Canvas of Shadows

2

My name is

Hazel Carter

, an obscure painter and art teacher at a local college. My life revolves around teaching and painting, with the occasional gallery exhibition. I'm an introvert, plagued by mental health issues and a deep-seated fear of attention.

My encounter with Charles Linden catapulted me into notoriety. The real reason he spared me is known only to him and me.

That fateful Christmas Eve in 1998, when I was 19, I witnessed a murder. The killer saw me and decided to silence me forever. As his hands tightened around my neck, I mustered the strength to utter a single sentence.

In that moment of desperation, I spoke words that not only saved my life but, years later, revealed themselves to be a chilling prophecy.