American Horror: Grind Edition Chapter 52 52: Spiritual Barrier

Luke stared at the gravestone and felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead.

Alucard. Dracula's na spelled backwards.

In every movie he'd watched in his old life, that na pointed to one of two things: either Dracula using a fake identity, or Dracula's own son.

Either way, it ant the sa thing.

This world was crawling with fantasy creatures.

He turned and looked at Russell, who was bored and kicking stones nearby. A complicated feeling settled in his chest.

Luke slowly crouched down until they were eye level.

"Russell, can I see that cross again?"

"Sure!"

Russell didn't hesitate. He pulled the amulet off and handed it over.

It was warm and surprisingly heavy in Luke's palm—not ordinary tal at all.

A pure, concentrated darkness flowed through it. No chaotic rage like Freddy's, no twisted obsession like Jason's. Just clean, sharp power, like black crystal.

Luke noticed sothing else. A faint thread of energy still connected the cross to Russell's chest.

It was already bound to the kid.

Interesting.

An idea hit him. He grabbed a fresh bottle of holy water from the truck, unscrewed the cap, and dipped his finger in a single drop.

He carefully touched it to the center of the upside-down cross.

No hissing smoke. No violent reaction.

The mont the holy water touched the tal, it gathered into a tiny, glowing droplet. The light and darkness sat side by side, perfectly balanced, refusing to mix.

Then—pop—an invisible force flicked the droplet away.

Russell watched nervously.

"Luke… is sothing wrong with it?"

Luke shook his head.

Two opposite forces were simply pushing each other away. The cross carried no evil intent, so the holy water didn't try to purify it. It was just pure energy rejection.

He slipped the cross back around Russell's neck and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Listen, Russell. This amulet is important. It really does protect you. But it's also very special. From now on, don't show it to anyone—not even your family. This is our secret. Understand?"

Russell nodded, picking up on the seriousness in Luke's voice.

"I promise, Luke."

"Good kid."

Luke patted his head, mind already racing.

This world was getting stranger by the hour. Every kind of weird shit kept popping up. He had no idea how many of these unknown creatures were actually hostile.

Ti to stop screwing around and push his own power higher—fast.

After dropping Russell back at the campground, Luke saw Nancy and the rest of the teenagers packing up to leave.

Nancy spotted him and ca over with a bright smile.

"Mr. Luke! You're back."

Luke grinned and teased her.

"Not staying a few more days? You might get to experience so of Crystal Lake's other… unique attractions."

Nancy's face went pale at the mory of Freddy's burned face. She waved her hands frantically.

"Oh my God, Mr. Luke, don't even joke! My family's already worried sick. I need to get ho."

Once the group was gone, Luke drove his truck back to the grocery store.

Inside, Lionel was still staring miserably at the giant ham. An empty plate sat in front of him—he'd clearly made so progress, but not much.

The second he saw Luke walk in, his face lit up like he'd been saved.

"Bro, thank God you're back. I feel like I never want to see ham again for the rest of my life."

"Finished?"

"Still got a long way to go."

Lionel pointed at the mountain of food left on the table with the look of a man who'd accepted his fate.

The old woman ca out from the back room holding a finished doll.

Its skeleton was made entirely from Jason's purified bones—smooth, white, and glowing faintly.

She nodded at Luke.

"You're back, kid. Perfect timing. The main body's done. Any ideas on how you want to use it?"

Luke stepped forward and picked up the bone doll.

The mont it touched his skin he felt clean, powerful energy flowing through it.

Rembering what he'd just learned about the vampire, he asked,

"Can you add protection against spiritual attacks?"

The old woman tapped the skeleton.

"You don't need to worry about that. The power inside these bones cos from a mother's love—the purest emotion in the world. After being refined by both hatred and holy water, it's top-tier material."

"As long as you form a connection with it, you'll get the protection automatically."

"Good."

Luke nodded, then asked the obvious follow-up.

"How do I do that?"

She handed him the doll and pulled a sewing needle from under the counter.

"Use your blood. And your power. Bind them together."

Luke took the needle without hesitation and pricked his fingertip.

A drop of blood welled up. He sared it across the doll's skull.

The blood vanished instantly, absorbed into the bone.

Then Luke closed his eyes and reached for the familiar psionic current in his mind. He guided it slowly into the doll.

A strange, perfect connection snapped into place.

It felt like his consciousness had grown an extra limb—no longer limited to his own body.

The doll wasn't just an object anymore. It felt like an extension of himself, like another organ tied to his blood.

A warm, pure force flowed back from the doll and wrapped around him, especially around his mind, forming an unbreakable barrier.

Luke smiled.

This trip to Crystal Lake had paid off way bigger than he'd expected.

He could clearly feel a tough, invisible mbrane now surrounding his entire spiritual world—woven from pure motherly love and psionic energy. It felt solid. Safe.

He turned the doll over in his hands a few tis, then clipped it onto his belt like a keychain.

"That's it?"

Lionel asked through a mouthful of ham, voice muffled.

"So he gets a badass magic doll and I get a lifeti supply of ham? That's the deal?"

The old woman shot him a glare and smacked the table.

"Eat your food and shut up. You talk too much."

Right then the bell above the door jingled.

A young man in his mid-twenties walked in wearing a white lab coat and carrying a notebook. He looked around the store with open curiosity.

When his eyes landed on Luke, they lit up with excitent. He rushed forward and grabbed Luke's hand with both of his.

"Hi! I'm Brando Seth with the FBI. Just call Brando."

The guy spoke fast, barely able to contain his enthusiasm.

"I mostly work in biology and physics. You're Luke, right? I've been hearing your na for days."