.

21 Years Ago

Ashland, OR

October 24, 2000

The woods were silent except for the loud frantic rhythm of her heartbeat thumping in her ears. Small clouds of steamy air puffed from her lips, as she tried to get her breathing under control. She gritted her teeth as terror threatened to seize every cell in her bod...

Sarah Johnson stood staring at the entrance to the cemetery and from a distance she could see the streetlamp shining on the other side⎼its welcoming glow falling on the sidewalk that would lead her home. The night was cold with fierce winds that blew right through her knitted sweater leaving its marks in forms of small bumps that prickled on her arms and jean covered legs. She mentally kicked hers...

Reaching out toward the curtains Hayley drew them aside. The morning light flooded through the window, revealing the towns people going to and from stores that lined up and down Summit Avenue. It still felt surreal that it had only been a year since she moved to Bellmond, a small town just outside of Nashville Tennessee. It wasn’t as if she had a say in the matter when she was relocated and forced...

Hiking used to be a time for Tessa to be welcomed into nature, a place where she could rest her troubling thoughts and gain new perspectives. However, things have changed. The forest symphony that was made of humming insects, bursts of chirping birds, and the rustling of leaves from the whispers of the wind didn’t bring her peace like it had before. Tessa took a moment to look up at the pines towe...