Gray After Dark

by Noelle W. Ihli

I would have cried tears of joy to trade the past two days for a chance to face off with a bear instead of these two monsters.

spending time with her was the thing that brought me to life, made me realize that the kind of love I got at home was halfhearted and finite. Drops of water in a bucket.

Miley—and her mom, Jane—loved like the turquoise ocean I’d only seen in postcards. Warm and limitless.

Why would they have deadbolts, I realized. The worst thing in these woods was already inside the cabin.

He really didn’t care if I lived or died. The only thing I had going for me was that I was here in front of him. If I was a bad dog, they’d just put me down and return to the pet shop.