"Sheriff, is there any alternative road? Any detour that leads to the highway?" Jim asked as Daniel climbed into the passenger seat.
Boyd, his expression unreadable, replied, "Just keep driving forward, Jim. You can't miss it."
Jim snorted in frustration. "Fine. Let's try again."
The trailer pulled away, and the town slowly disappeared behind them.
For several minutes, silence filled the vehicle. Daniel watched everyone's reactions. Tabitha bit her lip. Jim's grip on the steering wheel was tight. Julie tapped her foot against the floor. Ethan hugged his toy close.
Daniel broke the silence, resting his elbow on the door and glancing sideways."You're all acting like you've seen a ghost." He gave a half smile. "And it's not even night yet."
Julie was the first to answer. "Before we met you, we saw a fallen tree blocking the road. Huge. Then a flock of crows started flying over us." She hesitated, staring out the window. "They looked like they were watching us. We passed by your motorhome again while trying to reach the highway. That's why my dad asked the sheriff if there was another way out."
"We just missed the exit, Julie. Stop scaring your brother," Jim said, eyes fixed on the road.
She shrugged, clearly upset by her father's tone, and started looking at her phone, retreating into her own world. Even while pretending to be bored, she was genuinely scared.
When the trailer was already far from town, Daniel took a deep breath. It was time to complete the mission.
"Well, everyone, I've got something not very encouraging to share." His serious tone caught everyone's attention.
"Either everyone in that town went crazy together… or we've got a much bigger problem than it looks like."
He paused longer than necessary.
"Just say it, Daniel. Stop stalling. What's the problem?" Jim said, a bad feeling settling in.
Daniel stopped hesitating and dropped the truth like a bucket of cold water.
"The sheriff told me that no one leaves that town." He crossed his arms and looked ahead. "The road repeats itself. Like the place is a closed circle. Once you're in, you don't get out."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Tabitha's eyes widened. "That's ridiculous." Even so, her voice faltered on the last word.
Jim let out a short, nervous laugh. "Oh, sure. And I'm Santa Claus."
"I didn't believe it either," Daniel said evenly. "But he told me that if I wanted proof, I just had to wait. That you'd come back along the same road."
Julie stared at him. "And that was enough to make you believe?"
He shrugged. "I believe what I see. You came back, and now we're leaving again. If we come back one more time…" He let the sentence trail off.
Jim ran a hand through his hair harder than necessary. "This makes no sense. There has to be a logical explanation."
"Maybe there is. But the sheriff seemed pretty convinced. He said everyone in town saw the fallen tree and the crows, and after that, they were stuck there."
Ethan curled into his seat. "Are we stuck here forever?"
"Of course not, champ," Jim replied too quickly. "We're getting out of here. I just need to find the right road." When he finished, he shot an irritated look at Daniel.
But the doubt had already been planted.
The trailer continued in heavy silence. Minutes later, the trees began to look familiar.
And then it was there. Daniel's motorhome was parked in the same spot.
"Dad… this is the same road," Julie said, her heart racing.
Jim didn't answer. His knuckles were white against the steering wheel, his jaw clenched tight.
Tabitha covered her mouth, eyes wide. "Jim…"
Ethan hugged his mother, eyes still fixed on the road.
Daniel simply watched, letting reality speak for itself.
[Mission completed: Be the first to tell the Matthews family that there is no way out of the town.]
[Reward received: 300 silver coins, 1 attribute point, 2 skill points.]
[Congratulations. Now they hate you and the sheriff. Maximum efficiency.]
With the mission complete, he now had six skill points, which he decided to allocate to the most useful ability at the moment.
[📡Danger Wi-Fi, Level 1 (5/5)]
Type: Active
Uses: 2 times per day
Description: Emits an energy that detects creatures within a 50-meter radius. Hostile entities are marked in red, peaceful ones in white.
Effect: Creates a mini map for 1 minute.
The skill glowed blue in Daniel's mental interface, and a new notification appeared.
[📡Danger Wi-Fi, Level 2 (0/15)]
Type: Active
Uses: 3 times per day
Description: Releases enhanced energy that detects creatures within a 100-meter radius. Works on physical creatures or spiritual entities with a strong physical link to the environment.
Effect: Creates a mini map for 2 minutes.
Additional effect: Differentiates movement patterns, slow, fast, stealthy.
[Now you can tell if something is running at you or just crawling over for a hug. Comforting.]
He smirked, feeling the weight of the skill settle into his mind. "That's going to be useful."
[As long as you don't trip while staring at the mini map like a lost NPC.]
"Thanks for the confidence."
After the update, Daniel received information about the skill.
Now he could detect spiritual entities. Too bad he still couldn't distinguish them clearly on the map. Still, with further investment in the skill, that goal seemed within reach.
He also couldn't blindly trust the skill, since a peaceful creature could quickly turn aggressive. The skill only showed its state in real time.
After passing Daniel's vehicle, the family continued in silence. Jim kept driving, his face set, as if he could force reality to change through sheer willpower.
Then, in the distance, the roar of an engine at high speed echoed behind them.
Jim glanced at the rearview mirror, frowning. "What the hell…"
A black sedan appeared on the road, swerving violently. It looked like the driver was drunk or had lost control.
"Dad?" Julie leaned forward, alarmed.
"Hold on!" Jim yanked the wheel hard, his arm trembling as he tried to push the trailer to the side of the road.
But the car kept coming. Out of control. Too fast.
The impact came with a loud metallic crash. The sedan slammed into the rear side of the trailer, throwing the vehicle sideways. Jim tried to correct the direction, but it was too late.
The trailer veered off the road. Trees rushed toward them.
Damn it, what rotten luck, Daniel thought, bracing himself in the seat.
The trailer hit hard, the front smashing into a thick tree. Daniel wasn't wearing a seatbelt and was hurled forward, his forehead slamming into the glass with a sharp impact.
Pain came in waves. Hot. Pulsing. He felt something running down his forehead, warm and sticky.
Everything spun. The world blurred, as if someone had placed a filter over reality.
[Hey, hey, hey. Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. You didn't die again. You just bonked your head.]
The System's sarcastic voice cut through the mental fog like a blade.
[Though, considering your luck, I suggest you start wearing a helmet.]
Distant voices echoed around him, muffled, like they were coming from underwater.
"Is everyone okay?" Jim's voice sounded tense and worried.
"I'm okay, Dad!" Ethan said shakily but consciously. He hadn't been hurt because Tabitha had shielded him during the crash.
"Mom passed out!" Julie cried, panic in her voice as she looked at her mother.
Daniel blinked, trying to focus. His head throbbed like someone was hammering inside his skull. He raised a hand to his forehead and felt warm blood sliding between his fingers.
Great. First day in hell and I'm already bleeding.
He turned slowly, every movement amplifying the pain. He saw Jim unbuckle and move toward Tabitha, who lay unconscious in the back seat. Julie held her mother's hand, tears filling her eyes.
Daniel took a deep breath, ignoring the dizziness threatening to knock him over. He checked his reflection in the mirror and saw the wound wasn't serious. Then he moved toward Ethan, who was frozen, staring at his mother.
"You okay, champ?" His voice came out rougher than he expected.
Ethan didn't answer. Tears streamed down his face.
Daniel positioned himself in front of him, blocking the view of his unconscious mother. "Hey. Look at me."
Ethan hesitated, then lifted his red, watery eyes to meet Daniel's.
"Your dad is taking care of your mom. She's going to be fine. Now tell me, how are you? Did you hurt anything?"
He shook his head, wiping his tears with his sleeve. "I just… hit my arm."
"Let me see."
Daniel examined the boy's arm quickly, fingers pressing gently to check for anything wrong. Nothing serious. Just a bruise that would show up later.
"See? You're fine. You're tough, you know that?"
Ethan gave a small, shaky smile.
"Your dad needs to take care of your mom right now, so I need you to be brave for him. Can you do that?"
He nodded, his breathing still uneven but steadying.
Daniel patted his shoulder and turned to Julie. "And you? Are you okay?"
She wiped her tears quickly. "I am… I think." Then her eyes widened. "Daniel, your forehead is bleeding!"
"It's nothing. Just a superficial cut. I'm fine."
He took off his leather jacket, then his white shirt, and used it to wrap around his head. The fabric quickly stained red with blood.
He moved closer to Tabitha, who lay with Jim on one side and Julie on the other.
"How is she?"
He watched her breathing carefully.
"I think she just fainted. There's no visible bleeding, but we need to take her to a hospital for tests," Jim said, relieved to see she was still breathing, though worry lingered in his eyes.
"How are we supposed to take Mom to a hospital if we're stuck in this place?" Julie's voice rose higher than she intended, making everyone tense.
They had all seen how small that town was. It didn't look like it had quality medical care.
"We are not really trapped. Stop panicking," Jim snapped, exhausted by the topic. "Those people might all be crazy."
"We still need to go back to town. There's no signal here, and we don't know Tabitha's condition. There might be doctors there," Daniel said, already thinking of Kristi, probably the only doctor in town.