Chapter 99: I Took My Girlfriend Camping But Watched Others Having S*x Outdoors
As night deepened, a warm bonfire blazed at the campsite by Oak Creek.
The flames danced, casting a warm orange glow over everything.
John stood proudly by the grill, where several bass, freshly caught from the creek, sizzled and crackled.
The rich aroma of spices and the smoky scent of grilled fish mingled, making everyone's mouths water.
"Watch closely! This is the Connor family's secret grilled fish recipe, with a unique sauce you won't find anywhere else!" he boasted, brushing sauce onto the fish. "You'll see what a delicacy it is once you taste it!"
Sarah smiled and shook her head, taking plates and cutlery from the picnic basket and distributing them.
She was used to her husband's childish boasting.
Carrie sat quietly beside Sarah, helping to hand out utensils, trying hard not to seem like an outsider.
Surrounded by the bonfire and the aroma of food, she felt her tense nerves relax considerably.
On the other side, the three little girls each had their own activities.
Lily held a long stick, carefully toasting marshmallows over the fire, her small face full of concentration.
Emma, on the other hand, held a Swiss Army knife, expressionlessly whittling a piece of wood she'd found, seemingly intending to sharpen it into a formidable wooden stake.
As for Esther, she simply sat quietly on a folding chair a little further from the bonfire, hugging her knees, her gaze fixed on the flickering flames, lost in thought.
Soon, John's first batch of grilled fish was ready.
He presented the largest piece of fish to Sarah's plate like a treasure, then gave a portion to each kid.
"Come on, Carrie, try your uncle's cooking!" John enthusiastically served Carrie a large piece too.
"Thank you... Thank you, Mr. Connor," Carrie said, flattered, as she took the plate.
The fish was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the spices perfectly infused, truly delicious.
The family gathered around the bonfire, eating grilled food, the atmosphere warm and pleasant.
After they'd eaten their fill, John cleared his throat, deciding it was time for the classic camping activity.
He deliberately lowered his voice, a mysterious expression on his face: "Now that we're full, how about I tell you a ghost story to liven things up?"
He looked around and saw that, apart from Lily, who feigned a little excitement, everyone else's reaction was pretty muted.
But this didn't deter his enthusiasm.
"Ahem, this is an ancient legend about Oak Creek," John began his performance. "Legend has it that many years ago, a lumberjack lived in this forest.
He was bad-tempered and always abused his family.
Finally, one day, his wife and kid couldn't take it anymore, and while he was drunk, they tied him up with rope and drowned him in the deepest part of this creek..."
He paused, trying to create some suspense.
"However, his rage was too strong, and his soul couldn't rest.
His body mutated at the bottom of the water, transforming into a powerful water monster covered in boils.
Every full moon, he'd crawl out of the creek, searching for those camping in the forest, dragging them into the water, and turning them into monsters just like him..."
John narrated vividly, occasionally making strange "whooo" sounds.
However, after the story was finished, the expected screams and fear never came.
Sarah simply picked up her water bottle, took a sip, and said with a smile, "Nice story, just a bit cliché."
Lily yawned and continued to toast her second marshmallow.
Emma and Esther didn't even bother reacting, as if they'd just heard a weather report instead of a ghost story.
Even the usually timid Carrie only moved slightly closer to Sarah and didn't show much fear.
After all, compared to the things she'd personally experienced, such stories were child's play.
"...Tough crowd," John said, seeing everyone's blank faces, feeling utterly deflated, as if all his efforts had been wasted.
He stood up, disgruntled. "You guys are no fun this time.
Forget it, I'll go check my fishing rod; maybe another fish has bitten."
With that, he took his flashlight and walked toward the creek with feigned swagger, his retreating figure radiating a desolate "you just don't appreciate me" vibe.
Sarah watched her husband's back and shook her head, amused.
She turned to Edward and said, "Edward, why don't you take Carrie for a walk?
The night sky is beautiful; don't just stay cooped up here."
Her tone was natural, but the hint in her eyes was obvious.
"Okay," Edward stood up.
"Carrie, go on, take a walk with Edward," Sarah said gently to Carrie.
"Uh... okay, Mrs. Connor," Carrie's cheeks flushed slightly, and she stood up.
Edward and Carrie walked side by side on the path by the creek, moving beyond the light of the bonfire, and the surroundings gradually darkened.
Above them was a brilliant starry sky, the air carried the scent of earth and fresh grass, and only the gentle sound of flowing water and occasional cricket chirps could be heard.
They walked in silence, the atmosphere subtly peaceful.
"Um..." Carrie broke the silence first, her voice very soft. "Thank you for inviting me."
"My mom invited you," Edward said casually, but his tone wasn't cold. "But I'm glad you came."
"Mm," Carrie replied, a sweet feeling in her heart.
Just then, they rounded a dense clump of bushes, and the sight before them made both of them stop simultaneously.
About fifty yards diagonally across the creek from them, there was a clearing by the water with a tent pitched on it.
At that moment, a sleeping bag was laid out outside the tent, and inside the sleeping bag, two figures were engaged in some primitive and intense "physical activity."
Muffled moans and the sound of fabric rustling were exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
"Ah!" Carrie spun around abruptly as if she'd been burned, turning her back to that direction, her face instantly turning crimson, heat practically radiating from the top of her head.
She'd never witnessed such a scene in her life, and for a moment, she was completely flustered, her heart pounding wildly.
Edward, on the other hand, showed no reaction, merely raising an eyebrow, thinking these two really knew how to pick a spot.
He was about to lead the embarrassed Carrie away when the "activity" across the creek suddenly stopped.
Then, a woman's voice cursed: "Jerry! You're such a selfish asshole! Are you just gonna fall asleep after you're done?"
Immediately after, a woman crawled out of the sleeping bag, hastily putting on her clothes, cursing as she dressed: "I must've been crazy to come to this godforsaken place with a selfish prick like you! You can stay here and feed the mosquitoes yourself!"
Having said that, she grabbed her backpack without looking back and stomped angrily toward the depths of the forest, seemingly intending to return to the digital detox camp.
The man in the sleeping bag—Jerry—just lazily rolled over, mumbled something, and then zipped up the sleeping bag, apparently intending to just pass out.
Edward was feeling bored and about to take Carrie back when his keen senses picked up something unusual.
A cold, viscous malice, carrying primal hunger, was slowly seeping out from the woods on the opposite bank, aimed directly at the man sleeping soundly in the sleeping bag.
Edward's gaze instantly sharpened.
He pulled the still blushing Carrie, making her hide behind him in the bushes, then focused his attention.
A tall, bloated figure emerged from the shadows behind Jerry.
It was estimated to be over eight feet tall, its body like over-fermented dough, its skin a dirty grayish-white, covered in boils of various sizes that looked ready to burst at any moment.
It had no neck, a disproportionately small head directly attached to its shoulders, and no nose or eyes on its face, only a huge mouth stretched to its ears, filled with sharp, jagged teeth.
The monster walked slowly and steadily, step by step, toward the oblivious sleeping bag.
This thing... could it be the "Creek Monster" from Dad's story? The thought flashed through Edward's mind.
He glanced at Carrie beside him.
The girl had also seen the monster; the shyness and embarrassment on her face had vanished, replaced by an expression mixed with tension and determination.
Her body trembled slightly, but not from fear—from the surging power within her.
Edward's lips curved into a slight smile, and he quietly asked in a voice only they could hear, "Want to try?"
Carrie didn't speak, but just nodded firmly in response.
She took a deep breath, slowly extended her right hand, fingers spread, and aimed it at the massive creature across the creek.
"VWOOM—"
An invisible immense force descended instantly!
The monster, about to pounce on the sleeping bag, stiffened abruptly, as if it had hit an invisible wall, unable to advance another inch.
It let out an angry growl, its muscles and boils pulsating violently, trying to break free from the restraint, but it was all useless.
The commotion finally woke Jerry in the sleeping bag.
He groggily sat up, rubbing his eyes and cursing, "Who the hell... in the middle of the night..."
Before he finished speaking, he saw the terrifying monster, frozen in mid-air, right in front of him.
That eyeless face, and that huge mouth full of fangs, were aimed directly at him.
"AAAHHH—!!!"
A piercing scream ripped through the night.
Jerry's drunkenness and sleepiness were instantly scared away; he scrambled to get out of the sleeping bag to escape, but in his panic, his feet got tangled in the sleeping bag, and he lunged forward, his head hitting a rock with a loud "CRACK."
He didn't even groan before his eyes rolled back, and he passed out cold.
Edward rubbed his forehead in exasperation.
This guy... truly redefined the lower limit of "useless."
He no longer paid attention to the unconscious man, his gaze returning to Carrie.
Fine beads of sweat dotted the girl's forehead; maintaining such strong telekinesis was clearly taxing for her.
"Carrie, focus," Edward's voice was calm and steady, carrying a soothing power. "Compress it."
Carrie heard his instruction, and her eyes narrowed.
Her outstretched right hand suddenly clenched into a fist!
Across the creek, the invisible force binding the monster instantly collapsed inward!
With a wet, sickening CRUNCH, the giant boil-covered monster was like a balloon from which all air had been instantly sucked, its entire body rapidly compressing, twisting, and folding inward.
The sounds of bones shattering and flesh tearing mingled together, and finally, it was forcibly squeezed into a mass of unrecognizable pulp less than two feet in diameter, falling heavily to the ground, splashing foul-smelling liquid.
Silence returned to the surroundings.
Carrie gasped for breath, lowered her hand, and swayed slightly, feeling drained.
Edward promptly supported her shoulder, and warm holy light flowed from his palm into Carrie's body, quickly alleviating her exhaustion.
"Well done," Edward praised sincerely. "Your control and burst power are way stronger than before."
Receiving praise from the person she admired made Carrie happier than any reward.
She smiled shyly, her earlier exhaustion and tension completely gone.
"Let's head back," Edward patted her shoulder. "If we don't get back soon, my mom will think we fell in the creek."
Carrie nodded vigorously and followed Edward toward the bonfire's glow.
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