The night was dark, the cold wind howling as it swept past.
Snowflakes slipped into the gaps of her clothes, chilling her to the bone and making her shiver.
But the cold in her body was nothing compared to the icy dread in her heart.
In the pitch-black night, the faint moonlight offered little comfort. The dim, flickering shadows only fueled her imagination, making every corner seem like a hiding spot for that masked creep.
Ellen was consumed with worry, her heart frozen with fear.
After barely escaping with her life, Ellen's respect for the dangers of the world had skyrocketed. That attack in the dark had left a deep scar on her psyche.
Why were all the other evil spirits so insanely powerful?
And why was she stuck being so weak and helpless?
It wasn't fair. She wished she could wake up tomorrow to find every evil spirit's power nerfed by a hundred, while she somehow kept her strength.
Then she'd be the one making a comeback.
If Barry could hear Ellen's daydreams, he'd probably roast her hard: Kid, even if their power dropped a hundred times, you're still too weak to mess with the big dogs.
Ellen's eyes darted around nervously as she clutched the little scarecrow tightly. Her steps were unsteady as she trudged toward the highway, her mind racing with paranoid thoughts.
"What if he's out there, waiting to ambush us? Hiding in some dark corner?" she asked, her voice trembling with worry.
"Heh heh heh! You nailed it. Jason's been trailing us this whole time, lurking just behind us. He's watching you… and he'll keep watching, forever," Barry said, letting out a creepy chuckle before putting on a mock-serious tone to mess with her.
"…You're joking, right? Like before?" Ellen's face froze. She was on the verge of tears but forced a shaky smile, trying to stay calm.
"Guess."
"I'm guessing you're joking."
"Am I?"
"Y-Yeah, right?"
"Truth is, I don't even know," Barry admitted.
"You don't know?!" Ellen's voice shot up an octave.
Up ahead, she could see more light—finally, the exit was in sight.
Ellen quickened her pace, practically sprinting out of the woods. She glanced back over her shoulder.
Ha! Nothing there.
Some of the gloom in her heart lifted. All she had to do was get back to the Porsche, drive home, take a hot shower, and crash. Everything would be fine.
"Relax, kid. Your Uncle Barry gave that punk Jason a beatdown he won't forget! He's the one who should be hiding, not us," Barry said, leaping into the air with a 720-degree spin before landing gracefully in the Porsche's seat.
"Wait for me!" Ellen called, hurrying to open the car door and slide in. Barry's words calmed her nerves a bit.
She turned to check on Lily, reaching out to feel her friend's breath.
Warm!
Lily was alive—not dead, just knocked out. Other than being unconscious, she seemed okay.
"What do we do now?" Ellen asked, sitting in the passenger seat, her mind still reeling.
Barry was stumped for a moment.
The Porsche's front end was crumpled, one headlight was busted, and the windshield was half-shattered.
How were they supposed to explain this?
Call the cops and say they hit someone?
But where was the guy?
What, tell the police they hit some jacked-up dude who'd been training in hell for decades, got launched into the air, and then just got up and ran off?
Yeah, that'd get them labeled as lunatics or drug addicts.
Or maybe they could just say—everything's fine, nothing happened, the car just decided to off itself.
And when Lily woke up, she'd definitely lose it, screaming and demanding to know what happened after the crash.
After a moment of thought, Barry spoke up.
"When Lily wakes up, just tell her this: 'I've taken care of everything, so don't worry. This stays between us. As long as you keep quiet and act like nothing happened, no trouble will come our way. I cleaned up the mess perfectly—no one else will ever know.'"
Ellen nodded, totally on board. No trouble, super efficient—just her style.
Poor Lily, though. But if it was just her taking the hit, that was basically no cost at all, right?
Perfect. Too perfect.
A wicked grin crept across Ellen's face. Oh, she loved this plan.
With some effort, she dragged Lily into the passenger seat and buckled her in.
Ellen started the car, pressed the button to raise the convertible's soft top, shielding them from the wind and snow while adding a bit of security.
Seconds later, the car rolled forward, heading back the way they came.
Soft pop music flowed from the car's speakers.
Half a minute later, a gaunt, towering figure stepped out of the darkness, staring intently at the Porsche, now just a tiny black dot in the distance.
Moonlight illuminated his face—a cracked white hockey mask.
…
On the drive back to the city, Lily started to stir, groggy at first.
She was silent for a moment, then panicked, then let out a scream. Finally, she stammered, asking what happened after she passed out.
Ellen, using Barry's script, delivered a cryptic explanation.
Lily was stunned, her hand trembling as she clutched her phone.
Oh my God, Maria went to that length for me?
It was terrifying… but also kind of touching.
From that day on, Lily decided Maria was her ride-or-die bestie for life.
Laughing and crying, Lily eventually accepted the situation.
Sisters forever, no words needed.
After a tight hug goodbye, Ellen finally made it back to her massive, sprawling mansion.
At home, her mom, Amy, worriedly asked why she was such a mess—dirty and disheveled. Had something bad happened?
Ellen just shrugged and said she'd been playing a big hide-and-seek game.
Her mom was speechless but eventually just wished her luck having fun next time.
Her once-timid daughter had grown up so fast, even joining activities now. As a mom, Amy felt nothing but pride and relief.
Relief that it wasn't some fighting competition—her heart couldn't handle that kind of stress.
At 10:50 p.m., Barry was swimming laps in a steaming bathtub—butterfly, doggy paddle, breaststroke.
When he got bored of splashing around, he just floated on his back, staring at the ceiling.
Meanwhile, Ellen stood in front of a mirror, where Maria's reflection stared back after half a day of absence.
"Hey! Who are you? Get out of my body!" Maria shouted, pounding on the mirror with both hands.
Ellen calmly rinsed her mouth, pretending she didn't see a thing.
"Barry! Barry! Are you there?" Maria called toward the bathtub, her voice desperate, trying to get his attention.
Barry floated like a dead fish, staring blankly at the ceiling. It had been an exhausting day. His straw body could handle it, but mentally, he was wiped out.
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