Emily sat alone in the dim living room. A single candle flickered on the coffee table, casting restless shadows. A vanilla scent filled the air, a weak cover-up for the house's musty smell. Upstairs, Mark was engrossed in a business book. She was alone with her thoughts.
She grabbed an old photo album from the table. Worn leather, years of memories, birthdays, vacations, and Christmases. Tonight, one photo pulled her in. It was her as a kid, standing alone in a field. The setting sun framed her, but her eyes were empty, distant. They held a secret—something dark and unsettling.
The wind howled outside, shaking the windows. It wanted in. Guided by moonlight, she walked down the creaky hallway.
"Em, is that you?" Her mom's voice cut through the dark, tinged with relief and worry. She looked drained, eyes bloodshot.
"Yeah, Mom," Emily whispered, heart racing, dread pooling.
Her mom came down and took her hand. "You were in the field again, staring at the moon. Sleepwalking."
"I don't remember," Emily's voice quivered.
Her mom sat next to her, gripping her hand. "This scares me, Em. It has to stop."
"I know, Mom," Emily choked out. But deep down, she felt trapped. The sleepwalking was a dark cloud, unshakable, looming.
"We'll figure this out," her mom said, hugging her tightly. "We have to."
Emily closed the album, trembling. She'd thought she'd outgrown this, but tonight's nightmare was a ghost that refused to be buried. She blew out the candle. Darkness swallowed the room.
She climbed the stairs. Each step was a slog, a mountain to scale. At the top, she paused. Mark looked up from his book and set it aside, his eyes meeting hers. A silent question hung in the air, one she couldn't answer tonight.
In bed, dread washed over her. She wasn't that lost child anymore, but the darkness was back. It was closing in. She prayed for dreamless sleep. A voice whispered, "You can't outrun your past, Emily."
And as she sank into the darkness, she knew. Her past was catching up, and this time, there was no way out.
YOU ARE READING
Awake In The Shadows
Mystery / ThrillerIn the sleepy town of Willow Creek, Emily Thompson wakes up next to a dead body-again. With a history of sleepwalking and two more murders following suit, she becomes the prime suspect in a terrifying spree that has the town on edge. Detective Sarah...
