Bottle 8: The Stranger
The air inside the cabin was thick with tension as the group reconvened in the living room. The shard of green glass sat ominously on the coffee table beside the cork.
Traci broke the silence first, her voice strained "None of this makes any sense."
"Maybe it’s not supposed to," Sara replied, her voice brittle. She was seated on the armrest of the couch, her posture stiff, as though bracing herself for an invisible blow "Maybe someone’s just trying to scare us."
“And where were the two of you?” Nina interjected.
Lori piled on, “Yeah, I am screaming for help and Abby and Eve came up but not the two of you.”
“We were” Sara fumbled frightened by the accusation. “We were in the cellar and never heard you.”
“Never heard her?” Nina questioned.
“I feel like the EMS, who are supposedly en route heard her” Eve added.
Abby’s jaw tightened, she quickly, though not quick enough, interrupted "Well, if someone is trying to scare us, it is absolutely working. That being said, we can’t let fear take over. We need to stay focused."
Before anyone could respond, the sound of tires crunching gravel broke through the tense silence. Everyone froze, their gazes snapping to the window.
"A car," Traci whispered, her face draining of color. "It’s black. It does not appear to be the police though. Maybe unmarked?"
“Was anyone expecting a visitor?” Nina questioned.
“Oh, yeah, sure” Sara sarcastically added.
Abby grabbed the flashlight and moved cautiously to the door. A black sedan was parked in the front, its sleek frame gleaming under the faint moonlight. A man in a suit stepped out, his movements calm and deliberate. He almost gave off An American Psycho kind of vibe.
He went into the trunk, retrieved a box and headed towards the front stairs.
The group watched from behind Abby as she cracked the door open. Her voice was steady despite the tension radiating through her frame. "Can we help you?"
The man’s gaze drifted past her, settling briefly on each person standing in the living room. His expression remained unreadable. He made eye contact with each one of them but never cracked a smile or responded to Abby.
“What do you want?” anxiously exclaimed Abby.
"Jamie," he said simply. "He knows I am coming for you guys."
“What in the hell does that mean?” Traci asked.
With that statement, the group collectively backed up. Well, except Abby. The group left Abby standing in the doorway by herself.
Abby said, narrowing her eyes "do you know what’s happening here?"
The man’s lips curved into a faint smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. "Enough to know that I am not supposed to say what he has planned for each and every one of you."
To be continued September 30th, 2025.
