Quinn’s sudden awakening let the doctors nearby breathe a sigh of relief. The resuscitation had been effective; they had once again pulled a dying patient back from the brink of hell.
But Quinn felt no joy. Panic continued to loom over her.
Her father, Sean, who had come to visit, couldn’t resist his daughter’s pleas and took Quinn, who had just had her cast applied not long ago, out of the hospital.
Once home, Sean finally couldn’t hold back anymore. He stepped forward and gently placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder.
“Quinn, what’s wrong with you?”
Whether in the hospital or on the way home, Quinn had been restless and uneasy, her anxious demeanor like a rabbit hunted by a starving wolf.
“Dad, remember the nightmares I told you about, the ones I’ve been having lately?”
“I thought before it was just neurasthenia from lack of rest, but after this accident, I realize it’s not as simple as I thought.”
“I might be haunted by an evil spirit.”
At this point, Quinn recalled the visions she saw when near death and felt a wave of fear.
Sean didn’t believe his daughter’s words.
“Has some strange cult been trying to recruit you again lately?”
“No… Dad, you don’t believe me?!”
Disappointment laced Quinn’s voice with anger.
“I’m not lying. Why won’t you believe me?”
“You…”
Sean was about to say more but suddenly remembered what Jamie had said earlier, and his conviction wavered.
His daughter Quinn said this, and Jamie said something similar…
Could there really be something to it?
No… better not jump to conclusions.
The inexplicable irritation in his heart made Sean think of the talisman Jamie had brought over.
That thing…
He turned, went to the living room, took out the yellow paper inscribed with mysterious writing from a drawer, returned to Quinn’s room, and handed it to his daughter.
“What is this?”
“It’s from our neighbor, Jamie, the young man who just moved in next door. He brought this over the day you had the accident.”
Sean explained the talisman’s origin to his daughter.
“He told me you were being targeted by an evil spirit… I don’t know if you two coordinated this story beforehand… but he asked me to pass this on to you.”
“Said it’s a lucky charm that can bring good fortune.”
“If you’re really scared, keep it with you. Even if it’s just for peace of mind.”
As he said this, Sean couldn’t help but pat his own head and mock himself.
“I guess I’ve been brainwashed by you both, actually keeping something like this.”
Jamie?
Quinn’s mind conjured the image of the man who had stopped her from conducting the séance that day. His stern face had been darkly serious, his tone grave when he warned her.
She hadn’t taken it seriously then, but now it seemed Jamie might genuinely know something.
With that thought, Quinn accepted the talisman.
Just as her father said, it might offer some peace of mind.
After seeing Quinn take the talisman, Sean brought over a basket. It contained various snacks and novels to pass the time he had prepared for his daughter, along with a small bell.
With both legs broken and movement difficult, Quinn could ring the bell if she needed anything.
Touched by her father’s care, Quinn’s anger didn’t last long and soon dissipated. She let her father wheel her to the bedroom, lift her onto the bed, and tuck her in.
“You need proper rest now. Don’t worry about the interview or university. Getting better is the most important thing.”
“Call me if you need anything. I’ll be in the living room…”
“Thank you, come again.”
In the antique shop, Su Fan, having just seen off a customer, received a call from Jamie.
“Mission accomplished?”
“I’m not entirely sure if it’s completed…”
Jamie detailed everything he had seen and done over the phone, leaving nothing out.
He also told Su Fan about Quinn’s car accident.
“…And that’s roughly how it happened.”
“You placed the talisman in the right spot, at least.”
“Giving the Ward Evil talisman to the girl on a whim was an incredibly foolish move. Did you consider how many variables that could introduce?”
Jamie, briefly pleased at having his work acknowledged by Su Fan, was immediately rendered speechless by the latter’s cold, questioning tone. It was clear Su Fan was highly dissatisfied with his actions.
“That Quinn’s father, Sean, he’s clearly someone who doesn’t believe in ghosts and spirits. What if he had thrown the Ward Evil talisman away after you left? What would you have done then?”
“Even if he didn’t throw it away, you went to exorcise room 514 with only one Ward Evil talisman. What if you had encountered the evil spirit directly? How were you planning to subdue it? Stall until the single talisman broke and then wait to die?”
The series of questions brought cold sweat to Jamie’s brow. The silence on the other end of the line made him feel immense pressure.
Su Fan wasn’t intentionally pressuring him; he was piecing together the sequence of events from Jamie’s account. The evil spirit had apparently left the room just as Jamie arrived, going off to harm the girl. The shadowy figure, the actress girl from a single-parent family attempting a séance, the empty room with only black footprints… Su Fan quickly matched these details to a relevant film plot in his mind.
Insidious: Chapter 3.
It was the story of a girl, missing her mother who died of cancer, who accidentally summons an evil spirit.
The medium who appears throughout the series left a strong impression on Su Fan. Elise, the reliable elderly woman, repeatedly saved others from evil spirits, only to meet a tragic end at the hands of a particularly sinister one.
“Su?”
Jamie’s cautious voice from the other end of the phone pulled Su Fan back to reality.
“That bed indeed belonged to the evil spirit when it was alive. Placing the talisman there might not destroy the spirit outright, but it will cause it real harm.”
“However, completely eliminating it will take some time.”
“But, there must be a building superintendent for the apartment. They clean the unused rooms periodically.”
Hearing Su Fan’s hint, Jamie’s face suddenly changed.
If a cleaner removed the Ward Evil talisman…
“Su, I need to go back there now. I’ll talk to you later.”
Jamie meant to hang up, but found that Su Fan had already ended the call on his end.
Jamie didn’t have time to dwell on it now. Apologizing or making amends to Su Fan could come later – he had to secure Su Fan’s forgiveness. But the immediate priority was the Ward Evil talisman on the headboard!
Jamie immediately sprinted towards his apartment building’s entrance!
Meanwhile, back at the antique shop, Su Fan welcomed a rather special guest.
“Hello.”
An elderly woman, gentle and kindly, greeted him with a warm smile.
“Let me introduce myself. My name is Elise.”
