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next step. She had to know what she was up against, so with an iron will, she pointed the flashlight upward and to the right and left. What she saw caused tears to leak from her eyes. A pack of wolves circled the top of the pit, and two of the largest ones were making their way down the sides. With no weapons available to defend herself, Tilly knew her time was precious. She said a quick prayer, closed her eyes, and screamed. Tilly Hughes screamed with every ounce of energy that remained in her body.
     
    ***
     
    Myrna Bradbury had rushed out the door of her home, late for work. She dropped a pile of loose papers she had notes written on and had to chase them around the front yard in frustration. The wedding date was closing in on her, and she had so much to do it made her mind swirl with panic. Chasing down the last paper and slamming her foot atop it, she jammed it in her pocketbook and made her way to her vehicle. She turned briefly to the front door to wave good-bye to Liam and Tom, who had been watching her with smiles on their faces.
    She drove from her house to the bakery to prep for the usual crowd that would show up. With the tourist season approaching, the morning crowds would swell in number, so she had been gradually increasing the amount of baked goods she made to meet the demand. Sarah had been such a godsend; she had been working an extra hour each night prepping. Myrna found out that Donnie had also been baking, and she had to admit, the boy had talent. She allowed the two to bake as much as she dared, so this left her with only two hours of baking to do each morning. She was determined to get through the remaining items on her wedding list before their out-of-town guests arrived.
    As she unlocked the bakery door, she smelled freshly made croissants and shouted out, “Hello? Who’s here?”
    Donnie peeked around the corner of the kitchen and smiled. “Good morning, Ms. Myrna. My momma said I should surprise you and give you a small break this morning. I hope you’re not angry.”
    Myrna shucked off her coat and headed toward the kitchen. “No, I’m not angry, Donnie. Thank you. I’ll be able to help you in a minute, but first I have to get some things in order.”
    “For the wedding?”
    “Yes, I think I’m going insane. I have too much to do and not enough time to do it in.”
    She sat at the prep table after clearing a spot for herself and plopped her pocketbook down. She took a seat and began going through the papers she had dropped. She organized them according to priority and reviewed all of them. She felt her blood pressure rising, and her lips formed a tight line. Puffing her cheeks, she slowly blew some air out. Donnie watched with interest and set a cup of coffee beside her. There was a knock on the back door, and he allowed the chief inside and served him two freshly baked muffins and coffee.
    Myrna ignored the chief, continued reviewing the lists, and felt the panic surging and churning in her chest, all the way up to her throat. She began panting, and Donnie raced to her and began rubbing her back. “Don’t worry, Ms. Myrna. It will all get done. Daryl and I can handle things just fine here. You should go and lock yourself in your office at the town hall and don’t come out until you finish everything on your list. The chief is here and will make sure we do everything right. Isn’t that true, Chief?” He looked at Chief Hanover with a determined expression.
    The chief cleared his throat and mumbled, “Yep, no problem.”
    Without saying a word, Myrna stood, grabbed her coat and pocketbook, and left the bakery. Donnie followed her to the front of the store and watched her cross the street and enter the town hall. He turned to the chief and said, “Gosh, I hope no one upsets her today. If they do, I pity them.”
    The chief chuckled. “Yep, she’s working on her last nerve, that’s for sure.”
    Myrna stalked across the street and tore open the doors to the town hall. The town