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Chapter 1

All my life I knehat I wanted Or rather, what I didn’t want

I didn’t want the nightain I didn’t want to return to the past To live in fear In constant doubt whether the ground beneath me would hold solid and firm Ever since I elve, I’ve known this

But it’s strange how that thing you run fro up with you When you’re not looking, it’s suddenly there, tapping you on the shoulder, daring you to turn around

Sometimes you can’t help yourself You have to stop You have to turn and look

You have to let yourself fall and hope for the best Hope that when it’s all over you come out in one piece

Sreat plu wheel, I muttered a profanity and pulled to the side of the road A quick glance confire ell into the red

“Shit, shit, shit” I killed the engine with quick, angry htfurther

Grabbing my phone from the cup holder, I hopped out of the car into the crisp autu about engines, but I’d seen plenty ofI wasn’t taking any chances

I checked the time on my phone Eleven thirty-five Not too late I could call the Caive me a ride back to the dorm But that still left my car alone out here on this road I’d only have to deal with that later, and I already had a ton to do toht as well handle it now

I glanced at the quiet night around h the branches It wasn’t exactly hopping with traffic The Campbells lived on a few acres outside of town I liked babysitting for them It was a nice break from the bustle of the city The old farmhouse felt like a real home, lived-in and cozy, very traditional with its old wood floors and stone fireplace that was always crackling at this ti out of a Nor The kind of life I craved to have someday

Only now I didn’t quite appreciate how isolated I felt on this country road I rubbed rabbed ht Barely October and it was already getting cold

I stared grihing, I started scrolling through hts of an onco what to do The sudden insane idea to hide seized me An old instinct, but familiar

This had horror irl all by herself A lonely country road I’d been the star of my own horror movie once upon a time I wasn’t up for a repeat

Iexactly, but at least I wasn’t standing out in the open, an obvious target I tried to focus on the screen of nored the approaching car its inhabitant would so pile oftires and the purring engine as the vehicle stopped

Of course they stopped Sighing, I liftedat a would-be serial killer Or my rescuer I knew that the latter was much more likely, but the whole scenario made me queasy and I could only think of worst-case possibilities

It was a Jeep The kind without a roof Just a roll bar The headlights gleamed off the stretch of black asphalt

“You okay?” The deep voice belonged to a guy Much of his face was in shadow The light froh that I could deterish Not much older than myself Maybe mid-twenties at the most

Most serial killers are young white hts, only adding to my anxiety

“I’ht I brandished“I have so he would believe the lie and move on

He idled there in the shadows, his hand on the gear stick He looked up ahead at the road and then glanced behind hi just how alone ere? How ripe his opportunity was to murder me?

I wished I had a can of Mace A black belt in kung fu Sohtened around e him in the face if necessary The eyes Yeah I’d aim for the eyes

He leaned across the passenger seat, away fro himself into even deeper shadow “I could look under the hood,” his deep, disembodied voice offered

I shook my head “Really It’s okay”

Those eyes I had just contelittered across the distance at looreen “I know you’re nervous—”

“I’m not I’m not nervous,” I babbled quickly Too quickly

He leaned back in his seat, the aht leaving you out here alone” His voice shivered across my skin “I know you’re afraid”

I glanced around The inky night pressed in thickly “I’ all conviction

“I get it I’er I knoould make you more comfortable if I left, but I wouldn’t want ht”

I held his gaze for a longof his character in the shadowy lines of his face I glanced tocar and back at him “Okay Thanks” The “thanks” followed slowly, a deep breath later, full of hesitation I only hoped I wasn’t going to end up on thenews

If he wanted to hurt me he would Or at least he would try Whether I invited hiic as I watched hi open He unfolded his long fraht in his hand

His footsteps crunched over loose gravel, the bea vehicle Frole of his face, I didn’t think he even lookedthe hood and disappearing under it

Arhtly in front ofout into the road so I could watch hiine He reached down and touched different things God knohat My knowledge of autoabilities

I went back to studying his shadowy features Soht eyebroas pierced

Suddenly another beahtened fro his braced and hands on his hps as the car approached I had low of oncohts, and I sucked in a sharp breath