"Carrie the Witch!"
Luke recognized the girl at a glance, the one so similar to Maria.
Their personalities were very alike, and even their experiences at school were nearly identical.
Carrie had been born out of wedlock. Her mother, as a result, was ostracized by society and later turned to religion.
Margaret White poured all her anger and resentment over her misfortune onto Carrie.
She regarded "sex" as something monstrous. Not only did she forbid Carrie from any contact with the opposite sex, she also refused to teach her anything about sex or the human body.
Carrie didn't even know what menstruation was.
The first time she got her period, she thought she was terminally ill and about to die, which led to her being cruelly mocked by her classmates.
Not only that, but Margaret also forbade Carrie from using any electronic devices other than the old television at home, and she wasn't allowed to participate in any social activities.
Margaret would often find reasons to beat and scold her, locking her in the so-called "prayer room" to repent.
That prayer room was nothing more than a narrow, dark closet.
Growing up in such an oppressive household, Carrie became deeply insecure.
She always felt out of place at school and couldn't find common ground with others.
She simply didn't understand the celebrities, airplanes, and cell phones her classmates talked about.
She knew almost nothing about those things, having only seen them in pictures or read about them in descriptions.
Because of Carrie's strange behavior and innocent ignorance, combined with her striking beauty, she became a frequent target of bullying at school.
At a school dance, Carrie was bullied once again.
Then… she awakened her power—telekinesis!
Consumed by rage, the girl took revenge on everyone at the dance. Screams, fire, and blood filled the scene.
That moment of revenge was truly satisfying.
Luke was initially surprised to see Carrie in Maine.
But when he remembered that Carrie the Witch was also part of the Dark Tower universe, he was no longer surprised.
Many events within the Dark Tower universe take place in Maine.
Luke even suspected that every remote small town in this region had its own legend—a legend of evil spirits.
If the birth rate here were any lower, the number of newborns probably wouldn't keep up with those who died tragically.
"Bumblebee, stop!"
Screech—!!
Bumblebee came to a sudden stop by the roadside.
Seeing the car halt, Carrie's envious gaze immediately turned into panic. She lowered her head and pushed her bicycle past the luxury car.
From the corner of her eye, she couldn't help glancing at Bumblebee again. The sleek design and striking color scheme made it impossible for the inexperienced girl to look away.
"Carrie?"
"Ah? I'm here!"
Carrie instinctively looked up, confused, toward the driver's seat.
"Are you calling me?"
Looking at the handsome Luke, her heart began to race, and a blush crept up her neck. Realizing her reaction, she quickly averted her gaze, not daring to meet his eyes again.
Even so, her intuition was sharp, and she could still feel Luke's intense gaze on her.
"I'm sorry, sir… do I know you?"
"Hi, my name is Rowling, Luke Rowling. Now we do."
Luke smiled at her. "I've heard about you from others."
Carrie's expression changed slightly, and a flood of unpleasant memories from school rushed through her mind.
Countless memories.
From elementary school to middle school, and even high school..
Everyone bullied her. Everyone mocked her.
She was indeed well known in town, but certainly not for anything good.
The thought that this extremely handsome man might know about her past made her face lose all color, turning pale as paper.
"Sorry, my mom is waiting for me. I should go home now."
Carrie lowered her head again and pushed her bicycle forward.
As she did, she caught sight of the passenger seat and the faces peeking out from the back window.
There was the knowing Madison, the curious Veronica, and the anxious, flustered Rose… all of them stunningly beautiful.
They were probably this man's girlfriends, right?
Carrie didn't think Luke was a scoundrel. She simply lacked that kind of awareness and didn't consider a man being with multiple women to be a bad thing.
Instead, it made her feel even more self-conscious. In her mind, she wasn't pretty—because that was what the other girls always said.
Of course, sometimes they also called her a bitch or a vixen.
Carrie didn't understand what those words meant.
Probably just another way of saying she was ugly.
Luke noticed Carrie's unease and extended his telekinesis toward her mind, but it was blocked by another force.
That was Carrie's unawakened power—vast, even surpassing Madison's.
Luke signaled Bumblebee to move forward slowly and keep pace with her.
"Are you in a hurry to get home? I thought it was normal for a beautiful and lovely girl like you to be a few minutes late…"
"After all, who could refuse chatting a little longer with someone like that?"
If those words were spoken by someone passing by, they might be dismissed as shallow flattery—but with a multimillion-dollar luxury car and a handsome appearance to match, they sounded like genuine praise anywhere.
At least, to Carrie, they were like the most beautiful music in the world.
"Is… is that so?" Carrie, who had been walking timidly with her head lowered, began to stammer. It was the first time anyone had called her beautiful—and from someone so exceptional.
Color slowly returned to her pale face. Her eyes darted around, and her pace slowed as she pushed her bicycle.
"You must be mistaken. Your companions are the real beauties."
Carrie glanced at Veronica in the back seat, her gaze lingering especially on her full figure, which made Carrie, as a girl, feel inferior.
Something like that… didn't it hurt when walking?
Madison's gaze toward Carrie grew increasingly strange.
"You're Carrie, right? I'm Madison. You really remind me of a good friend of mine."
Carrie stopped in place, stunned, her eyes filled with confusion.
"Really?"
"Her name is Maria. She used to be bullied a lot by her classmates, but now she's become confident and proud. No one dares to provoke her anymore."
Carrie instinctively felt that Madison was mocking her, yet she couldn't help wanting to know how that girl named Maria had managed to change her situation.
She truly hated being bullied.
But Carrie was too embarrassed to ask. If she said it out loud, wouldn't that be the same as admitting she was bullied all the time?
And who was Madison? She saw straight through Carrie's thoughts.
If it had been anyone else, Madison wouldn't have bothered saying a word.
But seeing how interested Luke was, what choice did she have? Of course, she had to play along.
"Because Maria met Luke and became his girlfriend—just like me. With our help, anyone who dared bully her got a harsh lesson from us."
Carrie instinctively looked at Luke.
At that moment, she felt a surge of envy toward Maria.
Someone was willing to stand up for her, to shield her from all malice.
What about herself?
No one was willing to help her. Everyone only hurt her…
Carrie's mood sank, and the little joy she had just felt disappeared instantly.
"I see… that's wonderful."
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