The Sea Between Us — Elizabeth Smither

Annie's inner conflict was spiraling out of control by her constant struggle with the memories of her past, her unceasing battle with her present, and ever looming dread and fear for her future. How could she find peace with all three? Each night, her dream always started out the same way. She was driving, and it was night. It was pitch black. They drove into the dark and depressing night, its blackness pressing in on them, surrounding and suffocating them until it felt as if there was no air left to breath. They were running from the piercing black that threatened to swallow them both. Then, without warning, the car in which Annie was driving was speeding up, and Annie couldn't stop it. She frantically stepped on the brake, but it only caused the car to dash faster and faster into the night. Then, she and the child and the car were falling into a black abyss, and Annie was reaching out for the small hand of the frightened child next to her. She groped around in the dark, touching the small fingers, but was never able to grasp them. And each time the dream or haunting occurred, Annie's nightmare brought with it more and more dread with an oncoming feeling of doom lurking in the shadows, until Annie found it as hard to be awake as it was to be asleep. And her terror mounted with each passing dream, until finally her past and her present collided, bringing to Annie something she never expected