American Horror Story: A Tale of Terror from Silent Hill

Chapter 43 Family, Change

Strong personal aura and absolutely confident temperament.

Maria still has the same face, but she looks brand new.

Baling dismissed the curious person who smelled something and came over to get close to him with just a few words.

How does it feel, Maria?

Maria watched the whole process with trepidation. The battle lasted less than half a minute from start to finish.

Good news, Baling didn't use elbows again.

Bad news, she's even more famous now.

Maria, speaking in the first person, felt different emotions this time.

If what she saw on the school bus was fear, then now in the cafeteria, she felt respect she had never felt before.

[It's dreamy...cool...exciting? And fun!]

Maria tries to express her true feelings.

[Are you still scared?]

Baling asked.

I was really scared before, but now I feel pretty good. No! I should say it feels great.

Maria seemed to have broken a taboo. Baling used her body to do things she wanted to do but dared not do, and even the fantasies she dared not even think about were realized.

Even if she had to be admitted to a mental hospital tomorrow, Maria felt it was worth it.

After briefly being a campus star for a day, Maria watched a thrilling movie with her as the protagonist from a first-person perspective.

She never thought that her wish would come true in this way.

After school, someone invited Maria to play, but Baling, who was playing as a substitute, was not interested and politely declined.

Just a polite "next time for sure".

……

After returning home.

The family had dinner together.

Maria's body had not been returned yet, and she was afraid of her father's scolding, so she didn't dare to log in. She had to ask Baling to continue playing for her.

What needs to be faced must be faced eventually.

Escaping is shameful, but it works.

Baling did what Maria didn't dare to do.

At the dining table, Maria's mother Amy served the carefully prepared dinner one by one.

Father Dan Brennan sat in the main seat, with Maria and Amy sitting opposite him.

"Honey, guess who I met today?" Amy looked at Maria with a smile. "Su, George's mother, do you still remember George?"

Baling just ate his rice and cut pieces of meat into his mouth.

Today's meal is a little lacking in oil and water, looking at the vegetables that take up half of the plate.

Baling symbolically picked up a small piece of green vegetable and put it into his mouth.

"Oh, I have some impression of it. It's the pig from Peppa Pig that looks like a pink hair dryer, the smallest model."

The one named George in Baling's memory is quite famous, and this animation also exists in this world.

"...Oh, dear, you are still watching children's cartoons. You really have a childlike heart." Amy was silent for five seconds before she straightened her face and continued.

"George, you two once attended a science summer camp together. That smart guy, do you remember him?" Amy looked expectant.

"What? Smarty? Are you kidding?"

Baling swallowed the last piece of meat and asked in confusion.

[Maria, who is this George your mother is talking about? ]

I don’t remember.

【Then I will answer freely.】

"Curious George, that's what you called him back then," Amy said, trying to jog Baling's memory. "Then he's probably an idiot, asking questions like a pink hair dryer, like he's never read a book." Her daughter's words stopped Amy from saying anything else.

Amy looked at her daughter adding more rice. She was pleased that her appetite had improved, but she was also a little uncomfortable with the aggressiveness of her words.

Mom just wants you to have an unforgettable high school memory, that's all.

"Okay, honey. Let's skip George for now. I was thinking the winter break dance is almost here..."

"Stop!" Baling interrupted.

"Before that, I have something important to tell you."

Baling wiped his mouth, took a sip of lemonade, and looked serious.

"Something exciting happened at school today. It was so big that the whole school knew about it. Did you hear about it?"

Amy and Dan looked at each other and shook their heads in confusion.

Amy said, "Does this concern us? Or does it concern you?"

Baling replied: "It may be related, or it may not be related, but it is still somewhat related."

Amy: "Honey, go ahead."

Baling: "Today, several classmates in the same grade ganged up on a girl and bullied her. Blood and tears were gushing out. It was terrifying."

Amy: "Oh my God, you're not scared."

"It's okay. There's a video circulating on the forum. I downloaded it. You might want to take a look."

He opened the video on his phone and handed it over.

Then, after watching the short half-minute video, Maria's parents' expressions became particularly wonderful.

Four tall boys holding hockey sticks and wearing helmets were knocked down by someone who looked very similar to her daughter.

In the video, the girl defeated her opponent cleanly and neatly with just three punches and two kicks. It was so exaggerated that it seemed like she was filming a kung fu movie, and it was accompanied by an incomprehensible and passionate BGM.

Is this acting? But the pain on the face of the person being beaten is hard to fake.

"Is this... is this you?"

Father Dan's eyebrows were twisted into a knot, he was confused and shocked.

"It was me. I had already realized it at that time."

When Dan heard her daughter's answer "Maria", she was shocked as if she had discovered a new world. Is this still her daughter?
"What did you realize?" Dan followed up with the question.

"After swallowing a tranquilizer, my mood has been calm ever since. I have learned and grown up." At this moment, "Maria" in the eyes of her parents revealed a wisdom they had never seen before.

"If wisdom can't teach them how to respect, then I'll use my fists to make them remember."

"Maria" no longer concealed her strength. Suddenly, a sound of teeth rubbing appeared, and with a "bang", the fork in her hand was broken.

Maria's parents were almost shocked.

I believe it! I really believe it now!
Maria, who broke the fork with her bare hands, could easily knock down a few mortal men!

"Father, I have found the confidence you always wanted me to pursue. I think this is the power that confidence brings."

Dan: That's not what I thought.

"And mother, you don't have to worry about me anymore. I've grown up, and the past is just a few hardships."

Amy: Kid, you're growing up too fast.

Although the impact came too fast and too hard, Maria's parents managed to hold on.

“Oh, by the way, I did it this morning when I was on the school bus,” Maria added casually.

"Did you do what?" Dan asked anxiously.

"Teach them some respect. I'll leave the rest of the finishing touches to you. I'm going back to my room to think."

After saying that, after getting her phone back, "Maria" went straight up to the second floor, leaving her parents with a back that no longer looked old.

Even the overflowing confidence was enough to sting their eyes.

The remaining two people sat at the table in silence for a long time.

My daughter has grown up and is difficult to manage.

(End of this chapter)