Mystery of Hollowbrook | 14 The storm rolled in faster than anyone had expected. The first fat drops of rain splattered against the cobbled streets of Hollowbrook just as Mira stepped out of the bakery, a warm loaf wrapped in brown paper tucked under her arm . She hesitated, glancing up at the swirling gray sky. Thunder grumbled in the distance. She pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders and hurried down the street, her boots clicking against the stones. The town square, usually bustling at this hour, had emptied as shopkeepers rushed to shutter their windows. A gust of wind sent the scent of rain and something else — something metallic — curling through the air. Mira slowed. The air felt charged, like the moment before a lightning strike. Her fingers tightened around the loaf of bread. She had only a few more streets to go before she reached home, but the uneasy prickle at the back of her neck made her pause. Then she saw him. A man stood at the far end of the square, his coat dark and dripping, his hat pulled low over his face. He was still, too still, as if waiting. Watching. Mira swallowed hard and forced herself to keep walking. Just a little farther, just around the next corner. She wouldn't run. Running would only make her look like prey. The wind howled between the buildings as she turned onto Lantern Street . Almost home now. But the feeling didn't fade. If anything, it grew sharper. Footsteps echoed behind her. Commented [KP1]: I do love how you describe food and make it part of the scene. Commented [VG2R1]: Me too! My senses are engaged in this scene: the warm bread, the weather changing. Commented [VG3]: This is the only time you mention Lantern Street in the book. It's a distracting detail here, and I'd change it to "turned the corner." Commented [KP4]: You're building suspense really well here. I was getting a thrill and the "almost home" had me relaxing and now that the footsteps are back I physically shivered! Great writing.

Writer Island | 2025