Man at War – Excerpt No. 304

11 July 2026

She thought over their daily affairs and came up with nothing. Evelyn often stated that her art projects were moving along, and the staff were very accommodating. Her mistress was also quite happy to have found a muse in that Georgian. While Breanna was fun, Evelyn likened it to playing with her food.

“Oh, no…” Grace whispered.

To confirm a grim hunch, she passed by the door leading to her quarters. There were no sounds from within, not even a heartbeat. As she passed by Evelyn’s door, there was only one solid heartbeat within.

“…the mail,” Grace added.

A dramatic black-and-white vintage-style photograph with torn paper edges, showing a close-up of a weathered 1915 British envelope resting on a dark, reflective surface. The envelope features a King George V postage stamp, a circular postmark, and a wax seal, with thick black ink (or blood-like liquid) dramatically dripping down from it and pooling below. Handwritten text on the envelope reads “To The Grand, The Grand, Whe susmje from, Britain.” The moody, high-contrast composition with deep shadows evokes supernatural dread.

Disclaimer: This novel is an work in progress and readers may encounter grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Please view this a draft and not a published work.