Chapter Two

Everything was strange. The furniture, the tavern, the man who introduced himself as Richard. Jessica couldn't remember anything. Even when she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she looked like a stranger to herself.

They spent about two hours staring at themselves. The way he was patient with her made her feel like they really must have been close. But there was something about him; whenever he got close to her, too tight, her heart would start thumping fast. She felt alarmed like she was in danger.

...

It's been about five hours since she woke up, and apart from trying to make her recognize him, he hasn't told her why she couldn't remember a thing. He hasn't said anything. When she asked, he only smiled at her, telling her, 'one thing at a time.'

She had a lot of questions, and to her, Richard had all the answers. But instead, he urged her to dress up, telling her they needed to be somewhere.

She sighed after staring enough at her reflection in the mirror. Picking up the dress Richard had given her, she wore it, and it hugged her perfectly.

As she walked out of the bathroom, she found him standing by the door.

"That's your favorite dress." Richard forced a smile.

Every glance at her made him wonder if it would be wise of him to tell her about everything or let her enjoy, not being able to remember a thing.

"What happened? Why can't I remember anything? What were we?"

"We were friends, good friends. We've lived together for almost ten years, until your accident." He sighed and walked closer to her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there on time." He tried to touch her, but she took three steps backward; it made him realize that even though she had lost her memories, she mustn't have forgotten the fear that gripped her heart when he bit her. He curled his hand into a fist and faked a smile at her.

"What happened to me?" Jessica asked. She had a feeling he wasn't saying everything.

"I don't know what happened. There was a fire when I found you; you've lost consciousness. I brought you here and tried my best to save you. That's what happened. I wasn't there with you; I don't know how the fire started." He lied to her.

"Where did this happen?"

"At our old tavern." Richard lied again. Telling her the truth was of no option to him. How would he explain to her that she was human and bite her? How would he explain to her the havoc she caused in her village.

For the years they lived together, he only saw the anguish in her eyes. And most times, she always told him she wished to forget, and now, she finally forgot everything. He thought it would be best; she doesn't remember.

"Let's go home." He said to her in a frail voice.

Jessica fixed her gaze at him. He was the only one that knew her, the only one with her. What could she do? She didn't have any other option than to follow his lead to the place he called home.

Richard smiled at her. His eyes drifted to the necklace he gifted her. But he couldn't find it around her neck. His eyes widened, and he walked to the bed.

"Here you are." Richard picked up the necklace only to see that the silver necklace he gifted her was now purple. He squinted his eyes as he raised the chain, wondering what must have turned it to purple.

The necklace was stained with her blood and the blood of another. No doubt it was the blood of the man who died beside her.

His lips slightly opened as he turned around to look at her showing her the necklace.

"Do you remember this?" He asked her.

"Was it mine?" She asked as she stretched her hand forward, waiting for him to give her the necklace.

As soon as Richard dropped the necklace on her hand, she fainted.

She saw herself in front of a house burning, with a sword in her hand. Suddenly, a man walked up to her and stabbed her. She started screaming.

"Jessica, Jessica." Richard was screaming her name and tapping her. She gripped him and screamed louder than earlier, and her eyes opened.

Jessica was so scared. She was gasping for breath.

"Sorry, drink some water." Richard gave her a cup of water, and she gulped it down.

He watched her, panting her back until she stopped breathing heavily.

"What happened?" He asked her.

"I just saw myself standing in front of a house. The house was burning and then." She paused, trying to recall the face of the man she saw, but it was blurry. "Someone stabbed me, a man."

Richard's heart started thumping fast. His gaze traveled to the necklace on her hands. He couldn't understand what had happened. Why was the necklace now purple? Why did she recall the incident after touching it? He felt something more, just then he remembered what Peter had told him

"The curse." Richard's gaze traveled to Jessica.

"Is she cursed?" He asked himself.

She stood on her feet, staring at the necklace in her hands.

"I gave that to you as a token of my promise to you." Richard slowly stood on his feet. They fixed their eyes on each other.

"It was my mother's. When we made a promise always to help each other and never leave each other, I gave that to you." He sighed.

"What did I give to you?"

"This wooden bracelet." He stretched his hand for her to see the bracelet around his wrist.

She sighed. She then had him place the necklace around her neck. Richard didn't want to, but she didn't give him any choice.

She kept touching the necklace as she walked outside. It was sunny. Immediately she entered the sun; she felt like she would explode.

"Arrhhhh," She cried out, and Richard wrapped his hands around her waist, dragging her back inside. He held her against the wall, looking at the burns on her face, hands, and feet.

"You shouldn't go outside when it's sunny." He walked to the kitchen and came back with a big bowl of blood which he placed on the table.

"Why can't I go out when it's sunny? Why?" She screamed at him.

"Because we are vampires. Now, if you want those burns to disappear, you'd drink the blood in this bowl." Richard yelled.