[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-115458-en":3,"doc-seo-115458-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":91},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":11,"is_downloadable":11,"audit_status":11,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":27,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},115458,1099523885074,"Ivy","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc",1,"Story & Novel","Gifts Between Us - Chapter 1 - Balham, South West London","Gifts Between Us opens with Augustus handling a framed photograph in Balham, South West London, recalling the time it was taken and scrutinizing its details with uneasy familiarity. A confrontation with Lynette reveals differing attitudes toward the image, while the physical condition of the frame and glass suggests something deliberate and enduring. The chapter builds tension as Augustus moves through the house and garden, leading to a sudden act that shatters the photograph and signals the story’s adversarial threat.","TABLE OF CONTENTS  \nGifts Between Us Chapter 1  \nChapter 2  \nChapter 3  \nChapter 4  \nChapter 5  \nChapter 6  \nChapter 7  \nChapter 8  \nChapter 9  \nChapter 10  \n[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \nPraise for C.C. Adams  \n“Adams has a powerful capacity to set scene, develop character and help us believe in our protagonist before placing them in the face of a relentless adversarial threat that keeps on hitting until the bitter end.”  \n-K. Harrison  \n“There Goes Pretty completely changed my views on the standard haunting trope.”  \n-Candace Nola, Splatterpunk & H.A.G. Award-winning author of  \nHank Flynn  \n“You get your good, old-fashioned HORROR horror, complete with blood and guts and all that great stuff, and those scenes that have you holding your breath. And then you get the psychological horror of what each and every character is going through – there are so many edges to this.”  \n-Happy Goat Horror  \nCopyright 2025 C.C. Adams  \nCover art copyright 2025 Kealan Patrick Burke What are you spraying me with?  \nAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any other mode of information storage or sharing, without the written consent of the publisher, except where permitted by law.  \nNames, places, characters, and incidents are the product of the author ’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.  \nRum! So no one will believe your story.  \nGifts Between Us C.C. Adams  \nFor Terri and Matt – that whisky glass is still on rotation. Thanks, people.  \n“I thought about how there are two types of secrets: the kind you let in, and the kind you don’t dare to let out.”  \n–Ally Carter  \n[OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com)  \nCHAPTER 1  \nBalham, South West London  \n17:17, 28/02/2020  \nGold-painted wood of the frame felt alien in his hand, and not only from the coating of dust. The last time he had picked up this photograph must have been not long after it was taken. What was that, some four or five years ago? Augustus tilted his head back, mouthing softly as he did the mental calculation.  \nFive years.  \nLynette: standing on the left, her veil pulled back from her face. A face framed by artful tendrils of hair, brown skin flawless against red lips and animpossibly white smile. Christian, a couple of inches taller, standing on the right. Tuxedo immaculate, as was the shirt collar, tie and buttonhole. Cleanshaven with no hint of a shadow. Trademark grin in place, albeit a little skewed to one side. Brown hair spiky; freshly gelled, from the look of it.  \nAugustus scoffed.  \n“What do you think?” Lynette, back in tank top and jeans, grinning. Holding the picture in front of her like it was a plaque of her stomach.  \nAugustus threw up a hand in resignation.“You know what I think, but I leave you to get on with it.”  \nHer grin faded, giving way to cold contempt.  \n“Bully for you,” he muttered.  \nStill, it was a good quality frame. The wood felt heavy and durable. Gold paintwork applied to the wood evenly, no sign of fading or chipping after all this time. The glass holding the picture in place, of similar good quality. It didn’t shake when Augustus rattled the frame (like he was doing now, shaking it gently), the glass itself showed no signs of cracks or smudging. Even the back of the picture – the last thing anyone would be looking at – was all present and correct. Magenta-leather style backboard, with the foldout stand. Solid craftsmanship.  \n“You get what you pay for.”  \nStill holding the picture and looking at it, Augustus made his way out into the kitchen, the darkness of carpet scrolling to cream linoleum in his periphery. Opened the back door and let himself out into the garden. Concrete path in front of him. Weed-filled garden on one side. Dustbin at the top of a narrow strip of earth on the other, next to the outhouse.  \nAugustus eas","cbCaiiRihNv4OrlB","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiiRihNv4OrlB","pdf",1119955,4,115,"English","en",105,"# Chapter 1\n## Balham, South West London\n# Chapter 2\n# Chapter 3\n# Chapter 4\n# Chapter 5\n# Chapter 6\n# Chapter 7\n# Chapter 8\n# Chapter 9\n# Chapter 10","[{\"question\":\"What is the setting and time reference at the start of Chapter 1?\",\"answer\":\"Chapter 1 is set in Balham, South West London, and includes a timestamp of 17:17 on 28/02/2020.\"},{\"question\":\"Who are the main people connected to the photograph?\",\"answer\":\"The photograph is associated with Augustus and Lynette, with Christian also described as standing in the picture.\"},{\"question\":\"What does Augustus do with the photograph?\",\"answer\":\"Augustus takes the framed photograph into the garden area and throws it into the bin, causing the glass to shatter as the wood breaks.\"}]","Gifts Between Us - Chapter 1 - Balham, South West London | PDF",1785473601,177,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":86,"head_meta":88,"extra_data":90,"updated_unix":28},"gifts-between-us-chapter-1-balham-south-west-london","",{"@graph":36,"@context":85},[37,53,68],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":11},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/story-novel/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/gifts-between-us-chapter-1-balham-south-west-london/115458/",{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":54,"author":55,"headline":13,"publisher":57,"fileFormat":60,"inLanguage":23,"description":14,"dateModified":61,"datePublished":62,"encodingFormat":60,"isAccessibleForFree":63,"interactionStatistic":64},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":56},"Person",{"url":41,"name":58,"@type":59},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-08-16","2026-07-31",true,{"@type":65,"interactionType":66,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":67},"ViewAction",{"@type":69,"mainEntity":70},"FAQPage",[71,77,81],{"name":72,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":74},"What is the setting and time reference at the start of Chapter 1?","Question",{"text":75,"@type":76},"Chapter 1 is set in Balham, South West London, and includes a timestamp of 17:17 on 28/02/2020.","Answer",{"name":78,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":79},"Who are the main people connected to the photograph?",{"text":80,"@type":76},"The photograph is associated with Augustus and Lynette, with Christian also described as standing in the picture.",{"name":82,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":83},"What does Augustus do with the photograph?",{"text":84,"@type":76},"Augustus takes the framed photograph into the garden area and throws it into the bin, causing the glass to shatter as the wood breaks.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":52,"og:type":87,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":58,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":89,"canonical":52},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":24},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":92},[93,96,100,104,109,114,119,124,129,132,136],{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},90,"story-novel",{"id":47,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":20,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":105,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":110,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":120,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":123},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":125,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":126,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":128},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":130,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":131},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":133,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":134,"show_sort_weight":133,"slug":135},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":137,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":138,"show_sort_weight":105,"slug":139},19,"General","general"]