[Chapter 17: The Amityville Horror]
"One hundred thousand?" Kathy's eyes widened in surprise.
She quickly did the math. "All our family savings, plus stocks, and if we sell the car and some valuables, it adds up to roughly eighty thousand."
Daniel paused, then nodded. "Alright, eighty thousand then."
Although he still had over a hundred grand saved up, the costs of exorcism materials were exorbitant; the money wouldn't stretch far.
"You'll need to pay a twenty-thousand-dollar deposit upfront. If I don't solve your family's problem, that deposit is fully refundable," Daniel added firmly.
Kathy agreed quickly. "Okay, but I have to head to the bank first."
...
Half an hour later, after receiving the $20,000 advance, Daniel stood up, ready. "Let's get going. I want to see your house."
After tidying up a bit and locking the shop, he got into his Cadillac and followed Kathy's car.
More than half an hour later, Kathy's car pulled into a sprawling estate.
Daniel hit the brakes and stopped, deciding not to drive in just yet.
From a single glance, he saw the house was shrouded in dark, grayish spiritual energy -- the unmistakable aura of malevolent presence.
This house was definitely haunted. More than that, the ghost was no ordinary spirit.
A dull headache throbbed in Daniel's temples. This job wasn't going to be easy.
After a moment's hesitation, he drove his car into the yard nonetheless.
The property was large, with front and back gardens easily covering several thousand square feet.
But there was a slight sense of neglect; the grounds looked a little unkempt.
...
"Mr. Cross, this way," Kathy said as she got out and led him inside.
Daniel frowned as he glanced upward at the roofline, sensing intensified spiritual disturbance above the house.
The dark energy inside was far stronger than outside.
Upon entering, a chill washed over him -- even though circulating spiritual power in his body shielded him from the cold's full effect.
No one else was in sight.
"Where are your husband and kids?" Daniel asked.
Kathy answered, "My two sons are at school. The youngest daughter's not old enough for school yet -- she's upstairs in her room. And my husband is probably down in the basement."
"Chelsea, Chelsea..." Kathy called out softly.
Soon, a small girl, around three or four years old, appeared at the bottom of the staircase, clutching a doll.
"Mommy, you're back," she said sweetly.
Daniel observed the child carefully. She too carried faint traces of this dark energy, though it was subtle.
Kathy asked, "What are you doing?"
Chelsea replied innocently, "I'm talking with Judy."
Kathy shrugged. "Judy's a friend Chelsea talks about, but I've never seen her."
"Take me to see."
...
Together, they went upstairs to Chelsea's room.
The room was decorated warmly for a young girl, cozy and inviting.
Yet in Daniel's eyes, the space was ensnared by shadowy energy.
The heaviest concentration seemed to be around the wardrobe.
Noticing Daniel staring, Chelsea asked, "Can you see Judy too?"
He patted her head gently. "Is Judy inside the wardrobe?"
Chelsea nodded.
Kathy's face paled. "I checked in there; there's no one inside."
Daniel strode to the wardrobe and grasped the handle.
With a firm pull, the doors swung open, revealing rows of clothes hanging neatly.
From behind the middle garment, a pale little head peeked out.
The girl was about Chelsea's age, her skin as white as parchment, a gruesome bloody hole on her right forehead exposing raw flesh beneath.
She glanced briefly at Daniel, then quickly ducked back into the shadows behind the clothes.
Silently, Daniel closed the wardrobe door and stepped back to the doorway.
Kathy hurried, "Did you see Judy?"
Daniel said nothing. Instead, he asked, "You said your husband is in the basement?"
"Yes," Kathy replied uneasily.
"Why is he down there?"
"He told me he feels cold upstairs but warm down in the basement."
Daniel's face hardened. "How much did you pay for this house?"
"Eighty thousand," Kathy answered nervously.
Daniel's expression darkened even further.
He returned to the wardrobe, opened it again, and whispered, "Come here."
After a tense moment, Judy, with the bloody hole on her forehead, timidly emerged from the clothes.
She seemed wary of Daniel, casting him furtive glances before lowering her gaze.
"Has anyone bad ever forced you to hurt others?" Daniel asked gently.
Judy glanced left and right, then nodded.
'Damn it,' Daniel cursed silently.
He knew exactly which horror story had crossed into reality.
Closing the wardrobe once more, Daniel turned to Kathy, "Before you moved in, was there a murder here?"
"Yes," Kathy nodded. "Before us, a man named Ronald killed his parents, wife, and kids in this very house -- six people in total. Now it seems my husband is turning into Ronald. I'm scared he'll do the same."
"I hired an exorcist to perform a cleansing ritual here," she continued, voice shaking. "But he was scared off before he could finish. No matter what, he refuses to come back."
Daniel's face tightened. 'Just as I suspected.'
He probed further, "Are your three children from your ex-husband, not your current one?"
Kathy blinked in surprise. "How did you...?"
He didn't answer. He was certain now.
This tragedy mirrored the plot of the horror film The Amityville Horror.
...
The movie was reportedly based on a factual case -- that a man murdered his six family members, claiming a mysterious force compelled him.
Despite his testimony, the court sentenced him severely.
A year later, a couple moved into the million-dollar mansion with their three kids, though they bought it for only $80,000.
Afterward, strange events began.
The story goes deeper: the house was once owned by a sinister pastor named Jeremiah.
Jeremiah was cruel -- he built cells in the basement to imprison Native Americans.
Many suffered, dying horribly, filling the place with restless, wronged spirits.
When Jeremiah died, his soul remained trapped, unable to move on.
But his evil lingered. Anyone who moved in would fall under his control, forced to commit brutal murders.
Ronald was the first, now Kathy's husband seemed to be following the same horrific path.
It took just 28 days for once-vibrant men to become Jeremiah's puppets -- the executioners of his will.
Victims died, and their souls joined Jeremiah's legion of torment, forced to kill again.
According to the movie, Jeremiah was no ordinary specter.
A malevolent entity like that must be powerful.
Daniel, only a third rank exorcist, doubted his chances.
Still, Jeremiah's power wasn't unlimited -- he couldn't kill directly but needed to control others, taking nearly a month to fully possess them.
'I can't be 100% sure I can take him down,' Daniel thought. 'But saving Kathy's family should be doable.'
After weighing risk against caution, Daniel settled on the safer path.
He was ready to fight -- but carefully.
*****
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