I knew she was dead the moment I saw her walking outside. When the fog began to roll in from the moat, the staff locked the castle's doors and told the thirty or so tourists inside that we'd have to wait until it passed. Within five minutes everything outside had vanished, replaced by a floating haze that made it seem like the castle was high up in the clouds.
The staff gave us ground rules - don't stare at the fog, don't open any windows or doors, stay inside until the fog has fully retreated and finally, ignore anyone and anything you see or hear coming from outside. They tried to hype this up like it was some kind of local tradition, some elaborate in-character activity that we were all privy to but their smiles were too sharp, their eyes darted about and the pleaded too desperately for it to all be fake.
Every ten minutes we'd be counted to make sure nobody had wandered off and broken any rules but finally, after two hours of tense waiting, we were one less. Every window and door was checked and all were found just as locked and barred as they'd been since the fog first showed.
There was no possible way she could have gotten out and yet there she was, slowly circling the castle. The staff tried to stop us all from staring out at her but it didn't take long before they were outnumbered by stubborn tourists who all wanted to leave and wanted the keys right this very instant.
While the instigators and the staff argued back and forth I kept on staring out at her, waiting for her to come back around so I could try to get a better look at her face. Something seemed off about her face and it took me far too long to realise it. Her skin was slowly becoming the same shade as the fog, draining from a deep brown to sickly grey while her clothes began to look like she'd just emerged from the moat.
When the keys were finally pried from the scrabbling claws of the staff I knew we'd never be found again, none of us would. The fog would be thicker next time, last longer and become more saturated with the life and memories of the thirty-something group who let it inside the castle and themselves.
The staff gave us ground rules - don't stare at the fog, don't open any windows or doors, stay inside until the fog has fully retreated and finally, ignore anyone and anything you see or hear coming from outside. They tried to hype this up like it was some kind of local tradition, some elaborate in-character activity that we were all privy to but their smiles were too sharp, their eyes darted about and the pleaded too desperately for it to all be fake.
Every ten minutes we'd be counted to make sure nobody had wandered off and broken any rules but finally, after two hours of tense waiting, we were one less. Every window and door was checked and all were found just as locked and barred as they'd been since the fog first showed.
There was no possible way she could have gotten out and yet there she was, slowly circling the castle. The staff tried to stop us all from staring out at her but it didn't take long before they were outnumbered by stubborn tourists who all wanted to leave and wanted the keys right this very instant.
While the instigators and the staff argued back and forth I kept on staring out at her, waiting for her to come back around so I could try to get a better look at her face. Something seemed off about her face and it took me far too long to realise it. Her skin was slowly becoming the same shade as the fog, draining from a deep brown to sickly grey while her clothes began to look like she'd just emerged from the moat.
When the keys were finally pried from the scrabbling claws of the staff I knew we'd never be found again, none of us would. The fog would be thicker next time, last longer and become more saturated with the life and memories of the thirty-something group who let it inside the castle and themselves.
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