And then, the sound of a voice whispered in the dark.

“Open your eyes, Evelyn.”

And the light returned.

But the world was not the same.

The hospital room was gone.

The garage was gone.

The house was gone.

Only the snow remained, falling silent and white around us.

And the man in the wet coat was gone too.

I was alone on the street, the cold wind blowing my hair across my face.

And the gold key was still in my hand.

I looked down at it, the metal shining in the dim light of the street lamp.

And then, a car pulled up to the curb, its headlights blinding me for a second.

The passenger door opened, and a man looked out.

“Get in, Evelyn,” Ethan said.

His face was clean, his clothes neat, his eyes clear.

“We have to go to the hospital,” he said.

“Mary is awake.”

I stared at him, the key suddenly feeling cold and useless in my hand.

“Ethan?” I whispered.

“Yes,” he said, smiling a soft, tired smile.

“It’s over, Evelyn.”

“The board signed the papers, and Vance is in custody.”