As the hospital’s automatic doors closed behind him, he dared a glance down. He smiled at the perfectly swaddled newborn asleep in his arms. An impossible protectiveness bloomed in his heart. He was a father, finally.

Thirty minutes later an alarm sounded from the maternity ward. A baby was missing.

When J. N. Johnson isn’t writing, she works as a Lookout Observer, watching for forest fires in Alberta, Canada. She published her debut novel, PIG, which was short-listed for the 2022 Cygnus Book Awards, and she is currently working on book two in that series. You can find her on Instagram @kocojopublishing.