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Footsteps rose up behind her.
Run.
The steps echoed with increasing frequency.
Faster!
Lungs screaming, burning to the point of bursting, she strove to obey the strident demand. Lurking in the dark, unseen evil clawed at her feet, thwarting her frantic flight. A cry ripped from her lips when she pitched headlong into the unknown.
Blackness stretched forever as her hands instinctively thrust out to break the fall. She sucked huge gulps of air through her constricted throat, preparing for the brutal impact of unyielding earth. And still, the mantra pulsed in her veins.
Escape. Survive.
Landing jarred her bones and stole her breath. Rough ground abraded her skin. Eerie silence weighted the air, suspended time. She twisted one way, then the other, searching in the ominous gloom.
Had she escaped? This time, finally, would she be free of the terror?
Piercing radiance cut the darkness so suddenly she threw up her arm for protection. The fuzzy, faceless figure—
No. Something was different. Everything felt off. Unfamiliar. More sinister.
This man wore no badge as he loomed over her. The glaring light dimmed. Her vision sharpened and she gasped in shock.
Robert!
Why had he taken Jeremy’s place? How had he found them?
She struggled to rise, but her limbs were frozen, as if a hundred thousand pounds weighed each one down. Robert’s arm rose. Light glinted off the steel blade in his hand before it descended in slow motion.
In one blink of her terrified eyes, she was floating above him, watching his arm plunge the knife toward her helpless body. An instinctive inhale filled her lungs and she opened her mouth to scream. No sound vibrated her vocal cords, yet a blood-curdling cry pierced the air. Staring in horror at her own face below, she realized her other self was already screaming.
****
Colton woke with a start. Disorientated, he looked around the living room, wondering how long he’d dozed. Fumbling with the remote, he sat up to turn off the TV.
A terrified scream made him jump so violently the remote flew from his hand. His heart lodged in his throat as he raced down to Kendra’s room, adrenaline pumping hard. The hall light revealed Kendra on the bed. Alone.
She moaned and rolled, and he realized she was dreaming. One slim leg kicked at the covers. He hurried to her side, but when he leaned over to shake her, she gave a distressed cry and her clenched fist caught him in the jaw. Wincing, he gently caught the offending arm.
“Kendra, wake up.”
His words triggered renewed panic. He knelt on the bed in an attempt to subdue her thrashing limbs. Another swing connected with the side of his head, and her knee bruised his ribs before he succeeded.
Tears glistened on her pale cheeks. Air rasped between her dry lips as if she’d run for miles. Her distress tightened an invisible band around his heart. Instead of pinning her to the bed, he shifted around until he could pull her back against his chest while crossing his arms securely over her flailing ones.
“Easy girl,” he murmured as if talking to a frightened filly. “I’ve got you.”
He wasn’t sure how many times he said the words, rocking back and forth until she stopped fighting him and sagged in his arms.
“Okay now?” he finally asked.
Silence.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Still she refused to answer. He slowly became aware of the even rise and fall of her chest. She’s still sleeping.
Ama
