P R O L O G U E
December 1991
He's already dead. Not his body, but his spirit.
He looks out into the bright world in front of him and frowns. Kids ride their bikes in the street, laughing, calling after each other. Joggers caravan one behind the other in an ant-trail on the sidewalk across the street, making their way downtown. Not a care in the world that it's about to rain.
The clouds shift, and an onslaught of sunlight creeps up the driveway and stops at the threshold of the garage, abandoning hope upon entering.
He sits in the shadows and watches from the driver's seat of the '88 Ford. With a shaky hand, he starts the car, and the radio springs on. The announcer introduces the song, a sweet melody he recognizes from his childhood. 'Don't Let the Good Life Pass You By'.
The exhaust pipes into the fresh air, polluting it. The acrid stench makes him fold over into a cough. He reaches for the garage opener, clipped onto the visor, and presses his thumb to the remote. His thumb holds the button down for a moment, then releases it finally—along with the breath he was holding. In rapid succession, the chain above him clunks against the cogs of the motor and the garage door lowers from the ceiling.
Much like a curtain at the end of a play.
Soon enough the outside world is but a sliver of light.
Then, he's met with total darkness and the hum of the engine..
YOU ARE READING
Quiet Little Town
Mystery / ThrillerIt's been twenty-five years since her brother confessed to murder and Noelle never thought she'd return to Greenview. After her house burns down in a fire, she has no other option but to move back in with her mother. Soon after, a neighbor is found...
