SUNNYVALE

(40) THE WITCH'S HEIR IS...

Crystal likes to spend her Friday afternoons - at least the ones where she skipped class - at her parents' house, because it was the only day they wouldn't be there. And God knows that she needed to rest on her own. 

So, when the doorbell rang, she felt her blood run cold: she just remains in her bed, waiting for the person to go away. But it rings again. Once. Twice. And now three times and counting, more and more insistent. Sighing with irritation, Crystal gets out of her bed, wearing only a small short  and a huge pullover, runs down the stairs and opens the front door.

Her heart then stops.

Shelina Zadorsky is there despite the rain, her very long ponytail soaking wet, as well as her face and clothes. Something in her big, bright blue eyes was anxious, or maybe even frightened, as she couldn't stand still, not even for one second. Her mouth was slightly opened, and Crystal had to admit that the Canadian was the most attractive and beautiful person she had ever seen in her life. 

Setting her jaw, Crystal remembers the risk of her being around Shelina, and therefore angrily asks:

"What are you doing here, Shelina?" 

"You haven't answered my text, or my calls..." the brunette starts, stammering.

"I thought the message was clear enough" Crystal then brutally says, feeling her own heart shatter in the process.

She can see the pain on Shelina's face, who was deeply hurt by her heartless words - but, somehow, anger was the emotion that prevailed.

Shelina's voice is strong and confident when she blurts out:

"Alright, I've had enough, Crystal ! (She starts making big gestures with her arms while talking, and her body language was erratic. She would just stare at Crystal from time to time, and the rest of it she'd just look up to the sky or down on the ground. Crystal, for one, did not move an inch.) I really don't understand you, and your functioning: the moment I feel some sort of connection between us, either you run away, or you try your best to make me run away. Well, it's really hurting my feelings, and I am sick of it."

"She-" Crystal tries, but is interrupted again:

"I'm sick of pretending there isn't anything going on between us, because I know you feel it too! (She takes a step closer to Crystal, making the latter feel dizzy.) There is this unexplainable connection that is hard for me to understand because it goes beyond reason, and I just... I tried to make it go away, believe me ! I've slept with other people, kissed other people... even girls, but nothing worked. Nothing worked."

"Shelina, I-"

"You're still on my mind, no matter where I go. It's like I can't escape what I feel for you, and it's fucking terrifying, a-and-"

"SHELINA!"

Crystal had raised her voice, as her breath was taken away a long time ago by the same girl standing in front of her.

As Shelina stands there in disbelief, half-confused, half-angry, Crystal just look straight into her eyes, while the height difference between the two girls would just show at that exact moment even more than at others. 

When Crystal dares to put her hands on Shelina's waist, softly squeezing them, feeling her heartbeat increase more and more each nanosecond, the anger Shelina felt just then seemed to have disappeared, only to be replaced with more confusion. 

Shelina looks down at Crystal's lips, while the latter whispers:

"I-I can't get you out of my mind, too"

As Crystal's hands start shaking, Shelina slowly leans in closer, her eyes still wide open because she wanted to make sure she wasn't dreaming. When she realises Crystal had closed hers, her heart does summersaults in her chest, while she has a hundred butterflies in her stomach. Shelina's hand softly touches Crystal's cheeks, as Crystal gets on her toes.

They both close the gap at the same time, giving in to their deepest desires, that couldn't be controlled anymore - they kiss each other wildly, before Crystal pushes Shelina inside the house, closing the door behind them. 

As they undress each other, through the heat of the moment and undeniable connection in between the two, Crystal suddenly collapses on the ground, visibly having some kind of seizure. Her whole body started shaking, as Shelina gets on her knees, trying to get her to breathe, beyond worried. 

The ambulance arrives only minutes later, but Crystal might be too far gone.

"Oh my God, not her, please" Shelina whispers, in tears. 

***

 The body of Quinn, the transgender and non-binary hero that has inspired an entire town to get better, was found on the verge of the river separating Sunnyvale in two, while a bathtub full of their blood was found... in the middle of the school principal's office.

When arriving to their school this morning, students from the East and West sides were advised to go home and remain there, as the school would close for a few days, allowing the police to do their jobs (for once).

Krisite Mewis hadn't shown up to school either way.

Her sister, Sam, was quite worried: she had seen none of her friends, neither Abby or even Tierna for that matter, until now: as the three girls were separately trying to find a quiet space to process the news, the three of them find each other at what seems to be a crossroads - figuratively. 

Without thinking, Tierna grabs both Abby and Sam's arms, dragging them behind the school's entrance, where nobody was there to be seen. 

"Good, I was looking for you two: I think I cracked it."

"Cracked... what?" Abby asks, confused. 

But Sam knew what she was referring to, so she whispers:

"... Ophelia Mollis Zora."

As Abby was closely listening to each one of their words, Tierna starts giving them explanations:

"Sam and I (Abby frowns, half-upset that the two had met without her, and half-happy that they'd get along even a little) already found out that Ophelia was a tragic heroine in one of Shakespeare's 18th Century play Hamlet, in which she goes mental and kills herself after Hamlet kills her father."

"Alright, alright" Sam urges her to continue, "we already knew that: what about the other nouns?"

"Golden Dawn" Tierna only whispers, before taking a book out of her bag and showing it to the girls. She points at a picture of the witch calling for Satan while dying, just like the legend says, before saying: "Zora means 'golden dawn', which is referred here as the moment when she is saved by Satan."

"What about Mollis? Didn't it mean 'soft' in Slavic language?"

Tierna nods, before asking:

"Yes, and you know whose first name also means 'soft' in old hindu language?"

"Who is it?" Abby immediately lets out, shaken up, "who is the witch's heir?"

Tierna then drops the bomb:

"Shelina Zadorsky."