“Sweetheart, I’ll only be twenty minutes,” Deanne said to Matt, putting on her dog-walking sneakers.
Twenty minutes. That was all it was supposed to be. A short walk, a routine she had done countless times before.
But fate had other plans.
Deanne Wallace had no reason to believe that night would be any different. The glow of fireworks painted the sky in bursts of color, laughter echoed from the nearby festival, and the familiar weight of Smarts’ leash in her hand was comforting. The world felt safe.
But monsters do not always lurk in the obvious places. They do not wait in dark alleyways with neon signs warning of danger. Sometimes, they wait where you feel safest. They know your routines. They know when you’re alone. And when they have the opportunity, they will do whatever it takes to permanently destroy your world.
The moment Smarts ran into the woods, something inside Deanne shifted. His bark was wrong. Urgent. Angry. Then suddenly, silence.
A pit formed in her stomach, but she told herself she was being paranoid. This was a celebration, a night of joy and community. There was nothing to fear.
She called for him. No response.
As she made her steps into the dark woods, she saw him. A lifeless heap on the ground, his body twisted unnaturally, filled with blood and distress. Her companion, with whom he shared moments of laughter, comfort, and joy, was no more.
Shock froze her in place, and she could not help but keep looking at Smart’s lifeless body.
Her fingers fumbled for her phone, desperate to call Matt, to call anyone. But it was too late.
The voice behind her sliced through the night like a blade.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Pain followed, sharp and unforgiving. The world spun, her body collapsing under the weight of the sudden attack. Everything became a blur of violence, cruelty, and helplessness.
This was not a random act. This was vengeance. This was someone who had waited, calculated, and chosen this moment to strike.
As she lay on the cold forest floor, the celebration in the distance continued, oblivious to the horror playing out just beyond the light. As the fireworks erupted in the sky, it masked the horror and torture for Deanne.
What followed was an assault so cruel and so dehumanizing that it defied comprehension. The man, consumed by rage, inflicted unimaginable pain upon Deanne. His actions ranged from sexual harassment to torture, motivated by a twisted sense of vengeance. Her pleas for him to stop were met with violence, her body and spirit pushed to the brink. The cold, damp earth beneath her bore witness to an act of inhumanity that would scar her forever.
When it was over, when the man finally left, convinced she was dead, Deanne lay battered and broken—with a branch inserted within her private parts. The sounds of children laughing and fireworks bursting in the distance were a cruel reminder of the world carrying on, oblivious to her suffering. The festive glow of the night, meant to celebrate rebellion and freedom, now stood in stark contrast to the darkness that had consumed her.
Yet, even in this moment of despair, Deanne’s story was far from over!
What began as a horrific attack would ignite a fire within her. It is a resolve to stand up, to fight, and to finally take back her life. Her journey would become one of resilience and justice, challenging her to confront the darkest corners of her mind and the world around her.
In a nutshell, Remember, Remember is a compelling exploration of the human capacity for resilience. With complex characters, thought-provoking themes, a chilling plot, and many twists and turns, Grant presents an amazing story—to consider how far one would go for justice and whether the pursuit of revenge can ever bring true healing.
This novel will appeal to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers with complex, morally ambiguous characters and a plot that keeps you guessing until the end.
Get your copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9TWH7H3.
If you think you know how this ends, you don’t because Deanne Wallace is just getting started!