Hiding out in an abandoned shack from their abusive pasts, Allison and Ethan Bryson entertain themselves by imaging all sorts of curious characters near the frozen lake outside their hut.
But after Allison witnesses a man murder a young woman and di...
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What felt like three hundred hours had only been three. Finally, I got my first glimpse of Ethan moving swiftly through the trees that lined the far end of the lake. Big plastic grocery bags filled the brim with various items hung from his hands.
I couldn't contain my excitement as I burst through the door and ran outside in the freezing air to meet him. When he saw me, he sped up in my direction. The look of relief on his face most likely matched mine.
I rushed him, nearly knocking the air out of us both as I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on for dear life. "I'm so glad you're safe."
"Was thinking the same thing." He dropped the bags onto the snow and squeezed me back. "I'm so sorry for leaving you, Allison. Never again. I swear."
I shook my head, trying to shake the feeling of betrayal that had settled within me since he left. "But you've said that before—"
"Look at me." He gently cupped my face, compelling me to look into his honest eyes. "Never again."
I recognized his sincerity, so I nodded and fought back the nagging ache in my throat by changing the subject. "How was it? Is it strange out there?"
"It was strange at first, but I kept my distance from most people. Blended into the background and let Owen do most of the engaging."
"You were around other people?" I had a hard time stepping past the trees that lined the far end of the lake, choosing to stay as far away from civilization as possible. "How many others?"
"Not many." He shrugged, looking down at me with a sense of confidence. "Just a dozen or so. Everyone was focused on themselves to really notice me."
I glanced down at the items. "What did you bring back?"
"A surprise." He dipped down to gather the bags in his hands.
"Well, what is it?" I studied the objects with my eyes.
"It's not in here." He continued to head toward the shack. "Owen has it."
With that, I turned to see Owen making his way through the trees with a young woman on his arm. I'm sure my face twisted in confusion the closer they got.
Judging by her stringy red streaked hair and the thigh-high boots over her skin-tight jeans, I considered her to be around my age. Her footsteps were uneven and she appeared to not have complete control of her balance.
Was Owen struggling to keep her upright?
My jaw dropped at the thought of another stranger invading our space. I waited until Owen was feet away before interrogating him. "Who is she?"
Owen pushed his hairs from his sweat-moistened forehead with a quick flick of the wrist. Between labored breaths, he leered excitedly. "Allison, meet Mandy. Mandy, this is Allison."
