Prologue
She dropped from the tree to a soft snow landing. The fall and the cold taking her breath away.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. When Abby had set up the adventure, she hadn’t counted on the storm.
She took a couple of steps before an uneasy feeling stopped her in her tracks. Should she go back inside and call Charlie to cancel? Seems like their friend Lila was the only smart one in their group. Lila told them it was a mistake and dangerous and they shouldn’t do it.
Charlie had agreed but Abby, well, her heart was heavy with grief and guilt. She needed to talk. Charlie reluctantly agreed and promised to meet at the old Pine Haven River Bridge at midnight.
Now, it didn’t seem such a good idea. The freezing cold cut right through her heavy down coat.
Abby gathered the coat closer and started walking down the road. The wind howled through the nearby pine trees. This was the closest path to reach the bridge. She’d walked it dozens of times. Yet never at night and never with this eerie feeling washing over her.
Abby glanced over her shoulder. Nothing appeared in the darkness. Was it her guilt playing with her mind?
Once she reached the end of her family’s property line, the uncleared woods had never been more menacing.
She picked up the pace. Her cell phone’s time announced it was ten minutes until midnight.
Over the noise of the wind another sound caught her attention. Were those footsteps crunching the frozen snow behind her? Someone else was out here.
Fear threatened to swallow her up. Out in the open like this she felt vulnerable.
She ran toward the woods for cover. If she could circle back to the house and get help. . .Never mind that her parents would be angry. Her fear of what might lie hidden in the darkness was greater than being grounded.
The untouched snow lay thick here, forcing Abby to slow down. The deeper she went the more she became turned around. Was this the path to the house? She thought so. Maybe.
Soon, exhaustion settled into her legs. She ducked behind a Ponderosa Pine to catch her breath. Sweat beaded on her forehead and upper lip.
Over her labored breathing, something dreadful became clear. The person following her was closer.
She had to get away. Abby forced herself to leave the tree coverage and walked as fast as the deep snow and exhaustion would allow.
She peered through the darkness behind her. Nothing appeared.
Help me, please. The prayer slipped through her thoughts. She attended church regularly. She’d given her life to God when she was ten. But the things she’d done recently were as far away from God as they got.
I’m sorry. So sorry.
Up ahead, something moved. She screamed.
A deer darted through the trees.
Her knees went weak. Then a new fear arose. She’d just given away her location to whoever was back there.
Abby ran as fast as she could possibly run while all sorts of dangerous possibilities crept into her thoughts. There’d been a serial killer recently discovered in the area. He’d killed numerous young women Abby’s age around parts of Colorado.
Abby and her friends had read the details of the case revealed in the news. They were gruesome. Tears flooded her eyes when she thought about her parents’ reaction to discovering her mutilated body.
She should have reached the clearing to her family’s property by now, but all she saw was more trees. The wind screamed through the trees like a banshee. Snowfall intensified, blinding her. Somehow, she’d gotten turned around.
She lost all sense of direction. Where was she?
Tears blurred the world around her. Abby scrubbed at them. All her fault. She’d been the one to sneak out of her house because she needed to unburden her heart.
She’d been so proud that she’d managed to open the window in her bedroom and climb down the old pine tree near it without so much as waking a soul.
Her mother had drilled into her head the dangers of sneaking out at night when Abby had done it before. Only her mother had no idea how many times she’d done just that after their talk.
She should’ve taken her mother’s warning seriously.
Abby ducked behind another tree and stopped to listen. How close was the person following her?
It took everything inside her to step from the hiding place.
Go. Move. Don’t stay here.
With her heart thundering in her chest, she kept trudging through the snow.
But she had no idea where she was and very little was visible through the whiteout.
Tears poured from her eyes. Sticking to her face. Blinding her vision. She was lost and someone was coming after her. What if it was Charlie? Maybe Charlie came to her house to meet up instead of the bridge.
Relief flooded her limbs. That had to be it. Charlie was following her, probably wondering why she was running.
She turned. “Charlie? Is that you?”
No answer. A noise to her left had her jerking around. She squinted through the storm. Was that a flashlight?
No!
Abby ran. As fast as the deep snow would allow. She hated Colorado. When they were old enough, she and Charlie were going to drive to California and never look back.
Her footsteps stumbled on a fallen branch. She tumbled down into a ravine filled with a partially frozen stream. The ice cracked and freezing water poured over her covering her jacket and clothes.
Screaming, Abby clawed at the nearby snow-covered terrain until she had her feet under her.
She glanced over her shoulder. The light was closer weaving through the woods. Following her footprints.
Her teeth chattered from the wet clothes and the cold seeping into her bones so much that she was certain her pursuer would find her by the noise alone.
She wouldn’t die out here. Not like this. Not with her heart burdened with guilt.
Abby grabbed hold of the frozen earth of the ravine’s bank and fought her way up to the top.
A terrifying thought occurred, and she searched her pockets only to realize she’d lost her phone. She had no way to call for help.
It had to be well after midnight. By now, Charlie would have called her parents and they the police. People were looking for her. It was only a matter of time. She just had to stay hidden for a little longer.
Abby stumbled along. Putting one foot in front of the other, she reached what appeared to be something different. The area was cleared of trees. She realized this was the road. She’d made a full circle and was back on the road again!
She could walk easier on the flat surface. Maybe someone would happen along and save her.
As she walked, Abby imagined sitting in front of a warm fire safe and secure from this nightmare.
A smile played on her lips.
Keep walking. You’ve got this.
Abby struggled to control her breathing. She didn’t want to give away her location. The person following her would have to find another way across the water, right? They wouldn’t want to get wet like her. That would buy her some time.
Tension fled down her shoulders as if some inner sense warned he might be close. Soaking wet, she couldn’t stop shivering.
Abby forced herself to pick up the pace, struggling to peer through the darkness. Something about the countryside looked different. Was this the same road as the one that ran in front of her property?
What if she’d stumbled onto one of the forest service roads around the area? There’d be no one coming along to help her.
The thought threatened to collapse her legs.
Stop it. It felt as if the road might be paved beneath her numb feet and not just covered in gravel.
She couldn’t feel her toes or her fingers anymore.
Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to rest for just a second.
Her thoughts scattered and trying to focus was impossible. She took a few more steps then stopped and sank down to her knees. She’d rest just a little while.
She imagined seeing Charlie’s relief that she was safe and smiled.
“I’m coming.” The words rolled through her mind. Did she speak them? She had no idea.
A warmth she hadn’t expected spread through her limbs. She snuggled into a ball. It was going to be okay. Maybe she’d wait here until they found her. That’d be okay. She’d wait here in this warmth until the police came for her.
“Get up!”
Abby’s head jerked up. “Who said that?”
Maybe just the wind and. . .
The world around her imploded. The person following her was here. She struggled to see the person. The flashlight beamed in on Abby’s eyes. She tried to stand but her feet were numb. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t scream.
Couldn’t do a thing to change her fate.