With a knot of nerves tightening in his stomach, Dominic raced towards the freeway, his hands trembling while he dialed the police.

His urgency was tangible as he relayed every detail of the unfolding horror and the destination he was headed, his voice weighted with gravity.

He struggled to maintain his composure as he pleaded with them to act quickly, emphasizing the possibility of another potential victim and ignoring their warnings for him to stay clear of the danger.

As he sped along the freeway, dread gnawed at him. The final entry in Joel's murderous diary bore Crystal's name and picture, but there was a glimmer of hope— there were no harrowing details of her murder which meant she might still be alive. Yet, uncertainty loomed, driving Dominic forward in desperation and fear.

With the revelations discovered in Joel's attic and Key's letter, Dominic's world finally began to align, offering him a glimpse of clarity.

The nightmares that had haunted him, the visions that had plagued his mind—they weren't his memories at all but shared echoes of Key and Celia's torment.

Regret gnawed at Dominic as he reflected on his silence about the nightmares. Perhaps if he had confided in Key, the truth of their shared experiences would have come to light. Maybe Key would have divulged that he remembered Celia, bridging the gap between past and present. And perhaps Celia, if given the chance, would have revealed the chilling reality of her fate—that she was, in fact, no longer alive.

Dominic's heart raced as he pulled over swiftly, stopping at the exact spot where Key had abruptly left the car. With a quick zip of his hoodie for protection from the underbrush, he dashed towards the woods once more.

The sense of familiarity served as his compass as it guided him deeper into the dense foliage. Though he couldn't discern his destination, an instinctual pull urged him forward. He was convinced that this place held the elusive answers he sought—especially since his worst dizzy spell had occurred here.

Dominic's mind churned with worry, the weight of his fears pressing down on him like a leaden cloak. With each step through the woods, his anxiety mounted, fueled by the nagging thought that he might not reach her in time.

He tore through the woods, sensing a change in the landscape. The trees had begun to thin and their imposing forms had given way to a clearing.

Breaking through the final barrier of trees, Dominic was suddenly struck by a wave of shock, awe, and horror, his senses overwhelmed by the sight that greeted him.

In the clearing, a riot of wildflowers splashed vibrant hues across the landscape, creating a mesmerizing tapestry of colors that defied the late autumn air.

The wildflowers, more vivid and beautiful than any he had seen in Maybourne or Celia's mother's greenhouse, danced in the gentle breeze, their petals glistening with dewdrops like jewels in the fading light. Despite their breathtaking beauty, a sense of unease settled over Dominic. It was almost fall, and yet here, in the midst of the season, this vast land of wildflowers flourished in defiance of the season's norms.

Amid the colorful flowers, a small, ominous wooden shack stood in the center of the clearing, its weathered exterior casting a shadow over the vibrant scene. The shack appeared out of place amidst the natural beauty of the clearing, its dilapidated structure and darkened windows contrasting sharply with the lively blooms that surrounded it.

Dominic sprinted toward it, the wildflowers brushing against the back of his legs. Up close, he could see that the small building was weather-beaten, with peeling paint revealing the natural wood beneath and patches of moss clinging to its surface.

He drew closer to the door and the haunting sound of crying pierced the air, causing his heart to race.

"C-crystal? Is that you?" he called out, his voice trembling with uncertainty as he hoped for a response.

The crying grew louder, mingled with desperate shrieks, yet somehow muffled as if stifled by something unseen.

Upon reaching to open the door, Dominic's eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of an imposing padlock securing it. Its design was unlike any he had seen before and it was adorned with intricate engravings that sent shivers down his spine.

Key's insistence on retrieving the key suddenly made sense as Dominic scrutinized the lock before him.  It was clear that this couldn't even be shot off.

Quickly, Dominic fumbled through his pockets until his fingers finally closed around the key. Then, with bated breath, he inserted it into the lock and the metallic click resonated like an ominous warning.

When she shoved the door open, he found Crystal sprawled in the center of the room, her hands bound tightly behind her back and a stifling gag muffling her cries. He hurriedly rushed to her side and dropped to his knees, fumbling with the intricate knots securing her.

As he battled with the stubborn rope, his eyes scanned the shack's interior. The room held an ancient, worn counter on its left side, adorned with an array of rusty weapons and tools strewn across its surface. Shadows danced ominously in the corners, casting a sinister hue over the scene, while a row of weathered shovels hung ominously from hooks on the wall, their handles worn from either use or neglect.

A grimy, torn plastic tarp stretched across the floor, its surface marred with stains of unknown origin. Dominic averted his gaze, unwilling to entertain the unsettling possibilities of its purpose, focusing instead on the urgent task of freeing Crystal from her restraints.

With a sense of relief flooding through him, Dominic finally untangled Crystal's hands and feet and gently removed the gag from her mouth. She immediately flung herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face as she buried her sobs against his shoulder.

"He... he said you sent him to get me," she whimpered. "I-I didn't know..."

"It's alright, Crystal. I've got you now. We need to leave; the police are on their way," Dominic reassured her, his voice firm yet comforting.

"Can you stand?" he slipped her arm around his shoulder and lifted her from the cold floor.

Joel's voice cut through the tense air with an unsettling calmness as he appeared at the front door, his presence unnoticed by Dominic in his focused efforts to free Crystal.

"So, you're a hero now, huh?" Joel's words dripped with sarcasm as he stepped into the shack. "Where were you when your parents needed you?"

Dominic took a deep breath, forcibly calming the tempest of emotions swirling within him. Losing control now could jeopardize their safety, and he couldn't let that happen. They needed to escape, and quickly. The police were already on their way.

"That's the guy I know. An emotional little bastard who can't handle anything. You're far worse than Marcus," Joel's biting words pierced the air.

With a determined grit of his teeth, Dominic readjusted Crystal's arm around his shoulder, his focus unwavering despite Joel's provocations.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting, watching her?" Joel's voice dripped with a chilling intensity as he pointed accusingly at Crystal.

"She slipped away from me years ago, but fate brought her back to me, right here in good old Greenville," Joel tittered, a manic glint in his eyes. He advanced toward them, prompting Dominic to instinctively draw back, shielding Crystal from Joel's unsettling presence.

"Stay back, you sick bastard!" Dominic's voice reverberated through the shack in a mixture of fear and fury.

As Joel's disturbing monologue about his obsession with Crystal unfolded, Dominic leaned in close to her, his voice barely audible above Joel's deranged ramblings. With a subtle nod and a quick exchange of glances, Dominic conveyed their plan without uttering a word.

"You were at Goldman's. You were at that party. You were always there back in her school days too. It seems like every single time I'm about to have her, you're always butting in. And here you are again. How did you even find this place?" Joel's voice dripped with accusation as he confronted Dominic.

Dominic clenched his jaw, meeting Joel's gaze squarely. "You went inside the attic, didn't you?" The question hung heavily in the air, laced with a sinister implication.

"How could you do this to all these girls? I knew you were good for nothing, but this, this is insanity!" Dominic's lashed out in anger as he ignored Joel's questions.

"And who gives a crap what you think, hmm?" Joel retorted with a derisive sneer. "Every day you go to the cemetery, weeping and wailing over old news. Wake up, Dominic! Death is everywhere around us."

"See those wildflowers out there?" Joel's voice teetered on the edge of hysteria, his eyes wide with a manic intensity just like it did at the house. "I've been trying for years to get rid of the annoying little shits, but nothing ever works. No weed killer. No weed whacker. Hell, even plucking them out doesn't work—they just spring back to life."

Dominic gently patted Crystal's back, signaling to her that they would soon be on the move.

"They only started popping up when I buried that girl years ago. No matter if it's winter or fall, they never die. It pisses me off!" His words reverberated through the shack like a mad sermon.

Dominic's stomach clenched with nausea as he listened to Joel's chilling confession. There were bodies buried underneath the wildflowers? The revelation struck him viciously. He fought to suppress the rising lump in his throat.

The mention of the girl Joel spoke of sparked a surge of realization within Dominic. In an instant, her face flashed before his mind's eye, her laughter echoing faintly in the recesses of his memory. It was Celia. It had to be.

"How dare you!" Dominic's voice cracked with fury as he lunged at Joel, propelled by a potent mix of rage and desperation.

Dominic heard Crystal's scream pierce the air as he wrestled Joel, their bodies entangled in a desperate struggle for control. Despite his best efforts, Joel's superior strength quickly became evident, overpowering Dominic's attempts to restrain him. He knew he couldn't hold him for long.

"Run, Crystal!" Dominic's voice echoed through the shack.

The sound of Crystal's frantic footsteps sounded across the wooden floor as she dashed past them. But just as she reached the door, Joel's hand shot out, seizing her ankle in a vice-like grip.

"You won't escape me again!" Joel's voice was a sinister snarl as he thwarted Crystal's attempt to flee, his grip tightening with each passing moment.

In a surge of blind rage, Dominic's fist crashed into Joel's face, the impact reverberating through his arm. Ignoring the pain that shot up his hand, Dominic unleashed another blow, this time targeting Joel's throat. The force of the punch elicited a strangled gasp from Joel, causing him to release his grip on Crystal.

Fueled by a surge of strength, Joel brushed off Dominic's punches quickly. With a swift motion, he thrusted Dominic through the air, the momentum carrying his body before crashing into the solid wooden wall of the shack. The sound of the impact reverberated through the small space, leaving Dominic stunned and disoriented. His vision swam as he struggled to regain his bearings.

Dominic blinked away the swirling haze clouding his sight, his head throbbing fiercely from the impact against the unforgiving wood. Despite the pain, he fixed his gaze on Joel, who, amidst coughs and wheezes, fought to rise from the ground. With unsteady steps, Joel pressed forward, a steely resolve etched on his features as he pursued Crystal.

With adrenaline coursing through his veins, Dominic seized a shovel from the wall and sprinted after Joel. He closed the gap swiftly before unleashing a powerful blow to the back of Joel's head, sending him crashing to the ground.

He watched as his grandfather collapsed into the flower grove, his ears catching the wail of distant sirens.

Dominic's gaze fell upon the colorful sea of flowers with a heart heavy with sorrow. The thought of the numerous young girls buried under the wildflowers shattered him.

How could something so enchanting conceal such darkness?

A sudden jolt of pain shattered his thoughts, his hand instinctively flying to his throbbing head. Warm wetness coated his fingers as he realized he was bleeding. With a grimace, he dropped the shovel and moved to pull Joel back inside the shack, but as he bent over to grab his feet, Joel's foot connected with his face.

Agony exploded through Dominic's senses as his nose crunched under the force of the blow. He stumbled backward, crashing to the ground as blood poured from his injured nose.

Dazed and disoriented, Dominic felt Joel's weight bear down on him, the hands around his throat tightening with a menacing grip.

"You've ruined everything!" Joel thundered. "Do you even realize what you've done?"

Dominic's lungs burned as he gasped for air, his hands clawing desperately at Joel's powerful grip. Darkness edged into his vision, threatening to consume him.

"Chase Phillips had that same look before he died," Joel's words sliced through Dominic's haze of pain and confusion. "I heard your little phone call. I don't know how you knew him, but I couldn't risk him talking. I should've killed him way back then!"

Dominic's neck throbbed with searing pain as Joel's strong hands tightened around his throat. Panic surged through Dominic's veins, his chest heaving in a desperate attempt to draw in air that refused to come.

"I should've never taken you into my house!" Joel shouted.

Desperation clawed at Dominic as he reached out instinctively, searching for anything that could aid his fight for survival. But his frantic efforts yielded nothing, leaving him trapped beneath Joel's suffocating grip.

Just as Dominic felt the icy grip of darkness tightening around him, a deafening gunshot shattered the oppressive silence. Joel's body stiffened atop him, his hold weakening as he tumbled to the side.

Coughing and gasping for breath, Dominic rubbed his throat as he tried to free himself from the weight of the evil man's body pinning him down.

"Jesus, are you alright?" An officer's voice cut through the haze of pain and confusion.

Dominic staggered to his feet with the help of the policeman, his eyes fixed on his grandfather's motionless form lying amidst the vibrant grove of wildflowers.

At first, Dominic thought Joel was dead, but then he saw a slight movement—a subtle twitch that made his chest tighten.

"You are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law," another officer declared as they secured Joel in handcuffs, their focus unwavering.

"C-crystal?" Dominic's voice trembled with concern as he addressed the officer who had aided him moments ago.

"Who? The young lady we found at the side of the road? She's alright. Her parents are with her right now. The rest of the detectives are taking her statement. Are you alright? You're bleeding pretty badly," the officer's tone softened with genuine concern as they took note of Dominic's injuries.

Nodding weakly, Dominic gestured towards the colorful array of flowers surrounding them. "He buried them all here. Under the wildflowers."

The memories flooded back to him with painful clarity, the last image burned into his mind before he succumbed to unconsciousness: Celia and Key's faces twisted in laughter as they stood amidst the vibrant blooms of the greenhouse under the moonlight.

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