The world around me was muted, the streets empty, shrouded in a thick blanket of fog and snow. The cold bit at my skin, but I barely felt it.

Everything was hazy, the outlines of buildings fading into the mist like they’d been swallowed whole.

I stood there, alone, confused, my breath puffing out in short, uneven bursts, turning into tiny clouds that disappeared into the gloom.

“Hello?” I called out, my voice echoing in the eerie quiet, bouncing back at me as though the fog itself was mocking me. “Is anyone there?”

Silence.

I took a step forward, my boots crunching softly in the snow. The stillness felt heavy. So heavy that it was pressing down on my chest, which made it nearly impossible to breathe.

The more I walked, the less I knew where I was. I turned in circles, every direction the same, swallowed by the fog, endless.

“Hello?” I called again, louder this time. The echo came back, but nothing else.

Then, from the distance, a figure emerged, slowly, barely more than a shadow at first. My heart raced as I squinted, trying to make out who or what it was.

As it drew nearer, I saw the familiar silhouette, the way he walked, the way his shoulders slouched just a little.

My breath caught in my throat.

No. It couldn’t be.

The figure stepped closer, and there he was. My father. Dressed just as I remembered him in his old work coat, his baseball cap perched on his head, the faint smell of tobacco and pine needles always lingering around him.

“Hey there, kiddo,” he said, his voice warm and easy, the way it had always been.

“Dad?” I choked out, disbelief hitting me like a punch to the gut. “Dad!”

I ran to him, arms outstretched, and when I reached him, I flung myself into his embrace.

He felt so real, solid and strong, just like he always had. The warmth of him surrounded me, and I collapsed into sobs, the tears I’d been holding back for so long spilling over.

“Oh, Dad,” I wept into his chest, clinging to him like a child again.

“I don’t know what to do. Everything’s falling apart, and I… I’m scared. People are talking, and they think I’m involved in the murder. And it’s all my fault... it’s all falling apart.” I sobbed.

“Shh,” he murmured, stroking my hair in that comforting way he used to when I was little. “It’s gonna be okay, kiddo. You hear me? It’s all gonna be okay.”

“But what if it’s not?” I sniffled, looking up at him through blurry eyes. “What if I can’t fix it? What if…?”

He pulled back just enough to tilt my chin up with his hand, his familiar smile calming me in a way nothing else could. “You’re stronger than you think, Nora. You’ve got this. You always do.”

He turned then, gesturing toward something behind me.

“Look” he said.

I followed his gaze, and through the fog, the faint, ghostly shape of a lighthouse appeared.

The light at the top flickered like a beacon, cutting through the mist.

“There,” he said softly, his calloused hand, the hand of a workman, pointing toward the light. “Look.” he said again.

I squinted, and high up on the walkway near the light, a figure stood. A woman. Her hair was stark white, her face severe, cold, staring down at me.

Something about her filled me with dread. She was watching me, judging me.

Suddenly, before I could move, she lunged toward me, flying through the air, her eyes boring into mine with a terrifying intensity.

I shot upright, screaming as the woman rushed upon me, through me. My heart hammering in my chest.

The room spun around me, but I wasn’t in the fog anymore. I wasn’t on the street.

I was back in George’s bookshop, the strange dream fading rapidly from my reality.

My father was gone, and in his palace I was surrounded by Jared, George, Julee, and a couple of paramedics.

One was shining a bright light into my eyes, and everything felt too loud, too sharp.

“Ma’am, can you hear me?” Came a voice sounding loud yet distant.

I blinked again, trying to focus, lifting a hand to shield my eyes from the blinding light.

As my vision cleared more, I became acutely aware of the paramedics crouched beside me, their faces etched with concern.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Jared was next to him, his expression tense but relieved.

“Nora, are you okay?” Jared’s voice cut through the last vestiges of the haze, his hand gripping mine tightly.

I blinked one more time, shaking off the last lingering remnants of the dream, or whatever that had been. Mrs. Claus was nowhere in sight.

“I... I’m okay,” I whispered, but deep down, I wasn’t sure that was true.

“Ma’am, can you hear me?” one of the paramedics asked, leaning in closer. “Do you know where you are?”

I cleared my throat, my voice still groggy. “Yes, I’m in George’s bookshop. Wha… What happened to me?”

George hovered nearby, Julee clinging to him as if the world had just shifted under their feet.

“It was an earthquake,” George muttered.

“You must have felt it coming or something. Because you went nuts.” he said

His eye’s looked as though some long ago memory had come flooding back to him.

He looked at us then and continued, “Just like the Boston quake. Or Dunwich… same thing all over again.” His eyes held a haunted look at the mention of Dunwich.

Julee looked up at him, wide-eyed. “An earthquake? Are you sure?”

He nodded, his brows knitting together. “No doubt about it. I’ve felt this before. Seen the crazy things it can do to people right before.”

The paramedic’s voice brought me back to the moment. “Do you remember what happened, ma’am?”

I hesitated, glancing at Jared for a split second. As he met my eyes, his concern was palpable, but he didn’t say a word.

The truth lodged in my throat like a stone, I so wanted to tell them, but I swallowed it down.

Only Jared and Tim knew about me. And my secret.

“No.” I said, “I can’t remember anything.” I finally answered, shaking my throbbing head, trying keeping my voice steady as possible.

“It’s like… everything is a big blur.” I said.

The paramedics exchanged a glance, but they didn’t push.

“Well, your vitals are good. And there’s no sign of a concussion. If anything feels off later, be sure to get checked out. I’m pretty sure you’re going to be just fine though.” he said.

I nodded, thanking them softly, projecting a calm exterior. However, inside, I was anything but calm. I knew exactly what had happened, and why. But that was a truth I couldn’t share. Not yet.

George pried Julee from him like a frightened child and began to pace the bookshop, muttering to himself, his voice a distant hum in my ears as he tried to rationalize what had just happened.

“An earthquake, no doubt about it,” he said, his hands waving as though he were giving a speech.

“I survived the Boston earthquake a few years back. Mark my words, this was the same thing. The earth moves beneath us, and we’re all just along for the ride.”

I barely registered his words, my mind still spinning. Jared’s arms wrapped around me, his warmth steadying me as I tried to stand up.

Julee was off to the side, she had found a broom and started sweeping up shards of glass from her around her coffee station, occasionally casting a frightened glance in our direction.

“Just breathe, Nora,” Jared murmured softly, his voice cutting through the fog in my head. “It’s over now. You’re safe.” he said wrapping me in his strong arms.

Safe. What was that? I wasn’t sure I knew what that even meant anymore.

My chest felt tight, the panic still simmering beneath the surface.

The memory of the dream, or whatever it had been, still lingered, my father’s words echoing in my mind, the image of that white-haired woman burned into my memory.

George continued to pace, oblivious to all but his own thoughts. “Dunwich was worse though, you know. Strange happenings that day. Terrible, Unnatural things... The Whatelys... The ground itself swallowed them whole. Bit of bad business there. But this... this was just a tremor. Most likely nothing serious.”

I closed my eyes, trying to block out his mad ramblings, but the noise of it all… It was too much.

“Nora,” Jared’s voice pulled me back again.

He brushed a strand of hair out of my face, his eyes full of concern.

“Talk to me. What’s going on?” he asked.

I took a deep breath, leaning into him for a moment before finally standing up straight again.

My mind was clearer now, but I had a new realization starting to settle into my mind, cold and sharp. I had been angry before, but now, that anger was transforming into something else.

Determination.

“I’m fine, just hold me please.” I said quietly, though I knew that wasn’t entirely true. I was anything but fine. “But I’ve had enough of all of this.”

“Enough of what?” Jared asked gently.

“Of everything,” I said, my voice growing stronger as the words tumbled out.

“Of Mrs. Claus gossiping, of the police being utterly incompetent, of people talking behind my back about my cookies being involved in the murder.”

Tears welled up in my eyes and I pulled back to look at him.

“Jared, They can’t even keep basic details of a murder investigation quiet for twelve simple hours. Our reputation is being dragged through the mud, and if this keeps up, our business, our livelihood, is going to be destroyed. We will be ruined. I’m fed up with it all!”

Jared frowned, his hand still resting on my back, offering silent support. “Nora, it’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I know that,” I said, more sharply than I had intended.

I took a breath, calming myself.

“But that doesn’t matter. What matters is what people believe. Perception is everything in this town, and right now, people are looking at me like I’m involved in the murder.” I said.

Jared looked at me, pain lining his handsome features, “Nora. Babe, I hear you, but there is nothing we can do. The police are investigating it and all we can do is just wait until they finish their investigation.”

“Jared, don’t you see? We can’t just sit idly back and wait for the police to bumble their way through this investigation. They’re leaking information that can ruin us, and they’re too slow. If we wait on them, it’ll be too late.” I said.

“So what are you going to do?” Jared asked, though I could tell by the look in his eyes that he already knew what I was about to say.

“I’m going to find the killer myself and put an end to this nightmare.” I said, the decision crystallizing in my mind with an almost alarming clarity.

“Before any more rumors spread, before our business is ruined. I can’t let some gossip queen of an old woman and a destroy everything we’ve worked for.”

Jared opened his mouth to protest, but I held up a hand, cutting him off.

“Don’t argue with me, Jared. You know I’m right. We can’t just sit around and do nothing.” I said, as I nuzzled back into his chest.

He sighed, running his hand through my hair. “Nora, this is dangerous. We don’t even know what we’re dealing with.”

“I know,” I admitted. “But we have to try. And I know exactly where to start.”

I could feel him raise an eyebrow, and the concern on his face deepening. “Where?”

“The lighthouse,” I said firmly, the image of that woman on the walkway flashing in my mind. “There’s something about it... something I need to figure out. Maybe I’m wrong, but it feels like the key to all of this.”

Jared hesitated, then nodded, realizing there was no point in arguing. “Fine.” He said with a soft chuckle, “But if you’re going to do this, then I’m coming with you.”

I smiled faintly, “Like you have a choice? Remember you’re married to me.” I said, kissing him as we stood up and shook off the remnants of the fog, glass, and whatever else that had clung to me and clouded my mind. “Let’s go find out the truth.”

As we left the shop, George was still pacing and muttering about earthquakes and Dunwich, completely oblivious to the storm that was about to come.