Girl, Deceived by Blake Pierce

Author:Blake Pierce [Pierce, Blake]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-06T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

As Ella stepped out of the car, the scent of aged paper and musty air met her nostrils. The atmosphere around the store seemed still, almost stifling. Despite its decrepit appearance, she could feel the weight of history — both the store’s and Alex Morton's — pressing down on her.

The dilapidated storefront of Morton’s Video Rental seemed to sag beneath the weight of decades. The paint was chipped and faded, the sign overhead flickered with a neon light that seemed to stubbornly cling to life. The windows were obscured with age-old grime and layers of faded movie posters from a time long past, boasting titles from the eighties and nineties.

Adjacent businesses had been renovated and modernized over the years, but Morton’s stood defiant, like an old relic from a forgotten era, a testament to its owner's stubbornness or perhaps a nostalgic attachment to the past. Ella could see clusters of old VHS tapes stacked haphazardly behind the glass, their spines faded by time and sunlight.

Ripley joined her side, casting a wary glance at the storefront. ‘Feels like we've stepped back in time,’ she murmured, adjusting her sunglasses atop her head.

‘I half expect to see a Betamax section,’ Ella said.

The pair approached the entrance, the door adorned with a faded sticker proclaiming Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep.

Ella tapped it, feeling a static charge run down her fingertips. ‘Famous line. It’s from A Nightmare on Elm Street.’

Ripley huffed. ‘Pretty lame quote. Come on, I’m sick of this horror movie crap. Let’s bag this son of a bitch.’

Ella grasped the rusty handle, and with a slight push, the bell overhead chimed, announcing their entrance. Inside, the dim fluorescent lighting revealed rows upon rows of VHS tapes. The shelves were covered in a fine layer of dust, and the linoleum floor creaked beneath their feet. The walls were painted a dull, sun-bleached yellow, and the entire place had a quiet air of decay. A small counter stood at the back, with an ancient cash register and a display case of candy so old Ella wouldn't dare touch it.

From a shadowed corner, the silhouette of a man emerged. His build matched the mugshot Ella had seen thirty minutes ago, but age had etched deeper lines into his face. His gaze, however, remained unchanged – cold calculating, and unsettlingly familiar.

‘Well,’ the man began, voice dripping with mock sweetness, ‘I wasn't expecting customers this early. Especially not from the Maywood PD.’ He was wearing stained brown trousers and an old grey shirt, both harmonizing with the store’s dull aesthetic.

Ella squared her shoulders, refusing to be intimidated. She took note of the man’s voice, comparing it to the voice she’d heard on the killer’s audio clip. Similarities were there - a low-pitched resonance, void of any distinctive accent. It was nondescript yet unmistakably familiar. She wondered if Ripley had caught on as well.

‘Just browsing. Any new releases?’

The store owner smirked. ‘Not here. For some, the past is far more interesting than the present.’

Ripley shifted slightly. ‘I guess the past has a way of catching up to you.

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