SWNOVELXO Chapter 23: Chapter 23
The phone rang, and Danny picked it up, seeing Tucker's name flash on the screen.
"What's up, bro?" Danny asked casually, though the urgency in Tucker's voice immediately put him on edge.
"I think I just saw a ghost," Tucker said quickly. "The ring was shining for a bit and then stopped. I swear it was a car. What do you think?"
Danny sat upright, remembering Naruto's advice. "Some ghosts aren't straightforward with their actions, Tucker. They can take their time, planning their moves carefully. Don't think of them like the ghosts in movies—they've had centuries to hone their craft. Where exactly did you see this car?"
Tucker relayed the location, and Danny felt a chill run down his spine. This wasn't the first time he'd heard about malevolent ghosts tied to vehicles.
Elsewhere, on a quiet stretch of road, a modest Camry cruised along at a steady pace. The driver, a middle-aged man with a kind smile, hummed along to the music playing on the radio. His passenger, a hitchhiker with a worn backpack, relaxed in the backseat, tapping his fingers to the beat.
The song flowed smoothly:
"Make me into your fantasy
But this is a horror show..."
The hitchhiker leaned back, letting the music lull him into a state of calm. But just as his eyes fluttered closed, he heard faint whispers in his ear.
"Run... run..."
His eyes snapped open, but the car was as normal as ever. He rubbed his ears, shaking his head. Maybe he was just tired.
Moments later, the whispers returned, louder and clearer.
"He killed us..."
"Monster..."
The hitchhiker's heart pounded as icy dread filled him. He darted his eyes toward the driver, who remained focused on the road, humming obliviously.
"Hey, man," the hitchhiker stammered, trying to mask his growing fear. "You feelin' alright?"
"Yeah," the driver replied, not missing a beat. "Just a nightmare."
The hitchhiker nodded, deciding to stay alert. But soon, the temperature inside the car dropped dramatically. His breath came out in visible puffs, and the whispers grew into a terrifying chorus that clawed at his sanity.
"Can you stop the car? I'm not feeling so good," he said, his voice trembling.
The driver's head turned unnaturally, his neck twisting at an impossible angle to face him. His once-friendly smile was now a menacing grin. "Sorry, but the ride to hell has no stops."
The hitchhiker's blood ran cold as the car around him began to transform. The clean interior decayed into a rotting, blood-soaked mess. Maggots wriggled through the upholstery, and skeletal remains fused with the frame. The radio's cheerful tune distorted into a macabre wail.
The hitchhiker screamed, kicking at the door, but the seatbelt tightened around him, pinning him in place. The driver cackled, his face warping into a grotesque specter.
"Enjoy your last ride, scum," the driver sneered.
"What have I done?" the hitchhiker pleaded, tears streaming down his face. "I'm just a normal guy! Please, let me go!"
"You're all the same," the ghost spat, its voice dripping with venom. "Thieves and murderers, waiting to steal what's mine. Now you'll feel the pain you inflicted on others!"
The hitchhiker's pleas fell on deaf ears as the car careened off the road, slamming into a massive tree. The impact sent the hitchhiker flying into the windshield.
His skull cracked against the glass, and shards pierced his body. Blood pooled as he gasped weakly, his vision fading. The last thing he saw was the ghostly car, its headlights glaring like twin eyes, before it dissolved into the night, leaving behind only his broken body and bloody tire tracks.
The ghost car was a manifestation of pure hatred, born from the collective anguish and betrayal of riders who had been killed by the very hitchhikers they sought to help. This deep resentment and sense of injustice had seeped into the fabric of the Ghost Zone, a realm intricately linked to the living world, like two sides of the same coin.
As the negative energy coalesced, it formed a being of terrifying purpose—a ghostly entity shaped into the vehicle that had witnessed countless tragedies. This spectral car became an avenger, targeting hitchhikers indiscriminately, believing them all to be treacherous and unworthy of trust.
With each victim it claimed, the ghost car's power grew. Fear, pain, and death fed its malevolence, making it more elusive and dangerous. It could appear anywhere, anytime, choosing its victims seemingly at random. This unpredictability, combined with its chilling modus operandi, made it one of the most feared entities that traversed the boundary between the living world and the Ghost Zone.
Unlike other ghosts that operated with clear motives or patterns, the ghost car was a nomad of vengeance. Its ability to vanish without a trace after every kill made it nearly impossible to track, much less confront. This elusiveness ensured that even the bravest of ghost hunters approached its case with trepidation, knowing full well the car's relentless nature and insatiable thirst for retribution.
Danny arrived at the scene minutes later, his ghost sense tingling as he took in the gruesome sight. The hitchhiker's lifeless body lay sprawled near the wreckage, the stench of ghostly energy thick in the air.
"Damn it," Danny muttered under his breath, his fists clenching. He scanned the area, but the ghost was long gone, having retreated to the Ghost Zone.
Naruto's voice echoed in his mind, "This isn't over. That ghost will strike again, and it's getting stronger with each kill. You need to be ready, Danny."
Danny's jaw tightened. He wasn't going to let this happen again.
As Danny looked at the lifeless body, he felt a mixture of emotions. While the gruesome sight didn't make him queasy—Naruto's memories had desensitized him to such scenes—it didn't mean he felt nothing. The weight of a life lost within his city, under his watch, was crushing. This was only his second encounter with a ghost, and already there was a casualty.
To Danny, the loss of life, no matter how statistically insignificant it might seem, was intolerable. Every life mattered, and he wasn't about to let more people fall victim to supernatural threats if he could help it.
Surveying the area, Danny noted the faint traces of ectoplasmic residue, the telltale signature of ghost activity. It would undoubtedly draw his parents' attention, given their expertise in ghost hunting. However, he realized this particular ghost wouldn't be an easy case. The ghost car had already proven itself elusive, with reports of similar deaths scattered across the news. This was no ordinary haunting—it was calculated, predatory, and terrifyingly efficient.
"Master, anything?" Danny mentally reached out to Naruto, hoping for guidance.
Naruto's voice resonated in his mind, calm and firm. "The first time was a tutorial, and I stepped in to assist. But Danny, it's time for you to find your way. You need to be independent and never rely too heavily on my power. So, what do you think the next step is?"
Danny thought for a moment, reviewing the events. "The ghost interacted with a hitchhiker and waited before making its move. The accident happened outside of town, and it disappeared into the Ghost Zone afterward."
Naruto's voice prompted him again. "So, what's your next step?"
"I should stay awake and keep watch over the town during the night," Danny replied, his eyes glowing a faint green as determination settled in.
"Passable answer. Let's see how you handle tomorrow."
Danny nodded, feeling both challenged and motivated. As he prepared to leave the scene, he noticed the victim's phone lying nearby. Picking it up, he dialed 911, masking his voice to report the incident. Once he was sure the authorities were on their way, he carefully left the scene and headed home, his mind already planning his next move.
This ghost was clever, but Danny vowed to be smarter. Tomorrow night, he would be ready.
Danny arrived home with a heavy heart, the events of the evening weighing on his mind. As he set his bag down, he immediately called Tucker to explain what had happened.
"We need to take this more seriously next time, Tucker," Danny said, his voice firm but tired.
"I know," Tucker replied, his guilt evident. "If I'd thought to slash the tires or even borrow someone's phone to call for help, maybe that guy would still be alive."
Danny sighed. "It's all 'what ifs' now, but we can't dwell on it. We just have to make sure we're ready next time."
After the call, Danny barely had time to process his thoughts before Sam rang, and he spent the next half hour explaining the situation to her. Sam, ever the realist, urged him to focus on the next steps rather than beat himself up.
Just as he hung up, Jazz casually entered his room without knocking.
"Danny, you're not looking good," she said, her tone a mix of concern and curiosity.
Danny glanced up at his sister, her long orange hair falling loose to her hips. She was dressed in a sports bra and black shorts, her toned, athletic figure accentuated by her confident posture. Jazz had always been tall and commanding, standing at 1.8 meters, but Danny's recent growth to 1.9 meters now made her look slightly less imposing.
"Jazz, you need to knock," Danny muttered half-heartedly before sitting up.
"Sorry," she said, not sounding sorry at all as she crossed her arms. "What's wrong?"
Danny leaned back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "A man died tonight because of a ghost. It was the ghost car—the one that kills hitchhikers."
Jazz's expression shifted to serious as she took a seat on the chair by his desk. "Did you fight it?"
"No," Danny admitted. "It escaped before I got there."
Jazz nodded thoughtfully. "That one's tough. I've seen data on it in the Fenton Ghost Database. It's one of the slipperiest ghosts out there. It doesn't stay in one place long—it's been reported all over the world. Now that it's in the U.S. again, it'll probably stick around for a few months, hitting different locations before vanishing."
"Does it return to the same places?" Danny asked, leaning forward with interest.
"Yes," Jazz confirmed. "But no one knows why."
"I've decided to stay awake and keep watch through the night. I'll catch it before it hurts anyone else," Danny said, his resolve firm.
"Need any help?"
"Can you share the data with the whole team?"
"No problem," Jazz said, pulling out her tablet to send the files. As she worked, she glanced at Danny. He'd changed so much in the past two weeks—his appetite had grown to inhuman levels, and his physical presence was overwhelming. Whatever was happening, it was beyond normal, but Danny hadn't done anything wrong, so she and their parents had chosen not to confront him yet.
"Let's spar," Jazz suggested, snapping Danny out of his thoughts. "Might help you clear your head."
Danny considered it, then nodded. "Yeah, maybe getting my blood pumping will help."
The sparring session started off light but quickly grew intense. Jazz's techniques were precise and disciplined, but Danny's newfound strength and agility overwhelmed her. The match devolved into a chaotic judo-style grapple, with the two tumbling around the room.
By the end, Jazz was on the floor, defeated and silent. The atmosphere grew awkward as she stood, brushing herself off.
"Good match," she said tersely before leaving the room without another word.
Danny sat back on the edge of his bed, his mind churning. The spar had momentarily distracted him, but the weight of his responsibilities remained. He had to find a way to stop the ghost car before it claimed another life.
Jazz couldn't help but reflect on how much Danny had changed. Ever since his strange transformation began, his demeanor, confidence, and strength had become almost unrecognizable compared to the awkward, somewhat dorky brother she'd grown up with.
As she left his room after their sparring session, her thoughts lingered on the version of Danny she had glimpsed when Naruto's influence shone through. That personality—calm, commanding, and self-assured—was something she rarely saw in other men, especially not the boys at school or even in her social circles.
"Really would be awesome if there was a guy like him," Jazz mused as she walked down the hallway. It wasn't Danny as she knew him—her little brother—but the Naruto aspect of his persona that intrigued her. The blend of power, wisdom, and charisma felt almost magnetic.
However, Jazz pushed the thought aside. "That's ridiculous," she muttered to herself. Danny was her brother, after all, and even if Naruto's personality was fascinating, it was still tied to someone she couldn't see in that way.
Despite her attempts to dismiss it, the comparison had taken root. The guys she met now seemed immature or shallow in contrast, their bravado empty compared to the quiet confidence Danny exuded when Naruto took over.
Jazz shook her head and let out a small laugh as she headed to her room. "I really need to get out more," she muttered, turning her thoughts to the data she was compiling for Danny's team. Even so, a small part of her couldn't help but wonder—what would it be like to meet someone who embodied all the qualities she admired in Naruto's persona?