.

“Sorry.” Bex rolled her eyes.

“After you have finished your meal I shall take you home. We shall resume business as usual. So long as you stick to the agreement. I am sure the Slayers will be watching you now, so we must be careful. Do not come here unless I invite you myself. You could lead them straight to me.”

“Right, got it. So what about at school?”

“Why would you want to bother me at school?”

“Well, I want to know more about Vampires. I mean this is crazy. It’s not every day you get enslaved by a vampire. Is it like in the books, do you guys have your like secret vampire counsel? Are werewolves real? What else is out there? How old are you?”

“Enough! You are pushing me to my limits of how much of your annoying voice I can take. No contact unless I say. Just go back to your boring life and I shall resume my life. Only when I want to feed on you will I come.”

“Can you at least tell me how old you are?” She pouted.

“213 years old.”

“Oh my gosh! What the heck? You’re mega old!”

Lyssa frowned at her.

“I mean like you were alive through both world wars! You are almost as old as the freaking united states itself. Wow!”

“Are you done yet?”

“How many languages do you speak?”

“You are pissing me off.”

“Okay, okay. Can I at least text and call you? I mean I still have so many more questions.”

“No, just no.”

Bex frowned.

After that Lyssa watched Bex finish her meal, ignoring her questions and making snide remarks about her character. Then she got into a car and drove her close to her house.

“Why didn’t you just run me here?”

“One I am still recovering. Two, too risky. Three, no. Now go before they spot me. And don’t you dare call or text me unless it is an emergency and the slayers have you hostage or something.”

“Got it.” Bex nodded before jumping out of the car and running home.

With a sigh in relief that Rebecca was now gone, Lyssa drove home.