Sneak Peek: Renee’s First Encounter - Book Excerpt

Every journey into the unknown begins with a single, unforgettable moment. For Renee Caldwell, it started with a dream that was far too real…

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Excerpt from Chapter 1: A Life interrupted

Renee was startled awake, an invisible force pulling her out of her slumber. Curling up onto her side, she felt the cold air hanging thick, pressing in on her like an unseen weight. A weight that suddenly, unmistakably, sank onto the mattress.

Right in the nook between her knees and chest.

Her body went rigid. The presence was undeniable, as if someone had just settled there, yet—there was no one.

She held her breath, her heartbeat a slow thunder in her ears. Every nerve in her body screamed at her to move, to run, to wake up—but she wasn’t dreaming. She was awake. And she knew, somehow, that whoever—or whatever—was there wanted her to look.

With great hesitation, Renee lifted her eyes.

A woman rose, slowly appearing as though she were rising from the very air itself. She stood at the side of the bed—her pale skin cast a soft, unnatural glow in the dim light. Auburn curls with vivid, fiery undertones framed her face, and a long white dress clung to her slender figure. She seemed to be trying to communicate, but no words passed her lips. She smiled.

At first.

Then, something shifted. The air grew more sinister. Her deep brown eyes, filled with sadness, widened in fear. Her lips parted in a silent scream as her body recoiled—floating, twisting as though an unseen force had seized her.

Renee could only watch in paralyzed horror as the woman clawed at her throat, fighting against an invisible attacker. Her hands trembled, desperate and frantic. The fabric of her dress darkened, deep crimson bleeding into its pure white, twisting into a pattern of red and orange flowers.

And then Renee saw it.

A thin black cord, wrapped cruelly around the woman’s neck, cut deep into her flesh.

Her movements slowed, her struggle subsided as she was dragged across the floor. The last thing Renee saw before the vision ended was the woman’s lifeless body, vanishing inch by inch into the wall until her bare feet finally disappeared into the darkness.

Then, nothing.

Renee shot up in bed as she gasped for air, her chest heaving as tremors racked her limbs. The woman’s terrified expression was burned into her memory. Then, as if placed there by an unseen force, a singular word seared itself into her mind: HUSBAND.

Want to know what happens next?The Between: The Awakening of Renee Caldwell launches October 18th, 2025. Step through the veil and discover what waits in the dark.