Chapter 25

The fire had started. A hazy thought flitted through Joel’s mind as she struggled to wake from a nightmare. The acrid smell of smoke filled her nose, and the growing heat pressed against her like a wave. She was powerless, unable to move, and in her desperate attempts to break free, she toppled over with the chair she was tied to. Was this the end? The thought came to her sluggishly. She hadn’t even seen her aunt one last time. And William. The last time she saw him was...