Chapter 49: Viewing III
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Could you drop some reviews? It helps to get this fic a rating.
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At this moment, on the large cinema screen, Emily struggled to recall the name of the hero, Chris. It was unconventional to have the antagonist as the central character responsible for hunting in a horror film.
Take, for instance, the classic horror film "Nightmare on Elm Street". People who have watched or heard of it might easily remember Freddy's name, but few recall that Johnny Depp played a significant role in it.
Hollywood later produced a derivative of "Nightmare on Elm Street", including "Freddy vs. Jason." While it had mixed reviews, it reportedly performed well at the box office.
In horror movies, male and female protagonists often function as mere pawns or are destined for destruction.
Now, back to the storyline. Despite their escape from the cabin, Chris and his group were pursued by mutant monsters. Chris had sustained a severe leg injury and couldn't keep up.
In a critical moment, one of the four survivors, Scott, decided to divert the mutant strangers' attention, allowing the others to steal a truck and make their getaway.
Emily, a seasoned horror movie viewer, immediately foresaw the outcome. After all, this was a horror film. In action or Western films, such heroism might succeed 80% of the time. But in a horror movie, success depends on the screenwriter and director's mood.
The audience's peculiar psychology in horror movies frustrated Emily. As she expected, Scott, a supporting character, successfully drew the mutant monsters' attention, but he was shot by a mutant stranger's arrow just as he was about to escape in the truck.
The escape of the other three survivors proved illusory. The dilapidated truck they drove was quickly blocked by the roadblocks the mutants had prepared in advance. In desperation, they had to abandon the vehicle and flee to a nearby observation deck.
"This place seems off," Emily muttered to herself.
Nevertheless, regardless of the ominous signs, the three characters on the screen managed to evade their pursuers for a while. Although the mutant monsters quickly closed in and cornered them on the observation deck, the terrain prevented either side from advancing.
"This situation can't last long."
Despite the current favorable turn in the plot for the protagonists, Emily sensed that there was more to the situation.
Sure enough, just as they had retrieved a spare radio for a distress signal from the observation deck, the situation took a grim turn. The mutants resorted to setting the surroundings on fire when they couldn't launch a direct attack.
"It appears that, despite their grotesque appearance, these mutants still possess some intelligence," Howard remarked, seemingly siding with the mutant strangers for some reason.
However, a soft cough from behind silenced him instantly. Remembering the reprimand he had received earlier, Howard shifted uncomfortably, making himself inconspicuous.
"These mutants are surprisingly crafty."
Turning her attention back to the screen, Emily watched as the three survivors had to brave their way from the observation deck to a tall tree to escape the fire. It was a perilous journey, and any misstep could have spelled doom for them.
"Yes, in horror movies, characters usually meet their end through malevolent intent, not accidents," Emily observed, taking on the role of a seasoned film critic.
And, as she predicted:
The last surviving supporting actress, Carly, was relentlessly pursued by the lingering mutant strangers while climbing the tree trunk, only to be bisected by an axe.
"Now, we're down to just two main characters," Emily silently counted.
"But soon, the heroine will fall into the clutches of the mutants."
Sitting in the back row, Charlize, the movie's lead actress, was well aware that she was the heroine.
"Sally, you were amazing" Christian, her companion, whispered her praise.
In response, Charlize nodded, then hesitated.
"I know my performance was solid. I truly gave it my all this time. But what about the scenes I shot with Alexis? I haven't seen them yet."
Christian tapped his temple and suddenly stood up.
"Let's step out and talk"
"Huh!? But the movie isn't over yet—"
"Some matters need preparation. After all, the next event is our real 'premiere.'"
"Alright."
Despite Charlize's desire to see the movie's ending, she follows Christian out.
Thus, Christian became the first audience member to leave early at his movie premiere.
**************
Kate Todd was well aware that tonight marked the premiere of the movie "Wrong Turn," but she chose not to attend.
It wasn't due to lack of interest. Kate had been deeply involved in the Alan McElroy case, making her highly intrigued by "Wrong Turn." If it hadn't been for strong opposition from the higher-ups, she would have already sought legal interference based on commercial secrets to examine the film for hidden evidence. She had indeed applied for such an investigation, but it was rejected due to insufficient evidence.
In fact, despite her desire to generate attention for the case, Kate had yet to uncover any evidence unfavorable to the "Wrong Turn's" crew. Even the new director, Christian Booth, whom Kate initially suspected, had a strong alibi. Kate hadn't even met him, yet her investigation into the rest of the crew indirectly corroborated this.
Moreover, the discovery of Eliza Kunis' body, along with two others, in Vinales Valley had raised new challenges. Cause and time of death were as elusive as Alan's. This forced Kate to confront a harsh reality.
"Perhaps a twisted killer is lurking in Vinales Valley."
This had been the media's speculation for the past two months, creating more difficulties for the FBI. If it were a serial killer or a random criminal, traditional investigative methods centered around victim relationships and clues were rendered useless. Agents were essentially back to searching for a needle in a haystack, no easy task.
And Kate was currently facing the same daunting task.
"Is the report call genuine or just a prank?"
It was past midnight, and Kate couldn't rest because the FBI received a call reporting a strange person dragging an injured or unconscious individual deep into Vinales Valley. For Kate and the FBI, who were struggling with the case, this was a significant lead, assuming the caller's voice hadn't been altered.
The caller's voice had a helium-like quality, making it challenging to discern the original sound. Furthermore, the call was made from a public phone and was so brief that FBI technicians couldn't trace it.
"If it's not related to the case, it's likely some mischievous kids."
Recalling past incidents where prank calls had taunted them, Kate clenched her teeth.
Americans love their pranks, especially those who take risks, and, fortunately, the police have the right to use lethal force, or else...
Kate shivered at the thought.
Despite the possibility of a prank, Kate couldn't ignore the call. If it turned out to be genuine and was later exposed, it could be damaging evidence of FBI negligence. It would not only affect Kate but also her superiors.
In recent years, the American media had made it a mission to critique the U.S. government and FBI internally and the U.S. military and the CIA externally.
With no other option, Kate decided to organize a thorough search of Vinales Valley that night. The aim was to verify the authenticity of the report call and investigate suspicious areas in the valley to determine if a serial killer was indeed hiding there.
"Don't let me find out who made that call, or else..."
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References-
1. Nightmare on Elm Street- It is a 1984 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven
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