Part I Jacob Ellery moved with the quiet efficiency of habit, his worn sneakers whispering across the linoleum floor as he made his final rounds through the aisles of Ellery’s Pet Supplies. The air smelled faintly of wood shavings, dry kibble, and reptile substrate, a scent...

Part I Mason Firth watched the rural highway unravel in a slow curve through brittle grass and leafless oaks, the pavement cracking into patches where frost heave had bullied its way to the surface. His truck groaned with each dip, suspension aging as poorly as his...

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