Chapter 12: The Greater Design
The Evictions
The Morgensterns of 17 Cedar Lane had lived in their blue colonial for eighteen years. They'd raised three children there, hosted countless barbecues, and diligently maintained their property according to HOA standards. Which is why Richard Morgenstern looked at David as if he'd sprouted a second head when he finished reading the eviction notice.
"This is absurd," Richard said, waving the paper. "You can't just evict us because our house 'disrupts community flow patterns.' That's not even a real thing!"
David shifted uncomfortably on their perfectly maintained porch. "The HOA bylaws are clear about—"
"I've memorized those bylaws," Richard interrupted. His face had gone from confused to angry. "Nothing in there allows for immediate eviction for... what was it? 'Geometric disruption to neighborhood harmony'?"
"Section 87, Paragraph C," David recited woodenly. Evelyn had made him memorize it. "'The Association reserves the right to terminate occupancy in cases where a property's position, orientation, or structural elements create demonstrable safety concerns for the greater community.'"
Mrs. Morgenstern appeared beside her husband, her face pale. "What safety concerns? We've passed every inspection!"
David avoided her eyes, focusing instead on a spot just above their heads. "Your house is situated at a critical juncture point. The inspection committee has determined that its current configuration creates unacceptable stress on shared infrastructure systems."
The words felt strange in his mouth, technical yet vague, threatening but nonspecific. Exactly as Evelyn had coached him to say them.
"This is illegal," Richard said, his voice rising. "We'll fight this. We'll contact our lawyer, the city council—"
"Actually," David interrupted, feeling something twist inside him as he delivered the line Evelyn had prepared, "I believe you'll find that by signing the Cedar Lane HOA agreement, you waived your right to external legal challenges. Disputes must be resolved through the HOA's arbitration system."
"Which is run by the same people evicting us," Mrs. Morgenstern said flatly.
David said nothing, just handed them the blue folder containing what Evelyn had called "transition documents." They were instructions for their departure, a cashier's check as "displacement compensation," and non-disclosure agreements.
"You have until 5 PM today," he said, the words tasting like ash.
Richard's face darkened. "This is insane. I'm calling the police—"
But then his expression changed. His eyes suddenly unfocused, then refocused, all anger draining away. "I... we should start packing," he said, his voice oddly flat. "Come on, dear."
Mrs. Morgenstern's transformation was equally abrupt. One moment she looked ready to scream; the next, she was nodding placidly. "Yes, of course. We'll need boxes."
David felt a chill run down his spine as the couple turned and walked back inside, all resistance vanished. Through the open door, he could see them moving with the same eerie coordination he'd observed in others at HOA meetings.
What the hell was that? he wondered, backing away from their porch. Some kind of shared mental break? Or... No. That's crazy. There has to be a rational explanation.
As he turned to leave, he noticed a dark stain spreading across the porch boards. Something was leaking from beneath the welcome mat. He bent down and lifted the corner of the mat, then immediately dropped it, his stomach lurching.
Blood. Or something like it, too dark and thick to be normal. And it was seeping upward from between the boards, as if something beneath the house was bleeding.
Just paint, he told himself firmly, wiping his hand on his pants. Red paint that they spilled and tried to hide. Nothing supernatural about it. Nothing at all.
The residents of 42 Cedar Lane weren't home, which was a relief. David left the eviction papers taped to their door, a coward's way out, but he couldn't face another confrontation. Not after the Morgensterns' bizarre transformation.
House 83 was worse. The Bradshaws, an elderly couple who'd been original Cedar Lane residents, answered the door together. As David explained their eviction, Mrs. Bradshaw began to weep silently while her husband's face crumpled with devastation.
"But where will we go?" Mr. Bradshaw asked, his voice quavering. "This is our retirement home. All our friends are here."
"The HOA has arranged temporary housing," David said mechanically. "All the details are in the folder."
"This isn't right," Mrs. Bradshaw whispered. "Karen would never have allowed this."
David frowned. "Karen?"
"The previous HOA president," Mr. Bradshaw explained. "Before Evelyn took over. Such a lovely woman. I was so sad when she moved away."
Something in the way he said it made David's skin prickle. He was about to ask more when Mrs. Bradshaw's expression suddenly changed, becoming blank and compliant, just like the Morgensterns'.
"We should start packing, dear," she said in that same flat tone. "It's for the community's benefit."
Mr. Bradshaw's resistance collapsed just as quickly. "Yes, yes. The greater design requires adjustments sometimes."
The phrase: "the greater design," echoed Evelyn's words exactly. David backed away, mumbling something about returning later to check on their progress. As he hurried down their front walk, he could feel their vacant eyes following him.
They're just in shock, he rationalized. People react strangely to sudden change. It's not blood magic or whatever ridiculous thing Evelyn pretends to believe in. It's just... suggestion. Powerful suggestion.
He glanced back at the house one more time and froze. Every window of the Bradshaws' home now displayed the same symbol: a geometric pattern that matched the ones he'd seen in the Codex. They hadn't been there moments before.
David rubbed his eyes, and when he looked again, the windows were just windows.
I'm sleep-deprived, he told himself. Stressed. Seeing things that aren't there. This vampire cult roleplay of Evelyn's is getting to me.
But as he walked back toward Evelyn's house, he couldn't shake the sensation of something watching him from behind every pristine hedge on Cedar Lane.
The construction crews moved with inhuman efficiency. By noon, the Morgenstern’s' house had already been half-dismantled, its blue clapboard siding stripped away to reveal copper piping running through the walls like veins.
David stood across the street, watching workers in Cedar Lane-branded coveralls methodically tear apart what had been a family home just hours earlier. The Morgensterns themselves were nowhere to be seen, their car already gone from the driveway.
"Impressive progress, isn't it?" Evelyn materialized beside him, in beige colored coveralls that must have been made for stripper grams; no one would ever wear that little covering on a construction site. Her enormous tits overflowed the front and she had a prodigious camel toe in the ‘V’ the garment created by ending high on her thighs. To finish the look she had a hard hat jauntily tilted on her head. "Proper preparation yields proper results."
"How are they working so fast?" David asked. The construction crew moved with amazing synchronization. "And where did you find contractors willing to start the same day?"
"The Cedar Lane Improvement Team maintains relationships with specialized construction firms." Evelyn smiled, slipping her arm through his. "Ones that understand our particular needs."
David watched as a worker removed what appeared to be a normal section of wall, revealing a strange apparatus behind it: glass tubing filled with dark liquid, connected to the copper pipes.
"What is that?" he asked, unable to stop himself.
"Infrastructure," Evelyn replied smoothly. "Every house in Cedar Lane has similar systems. Efficiency monitoring, water quality sampling. This house's systems were... outdated."
She's lying, a small voice whispered in the back of his mind. Those aren't normal house systems. You know what they really are; you saw the diagrams in the Codex.
But another, louder voice drowned it out: She's just eccentric. Playing her vampire queen fantasy. It's all metaphorical. Has to be.
"The new structures will be completed by tomorrow evening," Evelyn continued, leading him away from the demolition site. "Just in time for our community gathering."
"That's impossible," David said. "Even with a full crew working around the clock—"
"Nothing is impossible with proper motivation." Her fingers tightened on his arm. "You performed admirably today, David. The committee is pleased. I'm pleased. Don’t fuck it up by trying to think."
Despite his unease, David felt a rush of pride at her approval. He had done well. He had followed instructions. He had been useful.
"Tonight," Evelyn purred, "I have a special reward planned for you. Something that will help you understand your true role in our community."
Her words sent contradictory shivers of anticipation and dread down his spine. "I should check on Claire and Ethan," he said weakly. "I haven't been home since yesterday."
"They're fine," Evelyn said dismissively. "Your son is with that girl. The Roberts' daughter. And Claire is... well, you know about Claire."
The casual allusion to his wife's infidelity stung, even though he had no moral high ground to stand on. "How do you know where they are?"
"Don’t forget who you’re talking to, David." Evelyn's smile was serene. "The greater design requires complete awareness.” David stared at her, blankly. “Come," Evelyn said as they reached her house. "The committee meeting begins soon. There's much to prepare."
David followed her inside without hesitation, the memory of the Morgenstern’s' vacant eyes and the Bradshaw’s' compliance already fading from his mind.
Behind them, construction continued at an impossible pace, transforming three ordinary homes into something that would soon channel blood and power toward the center of Cedar Lane.
Evelyn's Accelerated Timeline
The emergency HOA meeting convened at exactly 3 PM in the Cedar Lane Recreation Center, the same building that had once hosted David's welcome party. Was it only weeks ago? It felt like another lifetime.
Every seat was filled, every resident in attendance, their faces displaying the same placid acceptance David had witnessed in the evicted homeowners. They sat in perfect rows, wearing variations of the same cream-colored clothing, not a wrinkle or stain among them.
David stood beside Evelyn at the podium, uncomfortable in his new position as treasurer pro tem. He'd never seen Mr. Chen, the previous treasurer, officially resign. But when he'd asked Evelyn about it, she'd just smiled and said, "James has moved on to a more specialized role."
Probably fled like a sane person would, David thought, then immediately felt guilty. Evelyn had given him purpose when he had none. She had made him feel powerful again. What did it matter if her methods were unorthodox?
"Residents of Cedar Lane," Evelyn began, her voice carrying effortlessly through the room. "We gather today to celebrate a momentous occasion. The final phase of our community's evolution is upon us."
On the projection screen behind her, blueprints appeared. The three evicted properties had been redrawn as strange, geometric structures that looked nothing like houses.
"For twenty-five years, we have prepared," Evelyn continued. "Cultivating the perfect conditions. And now, thanks to recent acquisitions—" her eyes flicked momentarily to the Codex sitting on the podium, "—we can accelerate our timeline."
The residents nodded in unison, murmuring approval. David scanned their faces, searching for any sign of confusion or resistance, but found only serene acceptance. A cold knot of doubt had formed in his stomach. The Codex pulsed on the podium, its cover shifting subtly, and David could have sworn he heard it whispering.
Evelyn clicked to the next slide, showing an overhead view of Cedar Lane. From this perspective, the neighborhood's layout took on new significance. The houses, streets, and even the landscaping formed an elaborate geometric pattern, with the grove at its heart.
"The three amplification nodes will complete our summoning circle," Evelyn explained, indicating the locations of the evicted homes. "With their activation, the energy collection system will reach optimal efficiency, allowing us to bring forth Lord Alaric without waiting for the eclipse."
David blinked. The pattern on the screen seemed to move, to breathe. For a moment, he could see flows of energy running through the streets, all converging at the recreation center.
"The ritual will commence tomorrow night," Evelyn announced, generating a wave of excitement through the crowd. "Preparations are already underway. Each of you has been assigned specific duties."
She gestured to a stack of folders on a side table. "Collection system maintenance. Ritual space preparation. Sacrifice management. All detailed in your instruction packets."
Sacrifice management? David felt his mouth go dry. Surely that was just more roleplay language. Some kind of metaphor for... what? HOA dues?
"And as for our catalyst," Evelyn continued, clicking to the next slide.
David's breath caught as Lila Roberts' photograph appeared on screen. A candid shot showing her walking home from school, unaware she was being photographed.
"The Roberts have done exemplary work in preparation," Evelyn said, nodding to Lila's parents in the front row. "The extraction process is proceeding on schedule."
David's hand tightened on the edge of the podium. This had gone too far. Using a teenager in their weird community roleplay crossed a line.
"Is this really necessary?" he whispered to Evelyn. "Involving a child in your... game?"
Evelyn's eyes flashed with something dangerous. "This is no game, David. And Lila is hardly a child. She's of optimal age for the catalyst role; young enough to have the energy we need, old enough to understand the significance of her sacrifice."
Before David could respond, Evelyn turned back to the audience. "Maintenance teams will begin final inspections tonight. All residents are to remain in their homes from midnight until dawn, with windows and doors sealed. The containment fields will be active, and anyone caught outside during calibration will experience... unpleasant effects."
The residents nodded, making notes. David fought the urge to run from the room, to shake these people and ask if they were all insane. Instead, he stood silently, playing his part.
It's not real, he repeated to himself. Not real. Not real.
But as the meeting concluded and residents filed out, David caught sight of the blueprints for the "amplification nodes" again. This time, he couldn't deny what he was seeing. The structures were designed to collect, concentrate, and channel blood. Actual human blood.
Maybe it's symbolic, he thought desperately.
Even in his own mind, the explanation sounded hollow.
The Blood Network Explained
"You're awfully quiet," Evelyn observed as they walked back to her house after the meeting. "Having second thoughts about our community improvements?"
David chose his words carefully. "It's a lot to process. The... scale of what you're planning."
"Indeed." Evelyn smiled, unlocking her front door. "Most people can't comprehend the grandeur of true transformation. That's why they need guidance. Direction."
Inside, she led him to what he'd always assumed was a pantry door in her kitchen. Instead of food storage, it opened to reveal a staircase descending into darkness.
"There's something you should see," she said, taking his hand. "Something that will help you understand your role."
The stairs seemed to go down much further than should have been possible in a suburban home. David counted the steps: twenty, thirty, forty, before they finally emerged into a vast chamber that couldn't possibly fit beneath Evelyn's house.
An optical illusion, he told himself. Clever architecture to make it seem bigger. Or we've entered an adjacent basement through a connecting passage.
The space was dominated by a complex control center with monitors showing different areas of Cedar Lane, digital readouts displaying incomprehensible data, and at the center, a three-dimensional holographic map of the neighborhood pulsing with light.
"Welcome to the heart of Cedar Lane," Evelyn said, gesturing grandly. "From here, we monitor and maintain the entire collection system."
David approached the holographic display with reluctant fascination. The map showed the neighborhood in perfect detail, each house glowing with a soft light. Connecting the houses were lines of pulsing red, forming an intricate web.
"What am I looking at?" he asked, although part of him already knew.
"The blood network." Evelyn's voice held reverent pride. "Twenty-five years in the making. Every house in Cedar Lane is connected to it, every resident contributes to it, knowingly or not."
She touched the display, zooming in on a particular house. The image expanded to show interior details: pipes running through walls, tiny collection points hidden in everyday fixtures.
"Every sprinkler system, every eco-sensor, every piece of 'energy-efficient' technology we've installed is part of it," Evelyn explained. "Microscopic needles in doorknobs, faucets, shower heads. All collecting minute amounts of blood. Not enough for anyone to notice, but multiplied across an entire neighborhood, over years..."
She gestured to the pulsing red lines. "The ultimate expression of community involvement."
David stared at the display, the horror of what he was seeing finally breaking through his carefully maintained denial.
"This is real," he whispered. "All of it. The blood collection, the vampire summoning. It's not metaphorical at all."
"Of course it's real." Evelyn looked amused. "Did you think I was playing some elaborate game? That all of Cedar Lane was participating in community theater?"
"I thought..." David swallowed hard. "I thought you were eccentric. That maybe you believed in it, but it wasn't actually... happening."
Evelyn laughed, the sound echoing off the chamber walls. "Oh, David. Such a pragmatist. It's one of the reasons I chose you. That wonderful capacity for self-deception. Seeing what you want to see, believing what's convenient."
She touched the display again, focusing on the three evicted properties. "These houses were replaced with collection nodes designed to amplify the power of the entire system. With them in place, we can complete the ritual without waiting for the eclipse."
"And Lila Roberts?" David couldn't keep the revulsion from his voice. "What happens to her?"
"She provides the catalyst blood, of course." Evelyn said it as casually as if discussing a bake sale contribution. "The initial sacrifice that activates the system. Her parents have been preparing her for months: special diet, supplements, careful extraction of small amounts to build her production capacity."
"That's monstrous."
"That's necessary." Evelyn's voice hardened. "Lord Alaric cannot be summoned with ordinary blood. He requires specific qualities: youth, resilience, a particular genetic makeup. Lila is perfect."
David took an involuntary step back. "And after? What happens to her after you've taken her blood?"
Evelyn's smile was chilling in its honesty. "Nothing happens to her after, David. There is no after. The catalyst sacrifice is complete."
The room seemed to spin around him. This wasn't just a bizarre HOA with unusual rules. This was a cult planning a murder.
"I won't be part of this," he said, his voice stronger than he expected. "You can't seriously think I'd help you kill a teenage girl."
"But you already have." Evelyn's voice was soft, reasonable. "Who signed the eviction notices creating space for our amplification nodes? Who stood beside me at the meeting as treasurer, lending legitimacy to our plans? Who's been helping prepare the ritual space?"
Each question landed like a physical blow. She was right. He had been complicit, even as he'd told himself none of it was real.
"I didn't know," he whispered. "I didn't want to know."
"And now that you do?" Evelyn stepped closer, her eyes boring into his. "Will you run to Claire, confess your sins? Will you try to stop what's been in motion for decades? Do you really think you can?"
David's throat felt dry. "Why? Why are you doing this? What do you even want?"
Evelyn's expression grew distant, almost reverent. "Power, David. True power. Not the petty authority of an HOA president, but dominion over life and death itself." She moved to the holographic display, her fingers tracing the pulsing red lines. "Lord Alaric isn't just a vampire, he's a force of nature. In the old world, he commanded armies, toppled kingdoms, bent reality to his will."
"Then why was he banished?"
"Jealousy. Fear. Small-minded humans who couldn't comprehend greatness." Her voice hardened with old resentment. "But I've found a way to bring him back, stronger than before. And when he manifests fully in this world, I'll stand beside him as his consort. Together, we'll reshape everything."
David stared at her, seeing the depth of her obsession. "You're insane."
"I'm a visionary," she corrected sharply. "This mundane world, with its mediocrity and petty concerns is dying, David. Rotting from within. Alaric will cleanse it, remake it into something magnificent. And those who serve him faithfully will be rewarded beyond imagination."
Her hand traced his jawline possessively. "Immortality, David. Power over lesser beings. Freedom from every weakness that makes humans so pathetically fragile. All I have to do is complete the ritual."
Before David could answer, one of the monitors beeped urgently. Evelyn glanced at it, her expression darkening.
"It seems we have some complications," she murmured. "Your wife and her supernatural investigator friend are planning something foolish."
The monitor showed Margaret's black house, where Claire's car was parked outside. Another screen displayed what appeared to be surveillance footage from inside. Claire, Margaret, and Ethan huddled around a map.
"You've been watching them? Spying on my family?" David's shock was shifting rapidly to anger.
"I watch everyone in Cedar Lane," Evelyn said dismissively. Though Margaret's house has been... problematic. So many wards and protections. That ghost of hers interferes with my equipment."
David stared at the screen, watching his wife and son planning what was clearly some kind of rescue mission. They knew. They had known before he did, had taken action while he was busy telling himself none of it was real.
"They'll try to save Lila," he said, more to himself than to Evelyn.
"They'll fail." Evelyn's certainty was absolute. "But their interference is irritating. We'll need to accelerate our timeline further."
She turned to him, her perfect facade finally showing cracks of impatience. "So, David. The question remains. Now that you know the truth, what will you do?"
He looked from her to the monitors showing his family, then back to the holographic display of Cedar Lane's blood network. The three evicted houses were already changing on the map, their structures morphing into the amplification nodes Evelyn had described.
What could he do? Stop construction that was already underway? Warn Claire when she was already aware of the danger? Save Lila when he didn't even know where she was being kept?
In that moment of paralysis, Evelyn moved closer, her hand tracing the line of his jaw. She pulled the key to his cock cage out of her pocket and dangled it in front of his eyes. "There's no point fighting it, David. You're already part of this. You've already chosen your side."
Her touch sent contradictory waves of revulsion and desire through him. Even knowing what she was, what she planned, he couldn't deny the pull she exerted over him.
"I need a partner for what comes next," she whispered. "Someone with your particular... talents. Help me complete the ritual, and you'll have power beyond anything you've imagined. Status. Purpose. Everything you lost when your career ended." She got down on her knees, pulled down his pants, and unlocked the cage that was painfully holding his erection. She began to slowly stroke his cock with both hands.
David closed his eyes, willing himself to resist. But when he opened them again, he found himself nodding slowly.
"What do you need me to do?" he asked, his voice hollow.
Evelyn smiled up at him triumphantly. "Tonight, you'll help prepare the ritual chamber. Tomorrow, you'll stand beside me as we bring Lord Alaric into this world."
As she continued stroking him and opened her mouth, David cast one last look at the monitor showing his family. They were still planning, unaware that he could see them. Unaware that he now knew exactly what they were trying to do.
I'm sorry, he thought, though whether to Claire and Ethan or to Lila Roberts, he wasn't sure. Perhaps to all of them. Perhaps to himself.
Behind him, the holographic map of Cedar Lane pulsed with hungry red light, the blood network throbbing like a massive heart, pumping the community's lifeblood toward what would soon be the site of a teenage girl's sacrifice.
And David, telling himself he had no choice, closed his eyes and gave himself over to Evelyn.
Claire's Discovery
The street lamps of Cedar Lane cast eerie shadows as Claire drove back toward Margaret's house, the headlights of her car illuminating empty sidewalks and perfectly manicured lawns. It was just after 10 PM, and she'd managed to acquire the medical supplies they would need for Lila's recovery: emergency bandages, saline solution, and a thermal blanket, all purchased from a pharmacy two towns over to avoid attention.
As she turned onto Maple Street, something caught her eye that made her slam on the brakes. A house was missing. Where the Morgensterns' blue colonial had stood that morning was now just an empty lot, swarming with workers despite the late hour. Floodlights illuminated the site as men in Cedar Lane-branded coveralls constructed what looked nothing like a residential building. The foundation formed strange geometric patterns, and metallic spires were already rising from the base, gleaming unnaturally in the artificial light.
What the hell? Claire thought, her unease growing. That house was there this morning. How could they demolish and start rebuilding so quickly?
She fumbled for her phone, snapping photos through her car window. The workers moved with mechanical precision, placing each component according to what must have been exacting specifications. As one of them turned toward her car, Claire ducked down, but it was too late. The worker spoke into a radio, and suddenly several others were looking in her direction.
Claire didn't wait to see what would happen next. She pulled away from the curb and took a different route toward Margaret's house. As she drove, she passed another construction site that looked eerily similar. Another house was completely gone, replaced by the same strange structure in progress. And then a third.
Three houses gone in one day? Something was very wrong. She remembered Ethan mentioning neighborhood rumors about previous "community turnover" that had happened all at once. Was history repeating itself?
She took a detour past the central grove, which was also alive with activity. Floodlights illuminated the massive stone at the center, around which workers were constructing what appeared to be a ceremonial space. The rock itself had been partially excavated, revealing strange markings that had previously been hidden beneath the soil.
A flash of beige in her rearview mirror caught her attention. It was an HOA "safety patrol" car had appeared behind her, its headlights suddenly flicking on. Claire accelerated slightly, taking the next turn. The patrol car followed.
She quickly sent the photos to both Margaret and Ethan with a text: "Three houses GONE overnight. Strange structures being built in their place. All focused toward the grove. HOA car following me."
Margaret's response came immediately: "GET HERE NOW. THEY'RE ACCELERATING EVERYTHING."
The patrol car stayed with her, maintaining a precise distance. Another appeared ahead, its lights flashing as it moved to block the next intersection. Claire made a quick decision, cutting through a side street that would lead back toward Margaret's house.
She glanced at her phone as another text from Margaret came through: "Ethan says hurry. We're ready to move. Plan needs to happen NOW, not tomorrow."
The patrol cars were still following, joined now by a third. All maintained the same exact distance from her car, moving in perfect coordination like pieces on a game board.
Claire reached Margaret's street and made the turn, noticing with relief that the patrol cars fell back, not following her onto this block. Margaret's black house stood out like a defiant shadow among the cream-colored conformity of Cedar Lane, its windows glowing with warm light that felt like a beacon of safety.
As Claire pulled into Margaret's driveway, the front door opened. Margaret stood in the doorway, fully equipped in her leather jacket and combat boots, weapons clearly visible at her belt.
"Get inside," she called. "Quickly."
Claire grabbed her bag of medical supplies and hurried to the door. As she reached the porch, she glanced back toward the main road. The patrol cars had stopped just out of sight, lined up in perfect formation at the corner.
"They're not following me onto your street," Claire said as Margaret pulled her inside and locked the door.
"The wards," Margaret explained grimly. "They don't work on everyone, but they confuse Evelyn's minions. Makes them uncomfortable to get too close."
Ethan rushed forward from the living room, his expression tense. "Mom, you're okay! Did you see what's happening out there?"
"I did," Claire said, handing him the medical bag. "Those houses… they're completely gone. What's going on?"
"Evelyn must be accelerating her timeline," Margaret said darkly. She took Claire's phone and studied the photos. "These structures they're building... they're exactly like the diagrams in the Codex. They're constructing a trinity of focus points, each one designed to channel energy toward the central stone."
She pulled up a map of Cedar Lane on her tablet. "The locations of these demolished houses form a perfect triangle around the neighborhood. When completed, these structures will create a concentrated flow of power toward the grove. The design is ancient. It predates modern architecture by centuries. It's meant to amplify blood sacrifice."
"Blood sacrifice?" Claire recoiled. "You mean Lila—"
"Is meant to be the catalyst," Margaret confirmed. "These structures aren't just for show. They're designed to take whatever power is generated by Lila's sacrifice and amplify it a hundredfold. Enough to complete whatever ritual Evelyn has planned."
Claire noticed something else in the photos she'd taken: the structures weren't just similar; they were positioned at precise angles relative to each other and to the central stone. The entire neighborhood seemed to be one massive occult diagram.
"The alignment," she said, pointing to the positioning. "It's deliberate, isn't it?"
"Absolutely," Margaret nodded grimly. "This is sacred geometry on a neighborhood scale. Each house in Cedar Lane was built at a specific point in the pattern, but these three special structures are the focal points. They are the keys that unlock the entire system."
"We have to move now," Ethan said urgently. "Lila's phone went dark an hour ago."
"We were planning to go tomorrow night," Claire said, "but if they're accelerating construction like this..."
"We don't have until tomorrow," Margaret finished. "Based on the rate of construction in these photos, those structures could be operational by dawn. Once they're activated, Evelyn will be ready to proceed with the ritual."
Claire nodded, noticing that Ethan was already geared up with a backpack and flashlight. "I got everything on the list," she said, gesturing to the medical supplies she'd brought. "Bandages, disinfectant, and a thermal blanket. In case Lila's... weakened."
"Good," Margaret said, checking her weapons one last time. "According to what I've pieced together from Sarah Chen's journal, the Roberts have been preparing Lila for some kind of ritual. They're using her as the catalyst, the key that will activate these amplifier structures."
Outside, the sound of car engines grew louder. Claire moved to the window and peered through the blinds. More HOA patrol cars had gathered, forming a perfect semicircle around Margaret's house.
"Evelyn knows we're planning something," she said quietly.
"Let her," Margaret replied, her expression hardening. "She can watch all she wants. We've got the advantage of knowing what we're dealing with now."
She turned to a cabinet, unlocking it to reveal an arsenal of weapons that seemed excessive even for a self-proclaimed supernatural security consultant. She handed Claire what looked like a modified stun gun.
"Non-lethal, but it'll drop anyone connected to Evelyn's network. The electrical charge disrupts whatever hold she has over them."
"And if that doesn't work?" Claire asked, accepting the weapon.
Margaret's smile was grim as she loaded what appeared to be silver bullets into a revolver. "Then we use more permanent solutions."
As they prepared for the rescue mission, Claire caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror. She barely recognized the hard eyes staring back at her. “Give me one of the guns.”
“Are you sure…” Margaret started. Claire just held her gaze until Margaret handed her a pistol.
"Lila is the key to all of this," Margaret explained as she finished arming herself. "Without her as the catalyst, those amplifier structures are just elaborate architecture. They could still do the ritual, but their chances of success go way, way down. We get her out and we buy ourselves time to figure out how to dismantle those structures and the ritual space at the grove."