Her Last Memory
Page 34
That night so many years ago, he’d raged at the girl he loved, at her betrayal, only to find her dead on his sofa a mere half hour later. The investigation had been brutal, the guilt staggering when he and his parents paid a visit to Taylor’s mom. Enzo’s depression later played out in a bout of chronic insomnia that led to a life-long reliance on sleeping pills, his grief manifested in an extreme drive to excel in whatever held his focus––football, school and, later, work. That terrible night had come down like a sledgehammer on blossoming friendships, sending each of them on their separate ways.
The day before her death, Mara told Enzo that she was going to meet Dora. Dora wanted to talk about that night. Mara had a feeling Dora knew about her secret. But Enzo knew Dora would have never hurt Mara. They were friends.
Sometimes Enzo wondered if his initial interest in Mara stemmed from her connection to Taylor, her resemblance to Taylor. His wife’s confession two years ago was crushing. Married for eighteen years with five children between them, Enzo’s circumstances did not leave him with a lot of options, and so he’d sat on the secret. But the upending of his life and the world in general had somehow shaken him from his torpor in relation to the tragedy from his youth––the tragedy that had haunted him his whole life. He now wanted to face it full on. If 2020 was forcing him to face all of his worst nightmares, he didn’t want to leave the summer of 1996 behind. Cleanse it all.
Enzo watched Greiner reading Mara’s journal entry. When she was done, she opened a leather-bound notebook and then looked up, catching his eye.
“Let’s start from the beginning,” Greiner said.
Sleep Martyrs
A Thrilling Psychological Mind-Bender
Tori and her sister, Laila have recently moved to Santomon Village in Calabasas California to live with their mom’s new husband and his two children. But navigating around their controlling stepfather and their aloof new siblings becomes the least of their worries.
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There is a vague sense of menace in their state of the art lavish smart home with its cutting edge calm technology. And something is not quite right with the bright, cheerful kids at Santomon's private school where the girls are enrolled.
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Undergrads from prestigious universities and ivy-league colleges are vying for the coveted internships within Santomon Village. The mega-corporation is the darling of the tech world. But not everyone is singing Santomon praises. A growing number of parents are voicing concerns that at first seem vague.
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As Tori and Laila's mother begins to have doubts about her marriage, there is talk of divorce. Tori yearns to return to Inglewood and the simple life they had. But Laila's not so sure leaving the village will be easy because what she has discovered is a treacherous web of lies unfathomable in their scope. What Laila wonders is if they can escape from Santomon before it's too late.
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How can you discover the truth when you may be the lie?
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Pick up your copy of Sleep Martyrs Now!
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C.A. Wittman grew up in Northern California. In 1993 she moved to Maui Hawaii where she raised her children. The author now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Frank.
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For more information about C.A. Wittman and the books she’s written, please visit her website at www.cawittman.com.
Free Short Story, Reset
Join C.A. Wittman’s Reader’s Group and get a free short story, Reset: How Will You Spend Your Time?
You will also receive exclusive news and giveaways.
Join now at C.A. Wittman/Author
About the Author
C.A. Wittman grew up in Northern California. In 1993 she moved to Maui Hawaii where she raised her children. The author now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Frank.
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For more information about C.A. Wittman and the books she’s written, please visit her website at www.cawittman.com.