Hellbound ⇢ The Edge Of Winter {Bradley Baker}
Carson Lake, a seasoned survivor at fifteen, navigates a harsh world of neglect and hidden truths. When a chance to escape her past emerges, she's thrown into an unexpected journey with the enigmatic Baker family. But as she uncovers their secrets, the line between freedom and danger blurs. Will Carson find her escape, or is she just stepping into a new kind of hell?
The biting wind whipped around Carson Lake, tugging at her dirty blonde hair as she walked. Her snow shoes crunched on the ice-covered concrete, a familiar rhythm to the bleak morning. She took a final sip of her lukewarm coffee, the bitterness a perfect match for the chill, before tossing the empty cup into a nearby bin.
A turn, a push of a door, and a wave of warmth enveloped her, bringing with it the faint, sweet scent of mint and candy. Mrs. Kane, perpetually behind the counter, looked up from her book, her gaze meeting Carson's with a practiced ease built over ten years of mornings. Carson picked up her usual assortment of snacks – Skittles, Reese's, chips – a small ritual in a life that offered little certainty.
