a stranger

It was a beautiful evening. The air smelled of crushed grapes and laughter. Roe had gone in with his friends, excited to sample the different wines at the local festival. The joy of clinking glasses, swirling reds and whites, and the warm burn of alcohol — everything had felt perfect.

But somewhere between his third and fourth glass, something strange happened.

A sudden image pierced his mind — sharp and vivid. A mountain, grey and towering. He was trekking through a narrow path. The air was thin, and then — a wild animal, its growl echoing through the rocks, lunging straight at him.He jolted.

The vision faded, but a feeling of unease stayed with him.

Later that night, after drinking too much and finally collapsing onto his bed, Roe slipped into a heavy, dreamless sleep.

When he woke up the next morning, everything had changed.

He was in the room he had rented, yes. But it was cold, silent. Too silent.No sounds of his friends. No laughter. No footsteps. No luggage. No clothes.Nothing.

Only him.

The walls were bare. His passport — gone. His wallet — gone.His phone: dead, or maybe missing.Everything was gone.

He stumbled to the window. The house — a small hotel on the outskirts of the city — looked even more isolated now. No other guests, no reception, no movement outside. Just silence.

He searched every room, knocked on every door.No one answered.

Panic began to settle in, slow and creeping.He had come here with friends. He remembered arriving. He remembered checking in.He remembered laughing.

But now, it was as if they had never existed.

And the worst part? Today was the last day of his vacation. He needed to return home.

He had 12 hours to figure out how.

As he stood in the narrow hallway, a shrill ring cut through the silence.He jumped.

It was the landline phone on the wooden desk in the corner.

He picked it up with shaking hands.

A monotone voice:"Mr. Roe, today is your final day of stay. You are required to check out by 12 AM."

He checked the time.

12 PM.

Exactly 12 hours left.

No money.No passport.No friends.No answers.Just Roe, in a foreign country that now felt like a dream turned sour.

He sank onto the edge of the bed, his mind spinning.

Why did they leave?

Did they leave?

Something wasn't right.

And he had twelve hours to figure it out.