Unless

The shores of the crystal lake that was once teeming with women sitting together, chatting away and children noisily running around chasing after each other were now empty. They did not see a single shadow of their company. The women, the children… no one was there anymore. It was as silent as death.

Evie's heart was immediately filled with dread as she frantically looked all around the area again, praying that her eyes were simply tricking her. Or better yet, they were the ones tricking her. Maybe they had seen them coming and were just hiding somewhere before jumping out from their hideout to give them a surprise? Evie could only desperately hope that was the case, but her heart was already banging out an unsettled rhythm. Something was wrong here. Where are they? Just what in blue blazes had happened here?