But the karaoke bar was dark, the dim lights casting long shadows that blurred my way. I wasn’t familiar with the layout and as I raced forward, my foot caught on a step.
I crashed to the floor with a thud; my body jarred from the fall.
My ankle twisted painfully and my forehead slammed against the stairs, leaving my mind in a haze.
But even in my foggy state, I saw her, Brenda, standing in the shadows, holding a wine glass.
A string of crystals dangled from her wrist, the very same birthday gift I had given her just last year.
I opened my mouth to shout, but before a sound could escape, someone clamped a hand over my mouth, silencing me in an instant.
Brenda glanced in my direction, a flicker of confusion in her eyes, but ultimately, she saw nothing.
The person dragged me back into the shadows and, in one swift motion, struck the back of my head with a brutal force.
"You bastard, how dare you run into me? Let’s see if you don’t regret that later!"
And with that, everything went black.
When I came to, I found myself tied up in a dark, cramped basement, tape sealing my mouth shut.
No one was around. Had they all gone to welcome Brenda?