Chapter 8 - The Shadow Awakens
A year after the incident, our town was hit by a sudden, fierce autumn storm. The power went out across Maple Grove Lane at dusk. Howling winds knocked down power lines, and torrential rain battered the windows.
I was in the kitchen lighting candles when a loud CRACK echoed through the backyard. A massive oak branch had crashed down on the edge of the property, taking out part of our wooden fence and damaging the power line nearby.
In the sudden darkness, Theo woke up screaming in his crib, terrified by the thunder.
Before I could reach his room, I saw Maisy already there. She was standing by his crib in the beam of her flashlight, gently rubbing his back and humming a quiet lullaby.
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"I've got you, Theo," she was saying smoothly, her voice calm and steady. "It's just rain. Sister is right here."
I stood in the doorway, watching her. There was no terror in her eyes, no shaking legs. The traumatic night in the woods had forged something indestructible within her. She wasn't carrying a heavy burden of fear anymore; she had transformed it into pure, unshakeable courage.
