THE HOWLING DARK

r skin as she pulled her coat tighter around her. The town was smaller than she expected, a place stuck in time, with old w

rsed, haunted by the things that lurked in the nearby forest. But Emma didn't care. She was running away from

t of old wood and beer filled the air. The patrons inside, a mix of men and women of varying ages,

an older woman with graying

woman asked with a

ignore the knot that had formed in her stomach.

he third person this month.

?" Emma repea

water. "You'll learn about Greywood in time. It's a quiet t

ue. It didn't matter. She just needed a jo

uspended in time, untouched by the world outside. A single candle flickered on each table, casting long shadows across the floor. The patrons,

ook off the snow from his boots before glancing toward the bar. Emma didn't recognize him, but there was something about his prese

e. No one moved. Emma's curiosity flared. She caught the bartender's eye, but the woman merely

the bar, taking a sip of her water. Her

tting through Emma's thoughts. "He's been coming here for years.

s gaze distant and unblinking. She felt an odd sense of discomfort.