"Linda, Cheryl, what are you doing here? This is great! I was worried you might have vanished and wondered how I'd find you. I never expected you to be here."
The moment Ash saw them, a delighted smile spread across his face.
Ever since his girlfriend and sister had been sucked into the space-time passage and disappeared together, he had been plagued by a bad feeling.
He had even prepared himself for the worst.
He never expected the family to reunite here, regaining what they had thought lost.
Linda's expression shifted from panic to joy and surprise. She ran toward Ash with her arms outstretched, asking for a hug.
Her sister ran over as well.
The three embraced, but Linda suddenly cried out in pain as her hand touched Ash's chest beneath his clothes.
A searing pain, as though she had touched fire, shot through her, and she hastily pulled her hand back and shoved Ash away.
Her hand had turned into a withered claw with long fingernails.
"What's happening to me?" Her voice was filled with terror. Then a low, ugly roar burst from her mouth as she charged at Ash.
Beside her, Cheryl's face transformed into a shriveled, desiccated human visage, exposing a mouthful of fangs. Her claws grabbed the chainsaw from the ground and flung it far away before she attacked Ash alongside Linda.
"Cheryl, Linda, it's me! I'm Ash! Wake up! Don't let the evil spirit deceive you!"
Ash shouted at the two women as he dodged.
They were his sister and girlfriend. He could not possibly tear them to pieces, much less cut them apart with a chainsaw.
The two closed in on him from both sides. With no other choice, Ash used his black bone claws to shove them away.
Cheryl was sent flying