Fresh out of the police academy, Jack Snow returns to his mother's home in the small, idyllic fishing village of Sanctum Harbor. He has a lot on his mind: an interview with the sheriff's department, his mother's sudden depression, and most importantly, the love of his life—Misty Ryder.

When he finally arrives home, Jack realizes just how bad things have gotten in his absence. His mother is wasting away, talking to herself at night, and letting the whole house go to ruin around her. And when the light hits her just right, Jack swears her eyes are black.

Something inhuman has taken hold of her. Something beyond mortal imagining. Something that won't let go without a fight.

With Misty's help, Jack is determined to do whatever it takes to cure his mother, to protect his mother from the strange illness that has plagued her ever since she bought a lovely silver hand mirror from Mrs. Clathermont's antique store. But as his mother's impossible symptoms force him to contemplate his own sanity, he must also wonder whether Misty will need protection, too—from the creeping darkness within himself.

Lana Hart has been writing ever since she scrawled the words "Once upon a time..." onto the back of a receipt when she was three. No one could read them, of course, but she insisted that was what they said. After that, it became an obsession she just couldn't shake.

She has translated her love for storytelling into films, short stories, and table-top role playing campaigns, and would one day love to write for the video game and television industries. She enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons and lives in Florida with her partner, daughter, two cats, and adorable mutt of a dog.