[Chapter 92: The Three-Phrase Ritual, A Special Type of Ghost]
When Daniel spoke those three phrases, Amy's eyes widened as shock washed over her. "You... you actually performed that ritual too?"
Daniel found this incredibly intriguing. He had only just stumbled upon those three phrases online, and now Amy was caught in trouble because of that very ritual. The coincidence felt uncanny -- as if some invisible force was orchestrating everything behind the scenes.
"Of course not," Daniel said. "You should never get involved in psychic games or mysterious rituals like that. It's like opening your body up and inviting ghosts to feast. You create a bond with that spirit, letting it see you, harm you, or even... consume you."
Amy's face drained of color. "What should I do now?"
"What happened after you performed the ritual?" Daniel asked.
"At first, nothing," Amy answered, "but that night, we all had the same dream. We were in the forest shown in the video. It was eerie, shrouded in mist. As I was about to explore, a shadow -- pitch black -- lunged at me, and I woke up terrified. The next day, I asked the others, and they all had the same nightmare."
A creeping familiarity stirred within Daniel. This was the plot of another classic horror movie playing out in real life.
"Did you see what that shadow looked like?" he inquired.
Amy hesitated. "Not clearly, but it matched the figure in the video -- it was tall, skinny, wearing a suit, but had no facial features; just an eerie pale face."
Her description clicked into place for Daniel. "Is the thing you summoned the Slender Man?"
"Yes. That's exactly it," Amy nodded.
No surprise there. The terrifying urban legend from online folklore and horror movies had bled into reality. The film Slender Man -- which centered on four young women who dared to summon the creature through a ritual found in a video -- was unfolding before them.
The story was painfully familiar and cliche. After performing the ritual, the girls suffered horrific fates -- one disappeared, two died gruesomely, and the last girl was left struggling in vain, eventually consumed by the Slender Man. Horror movies often followed this sequence: young protagonists facing supernatural terror alone, refusing to tell parents or call the authorities. They either met ghastly ends or survived by sheer luck.
But now, the nightmare wasn't fictional anymore.
At least Amy had reached out for help -- her father had brought her to Cross Hall, seeking Daniel's expertise.
...
"Mr. Daniel, you can save Amy, right?" Bane begged, hope flickering in his eyes.
Amy looked at Daniel with pleading, desperate eyes, clinging to the chance at survival.
Daniel remained thoughtful. According to the movie, the Slender Man was an entity straddling the line between ghost and physical being -- a unique paranormal menace. It stood tall and thin, with multiple tentacle-like appendages akin to Doctor Octopus, but more reminiscent of gnarled tree branches. It possessed a range of unsettling powers, too.
Still, Daniel felt confident he could handle this.
Meeting the hopeful gazes of the father and daughter, he nodded firmly. "One hundred thousand dollars, and I'll take care of this."
Bane, already familiar with Daniel's rates from prior inquiries, didn't hesitate. "Agreed."
Daniel laid out his terms: "A down payment of twenty thousand. The rest after the problem is resolved. If I fail, I'll refund the down payment."
With the check tucked away, Daniel said, "Let's go. I'll come with you to your house."
...
Clearly, Bane's family was wealthy; only those with resources could afford such a fee.
They arrived at the upscale neighborhood where Bane's immaculate home stood. The lawns were perfectly manicured, every shrub trimmed precisely. A local ordinance prohibited hanging laundry outdoors, so no clotheslines cluttered the yards.
After parking in Bane's garage, Daniel entered through a side door. Bane introduced his wife, and then gestured toward a family photo on the wall.
Daniel recalled from Slender Man that the movie's protagonist had a younger sister around ten years old -- just like Bane's daughter. In the film, the sister had watched the summoning video as well, becoming the next target after the main character's demise.
But did Amy's sister also take part in this ritual? Since she was still attending school regularly, she should have been fine. Yet, with forces like these involved, normal logic didn't apply.
Daniel turned to Amy. "Has your sister seen that video?"
Amy hesitated. "I don't think so..."
In the movie, the younger sister had been coerced into watching by one of Amy's friends. That friend ended up dragged away by the creature's tentacles and eventually died. Amy's friend had already passed away now, so if the storyline held true, her sister might have been exposed by now.
Daniel's expression darkened. "Bane, get in your car. We're going to your daughter's school. Amy, you're coming, too."
Bane's heart thumped wildly. "Mr. Daniel, Erin... she--"
"I don't know yet," Daniel interrupted. "We'll find out when we get there."
Bane's blood ran cold. His oldest daughter was already in danger; if Erin was also involved, the devastation would be unbearable.
Bane's wife panicked. "I'm coming, too."
...
The four rushed to the school. After some negotiation, they gained entry and quickly found Erin's classroom... but Erin wasn't there.
Panic set in deeper. Bane's wife was on the brink of tears, and Bane and Amy shared looks of dread.
The teacher said Erin had gone to the restroom about ten minutes earlier -- and hadn't returned.
She glanced at the clock, confusion growing. Seeing the Bane family's obvious distress, she asked, "Is something wrong with Erin?"
Daniel's face grew grim. Bathrooms, untidy and shadowy, were notorious gathering spots for dark energies and evil spirits. If Erin had indeed watched the video and performed the ritual, she was in serious trouble.
"Where's the restroom?" Daniel demanded in a low voice. "Take us there. Now."
*****
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