Chapter 30: Halloween Horror Story · The Ritual · Scream
Everyone was hyped up on Halloween Eve.
Inside the bar,
the dazzling lights and flowing alcohol were intoxicating. If one had to describe the scene, 'a wild party' would be the most fitting term.
Everyone was dressed as monsters, so that term was quite appropriate.
Danny looked at the array of Halloween costumes and thought that even if Art the Clown appeared, no one would find it out of place.
The alpha crawler would be harder to hide, as its size was too large.
After dancing for a while,
perhaps finding it boring with women constantly pressing against him, Danny simply booked a VIP booth on the second level.
Compared to clubbing, he preferred enjoying good food and fruit platters.
Strawberries, melons, grapes, pineapple... these were his favorites, and while he found alcohol acceptable, he preferred non-alcoholic drinks.
Jennifer followed him. What was the point of staying alone after Danny left?
Heather was probably the most disappointed, as the party ended just as she'd mustered her courage.
The clubbing continued until close to midnight.
A host took the stage. His appearance was unremarkable, giving the impression of being utterly ordinary yet somehow familiar.
The man introduced himself as Mookins and then began to tell a story.
A horror story fitting the Halloween Eve theme.
Danny, who had initially found it boring, became slightly more attentive and prepared to listen when he heard a story was about to be told.
Jennifer, who had initially been restless, was satisfied only after Danny firmly patted her and pulled her into his embrace.
At this moment, the host had captured everyone's attention.
Mookins held the microphone, his voice flowing smoothly, creating an immersive experience.
"The story we're going to tell tonight takes place in a remote area in northern Sweden, where legend has it that an ancient cult has worshipped a monstrous deity for generations."
"Some say this entity is a demon from another realm, that it has extreme bloodlust and feeds on human flesh, and then it skins its prey and displays them in the forest. Others say this creature also has another identity in legends—the Nordic god..."
This story was very engaging.
Even Jennifer and Heather, who had initially been uninterested, were captivated.
Danny, however, felt something was off as he listened, increasingly thinking, "Isn't this just The Ritual?"
This thing seemed to be linked to ancient pagan gods.
As for the so-called son of a Nordic god, it was questionable. North America indeed had mythical legends, but no divine miracles had ever actually appeared.
Were there not enough monsters disguised as divine beings?
More often, it was a lie fabricated by corrupt cultists who feared the monsters and wanted to avoid accountability.
Danny never believed in those so-called myths. If there truly were gods, the Vatican would not be in its current state—they would be the first to react.
Compared to myths, there were more cultists who worshipped dark entities.
In a sense, these terrifying existences hidden in the darkness truly would accept your offerings.
It's just that the pay and rewards were unequal.
The story continued.
The people in the bar quieted down as they listened.
It wasn't until the end that everyone snapped out of it, and questions about the story's authenticity were constantly raised.
Mookins responded by saying:
"This story is adapted from real events. Whether you believe it or not is for you to decide."
Afterward, Mookins continued telling stories.
But none were as gripping as the first one.
The people in the bar excitedly discussed it, with some even wanting to form a group to witness the deity in the story.
Jennifer might not have believed it before, but ever since she'd witnessed those things, she felt that such entities might truly exist.
"Babe, do gods really exist?"
Danny smiled, "Fake. If there were really gods, there wouldn't be the profession of demonologist. Even if there were, they'd be dark entities, disguises of demons."
Heather overheard their conversation and found it strange.
She also didn't believe in the existence of gods, but what she didn't understand was that if gods didn't exist, then how could evil spirits and demons exist?
And church exorcists—aren't they priests?
Or is it because of religious belief?
Brad believed he'd seen the Midnight Man, and it was precisely because of this that he wanted to stay close to Danny.
He didn't want to suddenly die while walking one day, not even knowing how it happened.
Jessie had a different feeling.
She now felt that not only Salem was unsafe, but even the outside world was terrifying, and she even had thoughts of working for a church.
When the storytelling ended,
when Danny and the others went downstairs, the bar was still discussing The Ritual story.
It seemed a few people genuinely wanted to buy tickets to Sweden to see that entity.
Danny somewhat suspected this Mookins might be a follower of the cult, specifically telling stories to lure people to their deaths.
However, Danny currently had too few containment items to intervene. Otherwise, he would've bought a ticket and joined this group to Sweden to see what the entity truly was.
As night approached eleven o'clock,
the Salem Police announced:
There had been a murder nearby, and town residents were advised to avoid going out alone unless necessary. It was best to stay at home.
The suspect's features were described as wearing black clothing and a Ghostface mask, having blended into the Halloween crowd.
The police announcement added a touch of real horror to the approaching holiday.
Especially young people—they were the most prone to reckless behavior.
Some, upon hearing the police announcement, were not scared but instead put on similar outfits and masks.
Danny and the others happened to hear this announcement when they came out.
Black clothes + Ghostface mask = Scream.
Scream, the classic American slasher series.
It was definitely Ghostface, just didn't know if it was the original or a copycat.
The Ghostface Killer was infamous across America and had even been featured on horror forums.
Many people liked to copycat the Ghostface Killer, but these imitators were often killed by the real Ghostface in the end.
Looking at the young people on the street dressed similarly,
Danny just wanted to say there were still too many people, so many courting death and there were still more.
Jennifer wasn't concerned about this killer. Her boyfriend was capable of handling even demons, so compared to that, a murderer didn't scare her at all.
"Babe, where are we going next?"
Brad, Heather, and the others also waited for Danny to make a decision.
"How about we grab food and then go home to watch a paranormal show?" Danny didn't have any special plans. After Halloween, he was preparing to go to California.
Jennifer hugged Danny's arm, "Whatever you want."
After dinner, they parted ways.
Danny and Jennifer returned home to wait for the paranormal show to air. This program was a broadcast of the famous paranormal investigation series.
Before the show aired,
Danny suddenly stood up. Jennifer asked him what was wrong?
"Nothing, I'm just going to the balcony for some air. I'll be down in a bit."
Danny casually found an excuse and went to the third-floor balcony to look down. Several people dressed in black clothes and wearing Ghostface masks were sneaking over the wall into his property.
They didn't look like the actual Ghostface Killer, but rather like opportunistic criminals.
Given Jennifer's attractiveness, it was normal for someone to have ill intentions, especially since there were only two people home today, and it was Halloween Eve, with Ghostface operating in town—some people wanted to take advantage.
Art the Clown might cause a bit of a commotion if it encountered them.
Danny thought about it and decided to send out the alpha crawler. It would just eliminate them, saving the trouble of cleanup.
A massive creature silently materialized on the third floor.
Meanwhile, on the adjacent second floor,
little Emma was secretly peeking through her window, observing the criminals who'd snuck into the property. Just as she was wondering how her neighbor's fate would unfold,
she witnessed a scene she would never forget.
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