Chapter 1 – Welcome Home

The truck rolled to a stop outside Shepherd's Glen, tires crunching against the cracked asphalt roads. Alex Shepherd sat still in the passenger seat for a moment, staring out into the fog-covered town that he had once called home. This wasn't right, it was supposed to feel familiar. The city after all was where he had spent his entire childhood, but something about it felt wrong.

"Looks like this is your stop, Soldier," Travis said from the driver's seat, his voice breaking through Alex's thoughts. He let the engine run idle as he set the brake. "This is where I drop you off."

Alex gave his nod of appreciation. "Thanks for the lift, Travis. I owe you one."

Travis gave a faint, weary smile. The kind that came from too many long nights on the road. "No need for that. Anything for our boys in uniform. Take care of yourself, ya hear? The town seems quieter than I remember."

Alex glanced back through the fog that seemed to cling to every building, every street corner. All he felt at that moment, rather than elation at finally returning home, was one of unease. "Yeah… it's not what I expected either."

Without another word, Alex grabbed his duffel bag and stepped out of the truck. His boots landed with a thud on the pavement. The heavy fog closed in all around him, the mist wrapping like ghostly white hands. Travis gave him one last nod before revving the engine and disappearing into the fog. Alex was left all alone in his hometown.

The silence was deafening.

He took a deep breath and started making his way down the main road, each step echoed in the early evening. The fog was so thick he could barely see more than a few feet in front of him. His hometown wasn't supposed to feel like this. The streets were familiar to him of course, but something about the buildings, the once quaint, well-kept homes and storefronts now looked as though they were forgotten by time itself. Cracked windows, peeling paint, and weeds choked the walkways. It was as if the town had aged decades in his absence for the past few years.

With every step, that feeling nagging in the back of his head grew stronger. This wasn't the welcome home had had envisioned. He had imagined smiles, waves from familiar faces, and maybe even a surprise party from his old friends. Instead, it was as if the whole town had been silenced by an otherworldly fog.

While the weight of Alex's duffel bag pulled at his shoulder, it was nothing like the heavy feeling in his chest. There should've been people out and about, neighbors, kids playing in the streets. But no one was out.

"Where the hell is everyone?" Alex muttered to himself. His breath came out in a puff of vapor, quickly swallowed up by the fog.

He kept up his pace through town, unease growing with every step. The landmarks were still here, but it was wrong somehow, twisted and decayed versions of what he remembered. The general store was boarded up, the once-colorful sign was faded and broken. The park he used to play in as a kid was now overrun with dead grass and rusting playground equipment.

A knot tightened in his stomach as he passed by the old diner, a place he and his childhood friend, Elle used to frequent together after school. Now the once bustling establishment was just like the others, dark and abandoned. The familiar neon sign flickered, casting a sickly light through the fog.

As he walked, Alex just couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. His eyes darted around to the empty windows of the buildings that lined the streets, darkened shops and homes, their vacant gazes almost menacing. The fog was thicker here now.

Then just up ahead, a figure appeared through the fog.

Alex stood in his tracks, narrowing his eyes to focus on the image in the fog. He drew closer and the figure took shape. A woman, standing by the old courthouse. Her coat was dark, and she stood there with an aura of authority. Her sharp features are framed by the fog. Alex instantly recognized her, it was Margaret Holloway, the town's judge, and mother to his old childhood friend, Elle.

"Alex? Alex Shepherd?" her voice cut through the silence, tinged with a mixture of surprise and warmth. She didn't move from her spot, but she tilted her head slightly as if to study him.

Alex blinked, relieved that he finally found a familiar face in the deserted streets. He hurried towards her. "Judge Holloway. It's been a while."

Her eyes gleamed through the mist, giving an expression between surprise and something else. Something that Alex couldn't quite place. "It certainly has." She said, with a faint smile on her lips. "I didn't expect to see you back in Shepherd's Glen. It's been what? A few years now?"

"Yeah." Alex nodded, adjusting his duffel bag on his shoulder. "I just got discharged and now I'm back home. I wanted to surprise everyone, but…" He gestured his left hand around them. "The town looks … different."

Margaret's eyes flickered over the deserted streets for a moment, taking it all in. "Yes, well... things certainly have changed." She kept her tone measured as if she were choosing her next words carefully. "We've had our share of struggles, like everyone else. But we're preparing Shepherd's Glen for its 150th anniversary. I imagine most people are busy with the festivities."

Alex frowned, glancing at the abandoned streets and buildings. Festivities? There weren't many decorations, no signs of celebration. There was much of anything to suggest that a town-wide event was just over the horizon. He looked back to Margaret. "Doesn't seem like anyone's getting ready for a party."

Though Margaret's expression didn't waver, something in her eyes darkened slightly. "We are a town of traditions, Alex. Sometimes, things happen behind the scenes." She gave him another smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "But the Shepherd family has always played a significant role in those traditions. After all, the town is named after your ancestor."

Alex let out a small laugh, unease deepening. "Yeah, I guess the Shepherds haven't done much to keep the place from falling apart, huh?"

Her lips twitched, a small, almost undetectable reaction to his words. "Times have been difficult, but we'll manage. We always do."

There was something in her tone, something that made Alex's skin crawl. But before he could dwell on it, he decided to shift the conversation. "Have you seen my mom, Holloway?" he asked. "Or Elle? I was hoping to surprise them."

Margaret paused, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she considered the question. "Your mother is still here, of course. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you." She hesitated again. "As for Elle… Yes, she's around. She's been asking about you. You should see them both."

Alex nodded, though there was a growing tension between them that lingered in the air. He couldn't quite shake the feeling that there was something that was left unsaid. Something Margaret wasn't sharing with him.

"They will both be happy to see you," Margaret added, only now softening her voice. "It's been hard, you know. Especially for your mother. She's… had a difficult time adjusting."

"Adjusting?" Alex burrowed his brow. "Adjusting to what?"

Margaret let her eyes flicker, her controlled mask slipped for a split second. "To everything. To you being gone for so long… to Joshua."

Margaret brought up his kid brother made Alex stiffen. He hadn't expected anyone to bring up Joshua so soon. He opened his mouth to respond, but Margaret's cold, authoritative tone returned.

"Your mother has been… waiting." She said, smiling tight. "You should go see her first. And Elle, of course. They've both missed you."

"Yeah." Alex swallowed, Joshua's absence suddenly felt heavy in the air between them. "I was hoping to surprise them."

Alex noticed again, Margaret's smile didn't quite reach her eyes as she spoke to him again. "I'm sure that they'll appreciate that. But Alex…" She shifted her voice to a more serious tone. The earlier warmth now vanishing. "Be careful."

"Careful?" Alex asked. "Of what?" Alex was a combat veteran. There wasn't much that scared him. What did she mean about being careful?

Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer than was comfortable. Then she finally responded. "Of the past. Sometimes, it's not as easy to leave behind as you might think."

The way she said it to Alex, made it seem as though it were a cryptic warning of some sort. Alex frowned, confused but the shift in her tone. He meant to open his mouth just to clarify what she had meant, but Margaret was already stepping back.

"I have to attend a meeting at the courthouse." She said. "But please, go home Alex/ Your mother will be waiting for you. I'm sure you'll appreciate the reunion."

Alex nodded, feeling unease gnawing away in his stomach. "Thanks, Judge Holloway. It's good to see a familiar face."

Margaret's smile returned to her face. Though it was more formality than any genuine warmth. "You too, Alex. Take care."

With that, she turned and headed towards the courthouse. Her footsteps on the marble stairs echo through the eerie silence of the town. Alex stood there for a moment, trying to make sense of their conversation. Something about it, about her, felt off. Judge Holloway always held a certain distance about her. But this was different. The cryptic way she spoke, the tension in her voice when she mentioned his mother and Joshua. None of it sat right with him.

Alex quickly shook off the feeling and adjusted the strap on his duffel bag. Maybe Holloway was having a long day. He quickly started walking home. He needed answers, and the only place he'd get them was home. He wanted to see his mother, see Elle, and figure out what happened to Shepherd's Glen while he was away.

The streets seemed to be growing darker. The fog seemed to grow thicker, as Alex took every step deeper into town. Every step felt heavier than the last, as though the town was pressing hard on him. Everything felt wrong.

Finally, he saw it, his family home.

It stood just at the end of the street next to Toluca Lake, just as he remembered it. It seemed more a shadow of its former self than the house he once called home. Darkened windows, peeling paint. But it was still home, at least on its surface.

He hesitated, hand over the handle. The wind was picking up now, making him shiver. Taking a deep breath he stepped inside. He was home after all these years.