I tried to show her how, but it seemed impossible for Beth to follow. Her breaths had a rattling, wet sound now. She coughed, and blood sprayed the air. Panic gripped my chest and squeezed, the grip brutal. “Beth. Just hold on. Help’s coming. Please hold on. Do it for me.”

But she said nothing. Her body seized, her eyes wide. And then…silence. Only the lapping of the water against the life raft.

“Beth?”

There was nothing. No one. I was completely alone.

I shot up in bed, sweat dripping down my face. I threw back the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed, trying to catch my breath. It had been a while since I’d had a dream that lasted that long. Usually, they were vicious snapshots, just enough to ruin any shot at uninterrupted sleep. But this one had been the full movie. From the storm through the aftermath. The only piece missing was the hysterical state I’d been in by the time the Coast Guard finally found me.

I pushed up from the bed, my movements shaky. I padded to the bathroom on autopilot, turning the shower on cold. I shucked the t-shirt and boxers stuck to my skin with sweat and stepped into the stall. The jolt of the ice-cold water was just the ticket. I let the spray beat down on me, cooling my overheated skin. Slowly, I increased the temperature, hoping the water would wash away the remnants of the dream. It never did, but that didn’t stop me from trying.

Eventually, I turned off the spray. Stepping out of the shower, I grabbed a towel. Quickly drying, I donned clothes for the day. It was only 3:30 a.m., but I knew there was no more sleep in my future. I wouldn’t risk meeting the ghosts that lay in wait there.

Slipping on the work boots that waited just outside my door, I headed down the stairs and towards my office. It was one of the first rooms I’d completed on the entry level. Expansive windows would let the light pour in once the sun was up. I had so many memories of visiting with my father while he sat behind a desk in this space. That desk had been damaged beyond repair, but I still had it out in the shop, unable to part with it.

I eased down into the chair behind the new desk that I’d bought. It didn’t seem to fit the room as well, but then again, nothing would. I tapped on the desktop keyboard, and the screen came to life. Keying in the password, I clicked on an icon on the bottom of the screen. Instantly, eight camera views popped up. I took a moment to study each one. Nothing out of the ordinary. Only a little nocturnal critter scampering across one of the views of the back of the property.