Twelve Hours Earlier

Twelve Hours Earlier

The morning sunlight danced across the lake, turning the water into a sheet of shimmering silver. Birds sang, and a soft breeze carried the faint scent of pine through the picturesque small town of Lakewood. Olivia stood on the dock, looking out at the scene, her stomach fluttering with nerves and excitement.

"Ready to do this?" her maid of honor asked, adjusting Olivia’s veil. She smiled, her blue eyes sparkling. "More than ready."

The ceremony was perfect. Noah stood at the altar, his brown eyes fixed on her as if she was the only person in the world. They exchanged vows as family and friends cheered, the air filled with laughter and the soft hum of love.

“I do,” Noah had said, the words coming out so easily, so full of love. And when Olivia had whispered the same words to him, he felt like he was the luckiest man alive.

The reception was a blur of laughter, clinking glasses, and the sound of soft music. They danced their first dance under the twinkling fairy lights, the autumn air crisp but welcoming. The guests cheered, raising their glasses in a toast to their new life together.

It was supposed to be the start of everything—love, family, the life they’d always dreamed of. But then, there was a crash. The sound was deafening, like metal tearing apart, followed by a scream that made Noah’s blood run cold. It had came from the parking lot, hidden behind a line of trees.

Guests started to murmur and move toward the sound, confusion clouding their faces, concerned at a potential accident. Noah, still in the arms of his bride, had hesitated, then followed the others. But before he could reach the door, Olivia’s hand had gripped his arm.

“Don’t go,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Stay with me. Please.”

He’d nodded, **** to leave her, but the sounds from outside only grew louder—the sickening, bone-chilling growls, the frantic pounding of something—someone—hitting the floor.

Then, it happened.

The guests who had gone outside returned—but they weren’t the same. Their clothes were torn, their faces pale, eyes vacant. One of them, an uncle Noah had known his entire life, lunged at a woman, jaws snapping, blood pouring from the wound on his neck. Olivia, her instincts as a nurse kicking in, had ran forward to help, only to be attacked by a man, his face twisted into an animalistic growl, blood pouring out a large wound in his face, as though something had taken a bite out of him. Olivia was certain she was going to die, but at the last second Noah had grabbed a chair and slammed it into the man's head, sending him sprawling across the floor.

The scream of terror from the other guests was followed by a frenzy, a rush of **** and chaos. Noah and Olivia scrambled toward the lake, running through the trees, away from the horror that had consumed the lake.