Chapter 6: Top Beauty in American Horror
Traces of this manor could be found online.
It wasn't called Rose Red, but rather a luxurious estate named Bly Manor, supposedly located in the English countryside.
Strangely, the website even had job postings for nannies and tutors, with a dedicated hiring manager.
So why did it appear on a road in Massachusetts?
It was all a mystery.
Danny recalled the card's notification, which mentioned traces of a haunted manor, not a specific person's name.
It seemed the manor itself was an entity, similar to a containment object.
This was somewhat like Silent Hill—a place that existed in multiple realities simultaneously.
However, it didn't matter as long as it didn't target Danny. He was researching it out of fear of violating some rule that could make him a target.
Facing such supernatural horror, he currently had no power to resist.
The next day.
Salem Public High School.
Danny had been taking frequent absences recently, but thanks to generous donations, all the administrators, including the principal, said it was fine. He even maintained excellent grades in all his courses.
Upon arriving at the classroom, he greeted his classmates.
Everyone responded enthusiastically, even more than usual, because school was about to break for summer vacation.
With several months of freedom ahead, everyone was discussing travel plans and vacation destinations.
Danny went to his seat in the back row, and a classmate to his left invited him to visit another state.
Danny asked curiously,
"Jack, where are you guys planning to go?"
"How about Crystal Lake? Everyone says it's awesome."
"?" Danny silently declined. The internet said people often went missing at Crystal Lake. Others might not know why, but didn't he?
Jason Voorhees, the immortal slasher, was lurking there.
Damn, you guys actually want to go there?
There was a reason the death rate was so high in America.
Just then, as class ended, the dark-haired beauty sitting in front of Danny turned around and asked with a smile,
"Danny, I heard your parents left you a huge house in Massachusetts. Do I have the honor of visiting sometime?"
In this era, the concept of 'school beauty' wasn't formally recognized, but the stunning girl before him was the talk of Salem and the school's head cheerleader, Jennifer.
Most of the guys in school were Jennifer's admirers.
Only Danny wasn't particularly interested in her, because he knew Jennifer's fate. If there was a ranking for the most beautiful women in American horror, Jennifer would definitely contend for the top spot.
"Jennifer—"
But Danny knew she would eventually be possessed by a demon and turn into a succubus who literally ate people, so he "temporarily" kept his distance.
Why temporarily? Because occasionally he wondered what it would be like to test himself against a demon.
However, since the cards showed no notification at this moment, it meant Jennifer hadn't been possessed yet. As for when it would happen—who knew?
"Jennifer, I might be traveling soon and won't have time to go back to the house, so you know."
"What's the point of traveling? Haven't you already done that and come back? Don't you think staying local would be more fun?"
Jennifer playfully bit her lower lip, her hint very obvious.
But whether it was genuine interest or just flirtation remained unclear.
According to school gossip, Jennifer seemed very open, but in reality, few could catch her eye. In other words, there were too many guys simping for her.
Just as Danny was about to respond, Sarah, another student, interrupted their conversation somewhat curtly.
"Hey, Danny, this vacation I'm planning to go caving with some friends. Are you interested?"
Danny looked at Sarah's suggestion of spelunking and, with a little inquiry, realized it was The Descent. If nothing went wrong, Sarah's expedition team would enter the wrong cave system and encounter the crawlers within.
He suddenly realized the students in his class seemed determined to get themselves killed.
Basically, every place they planned to visit was somehow problematic.
Though he hadn't heard of a few destinations, the chance of something going wrong was seriously high.
Danny was now a bit worried that when everyone returned to school after summer vacation, there would be few classmates left in class.
Jennifer and Sarah were both waiting for Danny's answer.
In Jennifer's opinion, Danny would definitely choose her. After all, Sarah's appearance was just average, and she couldn't compare in looks or figure.
Or rather, few people in Salem could compare to her.
A demon or cave monsters—was there even a choice?
The cave monsters had physical forms, and there was no telling when the demon possession would occur. Danny very wisely chose Sarah.
The cave was more suitable for him!
"Sarah, that's a great suggestion! I'm very interested in exploring, and I can even provide some professional equipment for everyone."
"Danny, I guarantee the group will welcome your participation."
Sarah finished speaking and simultaneously gave Jennifer a triumphant look.
This made Jennifer furious and stirred her competitive nature. She didn't believe she would lose to such a plain girl.
So, on Danny's usual route home after school, Jennifer intercepted him.
Her goal was simple: make Danny ditch Sarah. For this, she'd give Danny a chance to pursue her.
Yes, even though Danny was wealthy and attractive, he was still just a transfer student from abroad.
In Jennifer's opinion, giving Danny a chance was already generous, and besides, she felt differently about Danny than about other guys who chased her. As long as Danny put in a little effort, she really wouldn't mind dating him.
"Jennifer, are you kidding me? Do you think I lack female attention?" Danny's words carried a hint of disdain.
Jennifer simply looked down at herself. She couldn't see her feet, only an expanse of curves that could drive any guy crazy. She asked, puzzled,
"Am I worse than Sarah? Why didn't you choose me over her?"
Indeed, Danny had to admit Sarah and Jennifer weren't on the same level. Jennifer was tall with a model's figure. This kind of body had a captivating allure; her sex appeal was undeniable.
She was like a ripe, delicious peach that made you want to take a bite just looking at it.
"I'm just genuinely interested in exploring caves."
Jennifer retorted, "So you're just interested in exploring, not actually choosing Sarah, right?"
Looking at the girl's slightly expectant gaze, Danny said flatly,
"When did I ever say I was interested in Sarah?"
Jennifer suddenly laughed and even apologized to Danny, then asked again,
"So I'm more attractive to you than Sarah, right?"
"Yes." Danny didn't deny it. Anyone would choose the same—purely in terms of appeal, anyone with eyes would choose Jennifer.
Jennifer regained her confident smile.
"Since you like exploring caves, do you want me to come with you?"
"No, caves are very dangerous." Danny didn't want to bring along someone who'd be dead weight.
"Can I assume you're concerned about me?"
"You're really full of yourself, Jennifer."
Jennifer said cunningly, "My attractiveness is something you personally admitted. You don't mind if I tell Sarah, do you?"
Danny: →_→
"I don't mind."
Jennifer: "Danny, I now believe you genuinely like exploring. I take back what I said earlier. Maybe I'll be the one pursuing you. Remember to call me when you get back from your adventure."
As classmates, they had each other's phone numbers.
Before Danny could refuse, Jennifer had already walked away, swaying her hips. She'd proven her point.
Jennifer's reason for being forward with Danny was simple: she valued his good looks and substantial wealth. She was being very practical.
However, upon realizing Danny was different from those guys driven purely by lust, she immediately changed her approach.
This made him more interesting.
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