SUNNYVALE

(35) LA MUERTE OSCURA

When Mapi stops her car right in front of Christen's grandmother's house, there is a moment during which the latter just holds her breath: ever since she was rescued from the hospital, things had been quite strange.

For starters, Dr Naeher had completely vanished, while the psychiatric hospital she resided in declined all responsibility, saying that they had no idea what was going on with their patient, as they discharged her days ago. Then, Christen felt watched as soon as she leaves her house, and has been feeling tired and hurting. Those past few days, her psychokinesis power was growing - she could feel it, as she had already broken twelve objects or so just by the force of her mind. She was scared, trying to hide it from her family, and from the Spanish beauty next to her.

Speaking of which, Mapi had been very sweet: besides Crystal, the blonde was the only person that was able to reassure Christen - especially since she didn't know anything about what was going on ; the witch thing, another murder because of the shadows, and so on... It had been quite a mess, but hanging out with a very caring and lovely Mapi Leòn would just calm Christen's nerves and allow her to get out of her mind and everything going on lately. 

Before she leaves the car, Christen turns toward Mapi.

"You sure you don't want me to come with you?" the blonde asks, without pressuring the other girl at all. 

"It's fine, don't worry: I gotta peak to her alone."

Mapi nods, as Christen gets out of the car and onto her grandmother's porch.

Finding out that her abuela had some vague idea about what she and her friends were living at the moment was a shock: her parents always told Christen that her mother's mom was slightly deranged, several times on the verge on being forced into a retirement house - only, she didn't have insurance, nor papers. Finding out about what happened with Abby during her stay at the psychiatric hospital getting tortured, Christen really was scared of her grandmother's reaction when she'd see her.

But, as usual, Annemarie Press was happy to see her granddaughter - her favorite of all. 

"¡Oh, mi hermosa nieta, estoy tan feliz de verte! ¿Qué te trae por aquí?" (English: oh, my beautiful granddaughter, I am so happy to see you! What brings you here?) the old woman asks, before longly hugging the dark-haired, who smiles in relief.

Pulling away, Christen grabs her grandmother's hands, before seriously saying:

"Abuela, I have a few questions only you can respond to I am afraid... Do you mind...?"

"Supe que este día llegaría en el momento en que vi a ese diablo rubio entrar en mi casa. Pongámonos cómodos y luego te diré todo lo que sé." (English: I knew this day would come the second I saw that blonde devil enter my house. Let's get comfortable, and then I'll tell you everything that I know.)

Nodding her head, Christen follows her to the couch, where they sit down next to each other. Breathing shakily, the younger one just stares in front of her, scared of what she might hear the next few minutes.

When Annemarie sits down, she switches to English, speaking calmly - although something in her voice was very dark:

"Oh Christen... All my life, I prayed so that those legends wouldn't be true, and so that my granddaughter wouldn't take any part in what's going on in this city for weeks. Halas, it appears that you are gifted with the same... abilities than your great-grandmother. (Christen's eyes go wide: she never knew her grandmother, but everybody told her that she was a crazy woman). Ever since I was a young girl, older men and women from Sunnyvale were telling tales about a witch that had fled Salem and built a new community here, finding her place deeply rooted in our town's origins. This witch was eventually found years later by hunters, and murdered in cold blood. It was the year 1701."

"Ophelia Mollis Zora" Christen whispers, frowning. 

"Yes, my dear" Annemarie goes on, thoughtful. After a moment, during which she drinks a sip of water, she continues: "The legend has it that, while dying, the witch made a deal with Satan: in exchange of eternal life and devilish power, she had to sacrifice her heir - living every three generations - every time she wakes up from eternal sleep. In order to do just that, she starts killing people she has chosen - who have seemingly good blood for whatever that means - and, by doing so, she gains the strength to kill her heir."

Christen seems lost.

"Wait a minute..." the dark-haired whispers, out of her mind. After a moment, she gets herself together and asks: "Is that what the Prophecy is all about?"

"Nobody knows what the Prophecy is - its essence was lost in time, over 100 years ago, when the last mass killing happened in a small town near Phoenix, Arizona, where the last heir lived to see her 18th birthday only."

"So, this means that, since the mass killing is occurring in Sunnyvale, the heir is living amongst us and will be killed when they turn 18?"

Annemarie nods. 

"I believe the end for them is near: the more the witch kills, the less time the heir has got."

Christen sighs. 

"What about you calling Abby 'Satan's heir'? Was that genuine, is she really Satan's heir?"

"Si ella es la que puede controlar las sombras, entonces ella muy bien es el heredero de Satanás" (English: if she is the one who can control shadows, then she very well is Satan's heir) the old lady says, grabbing her granddaughter's hands. As they start feeling the soil trembling, she quickly adds, in English this time: "Listen, we don't have much time left..."

"W-what, but-" Christen starts, somehow knowing what's to come.

"Listen" Annemarie orders, breathing erratically: "They are coming, so listen carefully: Satan's heir is the witch's most powerful ally - and if your friend Abby really is so far gone as I think she is, then she must be killed before the witch kills her heir: it is the only way this madness will stop..."

"But-"

"The four of you have found each other - now you are the only ones able to stop the witch from killing again, and-"

But the scene changes all at once: shadows come through the walls, immediately diving on Annemarie Press. There were a hundred of them, and as Christen was held back by some of them, almost strangled, they remove her grandmother's heart out of her chest, before her blood starts spilling out everywhere in the room, including on Christen. 

Then, the shadows just vanish, as Mapi enters the room, staring at the drained body in horror. 

***

Kristie's eyes were red when she arrived in front of Leah Williamson's house: indeed, as her British parents weren't home for the weekend, the blonde sneaks into the house, followed by the shadows, and the rest is history.

Little did everybody know that her death would get the witch closer to her ultimate goal, as she had found out who the heir's identity was - and, believe me dear readers, you will not believe your eyes, because the Prophecy was bound to happen, if only it wasn't for love...

And everything was about to accelerate in a frightening way...