The tracks run deep. And some lights lead to damnation.
In 1948, nineteen-year-old Sharlette Bellefonte is the last gilded cage in a crumbling dynasty. Her family, the Bellefontes, desperately cling to their antebellum Louisiana mansion, Belle Rêve, a house dying under the weight of generations of dark secrets and a chilling curse. As her forced marriage approaches-a union meant to save the family name-Shar feels the walls closing in, not just of the house, but of her fate.
But Sharlette is no ordinary Southern belle. Since childhood, she has been a dream-catcher, able to step into the past, reliving forgotten moments. Lately, her nights are consumed by visions of rattling chains, hushed pleas, and the terrifying, ghostly Midnight Special train-a single, blinding headlamp cutting through the darkest night, a promise of payment, not salvation.
Driven by these tormenting visions and the pleas of her ancestor Isabelle Bellefonte, Shar delves into the family's true history. She unearths a shocking truth: her own lineage is a tapestry woven from the oppressors and the oppressed, the enslavers and the enslaved, a legacy born of brutal intermarriage. Her divided blood becomes both her burden and her unique conduit to the past, forcing her to confront centuries of complicity and suffering within her own veins.
As the wedding day nears, the spectral hum of the Midnight Special grows into a deafening roar, tearing through Belle Rêve. Shar must race against time, not just to escape her coerced future, but to confront the malevolent patriarch who orchestrated the curse. Her dream-catching gift, amplified by the conflicting energies of her ancestors, becomes her weapon. But this fight isn't just for her soul; it's for the liberation of every tormented spirit bound to the tracks, both the enslavers and the enslaved.
Will Sharlette Bellefonte derail the engine of her family's damnation, or will the Midnight Special claim her as its next, eternal passenger? Prepare for a haunting journey where forgotten pasts bleed into a terrifying present, and the light at the end of the tunnel might just be hellfire. Are you ready to meet the next dream catcher in M. L. Bullock's spooky worlds?
Autorentext
Author M.L. Bullock enjoys the laid-back atmosphere and the spooky vibe of the Gulf Coast, especially the region's historic districts and sites. When she isn't visiting her favorite haunts in New Orleans or Old Mobile, you can find her flipping through old photographs or newspaper clippings in search of new inspiration.