Blood in the water

CHAPTER 8 - PAUZĂ

After a walk around the bottom floor, Sorin found Alina sitting by the kitchen table. There were some dishes on ther and a tablecloth in front of her, but the woman was staring at the picture inside her locket, which was opened. With her head tilted to the side, her expression was serious but not sad; soft eyes and a relaxed countenance, overall. Once he got close and touched her arm, however, she shut it closed and looked up at him with a smile.

— There you are — Sorin smiled. — What do you wanna do this afternoon?

— Well, I heard someone mention the pool's been cleaned — she twisted her nose. — Maybe a game of water polo?

— Well, I meant... I... — Sorin stuttered.

— Are you okay? — she touched his arm.

— I'm just thinking... We never get to go out, and it's because of me. Because I'm hiding.

— Oh. Well, that's okay. I like it here.

— Yeah, but what about those places you always talk about?

— Well, actually, there is one way — she looked at her boyfriend with a smart smile.

Pulling Sorin by the hand, Alina went to introduce him to someone he hadn't met yet. They opened the door that was under the stairs to what the woman called her studio; a low-light place that had its walls filled with black shelves, which in turn held glasses of different sizes and shapes, with colorful liquids inside it and identifying labels. Sorin then noticed that on the center of the room was a short woman with long, curly auburn hair, sitting down on the floor and reading a book with her feet propped up on a round piece of marble which looked like a sink tub.

— Anne, my gentle flower — called Alina in a jokingly soft voice after they entered. — This is Sorin, you might have heard of him.

— Oh, yeah — Anne stood up and shook the man's hand. — Lot of plot twists from you already, huh? — she shot a smiled to the confused man, then shaking her head. — Don't mind me, I'm a writer. What can I do you for?

— Well, we were thinking of going for a walk in the city, but Sorin is weary of the stingatoare, so...

— Ooh, deceptive appearance potion. Fun! — the witch clapped her hands, making Alina laugh. Anne then roamed her eyes around her walls, selecting a tubular-shaped glass with a light green-blue liquid inside it.

— Ooh, can I choose how he looks? — Alina suggested as the other approached with the jar.

— Sure — Anne laughed. — But I can also make it so that you're the only one who sees his real face.

— Oh, that, I prefer that.

— Aww — Sorin responded with a smile that Alina returned, and the two leaned in and kissed, failing to see Anne rolling her eyes at the scene.

— I have more things to do, you know.

— Right — Alina said as they pulled apart, and Anne had Sorin tilt his head up so she could drop a sip of the liquid down his throat while exclaiming words the other two didn't understand. Then, Anne reached for another, transparent liquid and approached Alina this time.

— You need to touch his chest at the height of his heart with both hands — she indicated, and so Alina stood in front of Sorin, placing both hands over the left side of his chest. She noticed his heart was beating fast, but looked to his eyes to see he seemed steady. Closing her eyes, she then tilted her head to receive her part of the potion.

— Done — Anne announced with a pat on Alina's back. — You guys should wait about ten minutes before leaving, just to be sure.

— Thank you so much — Sorin smiled, breathing out in relief.