334-336

Chapter 334: Mrs. Ashton 

“Edward had a stroke a couple of months ago and was hospitalized. He still hasn’t fully recovered, so he needs oxygen to get by,” Ella explained. 

Her words left Jamie silent, processing the news. 

After a long pause, Jamie spoke, his voice dry. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?” 

Edward, his father, answered weakly. “I wrote you letters, Jamie. Called you plenty of times too. But you never wrote back or picked up.” 

Jamie’s guilt deepened, weighing on him like a stone. 

Trying to ease his conscience, he brought up a childhood memory. “Dad, do you remember that poem about Mary Shaw? The one Mom used to sing to me?” 

Edward’s cloudy eyes dropped, as if the mention stirred something painful. 

Ella jumped in. “Jamie, it’s just a poem. Don’t read too much into it.” 

Jamie’s brow furrowed. Roy had already told him Mary Shaw was real, and the bizarre way his wife died backed that up. “No, there’s something off about that poem. Are you guys hiding something from me?” 

He fixed his gaze on Edward. 

Edward’s breathing quickened, almost like he was upset and struggling for air. 

Ella quickly placed the oxygen mask over Edward’s face, rubbing his back to calm him. “Jamie, your dad’s not well. Please don’t stress him out, okay?” 

Seeing his father’s frail state, Jamie felt another pang of guilt and dropped the subject. “Fine. If you won’t tell me, whatever.” 

He turned to leave. 

Edward’s weak voice stopped him. “Jamie, stay the night, will you?” 

The plea, filled with a father’s longing for his estranged son, was enough to tug at anyone’s heartstrings. 

Jamie hesitated, torn. Seeing his father so old and sick made him feel bad, but he couldn’t fully let go of his resentment. 

Just as he was about to say no, Roy put a hand on his shoulder. “I think staying the night’s a good idea, right, Jamie?” 

Jamie didn’t dare argue with Roy—the guy who could rip iron gates apart with his bare hands. He nodded awkwardly. 

Edward looked relieved, and even Ella smiled warmly. “Why don’t you two sit in the living room for a bit? I’ll take Edward back to his room. He needs rest and can’t talk for too long. I’ll tidy up your rooms in a bit.” 

With that, Ella wheeled Edward away, leaving Roy and Jamie in the living room. 

“Mr. Black, why are we—” 

“Shh!” Roy gestured for silence. 

Even though Ella and Edward were gone, Roy wasn’t convinced the living room was safe. He’d noticed several dolls scattered around, and he could feel faint gazes watching him. Mary Shaw was likely controlling those dolls, eavesdropping on anything he and Jamie said. 

“This isn’t the place to talk. Save it for somewhere secure.” 

Jamie frowned, confused. This was his house—how could it not be safe? But since Roy insisted, he trusted him and sat quietly on the couch, waiting. 

A little while later, Ella returned. “Jamie, you’ll stay in your old room. It’s still clean—I tidy it up regularly. As for you, Mr. Black, I’ll fix up a guest room. We don’t get many visitors, so some of the rooms are a bit dusty.” 

“Thanks, Mrs. Ashton,” Roy said with a smile. 

Ella led them upstairs. To be fair, Ella was impressive—beautiful, poised, and, as Roy could tell, in great shape. Even in her modest, elegant clothes, her figure was striking. 

As she climbed the stairs ahead of them, her walk had an almost seductive sway, like she was teasing Roy and Jamie. 

Roy’s expression turned odd. Was this about to turn into some cliché plot like The Young Stepmom or My Friend’s Mom? 

They reached Jamie’s room on the second floor, and Ella opened the door. “See? It’s just like when you left.” 

Jamie stepped inside, his face clouding with memories. After his mother’s sudden death, his father had married a young, beautiful woman. Teenage Jamie, furious with Edward, had stormed out and left home. 

That was over a decade ago. 

Now, in his early thirties with a wife of his own, Jamie was back. Edward hadn’t even acknowledged his marriage, a rare and serious slight in Western culture. Without parental blessings, a marriage was practically elopement, severing family ties. 

Edward hadn’t known about Jamie’s wife’s death either. 

“Mr. Black, I’ll show you to the guest room,” Ella said. 

Jamie stayed in his room, lost in the past. 

Roy made a quick gesture, signaling Jamie not to scream. As long as Jamie stayed quiet, Roy could save him from anything. But if he screamed and triggered Mary Shaw’s powers, Roy could only avenge him, not save him. 

No clue if Jamie, still dazed, caught the signal. 

“Here’s your room, Mr. Black. I’ll tidy it up,” Ella said. 

She opened the windows to let in fresh air and started dusting. The room clearly hadn’t been used in ages—dust was everywhere, and cobwebs clung to the corners. 

After a quick cleanup, Ella grabbed bedding and pillows from a cabinet and made the bed. 

Watching her bend over to smooth the sheets, Roy’s mind wandered. Could a doll be… an option? His “menu” already included ghosts, demons, and female androids. Maybe it was time to try something new? 

He shook his head, snapping out of it. His desires had been creeping up lately—probably because his Desire Domain had upgraded to Desire Incarnate. 

“There, that should do it,” Ella said, standing and wiping sweat from her brow with a bright smile. 

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing her in a soft glow, like a halo around her. 

The sight was so stunning that even Roy couldn’t help but stare. 

Ella was no ordinary doll. Her mannerisms were perfectly human, and she even had a soul indistinguishable from a real person’s. How had Mary Shaw pulled that off? 

Creating a perfect doll from a human body was still within the realm of magic. But crafting a soul? That was divine territory. 

Roy strongly suspected Ella’s soul wasn’t created by Mary Shaw but was a ghost stuffed into the doll’s body. 

“Thanks again, Mrs. Ashton.” 

“No trouble at all,” she said, moving to leave. 

But then Ella stumbled, falling forward—right into Roy’s arms at the doorway. 

Roy caught her instinctively, no ulterior motives. 

Holding her soft, warm frame, Roy’s expression turned skeptical. This setup was straight out of a cheesy rom-com, wasn’t it? 

Still, it confirmed Ella’s figure was the real deal—no padding, just the kind that looked slimmer in clothes. 

“Mrs. Ashton, you okay?” 

“I’m fine. Probably just low blood sugar from dieting,” she said. 

Low blood sugar could cause dizziness after bending or standing up too fast, so her excuse checked out. 

But to an outsider, it looked suspicious. 

“What’s going on here?” Jamie’s voice cut in. 

He’d wandered over and caught Roy holding Ella in what looked like an intimate moment. 

Ella quickly pushed away, flustered, tucking her hair and smoothing her clothes with a shy expression. Her little gestures only made it seem like she was hiding something. 

“Nothing! I almost fell, and Mr. Black caught me,” she said. 

Sure enough, Jamie’s eyes flicked between Ella’s behavior and her words, then landed on Roy with a suspicious look. 

Roy was a magnetic, charismatic guy, and Ella was a lonely woman in her thirties, married to an older man who’d recently been immobilized by a stroke. It wasn’t hard to imagine something happening between them. 

Jamie couldn’t help but think of all the movies and shows—especially those from Tokyo or the San Fernando Valley—where this exact scene played out. 

So Roy cut to the chase. “Jamie, don’t get the wrong idea. I was totally sneaking around with your stepmom.” 

“Oh, okay, it’s just—wait, what? No way!”  

Jamie and Ella stared at Roy, floored by his bluntness. They were completely thrown off. 

“What? Isn’t that what you wanted me to say? I say it, and you don’t believe me!” Roy shot them a look. 

Jamie caught on—Roy was messing with them. Honestly, he’d been a little suspicious of Roy and Ella, but now? He was convinced nothing was going on. 

Ella wiped at nonexistent sweat, her face a mix of confusion and exasperation. Roy’s cheeky comment had derailed her act, and she struggled to pick up the script. 

“Uh, it’s almost lunchtime. What do you guys want to eat?” she asked, pivoting awkwardly. 

Jamie blinked, thrown by the sudden topic shift, but started to answer. “Just whip up any—” 

Roy cut him off. “Mrs. Ashton, sorry, but Jamie and I have plans for lunch and won’t be back. We’ll be here for dinner, though.” 

With that, Roy hooked an arm around Jamie’s neck and dragged him out. 

“Ow! That hurts!” Jamie yelped. 

“Quit whining, Jamie! Don’t be such a wimp!” Roy snapped. 

Under Ella’s puzzled gaze, Roy and Jamie left the big house. 

It wasn’t until they were back in the Bumblebee car parked on the street that Jamie spoke up. “Mr. Black, why’d you make me stay the night but then drag me out before lunch?” 

“Hold on,” Roy said. 

He activated his True Sight and checked the Billy puppet lying in the backseat, confirming Mary Shaw wasn’t using it to eavesdrop. Then he answered. 

“Your stepmom’s got a problem.” 

Roy didn’t mention that Jamie’s father was already dead and turned into a puppet. If Jamie knew, he’d likely lose it and ruin their next steps. 

Saying Ella was the issue? That, Jamie could handle. 

As expected, Jamie looked shocked but kept it together. “Ella’s got a problem? Like what?” 

“I think Mary Shaw’s controlling her. Think about it—Mary Shaw already got to your wife. Did she ever visit your dad, who’s been living in Ravensfall all this time?” 

It clicked for Jamie. If Mary Shaw was out for revenge against the descendants of the townsfolk who killed her, why would she spare the Ashton family, who’d been town mayors for generations? They’d be her biggest targets. 

Panic crept into Jamie’s voice. “What do we do? Should we save my dad first?” 

Roy shook his head. He couldn’t let Jamie confront Edward yet. 

Right now, Roy was playing a high-stakes game with Mary Shaw and the Hook Man. Both sides knew the other’s goals: Mary Shaw wanted to kill Jamie to complete her revenge, while Roy needed to recover Jennifer’s soul and capture Mary Shaw. 

But Mary Shaw didn’t know Roy had seen the “script” and already uncovered Ella and Edward’s secrets, giving him the upper hand. 

Roy had to keep Mary Shaw in the dark about his knowledge to catch her. If she realized how much he knew, she’d go into hiding, and finding her would be a nightmare. 

The only wildcard was the Hook Man. 

He wasn’t in the movie, and Roy knew little about him, only what Francisca had shared. 

“Look at your dad’s condition. He can’t handle any stress right now. Staying put is the best move,” Roy said. 

Jamie gritted his teeth and nodded, convinced. “Alright, Mr. Black. What’s next?” 

Roy recalled the movie’s plot. “Mary Shaw has a puppet theater. Let’s check it out.” 

Ella Ashton (played by Amber Valletta, former supermodel and Leonardo DiCaprio’s ex—probably gorgeous in her prime, but good pics are hard to find.) 

Chapter 335: Nothing Going On Today, Just Watching a Show at the Theater 

“Puppet theater? What puppet theater?” 

To Roy’s surprise, Jamie looked utterly confused by his question. 

“You don’t know about it?” 

Roy frowned at Jamie, who didn’t seem to be faking his bewilderment. 

Jamie shook his head. 

Then it clicked for Roy. According to the movie, Mary Shaw was born in 1869 and died in 1940. Back then, Jamie’s dad, Edward, was probably still a kid, if he was even born. After Mary Shaw’s death, her theater was abandoned, so it made sense that Jamie wouldn’t know about it. 

Roy mentally reviewed the movie’s plot. There was an old guy at the funeral home who had a decent amount of screen time, giving Jamie key info. Maybe he could point them to the theater. Plus, Mary Shaw’s grave was in the town cemetery—might be worth checking if her body was still there. 

“Let’s head to the funeral home.” 

“Funeral home? Got it.” 

Jamie gave directions to Bumblebee, which took off on autopilot. 

Ravensfall was a small town, so Roy and Jamie quickly reached the funeral home on the outskirts. 

The town was already half-dead, so the funeral home was predictably quiet. When Roy and Jamie walked in, they didn’t see a single soul. 

Well, okay, seeing something else in a funeral home would probably be creepier. Thankfully, it was broad daylight, so the place was free of anything too spooky. 

“Henry, you here?” 

Ravensfall was small enough that everyone knew each other, so Jamie was on a first-name basis with the funeral home’s owner. 

Hearing Jamie’s voice, a white-haired old man shuffled in from the back. He had to be in his late seventies, at least. 

The old guy’s face lit up when he saw Jamie. 

“Jamie, you’re back!” 

He stepped forward and gave Jamie a quick hug. 

“Yeah, I’m back!” 

“That’s great! Jamie, it’s been, what, over ten years since you’ve been home? Edward mentioned you got married—how come you didn’t bring your wife to visit?” 

Henry, bless his heart, had a knack for bringing up the worst topics. Mentioning Jamie’s late wife turned his happy expression dark in an instant. 

Seeing Jamie’s face, Henry realized he’d messed up, but it’s not like he could take the words back. 

“Lisa’s gone. Her body should be sent back to town in a few days.” 

Henry patted Jamie’s shoulder. 

“I’m sorry, Jamie. My condolences. Can you tell me how she passed?” 

Jamie shook his head. 

“That’s why I’m back in Ravensfall. I think her death has something to do with this town.” 

As soon as he said it, a shaky, eerie voice called out from the back room. 

“Mary Shaw! It’s gotta be Mary Shaw!” 

An old woman shuffled out, looking a bit unhinged, like her mind wasn’t all there. 

Henry gave Jamie an awkward smile. 

“Lanny’s been dealing with dementia lately. She rambles about all sorts of nonsense. Lanny, get back inside! It’s not safe out here!” 

“Mary Shaw, Mary Shaw’s back!” 

When Lanny didn’t listen, Henry had to coax and nudge her back to the back room. 

When Henry returned, he caught Jamie giving him a strange look. 

“What’s up, Jamie?” 

“Henry, is Mary Shaw real?” 

Henry forced a smile. 

“Jamie, don’t overthink it. She’s just a local legend, that’s all.” 

Jamie wasn’t buying Henry’s obvious dodge and got mad. 

“You all keep saying Mary Shaw’s just a story, but my wife might’ve died because of her! Why are you still hiding things?” 

Seeing Jamie’s anger, Henry sighed. 

“Alright, since you already know something, I’ll tell you. Mary Shaw was real. In the early 20th century, she was a famous puppeteer and ventriloquist in Washington State. Back then, people flocked to the Ravensfall Theater to see her shows—some even came from out of state.” 

Henry’s gaze grew distant, like he was lost in memories. Roy and Jamie stayed quiet, letting him talk. 

Even though Roy had seen the movie, who knew if this world’s story matched the film exactly? Mary Shaw had a witch identity here that wasn’t in the original, so there could be other differences. That’s why Roy was playing it cautious in Ravensfall. 

“I was just a funeral home owner’s kid. I only got to see the puppet theater once, but that one time? I saw a performance so miraculous, I still remember it vividly.” 

On the puppet theater’s stage, facing a packed audience, Mary Shaw dragged a big box onto the stage. When she opened it, it was empty. 

“Oh, my little rascal Billy, where are you?” 

Mary Shaw looked out at the audience, like a kind mom searching for her mischievous kid. 

“I’m here, Mommy!” 

The whole crowd heard a child’s voice, but no one in the room had spoken—not even Mary Shaw on stage. 

Then, Mary Shaw pointed to a seat—Henry’s seat, back when he was a kid. 

“Found you, you little rascal!” 

Young Henry was clueless about what was happening. 

“Check under your seat, kid!” 

Henry lifted the curtain under his seat and found a puppet—Billy. 

“Good boy, can you bring Billy up to the stage?” 

This kind of trick is old hat now, but in 1940? It was groundbreaking. 

Henry, totally dazed, carried Puppet Billy to the stage and handed it to Mary Shaw. 

Then, Mary Shaw cradled Billy and kicked off the real show. 

Her puppet control, ventriloquism, and vocal skills were all top-notch. The lighthearted performance had the whole audience roaring with laughter. 

Young Henry genuinely thought the puppet Billy in Mary Shaw’s hands was alive. 

But, as always, there’s gotta be someone who ruins the moment. 

A bratty kid suddenly shouted, “I saw her mouth move!” 

The whole theater went silent. Every eye locked onto Mary Shaw, waiting to see how she’d handle it. 

“Jamie, I later found out that kid was your great-uncle,” Henry said, his eyes carrying a strange weight as he looked at Jamie. 

Jamie was floored. He didn’t even know he had a great-uncle. 

“How come I never heard of him?” 

“Because he went missing a few days after that show.” 

Jamie wanted to press further, but Roy put a hand on his shoulder. 

“Jamie, hold off. Let Mr. Henry keep going.” 

Jamie bit back his curiosity and let Henry continue. 

“It was a performance like nothing I’d ever seen!” 

Henry slipped back into his memories. 

“Oh, Mommy! That kid thinks I’m fake! Get him up here—I wanna have a word!” 

“No, no, no, kids don’t fight! Billy, you gotta get along with others!” 

“But he’s doubting me! Mommy, am I real or fake?” 

“Oh, my little rascal, Billy’s as real as any kid!” 

“I’m gonna prove it, Mommy!” 

The back-and-forth between Mary Shaw and the puppet sped up, their voices sometimes overlapping. 

Her jaw-dropping ventriloquism left the audience stunned. Thunderous applause filled the theater, and even the kid who’d called her out was left speechless. 

Roy figured this dual-voice trick was probably tied to Mary Shaw’s unique witch abilities. 

Henry paused there. 

“What happened next?” Jamie asked, hooked on the story. 

“After that, the boy—your great-uncle—went missing. The townsfolk suspected Mary Shaw had kidnapped him. Under the mayor’s lead, they privately judged her. I don’t know the details since I was just a kid. 

“Anyway, after Mary Shaw died, people in town kept disappearing. Folks thought it was her vengeful spirit, and that’s when that poem about her started spreading. The town was terrified, so they brought in a powerful exorcist from the church. 

“When the exorcist arrived and learned the full story, he had the townsfolk properly bury Mary Shaw’s body, along with the hundred puppets she’d made. He sealed her grave, and that’s what gave Ravensfall decades of peace.” 

Henry let out a heavy sigh. He still had a soft spot for Mary Shaw and didn’t believe she’d taken Jamie’s great-uncle. 

But later events proved Mary Shaw did take him—and he became her first human puppet experiment. 

Roy finally spoke up. He’d heard enough of the story; time to get to the point. 

“Mr. Henry, we need to know where Mary Shaw’s theater is.” 

Henry seemed to notice Roy for the first time, looking at Jamie with surprise. 

“Who’s this?” 

“Oh, he’s my friend, Roy Black. He’s here with me to check out the hometown.” 

Henry nodded, not thinking much of it. 

“The puppet theater’s east of Ravensfall, near the base of the Rockies by a small lake. The theater’s on the lake.” 

“Thanks, Mr. Henry. Jamie, let’s go.” 

Jamie still had a ton of questions, but Roy was already pulling him away. 

“Mr. Black, shouldn’t we check Mary Shaw’s grave?” 

“No need. If Mary Shaw’s out and about, her body’s already been dug up.” 

Probably by Hookman, Roy figured. 

Henry hadn’t mentioned everything. His dad was the one who handled Mary Shaw’s body, and since he was close to her, he followed her wishes and turned her into a puppet. Young Henry saw Puppet Mary Shaw, and it scarred him for life, so he avoided bringing it up. 

That trauma was why Henry’s family stayed safe in Ravensfall all these years. 

Roy, having seen the movie, knew this. In the film, Henry spilled this story to Jamie, which got him killed by Mary Shaw. Keeping Henry quiet might just save him. 

Roy and Jamie hopped into Bumblebee and drove east for about half an hour. They spotted the Rockies, then the small lake. 

In the lake’s center stood a massive theater, connected by a wooden bridge—except the bridge was long broken, leaving only a small boat as access. 

“Mr. Black, the bridge is out.” 

“No big deal. We’ll row over.” 

Roy’s expert water sports skills included rowing, so he got them to the lake’s center in minutes. 

Glancing at the sky, it was noon, the sun blazing bright. Perfect time to hit the theater. 

“Let’s go in.” 

Inside, they first hit the ticket lobby. Roy and Jamie didn’t linger, heading straight for the main hall. 

The theater was coated in dust, but you could still make out its former glory through the decay. 

As they moved toward the backstage, a loud click echoed, and the theater’s lights snapped on. 

Jamie jumped, nearly yelping, but he remembered the poem and clamped his mouth shut just in time. 

“Let’s give a warm welcome to our honored guests, Mr. Roy Black and Mr. Jamie Ashen!” 

A spotlight hit the stage, and an old woman’s voice rang out. 

The audience seats erupted in applause—except it sounded off, not like hands clapping but more like wood clacking together. 

That’s when Roy noticed the front rows were filled with puppets, each about half human size, easy to miss from the back. 

The puppets stood in unison, turning their heads to stare at Roy and Jamie. The creepy scene was straight out of the movie’s iconic moments. 

(Iconic scene) 

Being stared at by all those eyes, even Jamie, who was pretty gutsy, started to panic. 

“M-M-Mr. Black, what do we do now?” 

“What else? Let’s see what kind of show Mary Shaw’s got for us!” 

Nothing going on today, just watching a show at the theater. 

Chapter 336: You Happy Now, Huh? 

Jamie opened his mouth, momentarily confused by Roy’s words. It wasn’t until Roy found a seat and plopped down that it clicked for him. 

Still, since the big shot said he wanted to watch the show—and looked so damn calm about it—Jamie had no choice but to swallow his fear and sit next to Roy. 

As Roy and Jamie settled in, the puppets in the theater all sat down in perfect unison. 

Mary Shaw’s voice echoed from the stage again. 

“Today, to welcome our distinguished guests, the Puppet Theater has prepared a special puppet show.” 

A puppet show, huh? Roy was curious to see what kind of tricks Mary Shaw was pulling. 

By now, Roy had activated his True Sight, his golden pupils scanning the theater, searching for Mary Shaw’s figure. 

But whether it was on stage or in the audience, there was no sign of Mary Shaw’s soul. The puppets’ bodies were filled with other people’s souls, and Mary Shaw herself was hiding somewhere. 

Suddenly, Roy noticed one of the female puppets had Jennifer’s soul trapped inside, completely under Mary Shaw’s control. 

Roy’s brow furrowed deeply, but he held back the urge to act immediately. 

“Today’s performance is a puppet play called Pinocchio! A long, long time ago, there was an old man named Geppetto who had no wife or children. One day, he found a magical piece of wood in the wild that could cry and laugh. So, he carved it into the shape of a child. Geppetto treated the puppet as his own son and named him Pinocchio.” 

As Mary Shaw narrated, various puppets appeared on stage, moving in sync with the story, their mouths even producing voices that matched their roles. 

Roy started to feel something was off. The theater’s lights were gradually dimming. At first, he thought it was his imagination, but when he looked up and saw the overhead lights turn an eerie blue, he knew something was wrong. 

Was this theater under some kind of spell? 

Roy subtly nudged Jamie, who had been terrified at first but was now engrossed in the puppet show. 

The performance seemed to have a hypnotic quality, drawing people in. Jamie, being an ordinary guy, was likely affected by it. 

Roy’s willpower was strong enough to resist, and frankly, Mary Shaw’s show was pretty lackluster, so he wasn’t fazed. 

If Mary Shaw had Ella come out and do a pole dance, maybe Roy would’ve felt something. 

The show went on, and Pinocchio’s story was one everyone knew. Mary Shaw was now at the part where Pinocchio, being a naughty kid, ran away from home, fell in with bad company, and suffered for it. 

“A blue-haired fairy saved Pinocchio. She was kind-hearted and wanted to guide him to be a good boy. But Pinocchio was too rebellious and lied constantly. So, the fairy cast a spell on him: every time he lied, his tongue would grow longer.” 

Roy: ??? 

Wait, that’s not right! In the original story, it was his nose! 

Hold on… a longer tongue might actually be more useful than a longer nose. Maybe a princess would be into that, ahem! 

As Roy’s mind wandered, the Pinocchio puppet on stage told its first lie. 

“The fairy asked Pinocchio, ‘Where’s your family?’ But Pinocchio said he had no family. The next second, his tongue shot out of his mouth…” 

With the narrator’s description, the Pinocchio puppet’s tongue extended, stretching dozens of feet, heading straight for Jamie, who was engrossed in the show. 

Jamie jumped, nearly screaming, but Roy swiftly punched him in the neck, knocking him out cold into a baby-like sleep. 

If he’s asleep, he can’t scream. 

Roy grabbed the extended tongue, only to realize it wasn’t a prop—it was made of real flesh and blood. 

Puppets shouldn’t have tongues like that. Then Roy noticed the Pinocchio puppet was different, with patches of rotting flesh on its face. 

Wait a sec… was this Jamie’s brother-in-law? 

Mary Shaw was playing dirty, making Jamie’s brother-in-law try to kill him! 

With the Pinocchio puppet’s tongue caught, the show couldn’t go on, and every puppet in the theater stood up. 

Henry had said Mary Shaw had a hundred “children,” but Roy did a quick count and saw way more than that. 

Maybe after becoming an evil spirit, Mary Shaw had made even more puppets. 

“Why the hell are you interrupting my show?!” Mary Shaw’s voice boomed through the theater, dripping with rage. 

She clearly didn’t like her performance being disrupted. 

Perfect. Roy decided to play the brat and rile her up to force her to show herself. 

“Your show sucks! The story’s cliché, your voice has no emotion, and the stage and costumes look cheap as hell…” 

Roy kept listing off the flaws in Mary Shaw’s puppet show, and with every critique, the theater shook. 

“Shut up! You don’t understand my art!” 

Finally, unable to take Roy’s roasting, Mary Shaw appeared on stage. 

She wasn’t just a soul—she had a physical puppet body, which protected her from soul-targeting attacks and let her linger in the human world longer. 

“My children, kill this troublemaker!” 

At Mary Shaw’s command, all the puppets floated into the air, including Jamie’s brother-in-law, whose tongue Roy was still holding. 

Hundreds of puppets dove toward Roy, their bodies sprouting sharp claws—the same kind that had scratched Jennifer before. 

“Bring it on!” 

A massive blade appeared in Roy’s hand, and he sliced through the charging puppets, cutting them in half. 

With Roy’s strength and agility, the puppets didn’t stand a chance—they were shredded before they could get close. 

The only exception was the puppet with Jennifer’s soul. To avoid any accidents, Roy grabbed it and stashed it in his inventory. 

“No—!” 

Seeing her “children” chopped to bits, Mary Shaw was furious. 

What made her even angrier was when Roy pulled out Billy, her favorite puppet, from his inventory and executed it with his executioner’s blade right in front of her. 

“So, you happy now, huh?” 

Roy had genuinely wanted to work with Mary Shaw, but the old hag hadn’t given him any respect. 

Now that they were at odds, Roy would just have to force her to work for him. King Solomon’s knowledge had plenty of ways to control evil spirits, after all. 

Mary Shaw was beyond livid. She started chanting a spell Roy didn’t recognize, and the scattered puppet pieces on the ground floated up again. 

Under her magic, the fragments fused into a massive puppet that touched the theater’s ceiling. 

“Roy Black, I’ll kill you!” 

The giant puppet looked intimidating and was seriously sanity-draining. 

Imagine hundreds of puppet heads on one body, some crudely stitched together after Roy’s slashes. Most people would have nightmares for weeks. 

But for Roy? Child’s play. He’d faced a hundred-meter-long sea monster like Kraken. This puny, few-meter-tall puppet was nothing. 

No matter how you patched them together, puppets were still made of wood. What, were they gonna turn into steel? 

As the giant puppet attacked, Roy didn’t dodge. He caught its fist with one hand. 

The impact created a shockwave, kicking up dust, but Roy didn’t budge an inch. 

Mary Shaw, watching from the stage, looked horrified. She knew Roy was strong, but not this strong. 

This giant puppet, fused by her magic, had the strength of a greater demon—around 60 in physical stats. On Earth, that should’ve been unstoppable. 

Roy smirked. 

“That’s it?” 

In Mary Shaw’s stunned gaze, Roy grabbed the giant puppet’s arm with one hand and tossed it onto the stage like it was trash. 

Boom! 

With a deafening crash, Mary Shaw, too slow to dodge, was crushed under her own beloved creation. 

“Ha! I tried to play nice, but you just had to learn the hard way, didn’t you?” 

Roy dragged his executioner’s blade toward the stage. Mary Shaw, pinned under the giant puppet, struggled desperately but couldn’t move. 

Just then, an iron hook shot out from a corner, aimed at Roy’s head. 

Roy had been on guard for Hookman’s sneak attack, so he tilted his head slightly, dodging the hook, though it shaved off a few strands of hair. 

From Francesca and Lilith’s descriptions, Hookman was a sneaky bastard, skilled in stealth, disguise, and ventriloquism. 

As long as he wasn’t in Roy’s line of sight, Roy had to watch out for his ambushes. 

Sure enough, just as Roy was about to grab Mary Shaw, Hookman couldn’t resist and attacked. 

“Been waiting for you!” 

Everyone hates a sneaky jerk, so Roy let go of Mary Shaw to deal with Hookman first. 

He quickly locked onto Hookman’s position and charged with Ghost Wolf’s explosive speed. 

But in the blink of an eye, Hookman vanished, and Roy’s swing hit nothing. 

This guy either had some kind of spatial ability, or Roy’s True Sight couldn’t pierce his invisibility. 

The former seemed more likely. At Roy’s level, only demon-king-tier illusions or invisibility could fool him. 

But if it was a spatial ability, that’d be a pain. 

Roy gripped his executioner’s blade, scanning the surroundings for any sign of Hookman. 

After searching and finding nothing, Roy resorted to taunting him. 

“Hookman, I know it’s you! Come out, or I’ll execute Mary Shaw!” 

“You won’t do that, Roy Black. You still need her to work for you, don’t you?” 

Hookman’s low voice echoed from all directions in the theater. Being a ventriloquist, he made it impossible for Roy to pinpoint him by sound. 

“You seem to know my plans?” 

Roy dragged his blade, walking toward Mary Shaw, acting unfazed by Hookman. 

“I know more than your name and plans. I know where you’re from—Cascade Town, right?” 

Roy paused, his face expressionless, but his mind was reeling. 

Hookman knowing Roy’s name and plans was reasonable. He’d heard Roy’s name while posing as Jack Snyder, and Roy had mentioned his intent to cooperate when he first caught Mary Shaw. That was all out in the open. 

But knowing Roy’s hometown? That was weird. Roy had never mentioned it. 

His FEA file was top-secret, accessible only to branch heads, seconds-in-command, and headquarters’ top brass. 

Gerald had told Roy that himself. 

So, despite Roy’s FEA badge listing him as a regular agent, his actual status was high—most agents just didn’t know it. 

“How’d you know that?” 

Roy kept walking toward Mary Shaw, still looking relaxed. 

“I know plenty of your secrets. Like the things you’ve done.” 

Hookman was being vague now, and Roy didn’t buy that he knew anything specific. 

“Oh yeah? Guess what I did this summer. Get it right, and I’ll let you go.” 

Roy’s challenge silenced Hookman. He obviously couldn’t answer, so he changed the subject. 

“How about you guess what I did to those women of yours in the hospital? Guess right, and I’ll let you go.” 

That was a blatant taunt. 

Even knowing Lilith was there to protect the four Apocalypse girls, Roy was pissed. 

“Watch your mouth, or you’re gonna regret it later.” 

By now, Roy was standing over Mary Shaw, who’d stopped struggling and lay motionless, silent. 

Roy yanked her out from under the giant puppet with one hand, only to realize her body was soulless—Mary Shaw’s spirit had slipped away. 

No wonder the giant puppet had gone still after being thrown. She’d bailed! 

“Damn it! She got away fast!” 

Roy muttered a curse, about to toss her empty body aside, when he noticed something odd moving inside it. 

Insert deleted alternate ending from the DVD version of Dead Silence 

(End of Chapter)