The rain had stopped around midnight, leaving behind a cold, sticky fog that smelled of rotting seaweed and damp cedar. Elias stood on the newly reinforced back porch, his hand resting on the smooth wood of the railing he had finished just a few hours before.The silence of the night was broken only by the steady, rhythmic drip of water falling from the eaves onto the gravel. He stared into the darkness, straining his eyes to catch any sign of movement from the line of trees where the black sedan was usually parked. He knew that the conversation with Julian at the docks had changed the game, turning a local protest into a direct conflict with Seattle.Inside, the gallery was dark except for the faint orange glow of the dying embers in the small wood-burning stove. Clara sat on the floor in the center of the room, her back against the display counter and her knees drawn up to her chest. She had been staring at the same spot on the floor for an hour, her mind replaying the fear she had
Last Updated : 2026-07-21 Read more