Chapter 11 - The Open Horizon
The crisp Chicago wind whipped off Lake Michigan as Meredith stepped out of her office building that evening, pulling her wool trench coat tightly around her shoulders. She walked down the concrete sidewalk toward her building’s underground parking garage, her heels clicking against the pavement with a steady, rhythmic confidence.
As she unlocked her car and slid behind the steering wheel, she noticed a small, unread notification icon lingering on her phone screen.
She tapped it out of idle curiosity.
It was an automated security alert from her lake house security camera system.
Meredith’s fingers paused over the center console. She brought up the live video feed on her dashboard display, holding her breath for a fraction of a second.
The camera angle showed the front porch of her Wisconsin lake house. The wooden steps were clean. The railing was secure. The gravel driveway was completely empty, stretching out into the quiet, darkening forest under a brilliant canopy of autumn stars.
There were no cars. No strangers. No uninvited guests.
May you like
Just the wind rustling through the pines, and the absolute peace of a home that belonged to her, and her alone.
Meredith smiled, put the car into drive, and pulled out into the evening traffic, her eyes fixed firmly on the open road ahead.
