Chapter 11: The Storm That Wasn't Forecast
The third day arrived beneath a strangely clear sky.
For the first time in what felt like forever, the sun was shining.
The ocean sparkled.
The air felt lighter.
And somehow, that made everyone suspicious.
After the last few days, good weather felt unnatural.
"See?" Aryan announced proudly while walking into breakfast. "The universe likes me."
"The universe has been actively trying to kill us." Dipanshu replied.
"Minor disagreement."
Deep looked out the window.
"He's right about one thing."
Everyone turned.
"The weather does look good."
For the first time in days, nobody saw dark clouds over the water.
No rain.
No fog.
No heavy atmosphere.
Just sunlight.
Even Wick looked surprised.
Though not relieved.
Never relieved.
The group had planned to visit an old cliffside sightseeing route that morning.
Normally it would have been one of the first places they'd visited.
Instead, horror, haunted hotels, possessed necklaces, and mysterious singing had pushed it to the end of the trip.
"Can we finally do something normal?" Kritika asked.
"That depends."
Aryan looked around dramatically.
"Are ghosts allowed on sightseeing tours?"
---
A packet of chips hit him.
---
The trip finally began.
---
The road climbed steadily along the coastline.
Green hills stretched endlessly beside them.
The ocean remained visible almost the entire drive.
Music played.
People laughed.
Photos were taken.
For the first time in several chapters...
Things felt alive again.
At least on the surface.
Because Wick noticed something.
Shristi hadn't spoken much all morning.
Not unusual.
But not normal either.
Several times he caught her staring out the window.
Not at the scenery.
Not at the ocean.
Just...
Somewhere.
Lost.
"Angel."
She blinked.
"Hm?"
"You've ignored three questions."
"Oh."
A pause.
"What was the question?"
Wick didn't answer immediately.
Because the concern in his eyes said enough.
Shristi noticed it.
And looked away.
Across the bus, Prishka noticed the exchange.
That worried her more than she wanted to admit.
Because she was noticing the same thing.
More missing moments.
More blank spaces.
And every day those blank spaces were getting longer.
By noon they reached the viewpoint.
The place was beautiful.
A long cliffside pathway overlooking the ocean.
Tourists walked everywhere.
Vendors sold food.
Families took photographs.
The entire area felt painfully normal.
Which was why the next incident stood out immediately.
They were taking pictures near the railing when Deep frowned.
"Where's Sonal?"
Everyone looked around.
No Sonal.
Again.
Dipanshu immediately stood.
"She was literally right here."
The group split up.
Not panicked.
Not yet.
Five minutes later, Dipanshu found her.
Standing near an abandoned section of the cliff.
Alone.
Looking toward the sea.
Again.
This time, he didn't joke.
"Sonal."
She slowly turned.
"What?"
The answer came immediately.
Too immediately.
Like she already knew what he'd ask.
"You disappeared."
"I was walking."
"Without telling anyone."
A small silence.
Then:
"I wanted to listen."
Dipanshu frowned.
"Listen to what?"
Sonal looked toward the water.
And for a brief second...
Fear crossed her face.
Then it vanished.
"Nothing."
The answer bothered him.
A lot.
The rest of the afternoon passed quietly.
But around four o'clock—
Everything changed.
The sky darkened.
Fast.
Far too fast.
Within minutes sunlight disappeared behind massive storm clouds.
The ocean became violent.
The wind picked up.
Tourists started leaving.
Deep checked his phone.
"No weather warning."
Wick looked up.
The clouds weren't normal.
They were rolling inward.
From every direction.
Toward one place.
Toward them.
Thunder exploded overhead.
Several people jumped.
"Okay."
Aryan stood.
"That's concerning."
The rain started.
Immediately.
Not a drizzle.
Not a shower.
A wall of water.
The group sprinted back toward the parking area.
Visibility dropped instantly.
Within seconds everyone was soaked.
Another thunderclap shook the coastline.
The road ahead disappeared beneath rain and fog.
"Get to the bus!"
Deep shouted.
Then Wick stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
Far beyond the rain.
Far beyond the trees.
He could see something.
A structure.
Old.
Massive.
Abandoned.
Standing alone on a nearby hill.
Prishka followed his gaze.
And felt her stomach drop.
---
Because for a moment...
Just a moment...
She thought she saw someone standing in one of its broken windows.
Watching them.
Then lightning flashed.
And the figure was gone.
The storm intensified.
The road became impossible.
And suddenly the abandoned building on the hill wasn't just an option.
It was their only shelter.
To be continued…