Stranger's Promise

TER

she forgot where she was. The bed beneath her was too soft, the silence too loud, and

e'd locked the door last night, just like he said. But something about waking

nder her bare feet as she wandered toward the hallway. The power was still out

ent-muffled footsteps, a door cre

der part of the house. The air changed there-damp, colder. Less lived in. As s

s, she

walls, some empty, others stuffed with yellowed pages and dusty t

beside the desk, lay a

e slowly. Picked

as E

people-a woman and a little girl. The girl had

those

ed, turnin

, jaw clenched, eyes darke

n't mean to snoop.

d took the photo from her

house is off-limit

ground. "Wh

you need

, and she

lost

ck sti

he weariness of a man who'd built too ma

rushing his arm. "You don't ha

her then. R

t inside. Especially around

"You think I need p

. From what

lence for what f

word, he turned

the door ope

as an invitation. A w

't sure

asn't wal