Sample Chapter
Maeve lay on the queen-sized bed she once shared with Roger, wrapped in a cocoon of blankets. Sleep had finally come, but it brought no peace. She dreamed of him again—his laugh, his strong arms around her as he teased her about the coffee cups he’d leave everywhere, growing islands of green mold in the garage.
“It wouldn’t kill you to put them in the dishwasher yourself, you know,” she’d chided, playfully opening the dishwasher door with exaggerated effort and placing the dirty mug on the top rack. “See, it’s that easy. Even easy enough for you.”
He’d laughed, pulling her close, his touch warm and familiar. But as she looked down, horror replaced joy. Blood soaked his camo trousers, darkening them with each passing second, the bright red seeping into the brown until it turned a sickening shade of puce.
“No!” she gasped, pulling away, but he held her tighter, lifting her off her feet, his embrace now a desperate grasp.
“Don’t leave me,” she whispered, her voice trembling. But even as she pressed her hands to his rough cheeks, willing him to stay, his form began to fade. She tried to hold on, but he slipped through her fingers, dissipating into the cold, cruel air.
She woke with a start, her hand clutching the empty space where he should have been, the sheets cold beneath her fingers. The room was silent, save for her ragged breaths. Dawn’s light crept through the curtains, but it only brought another day of pain—a day without him.
“Mom?”
Maeve wiped away the tears as she turned to see her six-year-old son, Ben, standing in the doorway. His innocent eyes, so much like Roger’s, watched her with concern.
“You were dreaming again,” he said softly, padding barefoot to her bedside.
She forced a smile, pulling him into a hug, the warmth of his little body a brief comfort against the chill that lingered in her heart. “It’s nothing, buddy. Just a dream.”
But it wasn’t just a dream. It was the reality she couldn’t escape, no matter how hard she tried.
As the day wore on, the weight of her loss pressed down on her, the cold seeping deeper into her bones. And then, on the icy road leading through the thick forest, she saw it—him. A shadow in the trees, watching her. Her heart pounded as she gripped the steering wheel tighter.
“Mom, look out!” Ben’s voice pierced the silence, but it was too late. With a sickening crunch, the SUV skidded out of control, the world spinning as they careened toward the edge of the road.
When the truck finally stopped, Maeve’s hands shook as she turned to Ben. “Are you okay?”
But before he could answer, she saw the figure again, emerging from the trees—a man dressed in camo, blending into the shadows. He moved with a purpose, his eyes locked on hers, as if he’d been waiting for this moment, waiting for her.
And in that instant, Maeve knew—nothing would ever be the same again.
