Chapter 14

With a cry, she scrambled up as her eyes darted around; she unconsciously began to get out of bed.

A drop of something light hit her bare shoulder. In the unnatural lantern light, she slowly raised her face. Her lips parted, her mind unable to understand.

When she dimly realized that she was awake, she stayed down, trying to make sense of what she had just seen in her sleep. She’d been having this kind of wild dream recently, but she couldn’t summon the courage to share it with anyone, not even her closest friend, Karen. She thought it wasn’t that serious.

A sliver of fear ran through her blood, but she tried to disown it. She mumbled some prayers and went back to sleep.

In her most recent dream, she heard a faint, familiar voice beckoning her to the woods. She pictured her twelve-year-old self walking toward the half-open back door. She swerved to pass her brother, heading for the door. He stopped in front of her. She sidestepped him on her way. He followed