

Devil's Dark
Twelve years ago, she vanished. Now, she's back. A limping figure emerges from the night, collapsing at the doorstep of the Brown family. Laurel, once lost, has returned, but the girl who left isn't the woman who came back. Her amber eyes hold secrets, her body bears scars, and the tale she tells of escape and a mysterious rescuer, Jeremy, rings with an unsettling perfection. Was it a miracle, or a carefully orchestrated deception? Detective Sebastian, haunted by his own past, delves into a mystery that intertwines a family's desperate hope with the chilling possibility of a staged reality. What really happened to Laurel Brown, and why now?The wind howled through the darkness, caressing the midnight silence that visited Bushkill on this pleasant August evening. Hazy rays of moonlight shone through the atmosphere, casting a faint visual of what might be and what might not. The world was grave-silent and asleep, except for the whistling songs of gardens and a magnificent building illuminating only shady rays on the moist asphalt.
A figure walked fragilely from the end of the long road. It took brittle steps, dragging one foot behind as it limped further. From a distance, its amber eyes were visible, filled with only faintness.
Christian stared outside his window, his mind lost in childish fantasies. His hand automatically reached his chin, and he found himself gazing into the stars when he decided to admire the entirety of the land dimly illuminated by the half-moon.
His heart jumped at the sight of something in the distant dark. He stared deeper, but the image remained as fuzzy as it had appeared the first time. His instincts sang, and the words his mind could register were the fright that now brushed through every nerve, invading his skin in the form of goosebumps. He pulled away from the window, watching his heart heave, up, down, up, down. Curiosity called, reminding him he wouldn't be able to close his eyes for days if he didn't see it through. So he turned again, watching the figure move like a zombie from a video game. Slowly, it became clearer. It looked like a human. It was human. But if it was human, why were they out at night, walking slowly from the dark? Towards their house.
