Chapter 5 - The Blood-Stained Tissue
Clara stared down at the damp tissue in horror, the flickering flame of Julian’s lighter casting erratic shadows across the dark stain. Her mind raced, rejecting the nightmare unfolding around her, searching for any rational explanation that could make sense of the foul smell of iron and the impossible appearance of the fabric.
"Whose blood is this, Julian?" Clara demanded, her voice rising into a sharp, desperate shriek that echoed off the high vaulted ceiling of the corridor. She batted his hand away, sending the lighter tumbling to the floorboards, where the flame sputtered and died instantly, plunging them back into absolute, choking blackness. "Answer me! Whose blood is on that tissue?"
"Calm down!" Julian roared, his voice finally cracking, shedding the polished veneer he had worn all evening. He lunged blindly in the dark, his hands grabbing her shoulders and shaking her hard. "You’re hysterical. The boy found a napkin someone used to clean a cut in the kitchen. It’s nothing! It means nothing!"
"You just panicked when you heard her voice!" Clara fought back, driving her elbow hard into his ribs. Julian grunted, stumbling backward against the wall. "You know who is out here. You brought me to this exact estate on purpose. This isn't just a wedding venue, is it? This is where she died."
"She didn't die here!" Julian yelled back, his voice thick with a sudden, overwhelming panic.
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The moment the words left his mouth, the heavy oak door behind them clicked. A shaft of golden light cut across the floorboards as the door slowly drifted open on its own, revealing the smiling faces of their wedding guests dancing merrily to a lively waltz in the banquet hall. But standing right in the middle of the threshold, bathed in the warm amber light, was little Leo. The toddler was holding a heavy silver carving knife in both hands, pointing the gleaming blade straight at Julian’s chest.
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