Flames of the Past (Stella Brothers Series Book 01)

Prologue

She finds herself at the top of an imposing tree, but its nearby branches offer a safe passage. As usual, she descends quickly, her eyes scanning all around. She knows that, somewhere on the edge of the lake, there is a man shrouded in darkness, wearing a hooded jacket. He is holding a piece of wood. Even though she knows it will cost her dearly to climb down, she continues. A sharp branch tears the skin of her right forearm, and she feels the warm blood seeping out, staining her dress. The pain is just a distant noise as she lands on the damp earth.

Her heart racing, she backs away, tripping over her own steps. She tries to stifle a scream, pressing her hands against her mouth, but it's too late. The man, who had turned away, now stares at her from the shore of the lake. He shouts her name.

His voice cuts through the night with fury, causing a fear to run through her skin. The man's face is obscured by darkness, but she can see the gleam of his cold smile. Without thinking, he starts walking towards her. The menacing glint in his dark eye makes her turn on her heels, and she runs towards a dirt road not far away. The path to it climbs a slight incline between the trees. She knows this road will take her straight home, so she runs as fast as she can. She hears the man shout her name again, his voice echoing too close. Her heart races, and her fear grows as he calls out, his growls coming closer and closer.

Her lungs burn with the effort, until the small rise between the trees comes into view. She slips on the dry leaves, and panic overwhelms her when she feels his huge hand grip her hair tightly. She lets out a scream, turning sharply as she struggles to free herself. His eyes gleam menacingly, and she sees the penknife flicker as it rises into the air. Her eyes widen, and she lets out another scream as she struggles frantically. With a desperate movement, her hair finally comes free of his hand. She takes a few steps back, dodging the blow, but the blade still rips through her abdomen, cutting through her dress.

She falls to the ground, the pain throbbing through her body, but she takes advantage of an instant of distraction from her attacker. With all her strength, she kicks him in the leg, knocking him off balance. He falls to the ground, rolling around in the dirt, spouting a torrent of swear words. Without wasting any time, she gets up with difficulty and runs as fast as she can until she reaches the road.

As she arrives, she sees the headlights of a car coming around the bend in the distance, heading towards the town. Desperate, she throws herself in front of the vehicle, waving for help. The blue truck brakes just a few centimeters from her. A man gets out angrily, but when he sees her, his eyes widen in terror. His face is indistinct and his name is unknown to her. Staggering, she goes to meet him, pressing one hand to her abdomen and the other to the cut on her arm, feeling the weight of exhaustion and terror.

— Please help me! – Her voice sounds like a desperate whisper, and he doesn't hesitate.

The car door opens and he carefully places her in the back seat. A brief relief takes hold of his tired mind, but soon the terror returns. Before the man could close the door, the figure that had been chasing her emerged from the shadows. In one brutal movement, he pulls her out with unconscionable force. She screams, but the sound is drowned out by the cold night and the pain that overwhelms her body.

— No!

She wakes up with a scream caught in her throat, her body bathed in sweat. The room is plunged into darkness, but the safety of the place doesn't ease the panic that still makes her heart beat fast. The nightmare was always the same, repeated so many times that it almost seemed real. But what she didn't know was that, in the back of her mind, it wasn't just a nightmare. It was a forgotten memory. A truth buried in the shadows of the past, waiting to be revealed.