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Back The Secrets We Bury Save as PDF
Chapters (49)
  1. Cover
  2. Love best-selling fiction?
  3. Also by Mary Bush
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. Acknowledgements
  47. A note from the publisher
  48. Love best-selling fiction?
  49. You will also enjoy:

Val shoved the key into the pocket of her jeans and hobbled around to the front of the building. She pulled out her phone from her coat pocket and checked her messages. Nothing from Gavin. Snow began to fall a little heavier now. It was freezing outside and Val wiggled her fingers to keep the blood flowing. I can’t stay out here for much longer, she thought. Damn, I’ll wait in my car for Gavin to respond.

Her car sat in the lot, maybe fifty feet in front of her, snow covering the windows. She limped as fast as she could, eager to get in and turn on the heat.

All of a sudden, a sound to Val’s left made her head quickly turn, her heart pounding hard as she scanned the area. Val only saw snowflakes glistening in the glow of the parking lot lights. She exhaled, trying to slow her racing pulse.

As she continued moving towards her car, she heard crunching. Boots walking in the snow? They were getting closer. To her left again? No, they weren’t to her left. They were behind her. And they were growing faster. Val turned a second time. Then everything went black.

36

Val tried to move but her head exploded with pain as she tried to sit up. Oh my God, what happened? She tried to focus but everything was a blur. Where am I? How long have I been here? Where is here? Questions came in rapid succession as Val tried to grab hold of her thoughts. Her heart beat fast and she struggled to control rising panic. Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to calm down, she needed to figure out how to get out of wherever the hell she was.

The smell… the smell was the first thing Val noticed. Dry wood. Dust. Stale air. The characteristic odor of old attic was distinctive. Her eyes scanned the space—the walls were covered in blue flowered wallpaper, yellowed with age. Her gaze darted quickly to a fireplace tucked in the corner, then to a tall dark wood dresser against the far wall. A second, shorter one was on the opposite side. A mirror hung above that one. Val’s hands felt a mattress beneath her. A bedroom. I’m in a bedroom.

A table was to her side. The dim bulb from the lamp sitting on it barely illuminated the immediate vicinity. Someone had covered her with a quilt and Val clutched at it tightly, wrapping it around herself. She began to shiver. The room was freezing.