Maryanne and her daughters wake up early to get morning breakfast at Burgies. The car ride there was mostly silent just some awkward gospel music, that changed to the rock tunes after the daughters had their way. Maryanne asked the ladies, "You hungry?" Marietta replies, "Starving mom, thanks for taking us with you." Anne Faith said, "You're a cool-cat mom!" Maryanne chuckles then said, "It's my pleasure girls just don't go wondering off..." They both reply, "Fine." After a few more minutes pass they arrive at Burgies the local burger joint. They go inside Maryanne asks, "Do you ladies want a sausage biscuit?" Marietta retorts, "I want pancakes!" Anne Faith adds, I'll take a sausage biscuit mom, how'd you know?" Maryanne just smirks it off and opens the door for her daughters. As they enter, they order, get their food and have a seat. As their eating Maryanne and the girls feel a cold chill in the wind. Anne Faith responds immediately, "Whoa what was that cold wind..." Marietta added, "I felt it to, you feel that mom?"
Maryanne muttered, "Something's off... Lord, please tell me he's not here—"
A disfigured shadow slid across the wall before a tall, scarred figure emerged from the bathroom.
"Shit. It's that creeper, Dan," she hissed, folding a greasy napkin and fidgeting with her keys. "Girls, let's make like a banana and—"
Dan dropped into the booth beside them, sly smile curling.
"I see the way you look at me, Maryanne. You know I wouldn't just hand that ward-stone to anyone. You're, special. Like the moment a caterpillar breaks its cocoon, and takes its first breath as a butterfly."
He tapped the table twice, then his thumbs fumbled into a crooked twiddle, slipping out of rhythm.
Maryanne tries to leave but her instinct locks her in place. "Wait girls, let's see where this goes..." "So, Dan, what are you really after in this whole thing?"
Dan cracks his knuckles first, then straightens his posture. "Alright you know I'm after Power but you think I'm after it for the wrong reasons." "I told you before I want to make sure The Crowned-Deep never hurts another person." "Especially after what they did to my parents when I was 7 years old."
Maryanne said, "What happened to you when you were 7, Dan?" she grips her cross lightly.
Dan said, "My parents got involved with ritualistic sacrifice." "Long story short, the cops found me in my house with my parents overdosed." The suicide notes script: To the Crowned-Deep we give our souls, to mold into its role. "I didn't get what it meant until after I ended up in the foster home." "And I was told about it before I left." "Ever since then I Vowed to myself I'll either destroy The Crowned-Deep for what it did to my parents or die trying."
Maryanne said, "I'm so sorry I never knew... How could I?" Anne added, "We're not your therapist, Dan, we want to know why the hell you look at us like you want us for dinner?" Marietta said, "Yes can we trust you to not betray us in the end?"
Maryanne grips the ward-stone instinctively, the warmth feels like a truth within a lie.
Dan said, "You can trust me, for now...." As he snaps his neck he stares instinctively hungry. Dan said, "Debts don't just vanish, Maryanne. I'm here to collect." That ward-stone I gave you prevents it from infesting your thoughts through force. It also keeps you from merging with The Crowned-Deep if you ever get swallowed up. You can thank me later. And don't worry I won't judge you for what happened back in that alley, but remember complicity is a sin too." Dan vanishes as quickly as he appeared. Leaving a scent of burnt chocolate and a two worded note on a napkin: "Resist, Me."