Chapter 8

When Randy placed the breakfast in front of Carrie, she had relaxed a bit from sitting for so long and gratefully said, "Thank you."

"If you feel tired, you can rest upstairs for a while. It's fine to go to school later in the afternoon," Randy casually suggested.

"No, no," Carrie hastily refused. Though she was quite tired, the presence of another person made her uncomfortable. Furthermore, if Margaret found out she skipped school, she'd likely face even harsher punishment.

Truthfully, Carrie envied Randy a bit. He was free, didn't have to go to school, and no one was watching over him at home. He could eat whatever he wanted, including the bacon and buttered toast for breakfast, while Carrie only had vegetables and boiled eggs at home.

Her peers had phones, but her home didn't even have a decent electronic device. The only advanced piece of technology was a TV that only received church channels.

This isolation was another reason she was cut off from her peers, having no way to communicate with them.

The crispy bacon in her mouth was a delight, and Carrie enjoyed it immensely.

Seeing her enjoy the food so much, Randy served her more from the pan. "Eat more."

Randy had prepared a lot of breakfast, as his own depleted body needed nourishment.

"Thank you."

Carrie no longer hesitated to accept, having mostly lowered her guard. At her age of seventeen, there was a natural inclination towards peers.

"If your mother isn't home in the future, you can come over," Randy said.

Carrie paused for a moment but neither refused nor acknowledged it.

Randy didn't press further.

After finishing breakfast, Carrie stood up reluctantly.

"I really need to go to school now. If I'm late…"

"Hmm."

Randy nodded and followed her out.

Carrie still kept her head down, mounted her bike, and then noticed Randy closing the wooden gate of the yard as if he was also heading out.

"You…"

"Take me to town, just drop me at the school gate," Randy said.

Why not accept a ride? Especially since Randy shivered even taking a few steps.

Carrie hesitated, looking at her bike, feeling embarrassed.

"But…"

Seeing Randy's calm demeanor, she reluctantly nodded and offered him a hand.

"Alright, you can ride?"

"No, I'll sit on the back," Randy said.

Randy naturally sat on the back, but he didn't overstep, not reaching to hold Carrie's waist. Even normal physical contact would likely be difficult for Carrie to handle.

So Randy chose to hold the edge of the seat.

"What's wrong? Let's go?" Randy urged.

Carrie didn't respond immediately and took a while to start moving, her bike wobbling as she began to ride.

She felt a tingling sensation, as if static electricity was all over her, making her hair seem a bit disheveled.

Her nature made it hard for her to refuse, and she was rare to meet a peer she could converse with.

Carrie worried that her refusal might make the fragile connection awkward or even sever it.

"Let's avoid the main road and go through the small woods; it's faster," Randy suggested once they reached the intersection.

Avoiding camera surveillance.

"This…"

Go through the woods?

Carrie was concerned that Randy might have some strange intentions.

She glanced back warily.

Noting her apprehension, Randy explained:

"Unless you want the whole town to see, I don't mind. But do you want these rumors to reach your mother's ears?"

Carrie was startled. If her mother found out she was riding with a boy, she would surely be punished severely!

With this realization, Carrie felt a surge of gratitude towards Randy.

At least he was considerate of her situation.

So she pedaled harder.

Even trying to engage in conversation as she rode, though her comments were random.

"Randy… Do you know? I heard the woods can be dangerous."

Randy was momentarily startled by her comment.

"Why, are there bears and wolves?"

"No, no, not that… My mother told me that the woods and the town center have lost faith and are not protected by God. She said it's best to avoid the woods and the western part of the town."

Carrie spoke of her mother's warning, which was her primary rule.

Derby Town was large, divided into four areas: the bustling Central Town with the most people, the coastal Upper Town where the wealthy lived, the somewhat old Western Town, and the Eastern Suburbs near the coast where Randy's and Carrie's homes were located.

Carrie continued thoughtfully.

"Other rumors I've heard from classmates say there's a very dark tunnel by the creek in the woods, where a clown lives… It seems that every twenty years or so, it comes out to catch and eat children."

A clown that comes out every twenty years to catch children?

Randy found this scenario somewhat familiar, as many urban legends had similar origins.

"I like to read books, and when I researched the town's history, I found that there are indeed a lot of cases of children disappearing every twenty years…"

As Carrie spoke, she glanced at the eerie woods around them, feeling an uncanny sensation as if being watched.

Especially as the wind rustled the leaves occasionally.

Carrie suddenly felt a chill, speeding up her bike.

"Forget it, let's not talk about that."

Carrie forced herself not to think about the terrifying legend, but an image of a creepy clown stubbornly persisted in her mind, her fear spreading like a virus throughout her body.

The surrounding temperature seemed to drop.

The light was blocked by the tall branches, and the environment grew more ominous.

So she started praying quietly.

"God bless, Holy Spirit bless…"

Sitting on the back, Randy furrowed his brow slightly, noticing a peculiar dark aura around Carrie.

Randy turned around and saw that, without her noticing, a red balloon had followed them closely.

The balloon had a crooked message written on it.

"Keep talking, I'm listening."

Randy extended his hand, which began to spark with electric light.

The balloon seemed to sense danger and immediately hovered in place. Once it was at a safe distance from the bike, it exploded with a 'pop.'

Carrie, focused on her bike, suddenly looked up and stopped.

"Randy, did you hear something?"

"Probably just a branch hitting something. Definitely not a flat tire," Randy explained, scanning the surrounding woods.

A monster hiding in a small town like Derby? Truly a place of wonders!