[Chapter 84: Drag Me to Hell]
Guided by Amanda, Daniel arrived at a rundown neighborhood far removed from the affluent areas they were used to. Garbage littered the streets, and makeshift tents of homeless people lined the sidewalks.
If Amanda hadn't been accompanied by the police earlier, she would never have ventured into a place like this. But with Daniel by her side now, she felt a flicker of courage. Their shiny Cadillac -- a luxurious beast that had cost Daniel over $60,000 -- rolled past, drawing many curious glances.
"There, that's the house," Amanda said, pointing.
Daniel pulled the car to a stop just outside. Almost immediately, several dark-skinned men gathered nearby. Even in broad daylight, they kept their distance but eyed the Cadillac warily. As Daniel and Amanda stepped out, the attention sharpened toward Amanda.
"Damn, she's hot," someone muttered with a strange, almost leering tone. Laughter echoed from the group.
One of them swaggered forward, addressing Daniel. "Hey, buddy, you want this?" He cupped a hand in front of his nose and mimed a deep sniff.
Daniel answered flatly, "No."
The man shrugged and backed off. Then, a voice called out from behind, "Man, your girl's fine. Where'd you pick her up?"
Daniel's expression darkened as he locked eyes with the speaker. The man shivered under that icy gaze, a chill crawling over his skin. He instinctively shrank his neck, unwilling to speak again.
Daniel looked away and led Amanda forward. They knocked on the door with steady patience.
...
Knock, knock, knock...
After several moments, it creaked open.
A young brown-skinned woman appeared in the doorway, studying them closely. "Who are you looking for?"
Amanda answered carefully, keeping polite: "An elderly woman... She's around 80, with all white hair."
Before Amanda could finish, the young woman's eyes flickered with recognition. "Oh, you're the one who brought the police here yesterday, right?"
Amanda nodded. "She stole my money. That's why I--"
The young woman's face hardened. "That doesn't matter. You're the reason my grandmother died."
"Died?" Amanda stammered, shocked. "She's dead?"
The woman gave a chilling smile and pushed the door wide open. Daniel and Amanda stepped inside, greeted by a room arranged like a mourning hall with distinct minority ethnic decorations.
Front and center hung a striking photo of the elderly woman -- the very same who had stolen Amanda's money. Several somber figures gathered, mourning the deceased.
The sudden reveal stunned Amanda. Yesterday, the old woman had been alive -- and now she was dead. And, worse yet, she had cursed Amanda with her dying breath. Amanda glanced at Daniel, desperation etched into her face. Only he could save her now.
Daniel's eyes darkened with understanding.
This was no ordinary incident -- it was a horror story come to life.
He recalled the plot of the movie Drag Me to Hell: a Gypsy old woman desperate to extend her mortgage visits a bank but is denied by a clerk. Fueled by resentment, the old woman curses the clerk with a secret rite that leads to the clerk's tragic death. The film paints the clerk as an unlucky victim who just did her job, while the old woman's spite becomes a deadly force.
Here, some details had shifted, but the core was the same.
Amanda's shoulder bag had been slashed, her wallet stolen by this old woman. When Amanda confronted her, seeing the woman's pitiful state, she did not press the matter further. Rather than gratitude, she was met with hostility and demands for money. When Amanda refused, the old woman cursed her, sacrificing herself in the process.
This woman deserved no sympathy. Yet Amanda had been trapped by cruelty and misfortune.
"You'll be dead soon," the young woman said suddenly, her eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction.
Amanda trembled. "Daniel, what do we do?"
Daniel narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on the young woman -- the old woman's granddaughter. Under his stare, her confidence wavered and fear flickered in her eyes.
"She alone can't kill Amanda," Daniel said coldly. "Her death won't mean anything."
Without delay, Daniel led Amanda back to the car.
As their vehicle pulled away, the young woman breathed a shaky sigh. Just moments ago, she had sensed an ominous danger -- as if her heart skipped a beat.
'Did Grandmother really die for nothing?' she whispered.
...
Inside the car, Amanda asked anxiously, "Daniel, if the old woman is dead, doesn't that mean the curse is permanent? What do we do now?"
Daniel recalled the movie's timeline -- the cursed person had three days before the curse took full effect. Amanda was only one day in.
Still, he resolved to consult someone more knowledgeable.
"Don't worry -- I won't let you die," he reassured her.
His confidence seemed to steady Amanda's nerves somewhat. Though fear lingered, her complexion brightened.
...
Nearly an hour later, Daniel's car pulled into the massive Beverly Hills estate of Douglas family.
"Mr. Cross, who's this?" Frank Douglas asked, spotting Amanda.
"She's my girlfriend, Amanda," Daniel introduced.
Frank smiled warmly. "Welcome to my home, Amanda. What kind of food do you like? I'll have the kitchen prepare lunch for you."
The grandeur of the mansion was a little intimidating to Amanda. Her expression was guarded, but she managed a polite smile. "Thank you, Mr. Douglas, but I don't have much of an appetite right now."
Daniel quickly cut to the point. "Frank, we're here to see Tanusha. We need to ask her something."
Frank noticed Amanda's pale, worried face and put two and two together. "Amanda's been cursed." His expression immediately darkened. "Then you should see her as soon as possible."
...
Inside the room, Tanusha remained restrained on the bed, her old bite guard replaced -- likely because she had chewed through the first one. When Daniel arrived, she no longer struggled violently, though the hatred that once burned in her eyes had dimmed to cautious curiosity.
Daniel dismissed the nurse who had been guarding her and removed the bite guard.
"Have the Brotherhood of Saints made any new movements?" Tanusha asked right away.
*****
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