Where He Can't Find You

by Darcy Coates

The nightmares were always the first warning. They came before any of the other signs—before the birds that plunged out of the sky, before the streetlights all died, before the sickness. Before the disappearances.

There was safety in light. As much safety as you could hope for in Doubtful, anyway. And it was always better to be on the approaching side of daylight, not the receding.

We want to feel that we have control over our destiny, that we wouldn’t ever make the same mistakes that cost someone else everything.

The Stitcher waits The Stitcher takes The Stitcher cuts The Stitcher shapes

Rule #3: Stay as far from Charles Vickers as you can.

Sometimes the worst things that happen to you come from the smallest decisions. You lean on the accelerator instead of the break. Or you shift your weight on the ladder. Or you leap into the pool headfirst without checking how deep the water is. Tiny, tiny mistakes that would have been inconsequential any other day. But for some reason, the universe’s gears get jammed at that exact second, and your tiny mistake permanently changes the remainder of your life.

“Knowledge does not always equal wisdom, as I’ve learned through my own repeated failings.

I could no longer try to force the truth on people who didn’t want to hear it. If anyone wanted it, they could ask. And I would be here for them, waiting.”

It turned out a person could make the correct choice, and still feel strangled by regret.

You never know how you’ll act under pressure until you’re forced to find out.