In 1980s Indiana, a group of young friends witness supernatural forces and secret government exploits. As they search for answers, the children unravel a series of extraordinary mysteries.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
October 13, 1982 Elwood, Indiana 196 Plum Lane, Roane Country
THE GOLDEN HUES OF AUTUMN BATHED THE RUSTIC CABIN NESTLED ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF HAWKINS. Daisy Newby, with her chestnut hair and bright eyes, sat cross-legged on the porch, leaf-strewn pages of a book fluttering in her lap. She glanced up occasionally, absorbing the serene scenery of the tall oaks and distant lake. It was a tranquil afternoon, and the world felt perfect.
Beside her, Bob Newby reclined in a weathered wooden chair, and their family dog, Polly, eoth her head on his lap. Both their kind eyes fixed on the red-gold horizon. Bobs words of wisdom filled the air like warm apple pie.
"Remember, Daisy, this world's a strange place. But it's the strange things that make it beautiful," he mused, taking a sip from a steaming cup of coffee. The porch light flickered. Once, twice, two many times to count.
"I need to replace that bulb." Bob said, not looking up from his newspaper.
Daisy looked at her father, puzzled by his cryptic words, but she merely nodded, not quite grasping the depth of his advice.
Meanwhile, young George, with a mop of unruly hair, scuttled around the porch, his excitement palpable. In his little hands, he held a toy knight, locked in a fierce battle with a ferocious dragon made of twigs and imagination.
"Watch out, George!" Daisy chimed in, her voice filled with sisterly affection. "That dragon looks dangerous."
George giggled and waved the knight into an exaggerated flourish. "Don't worry, sis. Sir Georgie's got this!". The dogs ears livened and began to bark, then chased the boy around the porch.
As the sun dipped lower, casting long, creeping shadows across the porch, a chill set in. Daisy shivered, her instincts sensing something peculiar in the air. Their cabin, adorned with weathered wood and history, seemed like a sanctuary. A family that had known loss, but had grown stronger because of it. They'd lost their mother to an illness that still left a somber mark on their lives, but Bob had become both parents to his children, guiding them with love and wisdom.
"Your mother would've loved this day," Bob said, reminiscing with a faint smile. "She always appreciated the beauty of autumn."
The sun sank lower, casting elongated shadows across the porch, and Daisy felt a shiver run down her spine. The whispers of the forest seemed to grow louder, but she couldn't quite place the source of her unease. The porch light flickered thrice again, then bust completely, leaving the family exposed in the dark.
