Burying the Hatchet - Pt. 01

Heather shifted the small satin bag in her hand. "You're really sure this will work, Shauna?"

"It'd better," her friend replied as she ran a hand through her long black hair and took it back from her. "God knows I paid enough for it. But I trust the person who gave it to me. I'll work."

She got up. "Want some tea while we wait? We can go over it one more time."

Heather DuChamp and Shauna Stevenson had not started out as 'friends' as much as an 'enemy of my enemy' sort of relationship - that main enemy being Melissa Fulton. As the leggy brunette rose to follow the other women into the kitchen, she recalled all that had occurred to make this unlikely partnership happen.

When Shauna had confronted Melissa directly in the halls about stealing her notes, it had caught not just her, but most of her classmate's attention. Melissa, never one to back down, got right into Shauna's face and all but dared her to do something about it. Brave move, Heather thought, as Shauna fairly towered over the petite blonde and could likely mop the floor with her.

It might have come to that, had a few teachers not broken it up, but it was clear there was definite animosity between the two. And this was not the only incident. Melissa had been trash-talking Shauna to anyone who'd listen. Almost as if she wanted to provoke a fight. Heather wasn't sure how the woman calmly making tea right now could remain so calm about it. The notes must have been the final straw.

Heather, for her part, had her own reason to loathe Melissa. His name was Trey, and he'd been hers until Melissa batted her eyes (and to Heather's mind, probably spread her legs) to lure him away. Even now, her ex had difficulty looking her in the eyes when they passed in the hall. Whatever Melissa had told him about her, she was sure it wasn't true, but it made her classes with him uncomfortable.

Graduation couldn't come soon enough for any of them, Heather mused to herself, but where Melissa was concerned, it wasn't going to come without a little comeuppance...a little revenge.

"I still can't believe we're going to do this," she said as she watched Shauna put the kettle on. Though they'd never spoken directly until these past few weeks, she'd always admired her, albeit from a distance. She had an aura that was both attractive but off-putting. Little surprise that she'd never dated anyone as far as anyone knew at school. Some boys probably felt she was unapproachable while others probably thought she was simply a weirdo.

Only Heather knew the truth...that Shauna practiced witchcraft. Well, appropriated it at any rate.

She certainly looked the part. Long, raven-black tresses that looked so silky smooth they all but begged to be touched. Piercing eyes with an icy blue sheen that Heather was sure she'd never seen before on anyone. They had to be contacts, but Shauna had assured her in an early conversation they were not. And then there was her body. Tall yet curvy with pale while skin, dotted with freckles in all the right places to make her straddle a line between "cute" and "voluptuous". Heather was sure Shauna filled more than one or more of her classmate's dreams at nights.

And then there were the rumors. That she belonged to an actual coven. That she was a lesbian. That she was a Satanist. What was true and what wasn't, Heather couldn't say, but after seeing some of the relics and artifacts Shauna kept in her possession, Heather could believe the 'witch' part.

"Oh, we're going to do this. Believe it," Shauna replied to her statement. "I can't move on...go to college...and let that bitch get away with what she's done to us." She sat across from Heather, taking her hand in hers. "If you're having second thoughts," she offered. "Now is the time. There's no turning back once we start."

Heather shook her head, her brown locks flowing around her. "She's got this coming," she said. "I owe her. We both do." She looked at the small bag again. "You...wanted to go over the plan again?"

Shauna patted Heather's hand. She was a pretty girl. Cheerleader type. Perky. Athletic. Guys fawned over her. Everything Shauna would normally despise, but mutual hatred had brought them together. She'd apparently really loved Trey and losing him was something the girl wasn't going to let stand. Shauna didn't pretend to understand it. Heather could have her pick of any guy in class, and Trey? Well, he was a bit of a moron.

But Heather did understand revenge, and that was all Shauna needed.

She held the bag up. "The powder in this bag," she said, "is a powerful, and quite permanent, hypnotic. When a person blows it into another person's face, the combination of the powder and that person's breath will bind the affected person to them."

"Forever?" Heather asked. She'd asked before, but it didn't seem real.

Shauna shrugged. "As far as I know," she got up to turn off the kettle and pour the tea into two cups. "I pretty much just need it to work for the rest of the school year. Then I can release her...if I can. Or want to." She set Heather's cup in front of her with a bit of a smirk on her face.

"Long enough to do a little damage?" Heather held her cup up to toast with Shauna.

"Long enough to make her as miserable as she made us," Shauna clinked her glass to Heather's. Too early to drink anything, but the idea was clear. They were in this together, whatever might occur.

"You're sure she's coming?" Heather asked, setting her cup down. Shauna nodded, assuring her that there's no way Melissa would miss an opportunity to gloat over her.

"I told her I didn't want to end school hating her," she said. "That I wanted to apologize to her once and for all, before we went our separate ways. Whether or not she accepted it, I said I didn't care. But I wanted to do it formally. Face to face." Shauna set her own cup down. "I have to admit, she accepted rather quickly, but she did accept it."

Heather took a sip of tea. Hot, but soothing. "Probably, like you said, to just gloat and shove it in your face. I can't see her being gracious...like, at all."

Shauna smiled. "That's kind of what I'm counting on," she said. "It'll make it so much more fun when she's completely under our control." The duo clinked cups together again and on cue the sound of a car pulling up outside caused them both to sit up a bit.

"Last chance," Shauna offered. "I won't think any less of you if you - "

Heather shook her head and took Shauna's hand in hers. "No way," she responded. "I want this...probably just as badly as you do."

Shauna nodded as she opened the tiny pouch and poured a small amount of the pink powder into Heather's hand. "Wait until her back is to us, then we'll both move in and hit her at the same time." Heather nodded. No way Melissa would overcome both if one of them should miss or hesitate.

She put a small amount of powder in her own hand then headed to the door, Heather not far behind her. They could see Melissa approach from outside, a carefree expression on her face. That expression would soon change, Heather smiled to herself.

Shauna opened the door and smiled, as warmly as she could muster, to the approaching blonde. "Saw you pull up," she said. Melissa stopped short of the front door. A person could be forgiven for thinking she was cute or sweet, even falling in love with her. Tan skin, cute blonde curls cascading around her shoulders, and a definite sense for fashion. She had a nice pair of legs, and she knew it. Even now her blue miniskirt was showing them off.

"So," she looked around. "Are we doing this out here?"

Shauna shook her head. "No. Please, come in. Let's talk."

Melissa looked past Shauna to see Heather standing just behind her. "Why is she here?" she asked. Shauna was about to say something in response, but Heather beat her to it.

"Shauna told me what she was doing and, well," she looked skyward for a moment. "Look, I don't want to graduate with any grudges, either."

Melissa put her hands on her hips. "Trey says hi," she smiled wickedly at her. Heather's flush was fairly evident. Shauna simply turned her head to still her rising anger. Melissa simply grinned wider. "Thought so," she said. "It's not so easy to forgive when I'm standing right in front of you, is it?"

Shauna looked around, a bit nervously. "Look," she said, "I never said this'd be easy for us to do, but I want to do it. Not here, though."

Melissa lowered her arms and headed up the small stairway to Shauna's front door, moving past the two of them. "Fine," she said. "Let's get this over with. I have places to be."

Heather looked at Shauna. The bitch had her back to them. 'Now?' she mouthed silently, and Shauna nodded. Quickly, they brought their hands to their lips, prepared to strike as soon as Melissa turned around.

The next seconds seemed to happen in slow motion for the two of them. "Nice house," Melissa said. "I'm a bit surprised given it's your family, Shauna!"

She laughed and turned quickly, more quickly than either Heather or Shauna expected, and saw their hands held up to their pursed lips. "What the-?" she stammered, Suddenly, a car horn sounded in the cul-de-sac outside the house, and both girls paused, startled.

It was all Melissa needed. A moment of puzzlement crossed her face, then with a speed neither girl anticipated, Melissa blew the powder back into Shauna's face, then Heather's.

"N-no!" Shauna had time to blurt out as she tried to wave the dust flowing around her away, Heather doing the same as both girls took a step back.

"Shauna...I...?" Heather waved her hands frantically to try and shoo it away. Already both of them felt the strange, almost perfumy aroma hit their nostrils as they desperately tried to get away from it, but the damage had been done. Melissa had caught them off guard.

Curse that distraction, Shauna thought, while Heather could only wonder how Melissa could react so quickly?

It was the last independent thought either girl would have as their legs stiffened and their arms slowly stopped flailing and dropped loosely to their sides. They stared blankly forward with dull, unexpressive faces, standing side by side helplessly in front of their 'captor'.

Melissa, for her part, arched an eyebrow in confusion. "Wh-what on earth was this all about?" she asked. A question, but to Shauna and Heather it was now a command they must respond to. Without hesitation.

Shauna's voice was a dull monotone as she told Melissa everything. That it had been a trap. That the powder in the bag on the counter in her kitchen was supposed to bind her to their will. That they had planned revenge on her for all she'd done to them. Heather simply stared forward, hearing Shauna's words but unable to add to them.

Her mind was in a panic. This had gone horribly wrong. Melissa had control over them now, and the earlier question she'd asked Shauna began to haunt her. How long would this magic last?

Forever?

To Be Continued...