Peep of Light

Chapter One

Camilla's POV

The bastard didn’t expect me to work. But if I didn’t, I might be living on his dead ass. I slumped onto my study chair, hands dangling limp by my side, defeated.

I stared at the rainwater streaking down the pale blue walls of my room, dripping in rhythmic splatters, a staccato accompaniment to the thoughts racing through my mind. Each drop felt like a thud of my own guilt, weighing me down, suffocating me.

Again. And again. And again.

Another breach in my security system. Another silent invasion. Another reminder that the bastard had bested me.

My hands balled into fists, and I took a slow breath. I couldn’t let him win. Not this time.

I needed to fight back, but how do you fight a ghost?

Those hopeful thoughts fluttered like dying butterflies, a futile wish in the face of my reality.

I yawned, brushing my fingers through my wolf-cut hair, as if the motion would jolt me awake.

A piece of paper sat on my desk, a channel to communicate with the phantom. My quill scratched out my reply, desperate to know what he wanted.

You might call me crazy. Maybe you’d be right. After all, I was engaging with my stalker, the one person who was ruining my life, who eluded even the most skilled investigators. But this phantom, this invisible tormentor, he had become my singular obsession, my only link to justice for my life I was losing.

And so, I wrote to him.

My eyes shot open, greeted by darkness. Icy tendrils of fear slithered over my skin, raising goosebumps. Maybe it was all a nightmare. Maybe my family was still here. Maybe the tears that soaked my pillow were just some twisted act of my imagination.

Maybe the tears streaming from my eyes were fake and it was all an act.

But there was nothing as real as the pair of eyes that pierced the darkness, fixed on me as I lay rigid in my bed. The figure stood tall, massive, unmoving.

Silence suffocated the room. The rain had ceased, its pattering replaced by a deafening absence of sound. The man remained wordless, his presence a shroud of darkness in the night. Those eyes bore into me, dissecting my soul, scrutinizing my thoughts.

He was here. He was real.

I inhaled sharply, my breath quivering like a fluttering bird. My nails dug into my palms, my fists so tight they ached. My body trembled despite my best efforts to still it, the sheer force of my fear straining every muscle.

Tears burned the corners of my eyes, my lips quivering like leaves in a tempest. I stifled a sob, knowing even a single sound could betray my will to live.

The silence grew heavier, more oppressive, as if the shadows themselves were listening.

And still, the man stood watch, his eyes never leaving me. Waiting. Watching.

I opened my eyes and suddenly, the darkness melted into sunlight, flooding the room with warm rays that kissed my skin. The cozy hum of North Carolina’s morning air filled my lungs. A sliver of hope burst forth like a blooming flower.

But I knew better than to believe the light had banished the shadows.

I made my way to the window, the cool breeze caressing my tanned, creamy skin. My slender fingers curled around the sash, and I eased open the pane, letting the fresh air wash over me.

Leaning forward, I rested my chin on the windowsill. The wind whispered promises of freedom, tempting me to let it take me far, far away.

Gazing down, I watched the swaying of my crops—the vibrant tomatoes, aloe vera, and swaying mango trees—dancing in the breeze like carefree souls unaware of my torment. My land, once a sanctuary, now weighed on me like a curse.

I rested my hand under my chin, letting the sun’s rays seep into my bones. My heart, chipping away piece by piece, its tender fractures hidden beneath the calm surface.

They should have been here. They should have been with me, enjoying the same view.

But they weren't

I wiped away the tears that traced my cheeks, searching for a scrap of resilience, a scrap of strength, in the barren desert of my soul.

They would have wanted me to be strong, to carry on. And so, I mustered a faint smile, invisible to all but the ghosts that haunted me.

“Camilla Wang, get away from there. You’re not a kid anymore.”

The voice was unmistakable. A sudden surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins, icy fear gripping me like a vise. How did they know I was at the window?

I turned slowly, dreading what—or who—I might see.

This story is a thrilling, emotional ride through the darkness of grief and the desperation of revenge. It’s a tale of hope and despair, of shadows and light, where one woman’s quest for answers takes her down a dangerous path. Get ready to be on the edge of your seat as Camilla’s journey unfolds.

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