Chapter 5: The Outcast
Edward glanced at Frank with a cocky grin, his face full of dismissal. "Dude, no offense, but I'm not going to a concert with another guy. I already asked Jennifer."
Upon hearing this, Frank was offended. He reached out to punch Edward's shoulder, complaining, "Edward, that's cold! I thought we were bros?"
The two of them bantered as they casually walked toward school.
The morning sun cast a golden glow over everything like a warm blanket. The trees lining the street were full and green, their branches swaying gently in the breeze, rustling softly as if gossiping about the everyday drama at school.
As they walked, a scene up ahead caught their attention.
A slender blonde girl was being pushed and shoved by a group of punks. Under their harassment, she stumbled like a helpless leaf in the wind, about to fall.
Her delicate face showed terror and helplessness; her bright eyes were now filled with fear and panic.
Edward and Frank instinctively exchanged glances, and in that shared look, they both understood what needed to be done.
Almost simultaneously, Edward and Frank locked eyes, minds in sync, and rushed toward the group of bullies without hesitation.
Edward, full of righteous energy, shouted loudly, "Hey! What the hell are you doing! Knock it off right now! Let go of that girl—let me at her!"
Frank looked at Edward with a bewildered expression, as if to say, "Bro, what are you even saying? This isn't the time for jokes!"
Edward realized his slip-up, gave an awkward laugh, and quickly corrected himself, "My bad, my bad. Got too excited and my mouth ran ahead of my brain."
The punks, who had been freely pushing the girl around, enjoying their cruel entertainment, hadn't expected Edward and Frank to suddenly intervene.
They sized up the two aggressive figures in front of them. Though they were full of attitude, they were also wary of the pair's threatening approach, realizing that if it came to blows, they might not come out on top.
After weighing their options, they could only curse and swear while reluctantly turning to leave, muttering things like "Whatever, not worth it" under their breath.
Edward quickly stepped forward, looking at the girl with concern, his eyes full of worry. "Are you okay?" The girl trembled slightly, like a startled deer, and softly replied, "I-I'm fine." Her voice carried a slight shake, as if she hadn't fully recovered from the scare.
Frank offered a friendly smile and introduced himself, "I'm Frank, and this is Edward. What's your name?" The girl hesitated, seeming a little frightened, and whispered, "Carrie White."
(Carrie - Carrie 1976 version)
Upon hearing the name, Frank's expression instantly changed, and he blurted out, "Carrie!?" Edward looked at Frank with a puzzled expression, confused. "What's wrong?" Frank froze, realizing his mistake, and covered, "Nothing, let's go, we're gonna be late."
Edward looked at Carrie again, and noticed the school crest pinned to her jacket, which was identical to his own.
So he spoke kindly, "Carrie, since we go to the same school, why don't we walk together? You're from Chamberlain High too, right?"
Carrie seemed startled, instinctively taking a step back, a flicker of panic in her eyes. She slightly lowered her head and whispered, "No, I'll be fine on my own."
As soon as she finished speaking, she hurried forward, her footsteps quick as she left, abandoning Edward and Frank standing there.
Edward watched Carrie's retreating figure, then turned to Frank, asking suspiciously, "Frank, what was that all about?"
Frank's expression was uncomfortable, his eyes darting around as he stammered, "Uh, it's nothing major, it's just... I've heard some weird rumors about her before."
"Weird rumors? Like what?" Edward's curiosity was fully activated, and he pressed for details eagerly.
Frank cautiously looked left and right, making sure no one was around, then lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Some people say Carrie is kind of... creepy."
"You know, her mom is this intense religious nut and controls her like crazy."
"Before, some kids at school messed with her, and later they all had really bad luck happen to them, like they were cursed or something."
Edward remembered who she was after hearing Frank's description.
Carrie's mother, Margaret White, was deeply entrenched in extreme religious fundamentalism. That twisted faith had shaped her personality into something prejudiced and nearly pathological.
Her religious devotion had reached an obsessive level. In her narrow and warped worldview, anything related to sexuality, adolescence, and normal female biology was considered "sinful," as if these natural things were blasphemies against her faith.
In that suffocating household, Margaret exercised nearly abusive control over Carrie.
She was like a cruel warden, forbidding Carrie from normal social interaction with the outside world, completely isolating her daughter from the vibrant life beyond their door. In Margaret's eyes, Carrie was merely an object to be controlled and hidden away.
The "prayer closet" in their home was so small it could barely fit one person curled up, its walls cold and unforgiving, like an invisible prison.
Whenever Carrie made even the slightest "mistake"—things that would be trivial to normal people—Margaret would mercilessly lock her in that closet.
In that dark space, Carrie was forced to endure her mother's hysterical religious lectures, constantly repenting in fear and despair, every word like a hammer blow against her fragile psyche.
Day after day, year after year, Margaret used obscure scripture like poison, continuously brainwashing Carrie, painting the entire world as a pit of temptation and sin.
She tried to use this method to make Carrie completely submit to her twisted control from the soul outward, molding Carrie's thoughts and actions to her own warped will.
Living under such horrific psychological oppression from her mother for so long, Carrie White had become extremely insecure and timid, like a small bird trapped in a dark corner.
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