The small coastal town of Seabrook was known for its tranquil waves, salty air, and the lighthouse that stood proudly on the cliff, its beam sweeping over the darkened waters each night. But it was also known for something more sinister—people disappeared here.
Erin Monroe had spent most of her life away from Seabrook. She had grown up hearing the stories—people walking along the cliffs at dusk, only to vanish without a trace. Her mother used to tell her, “Don’t go near the lighthouse at sunset. That’s when the Vanishing Hour begins.”
Erin never believed it. Not really. She thought it was just a tale to scare children from wandering too close to the cliffs. But when her estranged sister, Lila, went missing near that very lighthouse, Erin was forced to return to the town she’d tried so hard to forget.
The evening she arrived, the air was heavy with the smell of rain and something else—something cold and metallic that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. As Erin settled into her sister’s house, a sense of unease crept into her bones. It felt like someone—or something—was watching her.
Determined to find answers, Erin visited the lighthouse keeper, an old man named Gerald who had lived there his entire life. His wrinkled face grew pale when she mentioned Lila’s disappearance.
“You shouldn’t have come back,” Gerald said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Once the town has you, it won’t let go.”
Erin pressed him for more information, but he remained cryptic, warning her to stay inside when the sun dipped below the horizon.
Ignoring his warning, Erin ventured to the cliffs that evening, her flashlight flickering in the thickening fog. As she approached the lighthouse, a strange humming filled the air, as though the wind itself was alive, whispering her name. Her heart pounded as she saw a faint figure standing at the edge of the cliff, staring out at the endless ocean.
“Lila?” she called, but the figure didn’t turn.
With a surge of adrenaline, Erin ran towards the figure, but as she neared, the ground beneath her shifted, and she stumbled, falling to her knees. When she looked up, the figure was gone. In its place was a black, swirling void, pulsating with an unnatural energy.
Suddenly, Erin felt a powerful force pulling her toward the darkness. Her body refused to move, her limbs frozen in place as the void beckoned her closer. Just as she was about to be consumed by the swirling mass, strong hands grabbed her from behind, yanking her back from the edge.
Gerald stood over her, his face pale with fear. “The Vanishing Hour is upon us,” he said, breathless. “Once you step too close, you can never leave.”
Shaken, Erin followed him back to the safety of the lighthouse, but her mind raced with questions. What was that void? How had Lila disappeared? And, most terrifyingly, was it still calling to her?
As they reached the door, Gerald hesitated before locking it. “You need to leave Seabrook,” he said. “This town... it’s cursed. The lighthouse holds the key, but the truth isn’t something you’ll want to find.”
Erin wasn’t sure what to believe, but one thing was clear: whatever lurked in Seabrook wasn’t finished with her yet. And the Vanishing Hour would come again tomorrow.
This time, Erin knew she had no choice but to face it.
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