SUNNYVALE

(58) THE MIND CRASHER AND THE CHAOTIC COMEBACK

"S-Sam...? Is that you again? P-Please, make me a sign... I am so tired... I can't do this alone..."

Sam is standing right in front of Shelina, appearing again only seconds prior to Shelina's utter pain in her head. 

After a few seconds, Sam states:

"I-I... I think I'm h-here?"

"How?"

"I-I don't know, maybe I'm dreaming-"

"No, please!" Shelina urges her to stay, taking a step further. She then sighs, before adding in a much calmer voice: "It's just so lonely here..."

Right after she said that, she sees Sam looking down at her own hands, as if they did not belong to her. This is when Shelina takes a few final steps further, her hand reaching out for Sam's - but they never touched. Instead, Shelina's hands were right through Sam's hands, as the latter would just disappear in a fog, before forming again.

Setting her jaw, Shelina takes a few deep breaths, as Sam says:

"I don't understand, how-"

"What if you're in my mind?" Shelina asks, deeply confused. As Sam's eyes go wide, she just turns around and shows her the statue, continuing: "What if you can control the minds, or send them the images you'd want them to see, wherever they are?"

Sam sighs.

"I have no idea..."

"Tell me something" Shelina continues, impatient, "is everyone okay where you are? I-I mean, how is... um, well..."

"I know you mean Crystal" Sam immediately says, laughing softly. As the other blonde blushed like hell, she continues: "Other than being deeply worried about you and kind of a sad puppy with a broken heart, she is doing fine... I-I mean, we're trying to get back to the real world, since we're in another dimension..."

"What?"

Just like that, Sam explains to Shelina everything they had discovered, including the fact that she was a reincarnation of the witch whose memory has been erased, and that Kelley was coming for her because she killed the 15th victim. 

Shelina's mind was burning, as Sam just adds:

"Listen, I know this is a lot to swallow right now, but we're running out of time: Kelley's gonna come for you, and something tells me she's found a way into the dimension we're in."

The girl in front of her almost chokes on her saliva, before burying her face inside her hands: she knew that she had to get herself out of this mess, but she had no idea how to do any of this. She thought of Crystal, who was in danger because of her, but in the same time she did not know how to save her - how to save any of her friends. 

Taking a deep breath, Shelina just nods.

"I have no idea how to undo what I did - how to free us from the dimension the witch... I-I mean, I have created" she admits, out of breath.

Sam seems to be lost in her thoughts for a while, before she thoughtfully says:

"You're saying that to the girl that has crushed your secret spot by accident, so I'm not sure how I'm gonna help. However, I have some good news: Kristie has gone back to the land of the living, and she's gonna warn our friends about what's going on. Maybe they'll be able to stop Kelley - or at least slow her down."

"I have no idea how to help... Or how to really-"

"You've got this, Shelina" Sam slowly says, staring at her intensively, as the image of her starts to fade. Before she totally disappears, she manages to say: "If you love Crystal as much as I think you do, then channel those feelings to go back to her, 'cause she sure will need your help. Shel, you've got this, you-"

But she disappears, and Shelina's mind goes dark again: everything seems to be trembling, as a roar not that far away can be heard - Kelley is getting closer, and so is the end.

***

Tobin shakes her head in disbelief.

"This is all crazy" she comments, staring at the newly-awaken blonde.

It only has been one hour since Kristie miraculously got out of her coma, confusing her doctors and other experts that had never seen this. Obviously, there were some people who knew exactly why she was able to come back: the In-Between being a place for the dead, a half-living had the choice to go back, and this time Kristie made the choice because she was one of her sister's only chances to ever get out of this place.

But as for now, the people in front of her - Tobin especially, then followed by Tierna and Crystal - were quite surprised, if not dubitative. Although they did not doubt in the truth Kristie was speaking, they were quite confused as to how all this was possible - if the ghosts really were their friends' souls that were trapped in the In-Between without ever being able to come back, then why did they seem to threatening? Were they trying to save them from the shadows?

Setting her jaw, Tierna comments:

"I mean, this all kind of makes sense - but this still doesn't help me understand why Abby vanished... I mean, did she go in the In-Between too? Or did she just run away?"

"No offence, Tee-Tee, but Abby isn't the main concern right now, so-" her bigger sister comments, fed up with everything.

But Tierna wasn't done:

"Oh, but she is my main concern, along with Sam: I really need them back, otherwise I'll never forgive myself for not being able to help them... (and, realising what she just said, she quickly adds:) Same for Shelina and Christen, obviously."

"Obvi" a voice say behind them, making them jump.

When they turn around, they are surprised to see Danielle Van de Donk and Ingrid Engen, each standing on one side of a person with long, blonde hair, that had her face turned facing the ground, as it couldn't be seen. Their wings were still deployed when the group of friends looked up, but they soon disappeared in their backs - well, there was enough time to notice that Danielle's wings were white as a dove, as Ingrid's were as black as coal. 

Frowning, Tierna slowly approaches them, but she is warned by Danielle to stay away.

This is when the person looks up, blood in her eyes, and her teeth were as sharp as the best knives on the market, the canine having grown a lot, everybody seems terrified: Julie Johnston wasn't herself anymore. Kristie, who was still sitting on her chair, just shivers from head to toe: the blonde was responsible for the most recents deaths, including the one of Rose Lavelle, a girl that has been friends with her little sister for all of her life, and that Krisite had grown to love. 

Quite enraged, the blonde has to be held away by Tobin, who turns around and asks:

"What the hell ?"

Danielle nonchalantly points at Crystal, before casually saying:

"Our friend Julie here has her mind controlled by Kelley: you need to get inside of it and read her memories, and that might help us find a way to get inside Kelley's head as well."

Crystal sighs.

"I don't know if-"

"You have to" Ingrid aggressively lets out, before being warned by her fellow angel friend. 

Crystal sighs again: of course she had to - she had to do everything she could to get back at Shelina, because her live would never be the same again if she loses the only person that ever made her feel more than alive.