AUTUMNTOWN

CHAPTER 3

Max continued typing, the keys of his typewriter clacking rhythmically, each stroke leaving a deep imprint on the page.

Sarah clutched her gun as she approached the isolated cabin, the trees rustling faintly in the distance. The cool air bit at her neck, sending a creeping chill down her spine. She knew this scene well. It was pulled straight from her own story, yet being inside it felt like an entirely different world. The officer had knocked on the door, only to be greeted by someone he knew, someone he had once trusted.

Before Sarah could bring her knuckles to the wood, something slid out from under the door—crumpled and yellowed. A manuscript page, its scratchy letters familiar and unsettling.

Max's fingers hovered over the typewriter, about to press forward, when a knock echoed through his house.

It wasn't part of his story. This knock was real.

Max frowned, shaking off the eerie sensation. "Coming!" he called, lifting his hands from the keys. He pushed his chair back and wandered through the dimly lit house, his footsteps soft against the creaking wooden floor. The knocking grew louder, more urgent.

When Max opened the door, Autumn stood before him, her face etched with worry. She looked like she hadn't slept.

"Hey..." Max started, his voice awkward as he met her eyes. He glanced around as if expecting someone else to appear behind her. "What's going on?"

Autumn didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Blacklight's missing."

Max blinked, his brow furrowing. "Missing?" he repeated, the shock freezing him in place. "He just... vanished?"

Autumn crossed her arms, clearly unsettled. "I don't know what else to call it."

Max, still stunned, opened the door wider, gesturing for her to come in. They moved toward the dining room in silence, the weight of her words pressing on him. They both sat at the worn wooden table, Autumn wrapping her arms around herself as if trying to ward off the chill of her own thoughts.

"They found his car and his gun just outside the mansion's property," Autumn said, her voice trembling. "But it's strange—he couldn't have gotten any closer to the place."

Max furrowed his brow. "Why not? It's just a mansion on a hill, right?"

Autumn sighed, frustrated. "The access road's completely ruined. Years of neglect—trees, debris, and boulders block it off. There's no way a car could make it up, and even on foot, it's almost impossible. So, how did Blacklight get that far and disappear without a trace?"

Max looked puzzled. "And the car? Just sitting there?"

Autumn nodded. "Like he parked, but never made it up the rest of the way."

Max leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair, thinking hard. "This... this doesn't make sense," he muttered.

"The police department's gotta do something about this," he said, his voice rising, trying to anchor the situation in logic.

Autumn's voice broke through, sharp but weary. "They've lost their best officer, Max. How are they supposed to handle this without him? He's gone."