Prologue
3am. Cold yet sweating. Dark yet able to see all too clearly. Head pounding, mind racing. The harder she tried to push the images from her mind the harder they pushed back.
The smell of the smoke engulfed her. She could hardly breathe. While each breath she managed tainted her mouth and clung to the back of her throat. As she crawled towards the door the crackling flames caused intense heat that burned her skin. She could barely see her hand yet she could feel him pulling her closer. Closer. Closer.
After 22 years she had hoped the dreams would stop. Yet they would sneak back and bite her. Days, months even years may pass and she would feel she had escaped them. Laying their desperate for sleep but not daring to shut her eyes she tried to think of anything but her past. Tears stung her cheeks yet she was silent. Even she didn't realise she was crying. Each time she blinked a tear licked her face as an image of a flame flickered through her mind.
Grudgingly she got up and trudged through to the study. She surrendered. If she wasn't going to sleep she may as well do something useful.