SUNNYVALE

(54) #PROTECTBAE2K21 IS ON

"No, uh-uh, no way, no FUCKING way" Crystal exclaims, before her stomach hurts again. 

When the doctors were able to save her from the dreadful injury caused by the shadows' claws, she woke up the next day, feeling like something was missing from inside her soul. When Tierna and Abby came to the hospital to visit her and caught her up with everything they found out thanks to Mapi - who turns out of be Azrael's daughter, so in other words a freakin' celestial being walking the Earth - she did not believe a single world of it. But when Mapi came to see her few hours after her friends, and showed her her black wings, she had no choice but to believe her. 

Her heart was shattered: indeed, together the three girls cracked the real curse - Kelley wanted to take over Satan's throne, and become all-powerful, therefore she needed to kill Shelina because she was a witch - and when they made their case to Crystal (including the fact that she, herself, was a reincarnation) she just couldn't believe it. 

Shaking her head, she repeats:

"No way, this ain't fucking possible."

"Oh, but it is" Mapi lets out, obviously not too sensitive to people's emotions. As Abby and Tierna are throwing an insisting look at her, she adds: "Look, Crystal, I am not too fond of this whole thing either: as far as I know, such an evil soul as Kelley's becoming Satan would be disastrous. But you need to wake the fuck up if you wanna save your girlfriend."

Tired of denying that Shelina was her girlfriend - especially since they hadn't had the talk yet, but Crystal knew in her heart that she wanted to be with her, even if she is a witch she already loved in another life - Crystal just rolls her eyes. 

Out of patience, Abby states:

"Well, you guys can keep on fighting if you want, but that won't bring our friends back."

"What do you propose, Satan Jr?" Mapi ironically asks, smirking. 

Tierna walks in front of her, closer, quite defensive:

"You leave her alone."

"Alright, kitty" Mapi lets out, highly amused, "dios, los americanos son tan dramático" (English: Gosh, Americans are so dramatic)

"Tú también lo estarías si el futuro de toda tu familia dependiera de ti, estúpido ángel" Tierna fights back in an hesitant but strong accent (English: you would be too if the future of your whole family depended on you, stupid angel)

"Oh, chica: mi padre es un gángster y mi madre sólo me ha hablado una vez en mi vida - no me hables de la familia" the Spanish girl says, quite annoyed, "No sabes nada del dolor ni de la responsabilidad de salvar el mundo, así que deberías callarte." (English: Oh, little girl: my father is a gangster and my mother only spoke to me once in my whole life - don't talk to me about family. You know nothing about pain or the responsibility of saving the world, so you better just shut up.)

Abby grew annoyed of this ongoing feud, so she says:

"English, please - I never took Spanish in class. Besides, you two are not helping." 

"I'm listening, mi pequeño satanás de pelo rubio" (English: my little Satan with blonde hair).

Ignoring the obvious attempt to annoy her even more, Abby only states:

"Listen, Marìa, you want to save Christen - you've made that clear enough. But in order to save her, you have to save all of us, because if there is only one of us missing, then we'll never be able to beat my sister."

"Fair point" Mapi admits, all ears.

"We need to bring our friends back from that other reality before it's too late."

The Spanish once again nods, before saying:

"I can call a few friends of mine that could help us - but I make no promises."

Tierna rolls her eyes, before letting out:

"Great, more stupid angels..."

***

Kristie calmly looks at her sister, before grabbing her hand.

"What I am about to say is probably gonna change the way you're looking at me" she whispers, obviously very moved. As Sam shakes her head, a tear discretely falls from her eye onto her cheek, as she goes on: "As you know, Kelley used me by somehow possessing me: she forced me to do things on her behalf, as if I was a puppet, unable to fight back. There were several of us, but Alanna and I were the principal people involved. She turned us into killers - because yes, I killed most people sitting in that room."

Sam's jaw drops - she hadn't figured out yet that Kristie was the Bathtub Killer - or at least one part of it. 

Reduced into silence, she just hears her sister going on:

"I knew that the only way out of this was dying: but I couldn't just leave you. So I figured, if I could be in a state in between life and death, I could join the place I saw in my dreams - the In-Between - and figure out things out, especially how to help my sister. That's when I found out about who you really are: one of The Four. So when the trapped souls explained everything to me, I just thought I'd eventually come back and warn you guys."

"But you haven't gone out of the coma yet" Christen lets out, sighing. 

Sam still was silent. 

"No, but maybe it was for the best: right before I overdosed, I had a vision that came from within Kelley's mind - I didn't remember it at first, but then it became all clearer. I was in some unknown place in this dimension, in the In-Between, that looked like some sort of tunnel leading to what looked like a cave, where there were red and green lights. Now, I am not sure of what I saw, but all I know is that it was really cold, and there was something living inside that cave - I could bet you my life that it is related to Kelley O'Hara."

Totally lost and confused this time, Sam just says:

"I need a moment to think"

With that said, she gets up and walks away, outside of The Circle, in the small park nearby. She sits down on a bench, burying her face inside her hands, before taking her phone out of her pocket. She then undergoes to look for a specific picture on her photo gallery, as a tear rolls down from her cheek:

It was a photo of herself, surrounded by Tierna and Abby hugging her, their smiles shining so bright that they would warm Sammy's heart even if it was freezing everywhere else. 

Little did she know Kristie had followed her, and when she sees the picture as well - quite telling, since she could guess they didn't have many clothes on - and when she puts her hand on her sister's shoulder, she just whispers:

"You gotta stay strong, Sammy: if not for yourself, then do it for them, because they're worth fighting for, and they won't survive on their own."

Sam nods her head.

"I love them" she cries, shaking her head.

Her sister surrounds them with her comforting arms, kissing her cheek briefly before saying:

"I know you do, Sammy, I know you do..."