Something eerie lingered in the air, and the feeling deepened once I left the safety of the car, colliding with a solid barrier of tangible discomfort. As if walking through the silver shards of a splitting mirror, I heard Hannah's feet crunch gravel right behind me. Summoning a drop or two of undiluted courage, I balled my fists and reluctantly walked up to the man, now crouched to hold the dog by its collar with both hands. His walking stick leaned lifelessly against the porch railing. I looked into a rugged, unsmiling face and stumbled upon the lightest blue eyes I had ever seen. Husky eyes, just like the dog he was restraining.
A deep sense of vertigo spun me into a timeless void.When he finally broke the spell, Hannah's soft gasp gave voice to the pang I felt, and I realized that my
