The Witch in the Woods

Did that really happen?

No one could believe it. The day after the picnic, Gael’s arrest was still the talk of Lake Laura, spreading disbelief like wildfire. Everywhere you went, whispers of shock and confusion filled the air. Gael wasn’t just a model citizen and a beloved, promising young man; he was also the boyfriend of the mayor’s youngest daughter.

His connection to Lua hadn’t gone unnoticed either. After a sleepless night, Lua was determined to keep herself busy and not let sorrow or overthinking slow her down. By 8 a.m., fueled by strong, bitter coffee, Lua, Kelly, and Alinda gathered in the cabin’s kitchen, all struggling to process the shocking news.

“I just… I can’t believe Gael did it,” Alinda muttered, pacing by the window with her phone in hand. The police had publicly announced that Gael had confessed to the murder and would plead guilty in court.

“Did the police talk to you yet?” Ali asked Lua, her voice tinged with nervous energy.

“No, not yet,” Lua replied, swirling her coffee absentmindedly. “They’re supposed to come by later today.”

“Oh no, is it going to be Ryder?” Kelly asked, sitting cross-legged on the couch and eyeing Lua carefully. “That would be awkward.”

Lua shrugged, the tension barely concealed in her stiff posture. “I imagine it’ll be him and his partner. But who knows? I’m just waiting for it to be over.”

Ali, glued to her phone, scrolled through the latest updates, frustration etching her face. “They’re saying Gael’s motive was the university revoking his scholarship, forcing him to leave GallU. That doesn’t sound right to me at all. I’ve been texting Tori nonstop, but she’s completely MIA.”

Lua nodded, her gaze distant. “Same here. It’s like she’s vanished. Honestly, I’m still trying to wrap my head around all of this. Nothing about it feels right.”

After a heavy silence, Lua stood up, grabbing her bag. “I should head to campus. I have some produce to deliver. I’ll see you girls later.” With that, she left, a quiet sense of unease lingering in the room.

Once Lua was gone, Kelly turned to Ali, her tone shifting. “Have you talked to Evelyn yet?” The mention of Evelyn brought a sharp tension to the conversation—Kelly still hadn’t told Ali about her suspicions, about how she recognized Evelyn from her father’s company.

Ali sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Yeah, we talked. We’re meeting tonight. I think everything’s okay between us, but we’ll see.” She was hungover and her mind was clearly still focused on Gael’s arrest, distracted by the chaos it had brought into their lives.

“Well, I’ve gotta run too,” Kelly said, standing and collecting her things. “I’m having lunch with my dad, and we’ve got some serious things to discuss.” She gave Ali a meaningful look before leaving, her determination to confront her father about Evelyn burning in her chest.

Ali stood in the kitchen, her head pounding, alone except for Colombia and Sabrina who were both sleeping on the floor. Gael? Our Gael? She said to herself out loud. Absolutely not.

---

Across town, in his apartment, Peter sat slumped on the couch, the weight of Detective Ferguson’s phone call pressing down on him. Gael’s arrest, the confession, the details of the case—it all felt like too much. He threw his phone onto the coffee table and buried his face in his hands, trying to breathe through the storm of emotions.

Abigail emerged from the bedroom, her hair tousled, still wearing the robe she’d pulled on that morning. She crossed the kitchen, poured herself a cup of coffee, and carried one over to Peter as she joined him in the living room.

“I know you’ve got a lot on your plate right now,” she started, her voice laced with frustration, “but we need to talk about us. About you and Lua. I can’t just sit here and pretend everything’s fine when clearly it isn’t.”

Peter clenched his jaw, exasperated. “Are you serious right now?” he snapped, barely glancing her way. “Do you really think now’s the time to discuss this? My life is falling apart, Abigail.”

She recoiled at the harshness in his voice, but quickly recovered, her irritation building. “When, then? They arrested your dad’s killer! That should be good news, right? But all I’ve seen from you is distance! And what about us? What’s going on with our relationship?” Her frustration bubbled over, her voice rising in anger. “I saw you run after Lua at the picnic, Peter. Don’t even try to deny it. I know there’s something going on between you two.”

Peter stood, pacing toward the window. He felt an unexpected calm wash over him, as if her accusations had flipped a switch inside him. He turned to face her, his expression unreadable. “Abigail, I think this just proves that our relationship… it’s not working. It hasn’t been for a long time. Let’s just call it what it is and end things now before we hate each other.”

Abigail’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you seriously ending things with me for that witch? Peter, please don’t do this. Don’t throw away five years for some homeless woman squatting on your property!”

But Peter’s mind was already made up. They argued for hours, but by the time the sun began to set, their relationship was over. Abigail left the apartment, slamming the door behind her, leaving Peter standing by the window, staring into the distance.

---

Uncharacteristically, that Saturday evening promised no fun or partying for Brett. Still at work in the main office of the Lake Laura Daily, he couldn’t think about anything other than Gael’s arrest. He felt upset, sad, and frustrated, in complete denial that his best friend had confessed to a senseless murder. It just didn’t make sense.

He paced the newsroom, poring over every file and note the journalists had gathered on the case. No matter how much he read, he couldn’t accept Gael’s guilt. There had to be something they were missing.

As Brett rifled through the cluttered desks, he spotted an open pack of cigarettes. He’d been trying to quit smoking, but recently, life had spiraled into so much chaos that he wasn’t sure if he could manage it. His best friend had been arrested for murder. His relationship with Lua had crumbled after learning what she’d said behind his back. Then there was that awkward interaction with Alinda’s girlfriend at New Year’s, which had strained his bond with his cousin. And finally, there was Kelly.

Damn, Kelly.

Brett was hopelessly in love with her, no matter how hard he tried to fight it. And he knew she didn’t feel the same way, leaving him no choice but to distance himself. Yet, he missed her every minute of every day, no matter where he went. Yeah, I need a smoke, he thought.

He grabbed a cigarette from the pack on his boss’s desk and searched for a lighter. Opening the drawer where his boss always kept one, he rummaged through it but came up empty. As he dug deeper, his fingers brushed against something taped to the back of the drawer. Pulling it free, he found an old key attached to a keychain engraved with the letters “EG.”

Intrigued and grateful for a distraction from overthinking Gael’s case, Brett opened a history book about the newspaper. To his surprise, he discovered that Eleanor Gallanti, the late dean’s wife, had once managed the paper and played a vital role in building its reputation. Wow, I never knew she worked here, let alone ran the place, he thought. Could the key have belonged to her? He slipped it into his pocket, his mind buzzing with possibilities.

---

Meanwhile, at a bar in College Town, Abigail sat across from Hunter, nursing a glass of wine, her emotions in turmoil.

“Peter dumped me,” she said, her voice trembling with rage. “He’s leaving me for Lua. I know it.”

Hunter sighed, trying to comfort her. “I’m sorry, Abby. But you’ll be okay. I’m sure you guys will figure things out.”

Abigail shook her head, her frustration boiling over. “No, you don’t understand. That witch is taking everything from me. And people don’t even know what I know about her. If they did…”

Hunter leaned in, intrigued. “What do you mean? If you want, I can help you get the word out. If she’s as bad as you say, maybe we need to expose her.”