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Prologue ── Calm Before the Storm
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( ten months ago . . . )
LILI DAWSON HAD EXPERIENCED LOSS BEFORE. When she was eight years old, her beloved cat died. The adorable, loyal animal that she had loved for five years was lying motionless in the backyard. Its once so sparkling eyes were now lifeless and dull.
At first, Lili didn't understand that her cat was dead, but when she did, a bloodcurdling scream escaped the little girl's lips. Salty tears brimmed her eyes and clouded her sight; the corpse of her cat became blurry. Mere seconds later, Lili was running into the white house behind her, her safe haven, directly into the loving arms of her mum Miranda, who comforted her little girl for hours until the tears finally ebbed away. The following day, Miranda and Grayson digged a grave in the garden, so Lili could pass her cat to the earth. Knowing that there was a place to mourn she could always return to, somehow comforted Lili. It gave her some sort of peace, as the loss of her cat left an enormous void in her young heart.
Little did she know that this feeling was nothing compared to the grief she experienced on the fateful day of 23rd May, 2009.
As the sun rose and the first rays of warm light fell through the windows causing Lili to open her eyes reluctantly, the blonde already had a dreadful premonition. The otherwise so beautiful and bright sun seemed to be miserable and gray. None of the little birds outside were singing and no other sound was heard. As if the world was entirely frozen.
Lili was barely able to breathe as the calamitous shadow that was lurking right next to her shoved its ruinous hand into her chest. Anxiety filled her bones when she grabbed her mobile phone from the bedside table and saw that neither her parents nor Elena had answered her messages. With trembling hands she dialed her mum's number, however, right before she could press the button to call her, somebody knocked at the door downstairs.
Within a few seconds Lili imagined every possible scenario for the moment she would open that door. Her limbs were as heavy as lead when she finally made her way towards the door that she opened and revealed the familiar face of Liz Forbes.
