Chapter 2

Leo Maxwell arrives when the sun bleeds orange over the desert highway.

His van looks almost as tired as the Starlight.

"Legend Trippers" is painted on the side, the letters faded.

He's alone, hauling gear into the lobby, dust motes dancing in the single beam of light from the boarded-up window he pries open a crack.

The livestream starts.

His face, tired but with a showman's spark in his eyes, fills the small screen of a tablet he sets up.

"Alright, trippers, we're live at the infamous Starlight Motel, Route 66. The Jenkins family claims their deceased daughter, Sarah, is maliciously haunting them."

The video call connects.

Mom and Dad, faces grim, sit on a plush sofa I've never seen.

Mark is beside them, looking pale and drawn.

Good actor.

"She was troubled," Mom begins, dabbing her eyes. "Drugs... a violent temper. She ruined so much."

Dad nods, "Always fighting, always angry. That last night... she threatened Mark."

Mark's turn.

He chokes back a sob.

"She came at me. Raging. I... I tried to calm her down. Then she... she turned the weapon on herself."

His voice cracks. "I saw it."

Liar.

The online comments scroll past on Leo's tablet.

"So sad for the family."

"She sounds awful."

"Hope Leo can help them."

Sympathy, all for them.

Leo soaks it in. "We're here to find out what's really going on. The family believes Sarah's spirit is trapped, vengeful. We're going to explore the room where she died."

He looks around the lobby. "Creepy place, folks. Definitely got a vibe."

My vibe, apparently.

The narrative is set.

Sarah, the monster.

Again.