"What about during the day? Is it dangerous then?" Ruboo inquired.
"By day... it's bearable, but there's still this indescribable sense of dread," Andy replied, his voice still trembling with lingering fear. "The families with means have all moved away during this period. Only those of us who've become so destitute we can't afford food after leaving are still gritting our teeth and staying put."
"Truth be told, we did try. When those thieves couldn't be caught immediately, the townspeople pooled their resources to cast an identical golden arm. But when we plucked up the courage to deliver the new golden arm to Heather's grave, we discovered the corpse had vanished."
At this point, recalling the terrifying scene, Andy downed a large glass of whisky before continuing:
"Despite our fear, we decided to leave the arm there, hoping Heather would find it upon her return. To everyone's dismay, the nighttime footsteps and howls persisted. When we returned the next day, the new golden arm was still there—but it had been broken into several pieces."
"Heather wouldn't accept it. The only thing she wanted was the genuine golden arm."
Ruboo glanced at the genuine golden arm in his backpack and said calmly, "So, since the incident, Heather's body has remained missing, hasn't it? Even during the day?"
"Yes! Just as she once took an axe to her husband who had stolen her golden arm. Only this time, she finds no rest."
"I see."
Ruboo then asked several more questions.
Such as where Heather was buried, where she had lived before her death, and so on.
Once he had gathered sufficient information, he took his leave amidst Andy's expectant gaze.
...
"It's now confirmed that the malevolent spirit cursing us is Heather. She possesses a physical form, though it remains invisible during daylight hours." Ruboo returned to Madison's side and stated, "As Andy suggested, Heather becomes far more dangerous at night. Coupled with the fact that both you and I bear the curse, our best course of action is to locate Heather while it's still daylight and eliminate her once and for all."
Madison agreed. "Evil spirits seldom stray far from where they lived. Heather's former home, the graveyard, places she frequented in life—search those thoroughly and we'll find her."
"If all else fails, there's always this." Ruboo patted the golden arm in his backpack. "I imagine Heather would be 'grateful' enough to reveal herself if she knew we'd returned her golden arm."
"Quite right," Madison remarked with a slight frown. "Let's depart immediately. Once we've dealt with that spectre, we should leave without delay. The uncouth locals, the dreadful decor, the dreadful spirits—everything here is utterly tedious."
Ruboo nodded in agreement.
The pair left the bar and were about to get into the car.
A policeman in a camel-coloured uniform and a cowboy hat suddenly appeared, blocking their path. "You two look unfamiliar around here. Just passing through, or what?"
Alpina County had such a small population that outsiders stood out like sore thumbs.
Generally speaking, local police officers will question outsiders for safety reasons when they see them.
After all, the American heartland is a land of great men and splendid scenery—who knows what sort of character might arrive here?
Ruboo remained silent, leaving everything to the charming Madison.
"I hear Alpina County boasts rather splendid scenery," Madison explained with a smile. "My boyfriend and I are planning to explore the area..."
The officer quickly relaxed his guard and replied warmly, "My dear, I hope you'll create some wonderful memories here."
As they departed, he handed Madison a business card, assuring her to call anytime should she need assistance.
Watching the officer drive away in his patrol car, Madison casually tossed the card aside before getting into the car. "Let's go."
Ruboo started the engine.
The tyres rolled over the card as they headed towards Green Town.
...
Enveloped by sugar maples and red oaks, Green Town appeared from the outside to be a picturesque spot, quite suitable for camping holidays.
Yet when Ruboo and Madison arrived, they encountered a desolate and eerily quiet scene.
Occasionally, a solitary figure would appear in their field of vision, hurrying along with a look of panic, paying no heed whatsoever to the unfamiliar faces that had appeared here.
Words proved inadequate; only witnessing it firsthand could truly convey the reality of the town ravaged by malevolent spirits, as Andy had described.
Armed with concrete intelligence, Ruboo and Madison bypassed the residents entirely, heading straight for the first target Andy had mentioned: Heather Cemetery.
Though it was daytime, the rows of tombstones still lent the graveyard an eerie atmosphere.
Of course, such is the case everywhere in the world.
Except for war memorials.
Upon alighting, Ruboo's face grew tense, and Madison, previously relaxed, became utterly serious.
Though Fiona had imparted a solution, having personally endured the curse of the malevolent spirit—and now facing the entity itself—they dared not be complacent.
Arriving at the grave site the villagers had rebuilt for Heather, they could see the earth behind the headstone had been dug up, the coffin exposed, its occupant long since vanished.
"Anything to report?" Ruboo inquired of Madison.
Though she lacked the ability to see spirits, the witch's heightened senses allowed her to detect clues invisible to ordinary people.
"The same aura as the cursed corpse we encountered, only far more potent," Madison observed gravely, scanning the graveyard. "It doesn't appear to be here at present."
"Not here? Seems I'll have to resort to my methods then."
Unwilling to wait until nightfall, Ruboo unzipped his rucksack, drew out the golden arm, and waved it about while calling out loudly,
"Hey! Miss Heather, I've brought your golden arm. Come and get it!"
A cold wind howled, stirring the fallen leaves across the graveyard.
Several minutes passed without a sound.
"Clearly, it's rather far off at the moment," Ruboo remarked, setting the golden arm down. "I'd imagined it would just whoosh into view before us."
"Generally speaking, spirits are far less potent by daylight than at night," Madison explained. "Since it hasn't left the town, its range is limited. If it's not in the graveyard, we'll head to its former home next."
"Of course."
Ruboo retracted his golden arm and started the car once more.
Before long, a dust-covered house appeared before them, looking as though it had been uninhabited for a very long time.
This was the former home of the Hathers.
Ever since the gruesome incident where the husband was found brutally murdered inside, with Heather's body clutching the golden arm sleeping beside him, no one had dared take over the property. People wouldn't even approach it, leaving it vacant until now.
The engine cut out with a click.
Ruboo and Madison stepped out of the vehicle, pushed open the dust-covered door, and had just entered inside.
Just as Ruboo was about to repeat his trick and produce the golden arm,
A familiar, chilling voice cut through the air:
"Hiss... My... golden arm!"