Chapter 45: After the Lights Turn Off: Evil Spirits Haunt the Shadows
… …
Time for intimacy.
Jennifer sat on Danny's lap, crossing her hands to lift her top, revealing her black bra and a large expanse of fair, delicate skin. Her hands then went behind her back to unhook it, her eyes seductively looking at Danny, making her intentions clear.
Normally, he would call her 'baby, baby'.
Danny initially resisted, but it was truly difficult to refuse, so he could only go along with Jennifer's wishes.
Jennifer gently stroked Danny's head with one hand, looking down at him. She felt he was like a newborn puppy, shaking his head, and a hint of maternal affection involuntarily appeared in her eyes.
"Baby, slow down, it's all yours. No one's fighting you for it."
Danny's mind told him he shouldn't do this, but his body was more honest.
Upstairs, Emma cursed under her breath, calling them shameless, but her gaze never left the two of them.
Watching Jennifer's flushed face and expression of enjoyment, she couldn't help but wonder if it really felt that good.
Or was this woman just faking it to annoy her?
The two of them didn't get too carried away; after all, there was still a minor upstairs.
… …
The next day.
The sky was overcast with dark clouds. There had been a light rain last night, leaving the roads wet.
Danny's destination was across state lines, not too far, so his mode of transport was a car.
The location was a remote small town.
Danny chose not to drive himself or rent a car, but instead opted to use a rideshare.
The pre-arranged route was too rigid.
Ridesharing might offer surprises—or encounters.
At the entrance of his town.
Danny waited for a gray SUV. By holding up a sign, the car stopped in front of him.
A man and a woman, both very young, got out of the car. They looked like a couple.
The man extended his hand and said amiably,
"Hi, I'm James. Are you Danny?"
"That's me." Danny didn't waste time with pleasantries; he immediately took out cash and paid on the spot.
Seeing the money, James's smile became brighter, and he also introduced the woman.
"This is Kristen, my wife."
It seemed Danny had guessed wrong; they were a married couple, not just dating.
Kristen smiled and greeted Danny, a simple introduction.
There was no need for further interaction; it was just a rideshare.
Danny wasn't familiar with them; he thought they were just an ordinary couple going on a trip.
The couple drove in the front, while Danny sat in the back admiring the scenery.
The destination wasn't anything special.
The scenery along the highway was still beautiful. By noon, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, and the sun began to peek through.
James even put on some music to liven things up.
It was a country rock song.
Danny didn't care for it; he just put on his earphones and looked out the car window.
They sped along the road.
James suddenly had an idea and turned onto a rural road, planning to go to a remote area and rent a small vacation house as a getaway spot.
One of those isolated wooden houses with no neighbors for miles around.
The main idea was to get away from it all and enjoy nature.
Danny, who had taken off his earphones, heard their conversation and suddenly had an ominous premonition.
However, this wasn't his business this time. After he got off, he would have to transfer to another car and pass through a city before reaching his destination.
As for whether to follow this couple and save them or anything, he decided against it.
Danny was a relatively practical person.
Besides, he wasn't familiar with them. James and Kristen were on their romantic getaway, and what would it be if Danny, a stranger, suddenly got involved?
Of course, it was also possible he was overthinking it.
Maybe this was just a simple trip for the couple?
How could they just casually encounter anything supernatural?
The last stop.
After Danny got out of the car, he gave the couple a piece of advice: if something happens, run immediately without hesitation, and if they hear a knock at the door late at night, don't answer it, pretend they didn't hear anything, and so on.
A small, kind warning, the most Danny could do.
He stayed one night in the city.
Danny contacted the second driver early in the morning, and this time, nothing unexpected happened on the way.
At ten in the morning.
Danny got out of the car in this remote small town. The first thing he did was find a motel and then contact Rebecca.
During the waiting time.
He recalled a message from someone: Jennifer's good friend, Heather.
This woman had been contacting him ever since Halloween.
She often talked about wanting to travel to the Southwest, and how an annoying guy was pursuing her, and so on.
When Danny was bored, he would occasionally reply to pass the time.
He only turned off his phone and went to open the door after hearing a knock.
Outside the door.
Rebecca was somewhat anxious. She was full of hope about this demonologist.
She hoped that he could subdue Diana, allowing her brother and mother to be free from the entity's harassment sooner, but at the same time, she was afraid he might be a fraud.
Soon, the door opened.
Seeing that face and casual clothing, Rebecca was disappointed.
This didn't look like a demonologist at all; he looked more like a passing college student.
Rebecca asked hopefully,
"Hi, are you Danny?"
She hoped she had mistaken him for someone else, but Danny gave an affirmative answer.
So Rebecca confirmed again and again whether Danny could really perform exorcisms.
Danny could tell that Rebecca's nerves were highly strung; it seemed she had suffered a lot.
Getting a little impatient from being questioned, he demonstrated a small ability.
For example, the Wendigo's minor ability.
Making very light objects float, such as playing cards.
Watching the floating cards, Rebecca seemed to convince herself.
"I'm sorry, sir, I shouldn't have doubted you. I'm just too scared. Please, do you really not need any payment?"
Danny said, "I've already told you the price: it's that entity."
Rebecca kept thanking Danny profusely.
Danny quickly stopped her and asked her to describe the appearance of the entity.
"Do you still remember what she looks like?"
Rebecca thought carefully upon hearing this.
"Diana... she seems to always be in the dark. I've never seen her appear in the light. Her fingers are very long, skeletal. Once, I found a dark silhouette on the door frame, right above my mother's head. I was…"
Halfway through her recollection, Rebecca's expression suddenly turned terrified.
"No, no… I can't think about her. She'll know. She always knows."
Seeing her in such a state of near panic, Danny could only comfort her first.
"Didn't you say she only appears in the dark? It's daytime now, you're safe."
Rebecca repeated Danny's words, "It's safe, it's safe…" as if that could give her a sense of security.
Danny had reason to suspect Rebecca was on the verge of a breakdown; her mental state was fragile.
Fortunately, Rebecca slowly returned to normal after she stopped recalling Diana.
Danny suggested that Rebecca take him to her house to take a look.
"I have to wait a bit, until I pick up my brother from school." Rebecca said her mother Sophie's mental state wasn't good now, so she and her boyfriend, Bret, usually picked up and dropped off Martin for school.
Danny nodded upon hearing this. Having a boyfriend was good; he wasn't in a hurry.
Rebecca stayed by the window in the motel, basking in the sunlight.
Only light could give her a sense of security.
Diana only appears in the shadows, in the darkness.
… …
Friendly reminder: James and Kristen are from the horror thriller "The Strangers"
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