She sat at a cozy table, savoring a fabulous dinner of sautéed fish, potatoes, and vegetables, along with a glass of incredible white wine the owners had insisted was on them. A band played a variety of soulful acoustic music, which was another reason she’d chosen this pub to mark the occasion. She was having such a nice time.

As she headed toward the door, the same pull she’d been experiencing for weeks heightened. Demanded.

The owners, three patrons, and the lead singer of the band tried to stop her, but Gwen wouldn’t have stayed if her life depended on it. Which they righteously told her it did.

In the end, her smile and self-assurance won. It also could’ve been that she’d felt rather safe in the large SUV she’d rented. Whatever the case, she secured her bag over her shoulder and made a run for the truck. She hugged the wheel with a sigh and smile, knowing she’d made the right choice. If nothing else, she had to go back to the inn. And she had to go there now.

Minutes later she felt like a complete idiot.

Minutes later the worst began to happen.

The storm grew stronger. Its center was above her. Her stomach reeled as the ground beneath gave way. Her screams rent the air as her truck plunged toward the icy waters.

She knew she shouldn’t brace herself for the impact, but it was beyond her control. As the hood of her truck crashed into the water and the airbags exploded around her, the truck lurched forward into the turbulent waters.

Knowing she had to get out, she swatted at the chalky smoke and instinctively reached for her bag. She could never part with it; its contents represented everything she’d worked so hard to achieve. It was her life, and sadly, the only thing she had left to value.

She pushed through the driver’s-side window, a frantic and futile struggle as the seat belt held her back. She searched for the release button, then pushed through the window again, fear and adrenaline overriding pain as jagged edges of broken glass tore through the palm of her hand and shoulders. The salt water hit her eyes, a hellish sting somehow worse than what she’d already endured. Lightning shot through the sky, and she set her sights on the shore.

Gwen swam with everything she had, an almost impossible feat as the churning waters kept pulling her under.

But no matter how hard she tried, it just wasn’t enough. The water was too cold. And when she finally felt the sand and rock with the tips of her shoes—she was pulled farther out to sea again.

Curling into a ball, she willed herself to relax. But when she opened her eyes, the last remnants of hope left her. How she had lasted so long in the freezing water was beyond her.

Damning herself for the choices that brought her here—the foolishness that led to death instead of discovery—Gwen knew her dreams would never be realized. No one could hear her pleas. No one would save her. She would never find what she searched for.