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 the remate and pressed

could only watch helplessly as

this, her eyes darted to

the concrete dried quickly. Stephanie ran frantically after the drone, splashing water and getting her pants dirty. Finally,

drone on the ground, tempted

She fiddled with

button.

drone ripped across the concrete, turned on a dime, and even shot up into the air

wasn’t so hard to

and decided to put it

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

startled. She

The husky was probably a pet from one of

controlled the electric toy, making the drone fly erratically up and down. The energetic husky

PM &

Chapter 270

catch it until it eventually got tired, panting with its tongur hanging out.

it would return soon, so she brought the drone down to ground level. making it zigzag in 5 and 2 shapes. Her original plan was to continue playing with the dog to pass the time

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

grass.

year old, with soft skin and dressed in a cute little Spider–Man nutit. His big curious eyes were locked

Stephanie froze, watching

The todiller, a bit wobbly on his feet, toddled towards her and

completely

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

full of energy, had brought Andy over to hang our with Stephanie

his tiny finger pointing towards an empty

on the ground with her back

you doing“”

crept onto her cheeks as she tried to tuck the remote behind her back like a kid caught

her head and gave herself

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

hadn’t meant to let him get dirty, but a little

finally noticed the boy, maybe five or six, standing behind Molly. “And who’s this?” she asked. Andy, the boy she’d glanced at, suddenly blushed for no apparent reason, his little face turning bright

at Andy, even more speechless. She couldn’t believe that

have preschool. Scott has something to discuss with Dominick

Stephanie heard the name “Dominick“, her expression noticeably

wanted. His small hands wrapped around