Since LeMaster isn't exactly being too helpful on the current situation, Sunshine is at a loss for what to do next. Her mother's only gotten worse and Creepy Lady hasn't shown up. She's all alone in this mystery now, and it's up to her to solve it.

How, though?

Well, obviously the worst thing to do: use a Ouija board.

She's aware her viewers will be angry, and she's aware this could end badly for her, but it's her last resort. Clearly there's no one left to aid her, so she has to take her own path right now.

If the medium was right... then perhaps there is a darker presence in the house. And perhaps she can speak to this presence through the board. That can work, right?

As Sunshine lifts the board and reads over the small white words covering the front, a soft but quick rapping on the door sends her to her feet. She tilts her head and pads toward the door, curiosity edging her on.

"Hello?" She slides her body past the window and looks outside. For a moment it seems there's no one there, until a gray cloak blinds her view and Creepy Lady is staring back at her with bleak brown eyes.

Sunshine blinks in surprise and opens the door, stepping back as the woman walks in. "Something's wrong."

"Okay." She raises a brow as Creepy Lady stalks closer.

"Are you okay." The woman's voice almost takes on an accusatory tone.

"Um..." Sunshine brushes brown hair from her face, biting her lip. She gives in to Creepy Lady's protective glare. "No, not really. I mean.. things have gotten worse with mom and everything."

The woman doesn't respond and jerks her head in the direction of the Ouija Board, brows pressing together. "What are you doing with this?"

"Well, things —"

"Why do you have this?"

"Things have gotten worse!"

Creepy Lady grits her teeth. "You can not use this. Tell me you will not use this. Put this away." She bends down and grips the lid between her outstretched fingers.

"Okay, okay, I won't use it." Sunshine crosses her arms as the woman picks up the picture of the bagged family.

"Why do you have this?" Her words are at a dangerous low. A shiver runs down Sunshine's back.

"That's my ghosts," she responds slowly.

Creepy Lady looks almost sentimental for a second. She turns towards Sunshine and flicks black hair out of her face, breathing in. "Can you drive?"

"Yeah.."

"We need to go somewhere. I need to show you something." The woman sets down the picture

"Uhhh, I don't know if I'm comfortable with —"

"We need to go right now."

"Okay, okay.." Sunshine shakes her head. This should be fun.

The car ride to this mysterious place is quiet and awkward. Or, maybe it's just awkward to Sunshine. Creepy Lady seems lost in her own head; she simply stares out of the window and makes small gestures on where to drive.

And now they're here. A loose, winding trail snakes through a path, surrounded by a grove of trees that twist and curl overhead. Creepy Lady steps out of the car and stands at the path, facing toward the whistling branches and just... standing.

Sunshine has no idea where they are. She's not sure she's even ever been here before. But Creepy Lady is intent on hurrying and she doesn't want to piss the woman off, even if she doesn't really want to get out.

How many times has she met this woman again?

Creepy Lady comes over and knocks on the window with the edge of her finger. "Yeaaah..?" Sunshine asks, squinting against the sun.

"It's time, we have to go."

"Are you sure..?"

The woman doesn't even blink. "Yes."

Sunshine sighs. "Okay, well.. let's go, then." She pauses. "What are we doing again?"

Creepy Lady leads the way through the bushes, not even bothering to follow the trail. "I have to lead you to the sacrificing."

"The what? What was that?" Sunshine halts in her walk and stares at the woman. Is this— okay, what the hell is going on here? She's suddenly very, very suspicious.

Creepy Lady whips around, clearly growing annoyed. "The sacrifice sight," she growls.

"Okay, well..." Sunshine jogs to catch up with her. "I don't think I'm very comfortable with that."

"You must be."

A pause. "Oh. Okay."

Great.

They walk in silence and follow a flattened path of grass and woven weeds, bird chatter echoing around them. Sunshine looks around and presses her lips together. Hmmm. What to talk about with this strange, probably-witch woman?

"So," she begins, clearing her throat, "we've been uh. We've been, walking, for a while."

No answer.

"Soooo..." Sunshine thinks, then her green eyes light up. "Do you have a real name?"

Creepy Lady, for once, looks amused. "Yes. I have a real name." She smiles.

Sunshine beams. "That's good."

"It's.." The woman hesitates and looks down. "Victoria."

"That's pretty!" she chirps.

"Thank you." Her face falls into a dead line once more.

"Yeah." A hum. "So, uhh, where do you live?" A one-sided game of twenty questions is always fun.

Victoria glances over. "Around. I move."

"O.. okay, cool." Weird. That's the only way Sunshine can describe this woman. Strange? Odd? Creepy— wait, maybe she shouldn't call Victoria Creepy Lady anymore.

Sunshine stops and stares for a moment. Maybe she should get this question over and done with. "Are you... a Wiccan..?"

Victoria looks away, grunts, and continues moving. "I'm more than a Wiccan."

"Oh. So... why are you helping me?"

"Because you need my help." Yup, that's the aggravated face. "I need to protect you, you need to be safe."

Sunshine has vivid flashbacks to the first real encounter with Creepy La— Victoria. In December, she remembers it clearly. A knock on the door had stirred her forward and there Victoria had stood, uttering the words, "It's not safe," over and over again until she'd been screaming.

Fun memories.

"Okay," is all she responds with. And it seems that, this time, it's Victoria's turn to ask a question.

"Why do you carry that thing around with you all the time?" She stares at the camera lens.

"I don't know." Sunshine shrugs. The answer seems to appease Victoria, more or less.

She looks over the teenager's head. "You know you ask a lot of questions?"

"Yeah, my mom says that too —"

"Shh." Victoria stops, feet kicking up gravel. Her eyes flicker around the vibrant forest.

"What?" Sunshine whispers.

She doesn't look scared, despite the words she says. "The demon is watching us. We must move."

Sunshine twists her head around to look, still quickly hurrying after Victoria. There's nothing she can see, but maybe, if Creepy— ugh! — if Victoria has more powers or motive than a Wiccan... she can sense things that would otherwise be impossible to see or tell?

Maybe that's it.

The continued walk is fast but silent, much to Sunshine's dismay. The trees begin to clutter together more and pools of honey-golden light ripple over the grass and undergrowth. The forest becomes laced with shadows as they travel deeper in. Sunshine can hear a stream father off in the distance.

Then, they arrive. A decrepit building, hardly standing, faces them. Sunshine gazes at it with uncertainty. Most of the walls have fallen and the roof is completely gone. Only stone lays beneath their feet, layered by wood and rocks. "What's... this?"

Victoria wheels. "This is the sacrifice sight."

"Okay.." Sunshine steps inside and examines the old, broken brick, running her fingers through the grooves. "Aaaanddd...?"

"That demon. That demon, that has been following you? He wants to cause you harm." Her eyes widen as she looks at Victoria.

"That's not good," she murmurs.

"No, it's not." The woman looks like this is hard for her to deliver. "There is something you must do."

"Okay..?"

A short sigh. "You must sacrifice yourself."

Sunshine splutters. "I must what? Is this part of the whole cult thing? Are you part of the cult?"

"No." Victoria's word is final. "No. I am not part of that cult." She looks disgusted, as if she can't even comprehend someone thinking she's involved.

She pauses and goes on. "But I know about your mother. I know that she is possessed. And if you don't help me — if you don't help yourself — he won't leave. He won't leave her, he won't leave your family. You need to do this."

"But.." The words die down in her throat. Is her mother really possessed? That can't — that can't be true. How is that even possible? Maybe her viewers are right. Maybe she's blind to the truth. Or maybe it's all something orchestrated against her.

That could be the case.

"Listen," Victoria snaps. "You're not — you're not literally going to sacrifice yourself. But I need you to make the demon think that you are going to do it." The woman nods along with her words. "That you are going to sacrifice yourself. If you can do that, I will take care of the rest. I will banish the demon and help your family."

"You'll... banish it?"

"Yes." She sounds sincere.

Sunshine sighs loudly. "What if I don't believe you?" She can't help but hold those doubts close.

Victoria stares for a moment. "I have a way to make you believe. Your mother is possessed, and I have a test. A test that will make you see that this is true."

"A test..? Can we just do it here, right now —?"

"No, no, we can't do it here anymore." Victoria narrows her eyes. "This sight... it's no good, it's too out in the open, people can see it, they know about it. And we have to come back another time. At night. And we have to go much deeper into the forest."

Birds chirp high above. "Well that seems... safe. What is the test, though? For my — for my mom?"

The woman bites the inside of her cheek. "Let's return back to the car. I'll tell you on the way."

Well. It looks like this is actually going to happen.

WE HAVE LIKE 3 OR 4 MORE CHAPTERS UNTIL NOLAN I'M SO EXCITED