Crossroads

Chapter 270

Last night. Stephanie was kept up for most of the night by the crazy person upstairs. Thankfully, he quieted down after midnight. Otherwise, she might have gone upstairs to give him a piece of her mind.

She couldn’t shake off the residents stories about the haunted Room 402. Combined with the noise from above, she ended up and spent the whole night having nightmares.

with frayed nerven

In her dream, she was in a spacious, unfamiliar room. The room was empty except for a large white bed in the center, and she was tied to it, unable to move her limbs.

Stephanie struggled in fear, but the ropes were thick and firmly bound her hands and feet. She couldn’t break free. A dark figure then entered the room, but she couldn’t see his face dearly, likely because she was restrained. From the angle of her position, the figure seemed extremely tall and

terrifying.

“Who are you! Are you trying to hurt me! What did I do to offend you!” She tried to stay calm and negotiate. “If I really did something wrong. I apologize. Ill make it up to you. You can ask whatever you want.”

But the person just stood silently by the bedside, not saying a word.

Finally, Stephanie couldn’t suppress her fear and screamed, “Hurt me if you want. I don’t care about the pain or suffering Just give me back my children. They’re just babies. Please, don’t hurt them just give them back!”

She then woke up with tears still streaming down her face.

Stephanie sat up, leaning against the headboard in a daze. Ever since that night, nightmares had become a nightly ritual, a terror that seeped into

Late her very bones.

She couldn’t forget what had happened, but whenever she tried to delve deeper, she was afraid to remember too clearly

She was trapped in this conflicting emotion, like being lost in a maze, unable to find her way out. Fear and anxiety gnawed at her, her spirit nearly shattered. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold on or what she was even living for anymore,

Stephanie grabbed the medicine from her bedside table and took a pill without caring if it was on an empty stomach.

She closed her eyes, silently repeating her prayer in her mind. She didn’t dare speak the words aloud, convinced that saying them might somehow negate their power. It wasn’t superstition, just pure fear.

Stephanie knew she couldn’t wallow in misery. She jumped out of bed, freshened up, and threw open all the windows, flooding the house with sunlight and a renewed sense of life.

The air was crisp after last night’s downpour. She inhaled deeply changed into her running clothes, and decided to jog around the block. A little exercise could work wonders for her mood.

The moment she depped outside, she spotted the white drone still sitting there.

“Who leaves an expensive toy like this lying around!” she wondered.

better of her She knelt down for a closer look and was impressed by the drone’s intricate design. She picked up

watch helplessly

She leaned against the window, anxiety grawing at her. Unsure how to fix this,

concrete dried quickly. Stephanie ran frantically after the drone, splashing water

toy drone on the ground, tempted to kick it

wasn’t hers to destroy. She fiddled with the remote

button.

across the concrete, turned on a dime, and even shot up into the air surprisingly fast. After playing around with it for a bit, she

it wasn’t so hard to control.

silly and decided to put it back in its place, a

was a husky, jumping as high as an adult, excitedly chasing the drone. It barked and bared its teeth, trying to bite it down.

startled. She n

minute, she calmed down. The husky was probably

mischievous grin. Stephanie controlled the electric toy, making the drone fly

&

Chapter 270

to catch it until it eventually got tired, panting with its

to ground level. making

from the neatly trimmed lawn ahead. She focused her attention, and a small head popped out

grass.

with soft skin and dressed in a cute little Spider–Man nutit.

Stephanie froze, watching

little visitor. The todiller, a bit wobbly on his feet, toddled towards

completely stunned.

sun playing peek–a–boo behind the clouds. It was a lovely Saturday morning, with plenty of people

brought Andy over to hang our with Stephanie for the

Molly’s sleeve, his tiny finger pointing towards an

her back to them. It was Stephanie,

are you doing“” Molly

looked up and recognized Molly Abhish crept onto her cheeks as she tried to tuck the remote behind her back like

head and gave herself

grown–up, yet she was still playing with an electric toy a and letting the baby crawl around

quite walking yet, Stephanie explained, feeling a bit flustered. She hadn’t meant to let

“And who’s this?” she asked. Andy, the boy she’d glanced at, suddenly blushed for no apparent

more speechless. She couldn’t believe that

he doesn’t have preschool. Scott has something to discuss with Dominick tonight, so

heard the name “Dominick“, her

wrapped around the drone, and he excitedly squealed