Chapter 1: The First Omen
Alex had always taken the same route home. The familiarity of the path, lined with towering oaks and the occasional street lamp flickering to life as dusk settled in, was comforting. But tonight, something felt different. An inexplicable chill hung in the air, pricking at Alex's senses. As he turned the corner near the old church, a voice, cold and devoid of emotion, sliced through the evening calm.
"You have five days before you are silent."
Alex stopped dead in his tracks. He looked around, but the street was empty. He laughed nervously, trying to shake off the unease. "Must be my imagination," he muttered, quickening his pace.
The laughter died in his throat when he saw the first bird fall from the sky. It landed with a soft thud on the pavement, its eyes wide open, staring lifelessly. Alex hesitated, then stepped closer. Before he could reach the bird, another fell. Then another. Within moments, the ground was littered with the tiny bodies of fallen birds.
A sense of dread clawed at Alex's stomach. He bent down to inspect one of the birds. Suddenly, its head twisted unnaturally, and its lifeless eyes fixed on him.
"You have four days left," it croaked.
Alex stumbled back, heart pounding. The voice he had heard earlier echoed in his mind. Five days. But now it was four? Panic bubbled up inside him. He spun around, scanning the empty street, looking for some explanation, some sign of a trick or a prank. But there was nothing. Just the eerie silence of the evening, now haunted by the sight of fallen birds and the chilling message they carried.