AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The panic returns.
I thrash and scream.
Thrash and scream.
Until—
… I startle awake with a long, raspy gasp, the air sharp and painful as it fills my lungs.
Darkness.
But this time Icansee.
The stars above me shine unencumbered as the persisting terror strums through my veins, shimmering against the night sky.
My fingers dig into the grass and soil underneath me as I catch my breath, my heart pounding so hard that I’m having difficulty thinking.
It doesn’t take me long to realize I’m in a graveyard.
A bell rings near my head.
My scream is weak as if I’ve strained my vocal cords.
I scramble to my feet and start to run, not once looking back.
Chapter 2
Maeve
The coffee has gone cold.
I’ve only taken a few sips since the waitress brought me a fresh cup over an hour ago.
It was stale even then.
I stare at the lipstick stain I left on the porcelain rim.
Fiddle with the napkin on the table.
The hotel restaurant is quiet this morning—quieter.I’ve only seen a handful of guests since I checked into this place.
I left my life behind and choseas far away as possibleto relocate. I packed up the 1977 El Camino my father left me in his will and hit the road. Taking my finger to the old map of the United States I found lodged behind a box of tissues in the glove box, fate guiding me to the middle of nowhere.
I filled up the gas tank and headed east.
After driving for twenty hours straight with barely any stops, I stumbled upon the Ambrose Hotel on the northern edge of a small city I had never heard of. The weathered hotel sign appeared like a mirage on the side of the road, compelling me to stop and finally rest.
So I did.
The six-story building was no grandiose architectural feat, but quaint enough that it made me want to stay the night. That was three days ago.
I peer out of the restaurant window, my fingers curling around the cup of coffee just to have something to hold. My eyes linger on the small dilapidated church a few yards away, tucked into the dense forest surrounding it. I can’t see much of it from this angle, but there is a graveyard attached to it. My skin breaks out in goosebumps.
When I woke up this morning, I was almost able to convince myself that last night was all a dream … except for the dirt under my nails. I scrubbed them clean with a bar of soap, hunched over the small bathroom sink while my stomach churned at the distressing memories.
How did I get there?
Did I sleepwalk?
