The night was as thick as ink, with a single lamp hanging from the ceiling, casting dim, flickering light. Under its glow, the worn-out floorboards and peeling wallpaper seemed to rot, filling the air with a suffocating stench.
It was silent—eerily silent. So silent that even the air felt stagnant.
Suddenly, the dim light began to flicker. In the shifting shadows, something seemed to creep into the corner of the room.
Creak—
The door swung open without warning, making a sharp sound in the unnaturally quiet house.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
There was a sound of something being smashed, echoing through the open door and into the room.
The flickering of the light quickened, and faint shadows appeared on the walls, shifting with the erratic light.
Creak—
The door groaned again. It seemed rusted, and the sound it made was like fingernails scraping across metal, causing a shiver to run down the spine.
Clang!
A loud bang followed, as the door slammed shut, locking itself tightly as if it would never open again.
Thud, thud—
Despite no visible presence, footsteps echoed in the room, growing louder with each passing moment as they drew nearer, the thudding sounds becoming disturbingly clear.
Clunk—clunk—
The flickering light suddenly went out, plunging the room into total darkness, as if it had become a bottomless pit where nothing could be seen.
Zap—
A spark of electricity flared on the ceiling, and the light abruptly turned back on, this time shining bright. A shadow—a human-shaped shadow—appeared on the wall. Whether it was the form of the actual being or a distortion of the decaying wallpaper, the shadow looked strange, with parts sunken and others protruding, making it hard to tell if the figure was even human.
Grind—grind—grind—
A sound, like someone grinding their teeth, echoed through the room.
The noise was unbearable, making the teeth ache and the hair stand on end, as if someone was being rubbed raw on a washboard, bones and all turning to dust.
Suddenly, from the corner of the room came the sound of rapid breathing. A young girl with short blonde hair was crouched in the corner, covering her mouth as if she had been hiding there all along. Now, unable to contain her terror any longer, she gasped heavily in fear.
The shadow, in the flickering light, silently turned towards the corner where the girl was hiding.
"Ahhh!"
A scream of terror finally erupted, shattering the silence in the room.
A camera, mounted on a rail, rolled out of the room, and from behind it, James Wan's voice called out loudly, "Alright, that's a wrap for this scene!"
But out of habit, the young girl's screams continued.
"Lily!" a woman's voice, with a French accent, rang out. "That's enough, Lily!"
Vanessa Paradis walked over to the young girl and helped her up. "Lily, the shot is done."
"Oh," Lily-Rose Depp nodded blankly before smiling. "Mom, this movie is so fun."
Matthew also approached, smiling as he asked, "You like this kind of game?"
Lily-Rose pointed at the flickering light bulb and said, "Godfather, don't you think it's exciting?"
Before Matthew could reply, Vanessa Paradis spoke up, "You find scary scenes like this fun? Lily, what are you thinking?"
Lily-Rose pouted but said nothing, quietly shuffling her feet to stand a little farther from Vanessa and closer to Matthew.
"I'm thirsty," she mumbled.
"Come on," Matthew said, taking her hand as they left the room. "I'll get you some water."
The house they were filming in had once been his own residence on the northern outskirts of Burbank, so Matthew knew it well. He led her to the water dispenser in the living room, filled a cup, and handed it to her.
Lily-Rose took a sip, smiled sweetly, and said, "Thank you, Godfather." After another sip, she asked, "Godfather, was my performance okay?"
"You were great," Matthew nodded in approval.
Today was the first day of shooting for Insidious, and Lily-Rose had a part in the film. Since there were no scenes for Matthew in the Fast & Furious 5 production today, he had come to check on her.
Lily-Rose looked up at him. "Really?"
Matthew replied in a serious tone, "Of course."
To be honest, he hadn't expected Lily-Rose to do so well.
"Matthew!" Vanessa Paradis's voice called out. "You're Lily's godfather!"
Hearing the slight hint of dissatisfaction in her voice, Matthew turned to see Vanessa walking toward him. He quickly said, "Yes, and I'm so proud of how amazing she is."
Vanessa came closer, sighed, and asked, "What are you and Johnny thinking?"
Matthew scratched his head, not quite understanding. "What do you mean?"
"Lily's not even ten years old!" Vanessa looked around to make sure no one else was listening, then lowered her voice. "Do you really think it's appropriate for her to be in a movie like this?"
For once, Matthew was at a loss for words. He hadn't given it much thought before, but now that he recalled the scene James Wan had just filmed, he realized he and Johnny Depp might have overlooked some things.
"I'm sorry," Matthew said, acknowledging the oversight. "I didn't think it through."
Vanessa wasn't unreasonable—otherwise, she wouldn't have stayed with Johnny Depp for so long. She shook her head, "It's alright. I'll stay with her the whole time."
Matthew nodded, "Vanessa, I promise, there won't be a next time."
Clearly, he wasn't cut out for looking after children. He was definitely an unfit godfather.
"What are you two talking about?" Lily-Rose asked, looking between her mother and Matthew, scratching her head. "I don't understand!"
"Nothing," Vanessa said with a smile.
Matthew, Lily-Rose, and Vanessa chatted for a while longer, until James Wan waved him over, signaling that he needed to talk.
"The house needs some minor modifications," James Wan said. "It might affect the original decor a bit."
Matthew had already anticipated this when he offered his house for filming. He replied, "No problem. Do what you need to. Just don't damage the structure."
James Wan quickly reassured him. "It's just cosmetic changes, nothing structural."
After chatting with James for a while, Matthew watched some of the footage. He had to admit, James Wan had a real knack for creating an eerie atmosphere.
In horror, it's often not the exaggerated screams or flying blood that are most effective. Sometimes, the most terrifying moments come in complete silence.
The crew spent the entire morning filming inside the house. Matthew didn't interfere with James Wan's work, and by observing, he realized that while Lily-Rose Depp might not be on par with someone like Mackenzie Foy, she was performing far better than she had during her audition.
More importantly, she didn't seem frightened by the eerie atmosphere James Wan had created—in fact, she seemed fascinated by it.
Maybe Lily-Rose could one day follow in the footsteps of Jamie Lee Curtis, the "Scream Queen," and become a horror movie star?
That thought crossed Matthew's mind, but he quickly dismissed it. If he actually pursued that path for Lily-Rose, Vanessa Paradis might come after him.
Soon, the crew moved outside for the next scene. Inside, the house was shrouded in darkness thanks to the black curtains covering the windows, but outside, the sun shone brightly.
Amidst the sunlight, Matthew noticed a pale, somber-looking middle-aged man approaching him.
"Are you Mr. Horner?"
The man came straight up to Matthew. "The owner of this house?"
Matthew took one look at the man, noting his unusually pale face, and nodded. "Yes, I'm Matthew Horner."
The man looked very serious. "I'm Brad Tesla, an exorcist."
"Oh…" Matthew said casually, "Nice to meet you."
Tesla had a name worth boasting about—was he a master exorcist?
With a tone of warning, Tesla said, "There was a murder in this house."
Matthew nodded indifferently. "That was over ten years ago."
"The victim was a young woman," Tesla continued, his pale face and grim expression adding to the atmosphere. "She was murdered, and the killer was never brought to justice. Her soul can't find peace, and it wanders here, trapped."
He pointed to the withered ivy that had been neglected. "Look over there. The plants have been affected by the victim's resentment. Life is wilting away."
Matthew didn't respond, but he could practically feel the spirit of deception lurking nearby.
Tesla went on, "Over the years, her resentment has grown. Soon, she will transform into a vengeful spirit, and if that happens, it will affect the owner of this house."
"You mean me?" Matthew asked.
"Yes, I'm certain of it," Tesla said, striking a dramatic pose. "Mr. Horner, you're already carrying the curse of this vengeful spirit. If you wait too long, it will manifest."
Matthew was speechless. Telling someone like him—raised with no belief in the supernatural—such nonsense was absurd.
Someone who didn't believe in gods or spirits was not going to buy into this.
Seeing Matthew's silence, Tesla assumed his words were having an effect. He had worked in Los Angeles and Hollywood
for many years and had dealt with many celebrities. The less educated the star, the more easily they believed in such things.
"Mr. Horner, take this seriously!" Tesla said with utmost seriousness. "As an exorcist, it is my duty to warn you and to help you rid yourself of this vengeful spirit's curse!"
His words were full of righteous conviction.
Matthew thought for a moment and asked, "If I don't deal with it, will it be dangerous?"
Tesla, having once trained in Hong Kong, replied, "At best, it will affect your career. At worst, it could cost you your life!" He gave yet another solemn warning, "Mr. Horner, please let me help you! It is my duty as an exorcist."
Matthew looked at him. "Your duty, huh?"
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