In the heart of an ancient, crumbling mansion, the pendulum swung with an ominous rhythm, casting long, twisted shadows that danced upon the cold stone floor. The air was thick with the stench of decay and the silence was...

...from scuffed leather of portmanteauand tarnished brass clasps a million echoes of forgotten shoes and faded photographs whispering of roads travelednow a pale ghost... 

The air tasted of dust and salt, a slow decay of shoreline memories. The town slept in a haze of silence, broken only by the skeletal creak of the old pier. Above, the moon hung full and wet, a...