Chapter 9 - The Wet Lace
Clara’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening in sheer disbelief as she stared at the figure blocking the exit. The woman’s white lace wedding gown was soaked through, plastered heavily against her frame with dried salt and dark sea kelp. Water dripped in a slow, rhythmic beat from the frayed edges of her veil onto the clean carpet. Her face was deathly pale, framed by dark hair matted with sand, but her eyes—staring directly at Julian—were burning with a cold, unforgiving fury.
"Julian," the apparition whispered, the voice dripping with moisture and ancient malice. "You forgot to invite me to the reception."
Julian staggered backward, his heels slipping on the polished floorboards as he slammed against the wall. The color drained entirely from his face, leaving him a chalky, trembling ruin of the man who had commanded the room just minutes ago.
"No," Julian choked out, shaking his head violently as he clawed at his jacket for the gun. "No, you’re dead. I saw the car sink. I watched it go under!"
"You watched the car go under," the woman echoed, taking a slow, heavy step forward. Each footfall left a wet, muddy imprint on the pristine floor. "But you forgot to check the back seat, Julian. You forgot that Leo was still strapped in when you pushed us over the edge."
Clara felt the floor seem to tilt beneath her feet. She looked from the dripping woman to Julian, whose face had gone completely slack with horror.
"You... you said he was in the house," Clara stammered, her voice trembling so violently she could barely form the words. "You said he survived the crash at home!"
"He lied to you, Clara," the woman whispered, turning her hollow, saltwater-rimmed eyes toward the bride. "He lies to everyone. He trapped you in this marriage just like he trapped me, wrapping his debts and his sins around your neck so you’d take the fall when the truth finally surfaced."
Julian suddenly whipped the revolver out of his jacket, leveling the barrel straight at the dripping figure in the doorway. "Stay back! I don't know what kind of trick this is, but I swear to God I’ll put a bullet through you!"
"Shoot me again, Julian," the woman smiled, a sickening, dark expression that stretched her pale lips too wide. "Let’s see if I bleed this time."
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Without a moment's hesitation, Julian pulled the trigger, and a deafening gunshot shattered the silence of the hallway, sending a cloud of acrid smoke billowing toward the ceiling.
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