Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 70: The Black Hurricane

Nancy couldn't make a sound; she could only wait, her heart hammering against her ribs.

Just as the bat choir finished its long-distance call for reinforcements—

Creeeak.

A faint noise echoed from the direction of the dressing room.

Unlike the high-frequency ultrasonic waves of the bats, this sound was low and distinct, cutting through the air with terrifying clarity.

Stella’s nerves snapped taut instantly.

"I... I think I just heard a closet door open."

She pressed her phone against her chest so hard the cold casing bit into her skin.

Then, from the depths of the hallway came a wet, sticky shuffling sound—

Tap... tap...

Every footfall felt like a heavy blow to her heart.

A human silhouette slowly materialized from the shadows. The man walked with a hunched back, a strip of sickly pale skin showing beneath the rim of a black baseball cap.

When he looked up, his face was a map of puckered, shriveled skin, like a rotted orange peel. His clouded eyes twitched and rolled erratically in their sockets.

"Hey..." a voice rasped from his throat, thick with phlegm. "It’s time to practice your dancing..."

He suddenly grinned, exposing yellowed, decaying gums.

"Don't... stay back!"

Stella crouched by the window, cornered and trembling, her voice breaking into sobs. "I’ve already called the police!"

Hearing the confrontation through the phone, Nancy frantically texted Simon: "Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

"The intruder is out! Something is going to happen!"

Inside the apartment, the man gripped a switchblade in his right hand, the tip glinting with a cold, lethal light.

"The police? It’s fine. I’m not making it out of this alive anyway, and I’m taking you down with me."

His left hand was stroking his phone screen—it was displaying Stella’s latest stage performance.

It was clear now: the man was a sasaeng fan. A twisted stalker who blurred the lines of fandom, obsessed with invading a celebrity's privacy and willing to use any means necessary to get close to them.

"Why isn't the music playing?"

The man’s smile was distorted and manic as his gaze landed on Stella’s casual sportswear.

His face suddenly contorted with anger. "You don't look good in that. There are so many pretty dresses in the closet..."

He was less than five paces away from her. "Come here. I’ll pick out something beautiful and put it on you myself..."

Just as the man reached out to grab Stella!

Whirrr—

The sound of countless wings beating the air erupted from outside!

Swams of bats flooded through the open window like a deluge. The sound of their wings combined into a bone-chilling hum, sounding like hundreds of sheets of paper being shaken violently. Their constant, high-frequency "buzzing" created a wall of sonic interference that caused an immediate, painful ringing in human ears.

The reinforcements had arrived.

Nancy could finally speak. She shouted into the phone, "Little rabbit, cover your ears!"

Instinctively, Stella reached out to gently cup the long, furry ears of the Angora rabbit.

But in that same heartbeat, she felt a pair of soft, tiny paws press against her own ears.

The little rabbit was straining on its hind legs, clumsily using its front paws to shield her ears from the noise.

In that moment, Stella’s tears finally spilled over. She hugged the tiny creature—who was shivering with its own terror yet still tried to protect her—and buried her face in its warm, soft fur.

The bat colony swept in like a black hurricane.

"What is this?!"

The stalker recoiled in horror, only to be struck head-on by the lead bat. The massive creature accurately latched onto the brim of his cap and yanked it backward with a violent jerk.

"Agh!!"

More bats swarmed him. They didn't attack randomly; they moved like a disciplined army. Some buffeted his face, others hooked their claws into his sleeves, while the largest group formed a living black barrier, encircling him completely.

Wild bats are not clean; the dust and dander from their wings filled the air like a choking mist. The man staggered, flailing his arms wildly, but only struck clumps of damp, matted fur.

"Help! There's an intruder!"

Stella screamed and bolted toward the front door. Behind her, the man’s agonizing shrieks echoed through the hall: "Get off me! These damn things—"

Suddenly, there was a heavy thud as the bats forced the man to the floor. In the sea of dark wings, only his flailing legs were visible.

Two minutes later.

A deafening thunder of pounding at the door and the roar of a power drill shattered the tension.

"Police! Nobody move!"

Stella responded immediately, her voice thick with relief. "Officers! I’m here!"

"The intruder is down!"

With a resounding bang, the breached door was kicked open. Fully armed tactical officers flooded into the room, only to freeze in their tracks at the sight before them.

The stalker lay paralyzed on the floor, covered in a carpet of bats so thick he couldn't even manage a scream.

"Help... help me..."

The knife he had brought had long since clattered to the floor.

The lead officer rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "Who... who called this in? Do we even need backup at this point?"