1.

There was something in the sky. What exactly was up there

wasn't immediately clear. But there was definitely something in
the sky and it was getting bigger and bigger.

2.

3.

The irony of the situation hadn't escaped her. She had taken
years to sculpt the perfect persona with the perfect look that
she shared on Instagram. She knew her hundreds of thousands of
followers envied that life she showed and stayed engaged with
her because they wanted that life too. The truth was that she
wanted the perfect life she portrayed more than any of her
fans. The fact was that despite all the perfection she shared
on social media, her life was actually more of a mess than
most.

4.

5.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow in more detail at our meeting, but I

think I've found a solution to our problem. It's not exactly
legal, but it won't land us in jail for the rest of our lives
either. Are you willing to take the chance?" Monroe asked his
partner over the phone.

6.

7.

The river slowly meandered through the open space. It had

hidden secrets that it didn't want to reveal. It had a well-
planned strategy to appear calm, inviting, and appealing.
That's how the river lured her unknowing victims to her water's
edge.

8.
 9.

It was just a burger. Why couldn't she understand that? She

knew he'd completely changed his life around her eating habits,
so why couldn't she give him a break this one time? She wasn't
even supposed to have found out. Yes, he had promised her and
yes, he had broken that promise, but still in his mind, all it
had been was just a burger.

10.

11.

There wasn't a whole lot he could do at that moment. He played

the situation again and again in his head looking at what he
might have done differently to make the situation better. No
matter how many times he relived the situation in his head,
there was never really a good alternative course of action.
There simply wasn't a whole lot he could have done in that
particular moment.

12.

13.

He picked up the burnt end of the branch and made a mark on the
stone. Day 52 if the marks on the stone were accurate. He
couldn't be sure. Day and nights had begun to blend together
creating confusion, but he knew it was a long time. Much too
long.

14.

15.

The time had come for Nancy to say goodbye. She had been
dreading this moment for a good six months, and it had finally
arrived despite her best efforts to forestall it. No matter how
hard she tried, she couldn't keep the inevitable from
happening. So the time had come for a normal person to say
goodbye and move on. It was at this moment that Nancy decided
not to be a normal person. After all the time and effort she
had expended, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
16.