NIGHTMARE SUBURBIA
Part 5
I blinked at the list of prompts flooding my vision. I've increased in rank and also replenished my Power (increasing its maximum points by one) when I absorbed whatever energy emanated from Dave's body. I didn't know what crystals and the essence were, but when I looked under the Core tab, the four abilities glowed this forest green hue, telling me I could upgrade one to Rank II. Curiously, it felt like I was no longer starving for a few days, though my stomach still growled for more.
As for dungeons…that took me a moment to wrap my head around.
It's a game, I thought. At least it acts like one.
Then, another intrusive thought forced itself in: I fed on Dave's body. Was that his fucking soul? Did I eat it and gain all these things?
Is this how I'm going to feed myself from now on? By killing people and then siphoning their essence?
Whatever this gem was, it followed specific rules. They are simple rules, by the looks of it. Garnering essence would increase my ranking and let me earn these crystals. Was a hundred a lot or not? I didn't know how low "Z" was, but it's probably not that good if we follow this alphabetically. As for the numbers, did it mean there were more than four thousand others like me? On Earth? Or on other worlds? I shook away the scary repercussions of such a reality. I didn't want to delve too deep into it right now. I have more significant problems.
Turning the Yates Residence into a dungeon showed me anything could be a dungeon, including a bland and trite suburban house in the middle of boring small-town Americana.
I wondered why it used the word 'dungeon' and whether it genuinely meant a dungeon, like in the books, games, and movies where adventurers go down and get killed by elaborate traps and monsters. When I looked at the other tabs, it made more sense.
But the magic didn't exist here. The floating gem—me—contradicted that thought.
Also, there were no adventurers on Earth, no sword-wielding aficionados, egotistical wizards, and fire-breathing dragons, just boring humans plodding on with their lives until they retired. We have gun lovers, soldiers, martial artists, power-hungry politicians, and wall-street billionaires hoarding the gold. Do they count?
The only man who I knew could do magic was Coach Hodge, and even he was incompetent at it. And he did murder me, so I shouldn't go to him for advice about magical floating rocks that can absorb energy when people die—just thinking his name alone filled me with rage.
I looked at the last notification again.
[Would you like to designate The Yates Residence as your dungeon?]
"What would happen if I did?" I wondered out loud, but no one could hear me anyway. "Will it make it permanent? Can I have more than one?" I immediately found my answer when I focused on my rank.
[As a Rank Z Dungeon Core, you can create one dungeon.]
Interesting. Did that mean I could build more than one as I increased my rank? "And what the fuck is a dungeon core?"
The tab just led me to my name, [Mark Castle].
"Okay, that doesn't really tell me what I am. What's my purpose?"
[To grow.]
I paused. "Wait, can I die?"
[A Dungeon Core can be destroyed]
I gulped. I'm starting to get in now. I build these dungeons around me to protect my core, the gem. Why do adventurers go into dungeons in the first place? To get to the center of it all, the treasures. And I am that treasure. There's probably a competent version of Coach Hodge running around out there, looking for the likes of me. If I could harness essence and do this magical crap, imagine what a summoner like Coach Hodge could do with my own essence now that I am a Dungeon Core.
However, The Yates' house is not the safest place to build a dungeon. It's too close to the town. Too close to the people. No, I needed somewhere isolated, a place where people wouldn't stumble upon me by accident all the time. Something like—
The McLaren Forest.
It's the perfect hideout. It's close to the mountains with the town nearby, surrounded by an old-growth forest and hardly any hikers. Plus, it's a state park, so it's well-protected from encroachment. No new housing development would suddenly knock at my front door.
And there's an abandoned mine nearby.
But how would I get there? Green Hill was situated in the middle of town, and I had to pass through many people and a few dozen popular establishments to get there. I reckoned they'd freak out seeing a glowing rock the size of their fist floating down Main Street.
I needed someone to carry me there.
Luckily, I had one that could be under my control. I could create monsters.
A monster that could walk. A monster inconspicuous enough in the daylight, blending into the crowd. But without a designated dungeon, the tab remained inaccessible. I had to build the dungeon first to create the monster.
"Can I make a dungeon temporary?"
I waited, but no prompt showed up.
I decided to reiterate my question. "Let's try that again. Can I dismantle a dungeon that I created?"
[Yes.]
"And what happens to the monster? Do they get destroyed, too?"
[No.]
I sighed in relief. "Well, that's some good news, at least."
[The Core and all of the dungeon's residents must seek another location or be destroyed]
"Is there a time limit?"
[Two days.]
I can work with that. "Designate the Yates Residence as my dungeon."
The air suddenly crackled with eerie energy, and an otherworldly glow bathed the room in a hazy, arcane light. Sigils and glyphs in varied shapes formed around me, etched into the floor, the walls, every nook and cranny, pulsing with a vibrant blue, green, red, and golden color, their lines weaving together in a complex web of power.
I trembled as I opened my mind towards these pulsating sigils, feeling the raw energy coursing through the gem's surface. It wrapped around my body, coiling like serpents, as if testing my strength.
As the energy surged, my senses heightened to an almost supernatural degree. The colors seemed brighter, sounds more apparent, and I could feel the very pulse of the world around me. My body felt lighter as if I could defy gravity itself, and a surge of confidence welled up within, pushing aside any lingering doubts or fears.
I unleashed the torrential energy from the gem's heart. Arcs of crackling red lightning shot forth from me, illuminating the basement for a split second in a dazzling display of raw power. The air itself hummed with anticipation as the glyphs melded into the walls, the floor, and every object in the house.
I could sense people. Humans. They walked around inside the other houses, doing their morning routines, eating breakfast, and getting ready for work and school. With the gem's radius, I could sense at least ninety-three people around me.
[You created your first dungeon!]
[Unique Location: Small-Town Suburbia]
[Rank (Z): #4702 > #3955]
[Power: 10/10]
[You received: 100 crystals]
[You can now upgrade 2 core ability ranks]
[Dungeons are now accessible]
[Monsters are now accessible]
[Traps are now accessible]
I was surprised that just by creating the dungeon, I made a giant leap in ranks, added four more Power slots, and then gained more crystals, now totaling two hundred. I might have triggered a hidden reward. It was my first dungeon, after all. I wondered if there were any more hidden ones.
But first things first.
I opened up the [Core] tab and decided (with my upgrade of two points) that increasing my telekinesis and levitation to rank II would better help me defend myself and gain more movement.
Telekinesis II: Move an object or a creature more than fifteen feet in a three-dimensional space. Duration: 12 seconds.
Levitate II: Move your core no more than fifteen feet off the ground, allowing you to move horizontally or vertically for the duration. Duration: 15 minutes.
The upgrades increased the abilities' distance by five feet and doubled my telekinetic duration by another six seconds. However, levitation only extended that by five minutes. I doubted that would be enough to get me to the woods, especially with my measly Power slots. I would need hundreds. It would do for now.
A ringing phone from beneath the TV stand in the basement pulled me out of my thoughts.
Dave's phone.
I floated under the furniture. It rang twice while the same person texted Dave a few more times. Wisps of red energy crackled around the gem as my rage boiled over.
MAXINE (Don't Answer):
Ey, genius. Answer the phone. Hodge wants me to come over. You said it's important???
MAXINE (Don't Answer):
Dude. Answer the phone.
MAXINE (Don't Answer):
Adam and I will be over around noon. If it's not that important, let me know soon so we can go do something else.
Maxine Fairlie.
She was one of the cultists who killed me. The wine girl, I thought.
Her full name floated in the air once I whispered her name, and I could sense her presence on Green Hill. I can see them! The excitement filled me with a surge of purpose, and I sent my many-eyes toward her residence, just at the edge of the neighborhood and a few blocks away from the Yates.
She dropped her phone on the kitchen counter while working on her juice maker. She wore yoga pants and a sports bra, and clearly, she just finished working out in her personal gym.
"Hey Siri, remind me to call Dave the Asshole in one hour," Maxine said. She then texted Hodge that she was going to Dave's house later. "Adam! What time is your lunch with your parents again?" She shouted.
I flew toward the second floor's master's bathroom where a good-looking older man, closer to Maxine's age, was glued to his phone, sending a dick pic to a woman that was not Maxine. "Uh, just a sec, honey! I'll be down in a minute!"
This man—Adam—must be her husband.
I floated back down to the kitchen, wanting to be petty by using my telekinesis and maybe ruin that fucking juice she was making and let all the sugar cling to her skin. However, nothing happened when I exerted the same force I did for Dave.
[Action nullified. You are outside the limit of the dungeon]
Well, at least I found my limits.
A beautiful home. A perfect job. Her own gym. A handsome husband. It boiled my insides how she benefited from the killing rituals. I remembered how bored she was when Hodge and Dave butchered me.
I looked at the clock, which had just struck nine-thirty in the morning—enough time to make this house cultist-proof before her arrival.
NIGHTMARE SUBURBIA
Part 6
With Maxine and Hodge's little demonic cult fresh in my mind, I got to work. I opened the [Dungeons] tab, and everything unraveled before me.
THE YATES RESIDENCE
Dread Level: 4/10 - brutal finish(+); new dungeon(+); bloodthirsty core (++)
Crystals: 200
Essence: 2 (David Edwin Yates); (Yates Residence Dungeon)
Aura & Environment (0/3)
— empty —
— empty —
— empty —
Monsters (0/2)
Name
Marker
Status
— empty —
— empty —
LOCATIONS
Master Bedroom
Vivian's Bedroom
Xavier's Bedroom
Master Bathroom
Second Bathroom
Kitchen
Living Room
Study Room
Backyard
Shed
Basement (1 kill, brutal finish)
Car Garage
After messing around for an hour, I learned that [Dread] fluctuated based on what I did inside the dungeon. I didn't know how to feel about the system marking me as a bloodthirsty core, but I admit I did go overboard with killing Dave by throwing him around like a ragdoll and crushing his skull with the cabinet.
I also learned that it had a passive influence around the property, which fed on the dungeon's aura and environment. I happened upon it by accident. With my many-eyes always active, I sensed someone outside the house, a woman walking her bulldog by the sidewalk. Her dog peed on the Yates's front lawn, and as I watched them curiously, she suddenly shuddered and snapped her head directly at the house.
I could sense the hairs at the nape of her neck stood up, eyes warily glued to the residence.
The bulldog looked directly at me and growled.
The woman snapped out of her trance and gently pulled on her dog's leash. "Come on, Willow. Let's get back home."
Still, the bulldog—Willow—didn't want to leave. She growled at me and barked at the house as if she could sense me standing five feet away from them.
"Hey, what's wrong with you, girl?" The woman tugged on the bulldog harder.
I floated closer to the dog, but she suddenly whined and backed away, tail tucked, and started running in the other direction. The woman, pulled by the leash, scrambled to follow her. "Hey! Not so fast! Not so fast—!"
She gave another wary glance at the house before walking away.
"Weird," I muttered.
My stomach growled again.
"Oh, fuck you, too," I groaned. I had only absorbed Dave's essence two hours ago, but now it felt like my hunger was worse than the last time. I didn't know if my core was broken or if I would always be hungry like this.
I returned to the [Dungeons] tab and accessed [Aura & Atmosphere]. They were easy to learn. Like what the woman experienced—the heebie-jeebies, I called it—I could actively influence anyone who entered my dungeon with unique "lair" actions.
And the list was long. It took me an hour just to read a tenth of it. I couldn't access most because I wasn't powerful enough or higher in rank, but I chose three auras I liked the most from those I could pick, costing fifteen crystals each to purchase.
Phantasmal Cold
The dungeon is unusually twenty degrees colder than the outside's temperature, shedding a delver's resolve over time. Duration: 1 hour.
Strange Noises
Produce an audible noise from within the chamber—a cry from a baby, a howl of a wolf, a whisper, or a scream. Take your pick and lower a delver's Resolve. Duration: 1 minute.
Luring Trance
Play with a delver's emotions and lure them into a trap! (Dread requirement: 4)
Each aura had a cooldown of about ten minutes after the effect ended. If I wanted to lessen the cooldown, I had to increase my rank title from Z to something else I had yet to encounter. I also learned that the people who entered dungeons were called delvers and that their common trait was Resolve. Each delver had varying numbers of Resolve, just as I had with Power, but I had to lower it to make them more susceptible to my attacks, traps, and the monsters' unique effects. The lower it was, the higher chances they would die.
However, the only way to lower it was to basically torture them with all my contraptions.
I frowned. A part of me still clung to a semblance of my former life, I feared that I would be like this permanently, and the only way I could survive was to feed on essence. I tried to feed on a small robin that perched on the chimney with my telekinesis, crushing it with my mind, but no glowing wisps like Dave's emanated from its corpse for me to siphon.
It had to come from a person—a sapient being.
I had to survive like a fucking vampire.
Despite that, I would gladly feed on Hodge and his cultists over and over if possible. They deserved that much after what they did to me. As the hour ticked by, I noticed that I was getting excited for Maxine to arrive.
With only an hour left, I opened the [Monsters] tab.
MONSTER ARCHETYPE
Abomination
Angelic
Beast
Colossal
Construct
Demonic
Elemental
Fae
Humanoid
Insect
Monstrosity
Plant
Slime
Swarm
Undead
Unlike auras, I had to use essence instead of crystals to purchase a monster's archetype.
At first, I thought I would be buying a single goblin or a ghost from another long list, but it was much simpler than that. I could purchase an archetype using essence and mold that monster by trading in crystals based on a list of traits (for there were thousands) appropriate to the template.
When I looked at the [Beast] template, one of the traits included [Savage Maul], which meant a beast monster could maul a delver to death—for a [Construct], death machines, robots, and animated objects, included [Plain Sight], which allowed them to blend into their surroundings more as inanimate objects. However, I was locked out from the more powerful monster traits because I was at a much lower rank, didn't have enough crystals, or didn't own the prerequisite traits. As Rank Z, my monsters could only have three traits active at the same time. They gained more traits as I increased in titled ranks.
I had two essences I could spare to create my monsters, one coming from Dave's body, and the other was a reward for building my first dungeon.
Using Dave's essence, I chose the [Demonic] archetype, planning to let loose a murderous demon on the fucking demonic cult. What poetic justice.
Let them get a taste of their own medicine, I thought eagerly.
Browsing through the listed available traits, I purchased my demon's first three for fifty crystals each, leaving me with only five left to spare.
I added a temporary name for now.
POSSESSING DEMON
Dread Score: 8/10
Creature Type: Demonic
Cooldown: 1 week
Special Traits
Possession*
The monster possesses a delver's mind and body, using all the host's functions and abilities, while the host remains imprisoned inside you. The monster has total concealment. (Resolve Requirement: 2)
Mocking Torment
The monster can induce hallucinations, read minds, copy voices, and produce demonic speech to torment a delver's psyche by gleaning their memories and fears, shedding their resolve.
Incorporeal Body*
The monster has no physical body but can still be harmed by physical attacks. They can pass through solid objects like walls, interact with creatures and objects, moves silently, and has an innate sense of direction to the next living creature.
What's interesting was their dread score, which represented how formidable the monster was for a dungeon. Once the traits I had selected were put together, the system placed them at a higher score, which worried me for a moment. As for [Cooldown], once I summoned a monster and it died, I couldn't summon it again until after one week had passed. Again, increasing my titled rank should lower that time.
I hovered over the asterisk, which I noticed from the traits, revealing more information about the effects on the demon and its victims.
Possession
Paired with the [Demonic] archetype, Possession traits will inflict physical and mental trauma on the hosts over time. The longer the monster inhabits the host's body, or the more damage the demonic creature inflicts upon the host, will corrupt the soul and automatically drag them to Hell once the monster breaks the concentration on the possession.
Incorporeal Body
Paired with the [Demonic] or [Undead] archetypes like ghosts, spirits, and malevolent devils, the monster with the incorporeal body trait can still interact with the mortal realm and yield considerable strength and limited telekinetic force to inflict physical attacks upon a delver.
I didn't have enough crystals to create a second monster, so I saved my last essence for the future. I think the demon would be enough, I thought.
With five crystals left, I purchased a rug trap for the exact amount, turning the Yates' foyer rug into a temporary animated object. With these contraptions, I could set specific triggers like when a delver was five feet nearby or when the moment they touched the object. However, I put the rug's trigger to animate when a delver tried escaping the house. They're there to prevent anyone from opening the front door and running away to their car.
With my dungeon fully realized, I hung back and ensured everything was in place. All my Powers were back to normal (I realized they replenished by one per hour), but since I created a dungeon, it instantly upgraded my Powers to ten maximum. I made a note to reserve my Power once Maxine was here. After all, I already had a monster to do most of my work.
"Okay. Let's bring you up."
I summoned the demon.
I thought there would be something fancier, like an incantation I had to do, but once I thought of my demon monster, it materialized in front of me as a billowing cloud of smoke with an acrid smell of rotten eggs and burning wood. I was nervous. I didn't know how they would react to a dungeon core or if I had to fight them to control them, but the cloud remained where it was, coldly staring back at me.
"Um, hi," I said.
The Possessing Demon did not reply.
"Okay. I see that you're not very talkative." I wished that was in the description.
The demon's cloud released a lick of flame—an idea formed.
"Er, do that again, but only for yes answers. Do you understand?"
The cloud released another flame.
Oh, good. At least it wasn't dumb. "You can't speak, but you can understand me."
Another flame.
"All demons are not capable of speaking?"
No flame.
"I gave you Mocking Torment. Can you speak through that?"
No flame.
"Alright. I'm guessing that's only for…" I looked over at Dave's body.
The demon produced a little lick of flame.
"Do you want me to make a mouth for you?"
A flame.
I nodded. "Okay. And I'm guessing that's a trait?"
Another flame lick.
I glanced over the traits list and found [Speech] there, and it cost fifty crystals. Excellent, I thought sarcastically. This would get expensive real quick if I wanted my monsters to talk back to me.
"At least you can understand me. Well, um, demon, we've got a lot of work to do. Someone's coming to this house soon, and I want you to bring them Hell. Torment them. Torture them with your mind tricks. Possess them. I've given you the traits you need."
Another lick of a flame.
I smiled. "Once I give the word, we will begin—"
A car door slamming close interrupted me. It came from the front of the house, and I flew over there and saw a woman take out her luggage from the trunk of a car. Another man helped her.
"Oh, you don't need to do that," the woman said to the driver, who grabbed the luggage for her. "It's not that heavy."
I froze when I recognized her from the family portraits displayed in the Yates' living room—Ashley, Dave's wife. I completely forgot that she was supposed to come home from the airport and take an Uber!
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit.
Ashley waved goodbye to the driver. "Thank you!" She said before walking toward the front door and entering the dungeon. Once she stepped on the threshold, a green aura glowed around her body.
NIGHTMARE SUBURBIA
Part 7
ASHLEY
Ashley Yates trudged into the dimly lit foyer and wheeled her suitcase behind her like a reluctant companion. Exhaustion pressed down upon her, etching deep lines onto her face. With every step, the floorboards creaked.
"Hello?" Ashley called out, the sound swallowed by the oppressive silence that greeted her. Her voice bounced off the cold walls. "Dave, are you home, sweetie?"
No one answered.
"Viv? Xavier?"
Well, at least they're in school, Ashley thought. Xavier tended to skip school whenever she wasn't home, but that changed a few weeks ago. Ashley reckoned it had something to do with a girl, and though Viv kept her lips sealed, she proved her suspicions were correct when she saw him walk around the house glued to his phone, constantly texting someone named Carly. A new girlfriend? A crush? Viv hadn't mentioned a girl by that name before, and if she was from the right family.
She entered the house, put her luggage to the side of the door, and took off her shoes. She opened the closet door and grabbed her slippers. With Dave probably at work, she had the house to herself. At least her boss gave her a day off after attending the conference in Miami. With jet lag wrapping a band around her head, she welcomed a nap.
She shivered all of a sudden. "Why is it so freaking cold in here?" She remembered looking at the weather app on her phone while waiting for her flight back to Florida. It was supposed to be sunny throughout the week at a steady seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit across the Willamette Valley. A little dash of a waning summer before the cold would set in. However, her house felt much colder than outside.
She checked the thermostat—sixty-five degrees—the same temperature she had left it at before leaving for the airport. No, it was much colder than that. She increased the temperature by ten degrees, hoping that should alleviate the chill.
She grabbed her luggage and walked up the stairs, checking Viv's and Xavier's rooms in case they were in the house. When she found the rooms empty, she smiled. She went into the master's bedroom and started stripping.
"Alexa, play my Spotify playlist," she called out from across the room. ABBA's I Have a Dreamblared from the speakers. It reminded Ashley of her and Dave's twelfth anniversary, cruising on a ship around the Southern California coast, and this came on, sang by this gorgeous woman with a beautiful voice. They danced in the ballroom for what felt like hours. It was probably the most romantic date Dave had ever set up for her, and Dave was rarely the romantic type.
A good change, especially after what we've been through these past couple of years. A few months ago, she almost lost her job and the house and was considering moving three states to a much cheaper city. But then that turned around when Dave won a raffle from a radio contest and got a massive bonus from work, and Ashley got promoted from her job with over thirty grand more than she expected. Even Dave was due for a promotion in a few days.
With their crisis behind them, Ashley began focusing on her kids and health, proudly losing twenty-four pounds in three months since she bought some gym equipment with Maxine's help and started dieting. Dave had noticed the changes as well, and for almost seventeen years of their marriage, they had never had such intense sex for a long time, multiple times a week. Ashley felt like she was back in her twenties.
Even the kids' tempers had lessened over the past few months, gaining good grades, and Vivian's on a fast track for valedictorian if she keeps it up. And Xavier was getting scouted by several colleges to play baseball for them with a full-ride scholarship after he graduated the following year. Ashley hoped he would get it.
Her family was blessed after all the hardship they had to endure. Her marriage succeeded from the brink of collapse. Her own children stopped hating her. Dave was sexually attracted to her again. And she found success in her work.
Stripping off her clothes, she headed into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She and Maxine had talked about Botox many times over the past few months, and though Maxine was considering it, Ashley didn't know if she should, too. But since she lost all that weight, it did make her younger-looking. But she hated her forehead and how her cheeks sagged a little from under her eyes.
We have the money now for treatment, Ashley thought. A first visit wouldn't hurt. Maybe a consulting exam.
Setting up her facial mask that she would put on later, she noticed something wedged behind the door. She picked it up and brought it to the light.
It was a rag.
And the stain on it looked blood red.
I watched her pick up the rag with anticipation, and her eyes widened, her body faintly glowing from green to a lighter orange. Another thing about creating a dungeon was when a delver entered my domain; they were surrounded by an aura that only I could see.
Green for full Resolve—a delver was calm, alert, or relaxed—and I reckoned a lighter orange was the start of Ashley's shedding Resolve.
A glimmer of hope wormed its way into my gut. "Please," I whispered. "Call the cops, Mrs. Yates. Call the cops. Find my body." Maybe if I'm found, I can be free from this gem? Maybe, just maybe, I could see my family again.
The demonic entity floated next to me, watching the scene unfold curiously. At least it followed my command not to attack Mrs. Yates, but I could feel its hunger growing. It wanted to attack. Wanted to take her. Wanted to lunge.
But it held back.
For now.
Ashley dropped the rag on the sink, taking a step back. I didn't know if she was shocked to see it or concerned that Dave was hurt. It wasn't his blood. It was mine.
"Bring it to the cops. It's my blood, Mrs. Yates," I said eagerly.
She grabbed her phone.
"Yes. 911. Come on!" I cried out.
But instead, she dialed Dave's phone. His phone rang in the basement, but Ashley couldn't hear it since she was upstairs. It went to voicemail.
"Dave, I'm home," she said. She looked pissed, and my stomach dropped. "Um, call me when you get the chance. We need to talk about something."
Putting on her bathrobe, she grabbed the rag from the sink and scrunched it up. Then, she marched out of the room, down the stairs, and headed for the basement. Throughout all of this, I followed her closely. So did the Possessing Demon. She looked angry, muttering as she opened the basement door and walked down the steps. I was shaking, nervous that she would see the body.
Dave's body, his head still crushed by the cabinet, was on the northern corner of the basement, hidden under a dimly lit cover. However, Ashley turned southward toward the incinerator and chucked in the bloodied rag. She took a deep breath and watched the piece of evidence of my murder burn into ash within a minute.
Ashley was in on it. She knew. She knew what Dave had done. I could see it through her face. She looked offended that her husband left such damning evidence behind on their bathroom floor. She pivoted her heels and marched toward the stairs again, anger boiling.
I readied a telekinetic attack once she saw the body, but she pulled out her phone again and decided to text Dave.
She missed the body and continued up the stairs, still typing on her phone—its loud click-click-click following her.
I could see it unfold before me. Once she sends that text, she will hear Dave's phone chime under the TV stand, and she'll return to the basement and check out the noise. Then, she'll see Dave's body. I didn't want her to find the body yet. Not with her Resolve still high. Quickly, I flew toward the front door and used [Telekinesis] to ring the doorbell.
Ashley stopped texting, ears trained on the doorbell. She glanced over at the clock stamped on her phone—10:04 AM. She probably wondered who would visit them this early. She entered the kitchen and headed toward the front door.
She opened it, but there was no one there.
"Hello?" She called out.
She walked out to the front porch in her bathrobe, looking around behind the bush to see if anyone was there, but found no one. She looked for a package just in case it was a delivery driver dropping off something, but nothing was left on her porch. I could tell that Ashley was a little freaked out. She walked back to the house and sent Dave the text. Luckily, she was too far away to hear the phone chime in the basement.
When she entered the house, she shivered again. "You gotta be kidding me," she muttered under her breath and strode toward the thermostat. Displayed on the screen was the same temperature she set it as. "Is this fucking thing not working?"
She sent Dave another text:
Thermostat broken. Home Depot tonight?
She set the thermostat up a couple more degrees and returned to the stairs to shower. She turned the shower handle to warm.
Okay. It's probably time I fuck with her head.
I triggered [Strange Noise]. Footsteps shuffled down the hallway, passing by the living room and letting out a child's laughter. Ashley paused, turned, and craned her neck from the bathroom door frame, watching the open bedroom door warily. She grabbed her bathrobe again from the shower hook and quickly put it on.
"Vivian? Xavier? Are you guys home?" She asked, but no one answered.
"Aren't you supposed to be at school? If I catch you skipping class again, you guys are grounded!"
I watched her take the bait. She slipped out and walked toward the door.
I still have plenty of juice left with [Strange Noise], so I created sudden loud footsteps coming down the stairs as if someone was running through it.
Ashley stiffened and kept the door ajar, her chest heaving forcefully. She had a direct line of sight to the stairs and knew no one rushed down on them.
The demon floated next to me, waiting eagerly for orders. It wanted to join in.
"Not yet," I said. "Wait."
Ashley's aura switched to a bright orange. I smiled. That must have freaked her out even more.
"Hello?" She called out. She couldn't help it. "Is someone there? Dave?"
Suddenly, her phone rang, and Ashley jumped from the shrill noise. "Fuck! Eat balls!" She looked at the caller ID: HODGE. Steadying her breathing, she pressed the green button.
"Hodge, hey," she answered. "What's up?"
"Hey, Ashley. Did you just get home?" Hodge asked. Hearing his voice again made me shiver.
"Yeah. A few minutes ago. What's up?"
"Dave called me early in the morning, but Maxine said he wasn't answering his phone when she called. I called him too, but he didn't answer. Alvin told me he dropped him off and made it home okay."
I went to the basement and realized that Hodge called him a minute ago. I was too distracted, freaking out, Ashley.
"I think he's at work," Ashley said. "What did he call about?"
"Something about the gem. That's all I got from the voicemail."
"The gem? The one Kirk bought?"
"Yeah."
"What's wrong with it?"
"Ritual was a no-go last night, and Dave brought the gem home to get rid of it. You got the incinerator?"
Ashley went rigid. "Wait, Justin, what do you mean it didn't work? I thought you got everything ready."
"I don't know. It just didn't work, okay?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm sure." Hodge sounded frustrated.
"But what about Dave's promotion—"
"Look. I can't talk about it over the phone. Maxine's coming by your house in a few. Can you call Dave for me? Find out what he's complaining about?"
"Yeah, of course. Um, the incinerator was on when I got home. I think Dave may have used it before he went to work."
"Okay. Well, can you find the gem?"
Ashley nodded. "I'll go down there. I'll call you back if I find it."
"Thanks, Ash. The others and I will come by after school."
"Alright. I'll send Xavier and Vivian to go to the movies with their friends or something."
"Good."
"Wait, should I be concerned?"
Hodge paused. "I'm sure everything's fine. Gotta go." Hodge dropped the call.
Ashley walked out of the bedroom and tentatively climbed down the stairs. She listened to the house creak from a strong wind blowing outside, but with [Strange Noise] already starting its cooldown, I couldn't produce another sound for the next ten minutes.
When she was sure that no one was in the house, she quickly headed straight for the garage, frowning when she found her car was missing. She promptly messaged Vivian.
ASHLEY:
Did you take my car?
It took a minute for her daughter to reply.
VIVIAN:
It was Xavier. Sorry, mom.
Ashley groaned and rolled her eyes. "Fucking unbelievable." Then she noticed that Dave's car was still there.
Ashley's aura turned darker orange as all the hairs stood up from her body. Dave must still be inside the house. He never left for work.
The demon inched closer, eager to strike. Half a dozen flames licked from its billowing cloud. I realized it was excited, sensing Ashley's fear like a moth to a flame.
Ashley dialed Dave's number and heard it ringing down the basement. She froze. I could see her mind clicking into place. She was down there a moment ago, and she never saw him, realized that she wasn't paying attention. Using [Levitate], I hid my gem under the couch again and triggered [Telekinesis] to shut off the lights.
[Power: 7/10]
Ashley walked toward the basement door and slowly opened it. The darkness below beckoned, and she visibly trembled. "Dave?" She called out. "Are you down there?"
Her aura's Resolve turned red.
The demon's cloud grew with hunger.
I turned to the demon. "Do your thing," I said. "She's part of the cult. Make sure she suffers.
NIGHTMARE SUBURBIA
Part 8
'LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF A HORROR MOVIE': MASSACRE AT GREEN HILL; 8 DEAD, SUSPECT AT LARGE.
by Toby Malley, KGWA Staff
Fri, September 22nd 2023, 6:30 PM PDT
Point Hope, Oregon (AP): Hundreds of terrified residents fled from Point Hope's affluent neighborhood, known by locals as Green Hill, after a brutal mass slaying, shortly between 12 noon to 1 PM, authorities said.
The gruesome crime unfolded in a quiet suburban neighborhood, leaving residents in a state of fear and disbelief. Law enforcement agencies swiftly responded to multiple emergency calls reporting screams coming from multiple residences along NE Oaken Street. Upon arrival, they discovered a horrific scene of carnage, with eight casualties scattered across four residences.
While the identities of the victims have not yet been officially released, preliminary information suggests that they range in age of seventeen to late fifties and include both males and females. The motive behind this heinous act remains unknown, leaving the community in a state of anguish and seeking answers.
Authorities are urging residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity as they intensify their efforts to locate the suspect. The suspect left on a red Ford Explorer, believed to be armed and extremely dangerous. Citizens are advised not to approach the individual if spotted but to immediately contact the local authorities.
38-year-old fellow Green Hill resident, Terrell Hilling, describe the chilling scene of bodies along Oaken Street when he went for a jog. He locked the doors while police scour the area. "I started running with another guy and hid," Hilling said. "It's like out of a horror movie."
A press conference held by Point Hope Police Department spokesperson, Fernand Blompkin, shed some light on the ongoing investigation. "We are committed to bringing the perpetrator to justice and providing solace to the grieving families affected by this senseless act. We have allocated significant resources to the manhunt and are working diligently to gather any information that may lead to the suspect's apprehension."
As the manhunt unfolds, schools and local businesses in the vicinity have implemented heightened security measures to ensure the safety of students and employees. Residents are advised to remain indoors, keep doors and windows locked, and exercise caution until further notice.
The city police department has established a dedicated hotline for anyone with information relating to the crime or the whereabouts of the suspect. Tips can be reported anonymously, and authorities assure the public that every lead will be thoroughly investigated.
This story is developing, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available.
10 HOURS EARLIER
Ashley stepped into the landing, peering into the sinister darkness below.
"Dave?" She called out again. She didn't like the look of it. I could see her wondering what was wrong with the lights. "You know this is not funny."
She called for him again. Nothing.
Ashley waited. Took a step down. Then another. And another. "Dave? Baby?"
She stopped. Stared down at the darkness. Listened.
Still nothing.
Her eyes were fixed on the bottom step's corners as if she feared someone was waiting by the wings, something in the dark, waiting to strike. And she was mostly correct. The demon remained, looming like a menacing shadow mere inches from her trail.
But there was no movement. No sound. She continued down the stairs.
And then it happened.
I watched, transfixed, as the demon I created snatched her from behind with a savage force. I didn't add [Superhuman Strength] as part of the demon's traits, but monsters with the [Demonic] archetypes already came with a passive strength level that was a little stronger than a human. But seeing it in the flesh still surprised me.
Ashley screamed as she was lifted into the air and pulled backward. The stairs disappeared from beneath her feet. Her legs kicked frantically, trying to find some purchase, but there was none. Her hands flailed helplessly, trying to grab onto something. Anything.
The demon dangled her a couple of feet before it chucked her down the stairs, tumbling just as Dave did, and landed on her face. Her scream was cut short by the impact, and blood gushed out of her nose. Eyes wide, she frantically looked for where her attacker came from, but there was no one up the stairs but me looking down at her. She couldn't even see me, but her eyes pierced through mine.
The demon took a step back, savoring the sight of her panic.
Like a switch, it unnerved me how much the demon enjoyed it. After all, it was a twisted creature, yet it seemed to revel in hurting people much more than I expected. But perhaps that was because I created it to do so. Maybe it would have been different if I hadn't given it such an evil purpose. I flew further back from the carnage, shocked at the brutality before me.
Then I caught a glimpse of the incinerator and the ashes within, the evidence of my murder that Dave burned, and all of that doubt melted away.
Ashley pushed herself up and tried to stand, but her knees buckled under her weight. She collapsed to the floor, crying in pain as she clutched her broken nose. She got to her feet, stumbling over her own feet as she went to retrieve her phone from the floor. She fumbled with it, dropped it twice, and finally got it open. She started dialing for help, but the demon interrupted her by swatting it off her grip.
The phone skidded toward's Dave's body.
Ashley froze. "No!" She cried out, scrambling over to his side. I watched Ashley fall to her knees beside him, wailing hysterically, holding his lifeless hand into hers. "Dave...Oh God," she sobbed. "Oh, God."
Panicked, she managed to get up again and ran for the stairs. It surprised me when the demon let her reach the landing when Ashley suddenly stopped, looking into the wall across the basement door.
"M-mom?" Ashley muttered. "How…?"
The demon was using its [Mocking Torment] to trigger a hallucination of Ashley's mother. Something must be happening in Ashley's head because she started peeing on the floor, soaking her bathrobe with her urine. "No...no...please—"
It took me a moment to focus on the demon lingering around her, and once I was mentally connected to the demon, I began to see what Ashley saw with her own eyes.
The demon's form materialized into an older woman that almost resembled Ashley but haggard and unkempt. She smelled of old cigarettes and cheap wine, and her hair was greasy and unwashed. Her skin was pale and sickly; she looked like a corpse. She stared at Ashley with dark eyes full of hate and regret.
"Should we go see a movie, dear?" Ashley's mother asked in a sing-song way, happy and blissful. "Isn't your birthday today? Happy birthday, sweetheart. My little pumpkin, bumpkin."
I realized the demon was pulling one of Ashley's memories into the forefront.
"Mom...how...no...what are you?"
"Oh, my sweet, don't you recognize your mother?"
Ashley shook her head. She tried to escape the trance but stayed rooted to where she stood. "Y—you're not real."
"My poor child. I am as real as you are. Now go give Mommy her medicine from the fridge, will you?"
"You're not real. You're dead."
"Ashley…" The old woman's eyes darkened. "You know I don't like it when you don't listen to me."
"You... you're not real!"
"Get Mommy's medicine from the fridge now, missy! I won't ask again!"
"No. No. No. Not real. Not real." Something must have pulled Ashley from her terror when she glanced over her shoulder. "Dave," she whimpered.
Suddenly, the demon lunged, almost making me jump from fright.
"Get my medicine from the fridge, you cock-sucking whore!" The demon spat. Even I took a step back, surprised by its foul mouth.
Ashley screeched as the demon grabbed a fistful of her hair and dragged her down the stairs. She kicked and punched, but the monster held her fast, still in the form of Ashley's dead mother, shrieking nonsense maniacally, "Pumpkin, sweetpea, babycakes, sugarplum, honeypie...! Dind-dong! Ding-dong! The bitch dies today!"
The demon tossed Ashley down the steps, slamming her against a shelf stacked with boxes, falling on top of her, filled with cables, straps, electrical wires, spare hoses, Christmas foils, and fishing gear.
The demon grabbed the hanging pendant light from the ceiling, pulled the electric cable, and wrapped the wire around her neck. It then hoisted her inches off the ground. Ashley struggled to get the damn thing off her neck.
The demon chortled gleefully against her ears. "Want to hear something, pumpkin? Mommy's gonna swallow your soul."
I could feel the power surging through it. All those hours spent crafting it had paid off. It felt amazing and horrifying to watch it work with barbaric precision. I realized what the demon had been doing for the last minute. It was trying to shed as much Resolve from Ashley before it would possess her and then consume her soul, killing her. It did as I asked. Made them suffer, and the demon brought Hell to her.
Ashley's eyes widened with panic as she gasped for air. She thrashed about helplessly. She managed to bring one foot against a shelf, but the demon wrapped a hose and more electrical cables around her ankles, yanked hard, and kept her suspended. It threw four hooked fishing lines at her, which sank into her bare arms, shoulder, chest, and cheek, pulling the skin apart as the demon dangled her there.
"Now give your momma a big wet kiss!" The demon clutched Ashley's jaw and opened its mouth.
A car pulling up the driveway, a red Ford Explorer, distracted me from the brutal scene.
I flew with my many-eyes toward the front of the house. Maxine had just arrived. She sat behind the wheel but appeared to be talking to someone in the car. I recognized her husband, Adam.
"Can't we check up on Dave after lunch? My folks are waiting for us, and you know how my mother is about being late," Adam groaned.
"It's just a quick stop, Adam. Hodge asked us to check up on him," Maxine said.
"Hodge should do it himself."
"He got work. We don't. And it's the least you could do since you skipped the ritual. He's already blaming us for fucking it up because we didn't get the numbers. Like it fucking matters. It worked when there were only four of us."
"I was not feeling well."
I frowned. Even the husband was involved. Fuck, were Xavier and Vivian in on it, too? How many cultists were in Point Hope?
Maxine forced a smile. "Of course, hon. Anyway, we live close to the Yates, so it shouldn't take more than ten minutes, okay? Then we can go to the restaurant and listen to your mother drone on about your brother and his new wife's adventures in Nepal."
Adam scoffed. "He told me he climbed Mount Everest. Said he had pictures."
"And you believe him? That takes months of training, you know. And your brother ain't got that kind of money."
"Doesn't matter. Mom believes it, so we'll have to swallow it."
Maxine shook her head. "Stupid." She turned to look at the house. "Hey, do you feel something odd?"
Adam tilted his head. "Uh, what?"
"I don't know. Something looked different about Dave's house, but I can't tell what it was."
Adam peered over her shoulder and looked around the front lawn. "Hm. Dave finally switched on the lawn mower?"
Maxine rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She opened the door and climbed out of the car.
I hurried back to the basement.
Ashley lay on the floor, eyes wide open to the ceiling; the electrical cables around her neck were loose, bruising her neck red and purple. I couldn't see the demon anymore. No smoke cloud lingering at the corner. No faint smell of rotten eggs. Even Ashley's aura was gone completely.
"Is she dead?" I wondered.
Then, Ashley's eyes blinked, and they quickly turned to look at me.
Directly at me.
"Er, demon?" I asked.
Ashley sat up. She never left her gaze on me. "Master," she said, but it sounded garbled. Strained. Like a child stuttering to express a complicated word for the first time. Her voice also sounded an octave lower. She cleared her throat. "I serve," she forced to say.
"I…I didn't expect you would do that," I said. "Throw her around a few times, sure, but—" I looked at the bloodied fishing tackles, cables, and hoses the demon used to torture her.
"Master asks for suffering. Pain. I serve." Ashley—Demon Ashley—looked up, almost confused why it should go against its nature. It's a demon, after all. They were experts at tormenting people. Demon Ashley then sniffed the air. "Ah. New meat."
The doorbell rang. Demon Ashley got up and started walking up the stairs, and was that a lullaby I heard? She hummed a tune to the Rockabye Baby as she walked into the kitchen and headed for the door.
"Uh, demon?"
Demon Ashley continued, stumbling slowly toward the door. The demon was still trying to get used to the body. She opened the door a smidge before pivoting and headed for the stairs. She puffed up the collar of her bathrobe higher, hiding the bruises around her neck, and then pulled the sleeves around her wrists to hide the rope marks.
Maxine stared at the door momentarily before pushing it open, creaking loudly.
"Um, hello?" She called out, pushing the door wide open mow. She and Adam caught Ashley halfway up the stairs, her back facing them.
"Oh, hey, Ash," Adam said and waved. His smile suddenly dropped. "Er, is something wrong?"
Demon Ashley paused near the landing. "Need to take a shower," she said lowly without looking back at them. I was impressed that the demon made it sound like Ashley's voice and speech pattern this time, not the warped, strangled, and baritone voice I heard in the basement.
"Oh." Maxine narrowed her eyes. "Um, is it okay if we wait down here?"
Ashley tilted her head a little. "Please."
Adam pointed at the living room. "We'll sit right there. And, uh, could you get Dave as well? Is he in the house?"
A long pause. "Yes."
Maxine shot Adam a wary look. "Oh, well, let him know we're in the living room then."
Demon Ashley continued walking up the steps and turned the corner. They entered the living room and sat silently, listening to the muffled sound of the water pipes shuddering as Ashley turned on the shower and hopped in.
As the couple sat down, a greenish aura formed around them.
NIGHTMARE SUBURBIA
Part 9
After ten minutes had passed since Ashley went upstairs—and Dave did not show up—Maxine leaned over to Adam with a worried gaze to the stairs. "I don't think he's coming," she said.
"Is he even home?"
"Ashley told us he's here."
"He must be busy?" Adam craned his neck to peer into the backyard. "Well, he's definitely not out there."
"And did you see that earlier?" Maxine asked.
"See what?"
"I thought Ash got blood under her nose."
Adam shrugged. "I didn't see anything."
"I think I saw it."
Adam shrugged again. "Well, if you saw it—"
"I saw it, okay?" Maxine hissed, annoyed. "I'm not blind."
"What'd you think happened then?"
"I don't know. Something's weird. And did you smell that earlier? Like someone pissed in the room."
"Don't insult someone's house, babe. It's not polite."
"Well, I smelled it."
"Should we just leave? Maybe come back later? My parents are waiting for us, Max. You know what they are like if we're late again. We won't hear the tail end of it."
"No, we won't be long," Maxine insisted. "Ashley's probably telling Dave to come. Yeah."
"Are you sure? I don't think so, babe," Adam rubbed his hands over his upper arms; he was only wearing a short-sleeved shirt. "Shit. It's cold in here, huh?"
Maxine shook her head. "Fuck it. I'll find Dave and the gem. Find out what he's so scared about. Then we can go to your parents."
"Dave's always scared about something. What's he on about this time?"
"Hodge told me he sounded scared. Something about the gem. And this whole house gives me the fucking creeps." Maxine started walking out of the living room.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"I'll go to his office and look for the gem there. You can stay right here in case Ashley comes back down. Tell her I went to get water. Or, you know, you can help?"
Adam let out a breath. "That's alright with me. I'll stay right here." It was clear Adam didn't feel like looking for a lost gem anyway. He was still worried about getting to the restaurant where his parents were waiting.
"I'll be right back." Maxine walked out of the living room.
I watched Adam sit there for a couple more minutes, tapping his fingers on his knees, twiddling with his thumbs, and checking Reddit with his phone. He received another message on his phone, smiled, and replied with a purple heart and an eggplant emoji. Looking over his shoulder, this was a different woman than the one he texted in his house!
How many women does this sleaze have?
I also checked up on Maxine, who looked into the garage and found Dave's car was still inside. "Dave is here," Maxine muttered. "Where the fuck is he?" She went back to the kitchen and checked the thermostat.
"Seventy-five degrees?" She scrunched up her face and visibly shivered. She looked like she regretted wearing a blouse today.
Her eyes glazed over to the basement door, and at first, I thought she was going down there, but she walked past it and made a beeline for Dave's office instead. His office looked like my dad's: a computer desk littered with envelopes, loose papers, bills, folders, the odd gum packet or two, and scattered pens and pencils. She started rummaging through his things.
"Where did you keep it, Dave?" She muttered under her breath.
In the other room, Adam still waited. He got up and peered through the sliding doors leading to the backyard. He was eying the shed. He reached for the handle and was about to slide it open when I triggered [Strange Noise].
"Adam," I whispered his name right behind his right ear.
Startled, he whirled around and found that no one was there. "Max?" He called out. Maxine was too distracted trying to open one of Dave's desk drawers. "Was that you?"
No one answered.
Grasping with [Phantasmal Cold] again, I made the room suffocatingly cold, and Adam tried to stifle his trembling.
Adam slowly walked into the foyer, listening. The muffled sound of water cascading in the showers upstairs was still audible in the foyer. The Yates didn't exactly make their home soundproof. He noticed that Ashley had been taking that shower for almost twenty minutes. "Ash?" He called out to the second floor.
Ashley didn't answer.
He walked up the stairs. They creaked beneath his weight. He stopped halfway to the top and listened again. There was nothing except for the water running in the bathroom above. He continued to climb the steps until he could see into the hallway from the landing.
"Ash?" The water from the showers was a little louder here now. "Are you okay?" He walked down the hallway.
The light in the master bedroom was off; the door was slightly ajar. He pushed it open and peeked inside. His aura had turned from green to a lighter shade of orange in a minute, then a darker orange. Clearly, he was freaked out. Whatever the demon was planning, it wanted to lure someone upstairs, trying to separate them.
Suddenly, Adam took a step back, shaking his head. "The hell am I doing?" He whispered to himself. He pivoted his heels, heading for the stairs.
He's leaving!
Maybe he wanted to grab Maxine and check up on Ashley together. Well, I'm not going to have that happen. In my favorite horror movies, when the characters are separated, the more chances one of them will die.
Splitting Up was an overused (and excellent) trope for a reason in slasher movies, and Adam will find out why.
I triggered [Luring Trance].
Adam stopped in his tracks, frozen on the landing. He looked back to the master's bedroom, frowning. If he told her something was wrong with Ashley, Maxine would make a fuss that he was reading into things, maybe chastising him for being a peeping tom. Then again, if he just went over there, he had always found Ashley attractive in a bomb-ass MILF way. Even he wondered how Dave managed to bag a bitch like that.
Only a deal with the Devil could.
For a split second, I was taken aback by the access I could glean from a delver's mind and emotions with [Luring Trance]. But before it could dissipate into a long cooldown, I quickly focused on the dark energy emanating from the walls, cloaking Adam's aura briefly. I pulled him back to the master's bedroom, dangling a mental image of Ashley's body like some forbidden fruit. It helped that Adam had always been a pervert. After all, when I spied at their house, he cheated on Maxine with another woman—multiplewomen. With [Strange Noise] still active (I had one minute), I produced an audible moan from the bedroom.
Adam narrowed his gaze, confused and hesitant. Still accessing his emotions, I could feel him getting aroused as well. He doubted whether Ashley was touching herself inside the room. No, he imagined it. Pictured her naked now, splayed on the bed on her knees.
Good, good. Come in, Adam. Come inside the room.
Adam walked inside. He saw a large bed covered in white satin sheets, but there wasn't anyone in sight. The bathroom door was wide open, and cautiously, he headed over there. Steam filled the entire room and caught Ashley's naked silhouette behind the glass shower stall. Instinctively, Adam licked his lips.
He leaned against the wall near the shower, trying to peek between the gaps. Maybe if he stepped a little closer, he'd get a good view of what's hiding behind those laced-cardigan shoulder tops and tight skinny jeans—
He froze, mouth hanging open. "What the fuck?!"
Ashley's skin was peeling from the water's almost boiling heat. The smell of boiled meat filled the bathroom. She was facing away from him.
"Ash!" Adam called out, but she didn't respond. "What the fuck?!"
He rushed forward and opened the glass door, reeling back when the water splashed on his exposed arm. "Max! Max! I need help over here! Max!" He screamed.
He gasped at the sight of Ashley's nude form. Soaking wet, she had red welts covering her arms, legs, chest, neck, and face. Second-degree burns covered her body.
And she was grinning. Like this was all a big fucking joke, foam streaming out from the side of her curved lips; her pupils dilated, almost black.
"What the fuck, Ash! What have you done?" Adam yelped. He tried to pull her out of the shower, but the water was too hot. He grabbed a bundle of towels from the hooks, forced his way in there, and yanked Ashley out of the shower stall.
Ashley fell to the linoleum floor with a loud thud, tackling Adam down to the floor with her. When Adam let go of her arm, some of her skin stuck to the palm of his hands. "Fuck! Max! Get in here right now!"
Downstairs, Maxine ran out of Dave's office. "I'm coming! I'm coming!"
"Oh my God, Ash. What did you do? Oh my God." Adam looked like he was about to burst into tears as he struggled to get her off him. Fear engulfed him as his aura switched to a pinkish red. His Resolve was shedding fast.
"What's wrong, Adam?" Ashley asked gleefully. "You don't find me attractive anymore?"
"What? What the fuck are you talking about?"
"You don't want to fuck me now? But I look so pretty. Prettier than ever before."
Maxine darted into the master's bedroom. "Adam! Why are you screaming—!" Maxine screeched at the sight of Ashley's body. She rushed toward the bathroom.
"No," I whispered. I slammed the door shut and locked the door with my telekinesis, trapping Adam with the demon.
[Power: 6/10]
"Adam! Adam! Open the door!" Maxine wailed and pounded her fist against the door, and tried to kick it open.
Adam was about to head over to the door to unlock it when Ashley grabbed his arm with an iron grip, holding him there.
"Let go, Ash!"
Ashley leered at Adam. "I know what you like, Adam. You're such a stud." She stood up, grabbing Adam by the collar of his shirt and pulling him close to her. "I'll give it to you real good like no whore ever will."
Adam was a big dude, easily a hundred pounds more than little Ashley. But with the demon inhabiting her body, she chucked him off the ground and slammed him against the bathroom mirror, shattering it. Adam grunted, rolled over the counter, and fell on his stomach. Maxine stopped pounding on the door momentarily. "Adam! What's that sound? Unlock the door!"
"Max! Call for help!"
Still, Maxine continued pounding her fist on the wood. "Open the fucking door, Adam!"
Ashley picked up a big shard of the glass from the sink and raised it high, moaning as she stabbed Adam's back multiple times. Blood seeped out of each wound. Adam screamed.
"I can smell your fear." She laughed as she plunged the shard deeper into his flesh, then another, and turned him around to face her.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Stop!" Adam begged for someone to save him. He kicked and punched at the demon, trying to push her off him, but she kept stabbing him with the broken mirror. Blood poured out of his mouth as Ashley punctured a lung. "Ash! Stop!"
"Hello," Ashley said giddily.
"I like your pic. You have nice breasts.
"So perky.
"Send nudes?
"You like my dick?
"I'm divorced.
"I'm not married.
"You're so beautiful.
"Let's see each other tonight.
"My wife is not home for the week.
"If I have a choice, I'm leaving my wife for you!"
With each stab, Ashley mocked him. Adam's eyes widened, realizing she was repeating what he texted on his secret dating app on his phone with his multiple mistresses. "You have been a naughty boy. You'll do well with the maggots."
Demon Ashley then jammed the shard into Adam's privates. Even I cringed and looked away for a moment as Ashley took off Adam's shorts and cut off his penis, forced his mouth open, and shoved his dick inside his mouth. She covered them with her free hand, forcing him to choke on the organ.
"Take it like a man, Adam!" Ashley cackled.
Maxine banged on the door again. "Ashley! Stop it!"
Ashley grabbed a handful of Adam's hair and pulled his head back, exposing his throat. "Say, please."
Adam gasped through clenched teeth. With his hair pulled back, he swallowed pieces of his flesh.
His aura turned blood red.
Ashley smiled. "Good boy."
Then she slit his throat with the sharp edge of the broken mirror piece.
Blood gushed out and hit Ashley straight to the face, soaking red. The demon howled in ecstasy as blood dripped onto her naked body. Adam's aura faded into a brighter red glow, which coalesced into a wisp and entered my consciousness. Inside Ashley's body, her faint aura also became a wisp; the demon had finished consuming her soul.
[You have gained 2 essences: Adam Fairlie, Ashley Yates]
[You have gained 300 crystals]
It was addicting, the rush entering my form like drinking water after hiking in the desert for days or washing off my body from filth after wading through mud. My mind was clearer; my senses more heightened than ever before. I wanted to feed on Maxine's essence next, almost eager to get it over and crush her skull with my mind.
However, Revenge is served best cold. And I still wanted to make the people who killed me suffer a worse fate than death.
"She's next," I said to the demon, gesturing to the door. "But don't kill her just yet. I want you to possess her."
With a creaky voice, Ashley said, "Understood, Master."
NIGHTMARE SUBURBIA
Part 10
Ashley slinked back into the mist and into the shower stall.
The door swung open.
Maxine stood shaking by the door frame, mouth hanging open, covering it with her hands. She couldn't scream. She couldn't process what was in front of her—Adam lying on the ground, eyes wide open, covered in blood, his throat slashed clean to the bone.
"A-d-am?" Maxine let out a stuttered breath.
Seeing her husband's body was enough to plummet her Resolve from a bright orange to a hungry darker shade. Her heart rate sped up as she stepped closer to the corpse. Then she noticed Ashley's silhouette in the mist and backed away slowly.
"Ash," She whispered to her. "What did you do to him?"
"I didn't mean to, Max," Ashley whimpered. I was impressed by how the demon could imitate them uncannily lifelike, almost close to trolling Maxine's grief. The demon mocked a sob. "I didn't mean to! You have to believe me!"
"You killed him, Ashley," Maxine whispered as if saying it out loud made it untrue.
"It's not me!"
"You...you killed him!" Maxine regained a little bit of her strength, stepping forward. "You killed my husband! Fuck! I'm calling the cops!"
"No, don't!"
"I'm calling the cops, Ash! You stay right where you are!"
"Maxine! Please! You have to believe me!"
"Stay back!" Maxine pulled out her phone from her back pocket. "You stay back, Ash!"
"Ashley isn't here, you stupid fucking bitch!" Ashley shouted. "We're feasting on their souls in Hell!"
Ashley lunged out of the mist, but Maxine was faster, pivoted around, and hid behind the door frame, avoiding Ashley's tight grasp. Ashley crashed into the bed, thrashing to get back up.
Maxine ran out of the door and dashed down the stairs, trying to dial 911, but she dialed 901 instead. "Shit!"
"You're next!" Ashley cackled, rolling off the bed. "You're next, little piggy! Oink! Oink!"
Maxine reached the front door's handle, sobbing, hand still clutching her phone, when suddenly, the rug underneath engulfed her. The force lifted her off the floor and threw her across the room, crashing against the wall; the hanging portraits fell on top of her.
"Oink! Oink!" Ashley laughed maniacally as she climbed up the railing on all fours and stalked toward Maxine like a spider, licking her lips.
"No!" Maxine screamed, trying to get the rug off her, suffocatingly wrapped her body. "Let me go! Let me go!"
Ashley hopped on top of her, prying the rug off until she and Maxine were face to face.
"What is it, girlie? Like what you see?" Ashley grinned, showing rows of rotting teeth.
"You're not Ashley."
"Of course not, you bulimic cunt! Why don't you choke on a fucking carrot?!"
Suddenly, Maxine's Resolve returned to a lighter orange as she yanked her necklace off her neck, a silver pendant etched with symbols, and pressed it against Ashley's forehead.
"Relinquo Daemonium!" Maxine shouted.
Ashley shrieked and jumped off Maxine, screaming at the top of her lungs. The house shook. The walls rattled. What's left of the portraits hanging on the wall swayed loose and shattered on the ground. Pieces of broken glass rose from the floor as Ashley let out a piercing wail. The glass flew, breaking Ashley's skin, and a couple sliced Maxine's cheek and arm.
"Snap out of it!" I commanded the demon.
But the demon wouldn't listen. I could feel its pain, like it was being pulled apart piece by piece, limb by limb. Half of the neighborhood must have heard her by now. After a few seconds, she stopped screaming, letting out real sobs as she strained against Maxine's pendant, still trying to reach her.
Maxine stood up and raised the pendant directly at Ashley. "Demon!" She shouted. "I am your master's servant. You will not harm me!"
Ashley's flesh under her cheeks began to peel off, revealing the reddish meat; her eyes were bloodshot. Ashley tried to lunge at her, but the pendant pulled up an invisible force around Maxine, preventing Ashley from getting within inches of her throat.
Maxine took a step back, her voice trembling. "I said, you will not harm me, demon! I am a disciple of Beelzebub, of Asmodias, of Aamon, of Lucifer, and Astaroth! I have wielded the powers of the Nine Hells! I serve your masters, demon. So, you will not harm me."
Straining against an invisible force, Ashley glared at Maxine…and began to chuckle. "Servant," she muttered. "Servant!" She let out a boisterous laugh. "Servant! Servant!"
Maxine kept her pendant raised. "You will not harm me," she said, less confident this time.
"You have angered my master, Maxine Fairlie," Ashley said.
"I compel you to tell me who your master is, demon!"
Ashley laughed and glanced over Maxine's shoulder. "Behind you, bitch."
Maxine whirled around, and I summoned [Telekinesis].
[Power: 5/10]
Grasping her by the throat, I lifted her body a foot from the ground and hurled her across the dining room, knocking off the vases, candles, and a bowl of fruit along the way. Behind us, Ashley guffawed. "Master! Master! Get her, master!"
I held my grip as Maxine struggled, still clutching her pendant while she tried to cast another spell.
"Re-lin-quo! Dae-mon-i-um—!" She raised the pendant toward me.
I flinched for a split second, imagining Ashley's pain in my body and my consciousness, but it increased tenfold. Nothing happened. I remained in the air, telekinesis still wrapped around Maxine's neck.
I smiled and gripped tighter, shedding her Resolve into a darker orange. "Just what I like to see," I hissed.
She kicked. Screamed. I threw her through the window, shattering upon impact. Maxine tumbled out into the patio deck in the backyard, shards of glass cutting through her skin. She rolled, loosened her grip on the pendant, and it went flying into the grass. She scrambled to look for it.
"No. No. No, no, no, no…" She muttered.
I sensed Ashley's presence behind me, and Maxine whirled around, must have had a fright to find Ashley leering through the opening, grinning at her. Without her pendant, it shed her Resolve down to red. She ran for the side gates, but my telekinesis was still up. I grabbed her entire body, lifted her off the grass again, and dragged her back toward the broken window.
She reached out, grabbed hold of a drain pipe by the side of the house, and screamed for help. She caught sight of two teenagers up on the second-floor window next door. Spreading out my many-eyes, I was bombarded by loud music as the two teenagers started making out on the girl's bed, oblivious to Maxine's cries fifty feet away.
"Help me! Help me!"
But her grip loosened, and I dragged her back into the patio deck by her ankles, her skin scraping through the broken shards of glass and then through the broken window. She howled in pain, and I realized a large piece of the glass still attached to the windowsill stabbed her abdomen and kept her there momentarily.
"I don't have time for this." I yanked hard on Maxine's ankles, and the glass split into two and embedded deep into Maxine's belly. With the last second of telekinesis, I chucked her across the dining table, rolled over, and dropped right in front of Ashley's feet.
Ashley straddled her, and Maxine tried to get her off weakly. It was no use. With a wide grin, Ashley vomited a torrent of blood and chunks of her gut all over Maxine's face and open mouth. Such force looked like Maxine got hosed down by it. I wanted to gag.
Ashley's eyes rolled over, and she collapsed beside Maxine.
She stopped moving.
Maxine wiped the blood off her face and crawled away from Ashley's body, taking in labored breaths. I watched the demon emerge from Ashley's pores, now hovering above Maxine's. Maxine's Resolve dropped to a dull red as she stared at Ashley's body, too shocked to move.
Her phone rang. On the screen:
HODGE.
She was about to click the green button when I sent a sliver of [Mind Shock] her way, stunning her momentarily.
[Power: 4/10]
She started shaking like she was having a seizure, her hands twitching violently, and dropped the phone. I watched, fascinated, as the demon, in the form of her husband, stood above her.
"A—Adam?" Maxine croaked.
Adam crouched down in front of her. "I love you," he said. "I love you so much, Maxine."
She was still under my psychic grasp, and all Maxine could do was shed a single tear running down her cheek. She's afraid, so afraid I relished with her pain like putting in new clothes. It made me smile, my heart beating faster, anticipating what the demon would do next.
Maxine knew she was hallucinating her husband, but her emotions overwhelmed her, kept her in place, and whispered, "Love you" between clenched teeth.
Demon Adam smiled and caressed her chin with his thumb. "I know, baby. I know. I love you the way I love sliding my cock inside half the town because you are a shriveled old hag. All I wanted to do was skin you alive so my parents could see what a gold-digging slut you are inside. I'm going to enjoy wearing your skin."
And then he dissipated into a puff of black smoke and slid inside her open mouth, eyes, nose, and ears.
Maxine's eyes glazed over, convulsing for several seconds. Then, she stopped moving, laying there for a handful of heartbeats before she opened her eyes again and stood up.