A few hours later, Annie Austin was walking home from college.
Her mood had already soured long before she reached the mountain road leading toward the house. The memory of the afternoon still burned inside her mind, replaying itself again and again with growing bitterness.
What the hell was he thinking?
Her shoes scraped sharply against the dirt path as she walked.
Who does he think he is?
Her face twisted with anger.
He actually rejected me… me… for that ugly bitch?
The humiliation gnawed at her pride like acid.
Unforgivable.
For a brief moment, a violent thought crossed her mind.
I should've slit his throat right there.
She exhaled sharply and shoved her hands into her coat pockets.
Should I tell dad?
Immediately, she dismissed the idea.
No. Bad idea.
Her father's methods were rarely clean, and once he became involved, control disappeared from everyone else's hands.
What about mom?
Annie almost laughed at the thought.
Not a chance. That ugly hag would probably eat him herself before anything else.
Then another thought came to her.
Liam.
A smile slowly spread across her face.
Yeah… Liam would be perfect for this.
Her steps became tighter.
I'll tell him everything. Then we can both pay the guy a visit… and talk.
A soft laugh escaped her lips.
"Hahahaha…"
Lost in her thoughts, Annie finally approached the house.
But the moment she saw the unfamiliar car parked nearby, she slowed down.
A Volkswagen Beetle.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Wow," she muttered. "Looks like a new prey wandered in today."
The car looked expensive enough for a traveler.
A wealthy one.
"Poor guy," she whispered with amusement. "Dad and that old hag are probably making his life miserable already. Hahahaha…"
She walked to the front door, unlocked it, and stepped inside.
"Old—" she caught herself quickly, "I mean, Mom! I'm home!"
Silence.
Annie frowned.
That was unusual.
"MOM!"
Still no response.
The house felt strangely quiet.
Too quiet.
Slowly, Annie began walking toward the kitchen. Her footsteps remained steady, but her expression sharpened with caution.
Quietly, she slipped her hand into her pocket and wrapped her fingers around the dagger hidden inside.
Just in case.
When she finally reached the kitchen doorway, she stopped.
Arthur was sitting alone at the table.
The black bag rested on the floor beside his chair. A fresh wound marked his left arm near the tricep, blood having dried around the torn fabric.
For a second, Annie forgot to breathe.
Only one thought entered her mind.
He's so handsome.
At that exact moment, Arthur lifted his eyes toward her.
Their gazes met.
Annie felt her heartbeat stumble violently inside her chest.
Still, she managed to ask:
"Who are you?"
Arthur looked at her calmly.
"Oh," he said softly, "you must be Annie. Annie Austin, right?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Nice to meet you."
The smile struck Annie harder than she expected.
Without realizing it, her grip loosened around the dagger in her pocket.
Then she slowly began walking toward him.
When she came closer, her eyes immediately noticed the wound on his arm.
"So," she asked, her tone softer now, "who are you, handsome?"
"Ah, sorry," Arthur replied politely. "Arthur Doyle. Twenty-two years old."
He leaned back slightly in his chair.
"I came here while traveling. Got lost somewhere in the mountains and found this house. Thought I might get some help."
"Oh, I see."
Annie's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Well… haven't you seen my mother? Or anyone else from the family?"
There was suspicion hidden beneath her voice now.
Arthur nodded casually.
"Oh, yes. I met your mother earlier."
He smiled faintly.
"She even gave me food. Delicious, by the way."
Annie watched him carefully.
"After that," Arthur continued, "she told me she had to go out shopping. I asked whether it was alright for me to stay here alone, and she said…"
He paused briefly.
"'Don't worry. My daughter will be here in no time.'"
Arthur shrugged lightly.
"So I stayed."
Annie stepped even closer.
Close enough now that their chests nearly touched.
Both of them could faintly feel the warmth of each other's breathing in the narrow silence between them.
Her eyes drifted once more toward the wound on his arm.
"How did you get that?" she asked quietly.
Arthur glanced at the injury.
"Ah," he replied, "this morning, while walking through the woods, a branch cut me."
Annie narrowed her eyes further.
Then she leaned in closer still, bringing her face only centimeters from his.
"Strange," she murmured softly.
Her voice carried suspicion… but also curiosity.
"It looks quite fresh."
Arthur smiled again.
"Yeah," he said calmly.
"I suppose it does."
Annie stared into Arthur's eyes.
For a brief moment, neither of them moved.
They stood so close that even the silence between them felt intimate.
Then suddenly, Annie took a step backward, restoring a more normal distance between them.
"Anyway," she said lightly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "please sit down. That old hag isn't coming back anytime soon, so… we can spend some time together."
She smiled politely as she spoke.
But something about that smile unsettled Arthur.
The two of them sat across from each other at the dining table once again. The room had grown strangely quiet, filled only by the faint ticking of an old clock somewhere deeper in the house.
Annie slowly raised a hand and touched her cheek absentmindedly.
Then she looked at Arthur.
"Do you think I'm pretty?"
The question caught him slightly off guard.
But Arthur quickly answered with a polite smile.
"Yeah. You definitely are."
Annie smiled with visible satisfaction.
"Arthur," she asked softly, "do you have a girlfriend?"
Arthur shook his head.
"No. Never really got the chance for a relationship."
That genuinely surprised her.
"Wow. Really?" she said. "I thought someone like you would've had at least a dozen relationships already."
Arthur simply laughed it off.
Then, in the same calm tone, he asked:
"What about you, Annie? Do you have a boyfriend? You're quite pretty yourself, you know."
Annie leaned back in her chair and laughed lightly.
"Yeah, yeah, you're right. But unfortunately, no."
Her smile slowly sharpened.
"I've gotten tons of proposals. But I rejected all of them. None of those people were my type."
Her eyes darkened slightly.
"They were nothing more than insects."
Arthur listened quietly.
"There was one guy I liked in college," she continued. "Actually… I confessed to him today."
For a second, bitterness flashed across her face.
"And do you know what happened?"
Arthur stayed silent.
"He rejected me." Her voice became colder. "Because he already had a girlfriend."
The smile vanished from her face entirely.
"He rejected me."
Her tone sharpened with humiliation and anger.
"That son of a bitch…"
Arthur observed her carefully without interrupting.
Then suddenly, Annie's expression brightened again almost unnaturally fast.
"But," she said with a smile, "today I met you."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Maybe that's destiny."
Arthur narrowed his eyes ever so slightly.
Then he spoke quietly:
"You talk a lot like your father, you know."
Annie blinked.
"Oh? So you met Dad?"
Arthur smiled faintly.
"Yeah," he said calmly. "I met him."
Something about that smile disturbed her.
Only slightly.
But enough.
Annie wanted to ask more questions, yet for some reason, the words never came out.
Instead, her eyes drifted toward the black bag resting near Arthur's chair.
Then back to him.
"That ugly old hag won't be back anytime soon," Annie said softly. "We've got plenty of time alone."
She stood up slowly.
"Dad's out hunting too. That usually takes hours."
A pause.
"And Liam won't be back until evening."
Then she stepped toward Arthur.
Closer.
And closer still.
Until they were standing almost chest to chest again.
Annie gently grabbed his hand.
Her breathing had grown warmer now.
"How about," she whispered, "we have some fun?"
She leaned forward slowly, her face moving closer to his.
Their lips stopped only half an inch apart.
But before she could close the distance, Arthur pushed her back.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
Annie frowned slightly.
"Come on, Arthur. There's no one here."
Her voice softened further.
"And I'm perfectly alright with it. There's nothing wrong."
Arthur hesitated deliberately.
"Uh… are you sure about this?"
"Yes," Annie replied immediately. "Of course I'm sure."
Arthur lowered his eyes as though considering something carefully.
To Annie, it looked as if he were trying to make up his mind.
Several seconds passed before he finally nodded.
"How about we wash up first?"
A grin spread across Annie's face.
"You're quite the passionate guy, Arthur…"
Then she smirked teasingly.
"So? Want to wash together?"
Arthur shook his head lightly.
"Nope. Ladies first."
Annie laughed softly.
"Fine."
She turned around and walked toward the hallway.
But before leaving the kitchen completely, she glanced back over her shoulder.
"No peeking, okay?"
Arthur smiled faintly.
"Fine."
Satisfied, Annie walked through the hallway and entered the living room.
Excitement pulsed through her chest now.
She moved directly toward the bathroom door.
Her hand grabbed the handle.
Then she pulled it open.
The moment the door swung inward—
Her entire body froze.
Her eyes widened instantly.
Her heartbeat exploded violently against her ribs.
Breathing became uneven.
Sharp.
Broken.
Even her legs began trembling uncontrollably.
And then—
She collapsed onto the floor.
Her legs had gone completely numb.
Inside the bathroom, sitting motionless upon the toilet seat, was the lifeless body of Mrs. Austin.
A rusted iron chain had been wrapped tightly around her neck—
Almost like a grotesque necklace.
Annie struggled to catch her breath.
For several seconds, her mind refused to process what she had just seen inside the bathroom. Fear paralyzed her body, locking every muscle in place.
But slowly, that fear began to transform.
Into rage.
A violent, burning rage.
Her trembling hand slipped into her pocket, and she pulled out the long dagger with the black handle. Without hesitation, she rushed toward the kitchen.
But the moment she reached the hallway—
She stopped.
Arthur was standing there.
Only a short distance away.
A claw hammer rested in his hand.
The dim light from the hallway barely touched his face, leaving most of it swallowed by darkness.
The sight terrified Annie instantly.
Still, she forced herself to scream:
"YOU INSOLENT INSECT!"
Arthur remained silent.
That silence frightened her more than if he had shouted back.
Annie's heartbeat thundered violently inside her chest, but she forced herself to calm down. Recklessness would only get her killed.
So when she spoke again, her voice became quieter.
Controlled.
"Arthur…" she said carefully. "Did you kill that old hag?"
Arthur nodded once.
"Yes."
Annie swallowed.
"Did you kill Dad too?"
"Yes."
A cold chill spread through her body.
Then, after a pause, she asked the final question.
"Are you going to kill me too?"
Arthur's expression did not change.
"I already made up my mind," he replied calmly. "There's no point talking."
That answer sent genuine terror through Annie.
But she reacted immediately.
Without warning, she grabbed a broken vase lying near the wall and hurled it toward Arthur with all her strength while charging directly at him herself.
Arthur moved instantly.
He knocked the vase aside with one hand before it could hit him.
But the moment his vision cleared again—
Annie was already in front of him.
She slashed at him with the dagger.
Arthur dodged by the narrowest margin possible, yet the blade still sliced across his chest. Blood immediately spread across his shirt.
Arthur retaliated without hesitation.
The hammer swung violently toward Annie's face.
She failed to dodge.
The impact landed directly against her mouth with a sickening crack. Several teeth shattered instantly as blood sprayed from her lips.
But then—
Annie smiled.
"GOT YOU!"
Arthur's eyes widened.
In the same instant, Annie drove the dagger deep into his left abdomen.
The blade buried itself completely inside him.
Pain exploded through Arthur's body.
Blood rose into his mouth.
For the first time, his balance wavered visibly.
But even then, Arthur grabbed Annie's wrist tightly before she could pull the dagger free.
His injured body trembled violently from pain, yet his grip only tightened further.
Then, with his other hand, he slowly raised the hammer again.
And said quietly:
"Got you."
Annie panicked immediately.
She struggled wildly against him.
Then suddenly, she drove her fingernails deep into the wound near Arthur's shoulder.
Arthur screamed in agony.
The hammer slipped from his grasp and crashed onto the floor.
Annie tore herself free instantly.
Without wasting another second, she turned and sprinted up the stairs.
Arthur remained standing below.
Breathing heavily.
Blood poured steadily from his abdomen.
For several seconds, he did not move.
Then suddenly, with a roar of pain, Arthur grabbed the dagger lodged inside his body and ripped it out.
Blood burst from the wound.
Arthur nearly collapsed from the agony.
He leaned against the wall, gasping for air, before tearing part of his shirt away and wrapping it tightly around the wound to slow the bleeding.
Then he picked up the hammer again.
And began walking toward the stairs.
Every step became torture.
His legs trembled violently beneath him, but he forced himself upward one stair at a time until he finally reached the second floor.
A narrow hallway stretched before him.
At the very end stood a single door.
Arthur staggered toward it slowly.
When he reached it, he grabbed the handle and tried to open it.
Locked.
Without hesitation, he raised the hammer and slammed it against the lock.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The lock shattered.
The door burst open.
Annie stood in the middle of the room.
A gun was aimed directly at Arthur's chest.
The moment Arthur saw it—
He froze.
Annie began laughing hysterically.
"You son of a bitch…" she spat through bloodied teeth. "How dare you think you could kill me?"
Her laughter grew louder.
"That old hag and Dad were easy targets for you…"
She raised the gun higher.
"But not me."
Her eyes burned with desperation and pride.
"I'm not naive."
A grin spread across her ruined face.
"And I'm not weak like those two idiots."
Arthur breathed heavily, blood dripping onto the floor beneath him.
"Annie… listen to me—"
"SHUT UP!"
She pulled the trigger.
Click.
No bullet.
Annie's expression shattered instantly.
She pulled the trigger again.
Nothing.
A third time.
Still nothing.
The gun slipped from her trembling fingers.
Slowly, she looked back at Arthur.
Arthur gave a weak smile.
"Looks like my luck's strong today."
Annie immediately lunged toward a shard of broken glass nearby—
But Arthur threw himself at her before she could reach it.
Both of them crashed violently onto the floor.
Annie's head struck the wood hard enough to blur her vision instantly.
For several moments, her senses disappeared completely.
When she finally opened her eyes again, Arthur was on top of her.
And in his hand—
The hammer.
The moment Arthur realized she was conscious again, he slowly raised the weapon.
Ready to strike.
Pure panic consumed Annie.
"WAIT! WAIT!"
Tears mixed with blood across her face.
"Please don't kill me!"
Her voice cracked completely now.
"What do you want?! Money?! You can take it!"
She shook violently beneath him.
"My body?! Fine! Take it! Just please let me go!"
Arthur stared at her silently.
"I beg you, Arthur! Please!"
She began sobbing.
"I didn't do anything wrong! It was my family! My family killed those people, not me!"
Desperation twisted every word.
"Yes, I ate because they made me! I've been living in hell with those cannibals!"
Her breathing became uneven.
"Please believe me…"
Arthur said nothing.
A long silence settled between them.
Then finally, Arthur spoke.
Quietly.
Coldly.
"You people…"
He looked directly into her terrified eyes.
"…are the real insects."
And then—
The hammer came down.
Again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
And again
And again.
The sound echoed through the room like thunder against rotten wood.
Heavy.
Wet.
Merciless.
Until eventually—
Everything became silent.