The Wedding Party

Part 64: A Fog

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the grounds of Brandt Manor as Helena, Preston, and Yusuf made their way back. Their search for Amelia had left them empty-handed and heavy-hearted. As they approached the Manor, they each checked their phones, only to find that there was no cell reception.

"Damn it," Preston muttered, running a hand through his hair. "We're completely cut off."

"Let's check the landlines," suggested Helena, her brow furrowed with concern.

Inside the Manor, they found the phone lines severed, leaving them in eerie silence. With a deep breath, Preston called everyone to the bar, his voice tense but steady. As they gathered, whispering among themselves, fear and uncertainty hung in the air like a thick fog.

"Listen up," Preston began, rubbing his temples. "We need to figure this out together. We can't leave the island without risking Amelia's life, but we also can't stay here like sitting ducks."

"Who says we should risk our lives for her?" Killian interjected, crossing his arms defiantly. "Why do we have to be the ones in danger?"

The room fell silent, tension mounting. Olive clenched her jaw, feeling anger bubble up inside her. With a swift motion, she slapped Killian across the face, her eyes blazing.

"Amelia is just a child, and she's one of us!" Olive snapped. "We don't abandon family."

In the woods, Macey gritted her teeth as she struggled to remove the piece of wood lodged in her leg. Pain seared through her muscles, but she knew she couldn't give up. With one final yank, the splintered shard came free, and Macey collapsed onto the forest floor, gasping for breath.

As she lay panting, Marc emerged from the shadows, a gun holstered at his side. The sight of him sent a shiver down Macey's spine, but before she could react, her vision blurred, and darkness swallowed her whole.

Back at the Manor, Ashleigh sat hunched over a notepad, scribbling furiously as she compiled a list of all those who had gone missing: Dax, Kyan, Breanna. Her mind raced, connecting the dots to the 2013 murders that still haunted the island. As she shared her thoughts with the others, the room buzzed with anxious energy.

"Could it be the same killer?" someone whispered, their voice shaking.

"Or is this some sick copycat?" another chimed in.

As they debated, the lights suddenly flickered and died, plunging the Manor into suffocating darkness. In the shadows, fear tightened its grip, choking the hope from each member of the group.