CHAPTER 24

Maxine's eyes fluttered open, reluctantly responding to the soft but insistent voice of her mother. The room was still dim, the curtains barely filtering in the early morning light. She squinted at the clock on her bedside table-6:30 AM.

"Maxine, breakfast is ready," her mother called again, soft but firm as always. One could never argue with her mother's wake-up calls.

Maxine sat up groggily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her sleep had been fitful, troubled by vague, unsettling images that vanished the moment she tried to remember them. She pushed the thoughts aside, knowing she had to face the day.

It was the freshly brewed aroma of coffee and something savory baking that coursed through the house, drawing her out of bed. She got quickly dressed, still mostly asleep, and trod along the hall to the dining area. Her steps were lagging, her mind not awake, until the moment she saw Alph entering the room; then she straightened up, smoothing hair and clothes.

Alph moved into the cabi