"I was confused by the zombies. I mean why were they so friggin' slow?"
"Fast-moving zombies are a relatively new concept in horror movies. Earlier incarnations assumed that reanimated corpses were afflicted by rigor mortis and, as such, moved slowly."
A close group of six teenagers made their way down the stairs after having just finished watching a zombie movie. Among them was a short golden-haired girl who walked ahead of the other five as she explained.
Her friends each glanced at one another with a knowing look, when a chestnut-haired girl spoke from the back, "There she goes again. 'Sabrina Spellman: human encyclopedia for the bizarre.' "
The aforementioned girl, Sabrina, laughed at the joke as did the others.
"But for real, how does she know these things?" A boy, with the same chestnut colored hair as the female behind him, asked.
"No idea."
As they were making up crazy theories, Sabrina spotted a group of high school jocks ahead of her and turns to catch the frantic look of fear in the green eyes of her petite best friend. She grabbed her hand and squeezed gently as a form of reassurance that she wouldn't let her do anything with her around. And she was thankful.
The girls kept on walking towards the exit and joined into the conversation. Sabrina turned around and accidentally bumped into a middle-aged lady.
They face each other ready with their apologies before recognizing one another.
"Oh, excuse me. Sabrina."
"Ms Wardwell. Hi." She chuckled, "I didn't know you were a fan of horror movies."
"Sabrina's nuts for 'em. The gorier the better," The chestnut-haired guy chuckled.
"Well, um, who doesn't enjoy a good scare every now and again? Especially this time of year." Ms. Wardwell was tall and had on a thin frame of round glasses that sat comfortably on her nose, long dark hair tied back in a secured ponytail.
She was right, too. Greendale's only picture house was considerably packed that night. It being a couple of days before Halloween, most were out looking for a little thrill found in vintage horrors.
Sabrina, ray of sunshine that she was, had the brilliant idea of inviting her favorite teacher to their apres-movie late-night debates.
"Ms. Wardwell, we have a tradition of going to the movies and then to Dr Cerberus' to dissect whatever we just saw. Would you like to join us? "
Everyone beside the long-haired brunette girl, who didn't really mind the suggestion, stared at Sabrina confused.
"I have papers to grade. But thank you for the offer. Really. See you in class, guys." The adult waved at them as she turned to leave.
The six waved back politely, but when she was a safe distance away, a dark skin person in their little group leaned forward while holding a smile on her face asked, "'Brina why would you do that?"
"Invite Ms Wardwell?"
"Yeah. I mean I get she's the only teacher with a kindhearted soul at our shit school but..."
Sabrina sighed, "I feel bad for her, living in that house... all alone."
..
"The whole thing functions as a metaphor, Harvey!"
"It's a monster movie, Susie," Harvey argued skeptically.
"Devil's advocate, can't it be both?"
Pleased by the support she was receiving, the green-eyed girl, Susie, exclaimed in triumph, "Exactly, exactly it's both!"
The group sat a booth at Dr Cerberus', the local library/diner. Harvey, the chestnut-haired boy, had his arm comfortably slung around Sabrina's shoulders. The two were sat opposite a hyped Susie and their dark skin friend, Roz.
"Yes," Roz agreed, sipping her strawberry shake.
"On one level, yes, it's about the zombies but it's also about the cold war." Susie continued enthusiastically.
"Civil rights," Roz added.
"The collapse of the nuclear family."
Harvey squinted, "Did we just watch different movies?"
"You didn't get that?" Susie persisted. "I gotta side with Roz and Susie on this," a boy sat to her left, at the edge of the booth, interjected.
He rolled up the sleeves of his leather jacket and rested his elbows on the table as he leaned forward, "I mean it was clearly shown from when the daughter turned into a zombie and then ate her mother?"
"Yes! Thank you, Elijah! Finally, someone who sees." Susie throws her arms in the air dramatically and sags in her seat, making the chestnut-haired girl to Elijah's left chuckle.
"I think Harvey may have had his eyes closed during that part," Sabrina teased.
He shook his head vigorously, "No. No, I didn't."
"Aww was little baby Harvey scared?" The brunette mocked.
"No, I wasn't," Harvey answered the girl who shared the same resemblance as him.
"Uh-huh, of course, buddy," Elijah nodded, though his face showed he didn't believe a word.
"Oh, that's terrible you missed the best part then," Susie said.
Harvey turned Sabrina, "See what you did?" he lightly chastised his girlfriend, as he saw his friends turn on him.
"I'm sorry," Sabrina mumbled leaning in to kiss him.
"Ew, gross, uh-uh." The girl sitting between Sabrina and Elijah set her vanilla milkshake on the table with a scrunched face, "I thought we'd come to an agreement, none of that is to happen in my presence. Only two-second pecks on the cheeks are allowed."
The couple sheepishly separated as the others laughed. Sabrina was slightly embarrassed and Harvey was annoyed, though a light blush was creeping up his neck.
"Urgh, Mora," Harvey whined.
"Don't you give me that. It isn't the most comfortable thing as your older sister-"
"By 7 seven minutes."
"-to witness such. No matter how sickeningly adorable you two may be together, cut it out will ya."
. . .
At the same moment, across town, the windshield wipers of an old car were hard at work, trying to clear the rain off its surface, as it sped down the road. Barely any light was emitting into the evening, though Mary Wardwell took little thought of it as she mumbled along to the music coming from the radio.
I see a bad moon rising
I see trouble on the way
I see-
A figure appears out of the shadows and onto the road. Startled, she swerved her car to the side. In an attempt to not hit the thing she lost control of the vehicle before she brought it to a halt.
"Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Oh, God." She panted, as she shakily exits her car. She looked around trying to find whatever it was she almost collided with but found nothing.
Confused and kind of freaked out, she turn back to her car wanting to get the hell out of there but the dark silhouette appeared.
"Oh, my god," she gasped.
"Help."
.
"You poor creature. My cottage is just down the road. We'll get you all cleaned up then call Dr Saperstein in the morning," Mary said looking at the girl sat in her backseat through her rearview mirror. Her clothes were ripped and dirty, her dark matted hair covered up most of her face. She was young and pretty by the looks of it.
She didn't say a word. Probably scared out of he mind, Mary clicks her tongue with a shake of her head.
Once they arrived at her place, Mary ushered the girl to the bathroom. "Here we are. You can use the shampoo and body wash. There's a spare toothbrush under the sink. I'll prepare some fresh, warm clothes for you. They'll be in my room, which the first door to the left, once you're finished. So, you just get freshened up and once you're good as new, we'll talk. Alright?"
She was silent still and only gave her a nod, but that was enough for Mary.
.
Wardwell was placing a tea set onto the table in front of the fireplace when the mysterious girl came into the living room in a just a robe, her long hair semi-dried and hanging off her shoulder.
She walked around the room, eyes wondering around the decor when the older woman finally noticed her.
"Oh, you startled me. You're a quiet little thing." She gives her a small nervous smile. "I see you're done. I brewed some tea. I found some yummy almond cookies in the cupboard," she offered kindly.
"Won't you tell me your name? Or what happened? Did someone attack you?" she inquired, concerned about the feeble girl.
"No," the girl finally said softly. She walked forward and took a seat with poise. "The woods did."
"Oh, well. You're not from around here, are you?" Mary took a seat, too, "Everyone knows about the witch hunt in Salem, but there was one right here in Greendale... 1692. Thirteen witches were hung in the forest. And their angry spirits have haunted the woods ever since."
"How do you know so much? About witches?"
"Well. I'm Greendale's unofficial town historian, I suppose. Plus I teach at the local high school, Baxter High."
"Is one of your students named... Sabrina?"
"Why, yes. Sabrina Spellman. Do you know Sabrina?" She asked. She thought maybe they were friends. If so, she could call the Spellman Mortuary and inform them of their lost girl.
"No," the girl's voice now distorted and raspy brought her out of her thoughts.
Wardwell gasped in shock and abruptly stood from her seat, frightened.
"But I knew her bastard-of-a-father who broke sacred witch law when he married a mortal sow."
Terrified, Mary tried to flee towards the front door but didn't make it. The young raven-haired girl had flung an outstretched arm to a pair of knitting scissors behind her over to the elder woman, plugging it into her neck killing her in seconds.
The girl leisurely bent over the fresh cadaver and started to recite unfamiliar words whilst tracing symbols in the pool of blood that flowed by her feet.
"Dominos patar respic ead neae e creo fatchim."
Now, there she stood. Transformed into an exact replica of the woman she just murdered.
"The great work begins, Dark Lord. I shall deliver Sabrina unto you."