But now, try as she might to leave the past behind her, the events of that summer were starting to plague her dreams again. Even creeping into her everyday thoughts.

Because the monster had been freed.

And she couldn’t help but worry that a storm was brewing.

1

As she stood on the beach watching the three dogs tussle over a frisbee, Hannah Cole reminded herself that moving to the North Norfolk coast was the best decision she had ever made.

Sometimes it was easy to forget that.

Yes, it was an hour’s drive from Norwich, where she had been living before, and the flat she had inherited after her beloved nan passed came with its share of problems. It was in the attic of an old four-storey building that had leaks and draughts and dodgy plumbing, and a lift that groaned loudly when working, which wasn’t often. But the trade-off was the flat’s location in the port town of Wells-next-the-Sea. The flat was in a cosy back street, but just a five-minute walk to the quayside and if she craned her head far enough out of her bedroom window, she could see the crabber and angling vessels moored in the harbour, and the creeks cutting a winding path through the salt marsh beyond.

Early each day, before the holidaymakers descended, she headed away from the bustle of the quayside, down the mile-long path that led to the beach. It was like entering a different world, especially when the tide was out, as it was this morning, and with miles of unspoilt golden sand before her, the crash of the waves in the distance, her mood always lifted.

The dogs loved it as much as she did and when they had tired of playing with the frisbee, she would take them into the pine woods that served as a backdrop to the prettily painted beach huts, before returning them to their homes.

Her Pawsome Pet Services was something she had started up earlier in the year, keen to cut back on her copywriting commitments and find a job she really loved. She got to work with animals and it was also more active, getting her out from behind her desk.

Rufus, Cookie, and Spot. They were her regular charges and she took them out most weekdays. The three of them were the best of friends, despite differing in looks and personality. Rufus the giant black poodle towered over Cookie the Tibetan terrier and scruffy little mongrel, Spot. Rufus was the youngster. Big and bouncy, with boundless energy, but gentle too. Cookie was highly strung, but also a diva, the pretty little princess who didn’t like to get her feet wet, while Spot was the most laid-back, taking everything in his stride. Hannah watched them as they played, enjoying the early-morning warmth of the September sun, the sky an almost cloudless deep blue.