Is It Love? Stories - Peter

Season 2 - Chapter 1 (EN)

"It looks like a ghost town..."

Peter's somber voice breaks the silence in Sarah's apartment. He looks out at the deserted street just outside, his forehead pressed against the window.

Peter's fingers wrap around mine, and I press up against him, seeking comfort.

He wasn't expecting this either. He answers me with an anxious look on his face and pursed lips.

He's more attached to this town and to the people in it than he thought.

"I'm not sure it's such a good idea to be here. There's a reason Nicolae sent you to Paris."

"I don't know. Sarah's the one who made us come back. Personally, I loved it there."

(That's a euphemism...)

"Sarah?"

"I promised to follow you without asking any questions, but now that we're here, maybe you could tell us a littler more."

I don't even recognize my best friend anymore. She's not saying a word, and that is stressing me out more than the state Mystery Spell is in.

She shoots me a sad look and takes a deep breath before opening up to us.

"There's a reason I asked you to come back... Witches have been disappearing."

(What?!!)

Her face darkens with concern as she refuses to look at us, turning away to grab a box of tea bags from her cupboard.

"I went to the Coven. There were signs of a struggle... I tried to contact my aunt and my cousins... Nobody's answering."

"I just can't make any sense out of all this... First it was those young women, and now the witches..."

"Mystery Spell is being visited by a very odd phenomenon."

"I wouldn't call it a phenomenon... It's a witch hunt!"

The word echoes around us like a death sentence. Physical contact with Peter is soothing to me, regardless of what he said. I feel so powerless to help Sarah.

"My grandmother was one of them..."

"Cassandre Osborne has gone missing?"

Sarah burst into tears upon hearing that question. Her grandmother, one of the most powerful witches, for whom she has infinite respect, has vanished.

It's unthinkable. The people who did must have power I underestimated. If Cassandre is in danger, then everyone is.

I can't hold back the overwhelming feeling of compassion that comes over me. "Out of sight, out of mind" is a stupid saying. I would do anything to protect her.

I slip behind her little counter and put my arms around her in a gesture meant to be soothing and comforting.

She responds to my hug, shyly at first, and then more earnestly. Maybe we haven't grown that far apart after all...

Mystery Spell is under attack, and we don't even know what shape this evil comes in. It's as if something was lurking.

As Sarah gets busy preparing a tray for our herbal teas, I catch myself also looking out at the street in a different way.

Right now, I'm not worried about me, but about Sarah. She's a witch just like the other ones, and as such...

She could very well not escape this tragic destiny. Not to mention her lonely life in that tiny little apartment.

I will not let her be taken away. I don't know what we're fighting, but I'm not letting them touch a hair on her head!

"How on earth has it come to this? To all these people disappearing without anybody doing anything about it?"

"Where can all those women possibly be??"

"The good news is that we found one of them. A student. The bad news... is that she can't remember what happened to her."

"Does she have any... lesions, or physical evidence of violence on her body?"

He seems lost. As a skilled pianist, he hates when things don't ring true. He listens for false notes and silences them.

"Not to my knowledge, but I wasn't able to get close to her. Her family and the police are watching her around the clock."

"Maybe we should try to get more information. Nobody just vanishes from one day to the next and only to come back with amnesia!"

Peter holds me tighter against him, and I feel his worry, which only makes mine worse.

"Our first order of business is to make sure you two girls are safe. The student will still be here tomorrow."

The silence is growing weighty. Peter tenderly runs his hand over my neck.

Embarrassed by our display of affection, Sarah keeps talking, as if to occupy her mind.

"Okay, so to recap: half my family has gone missing, women are being kidnapped and then come home with amnesia and walk around in a daze like the zombies in The Walking Dead."

"Other than that, how was Paris, guys?"

I can't help smiling. Even when we're at our lowest, she always has the knack for keeping things light and ironic.

She wipes her eyes to regain her composure.

She can tell me it's going to be okay all she wants, she can tell me she's staying positive, but I know my best friend. And in those big brown eyes of hers, there is nothing but sadness and fear.

(You should have been there for her a little more, Kalie!)

I left her alone with this burden, at a time when she was overwhelmed and had to deal with her own people vanishing. Did I really have a choice?

The words that come to mind all seem too weak to comfort Sarah. I can't apologize for something I didn't choose...

But to see her in such a state is making me sick to my stomach. Now that I'm back, we can help her and try to resolve this crisis.

Besides, deciding to leave wasn't a light-hearted decision for us, and despite the danger looming over Mystery Spell, I'm glad to be home.

This is where we are needed, not holed up in a hotel on the other side of the world. Peter, always pragmatic, looks for solutions.

"Any idea what could cause partial amnesia like that?"

"My gut feeling? An evil spell, of course."

"We just need to find out why it's being used on humans... and why the target just suddenly changed."

Not to mention that the struggle could have ended badly... I don't want to finish that thought. For now, they just "disappeared," nothing more.

"Could the witches be behind these evil spells?"

She glances at him, surprised, as if he had just said something ridiculous. I climb onto a stool and go about selecting a tea for myself.

"The witches?! No, that would be crazy."

Back at his post by the window, Peter turns his attention to the outside world again. Sarah pensively takes a seat next to me as she makes her cup of tea.

I silently stir a little sugar into my cup, as the room grows calm after Sarah's revelations. I'm worried about my friend.

To find out more, play "Is It Love? Stories - Peter" and immerse yourself in an incredible success story!