Deb Smikle - Hollow Willow

"Then, suddenly, there came the low toll of a bell. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, deep and resonant, vibrating through the trees and striking Deb's bones with a hollow, chilling echo. Her head throbbed with a sudden, piercing headache, and she pressed her hands to her temples, desperate to drown out the sound.

The bell faded, but in its place came something else-soft, haunting notes that curled out of the darkness, eerie and melodic, floating through the air like a ghostly serenade. The song seemed both beautiful and terrifying, as though it was meant for her and her alone, a tune filled with longing and sorrow that twisted around her heart, tightening like a vice."