24 Dreams Of You And Me

77) T-R-Y

"There is only one process of healing and that is faith. There is only one healing power, namely, your subconscious mind."
-Joseph Murphy

***

The next two days were spent trying to get Alyssa back. Levi would weaken her more by making contact of the glass blade with her skin. The rest was done by the symbols.

He was growing impatient. Every time he thought he had penetrated through to her, she'd laugh and scream like demons were inside her, confirming that more efforts were needed.

He spent every single minute with her in that old dark dungeon, talking to her calmly. He reminded her about every memory they had together, even the ones they had relived in this spell.

He noticed she got particularly restless when he spoke and forced her to think about Justin or Lauren.

Alyssa showed a few moments of remorse when he brought up Crystal. But next seconds, her dark side took over again.

When he again in excruciating detail, described what she did had done to the Angel and to many others and how it made them feel, how Alyssa must've actually felt, it didn't have as much effect.

He concluded that she had made herself immune to that particular topic, though weakly but significantly.

Whenever he brought up a new and not expected topic, she'd react violently or glumly.

One of the late nights, it clicked him. He scoffed at his foolish forgetfulness.

He sat down on a wooden chair in front of her, removing all the guilt and pain he felt while watching in this state from his face and body language.

"Do you know where we are?" He asked gently.

She shook her head, eyes closed and arms still hanging up on the ceiling.

"We're not on Earth." He said. "We're far away from home."

The only sound was of her heavy breathing.

"This place is not your home. This is an illusion. Not real, do you understand it now?"

She didn't reply.

"Alyssa." He raised his voice with authority.

She merely raised her eye level to his and squinted away from him.

"Stop doing this to me... it hurts.." She whispered.

"You can stop it. You're powerful enough-"

A sob escaped her lips. "I'm not." She twisted her wrists to get them out.

"You are. You just have to believe it. You have to recognize who you are."

"You t-tell me.. otherwise."

He realised his mistake. Damnit, he thought.

Then presently, he said, "because this is not the real you." He spoke carefully as if speaking to a child. A broken and lost child. "The real you cares about people. She is a heiress to a tribe of Walkers and even though she finds it overwhelming, she wants to do her job. She doesn't want to let anybody down."

He recalled everything she had told him while they were on a horse cart, dressed as William and Arabella. How her memory was of over controlling and super protective parents.

"You have a friend. She's been your best friend all your life. What's her name?" Levi asked.

"I don't know.."

"You know, Alyssa. She helped us get soil from Earth. We performed a summoning ritual. Think harder. It's right there in your mind. Say it."

Alyssa kept quiet. Then she raised her head miserably. "I remember, Levi. Stop thinking I don't. It's me. I just.. I can't.." She cried.