Chapter 2: The Ash of Yesterday
Seven years ago, Daniel had been a man on the brink of bankruptcy. He needed the insurance money. He needed the space. He had staged the fire, or so he thought. He had seen the charred remains of the house, and he had seen the body—or what he thought was the body—of his wife, Clara.
But looking at the little girl now, he realized the terror hadn't ended. It had been marinating.
"She's not alone," the girl said, her voice devoid of fear. She gestured to the back of the room. Behind the pews, three more children emerged, standing in a line. Four children in total. Daniel had never known they existed. He had thought he destroyed his life to save his fortune. Instead, he had created a ghost army that had been waiting for the exact moment he felt most powerful.
