The snow on the mountains of the Jefferson National Park has settled. With her ankles buried deep in slush, Lily leaves her cozy cabin, bow in hand and arrows sticking out of her backpack, for the trees. There is nothing unusual about this hunt. Not until she spots something dark and mysterious underneath an old willow oak. Lily doesn't so much as flinch when her prey arrives. With her sharp eye, she strikes at the right moment, taking down her dinner. As she goes to collect her meat, a shadow catches her attention by the old oak tree-something that will change everything. ------------- Entry for the Open Novella Contest 2019 Suspense Fiction #1 - Winter Sun - 2/8/19: Title Change from HUNTED to WHEN BLOOD SPEAKS - © 2019 Sarah Lampkin Published to Wattpad 01.18.19 Initial Draft - Ongoing - Last Update 03.26.19

#SurvivalRomance #ForcedProximity #Fast-paced BOUGHT BY WATTPAD WEBTOON STUDIOS FOR PUBLISHING/MOVIE DEALS!!! (Contract expired September, 2025) Winner of the Wattys 2020 Award Plot: In 1974, the mysterious cult's mass kidnapping and ritualistic killing led to the summoning of the Shade-a paranormal entity of living shadow. Ever since then, starting in October in Bastillio-a city in the Philippines steeped in history and superstition-the Shade would be seen haunting twelve teenagers at night throughout the month, often resulting in their deaths. But the discovery of U.V. lights as a deterrent from the Shade led the government to establish a system to contain the Shade's threat. Fast forward to 2025, twenty years after the system had successfully prevented any more deaths, the media and global firestorm surrounding the phenomenon died down. So when sixteen-year-old Vergil Torres was identified as one of the twelve and was immediately brought to Biringan-the government shelter where haunteds like him would stay for the month-he was more excited than scared for his life. But the gruesome and inexplicable death of one of them during their stay in the supposedly safe house renews the horror of the Shade. Vergil, together with his classmate and fellow haunted, the "traditional morena beauty" Cana Bernardo, decided to get to the bottom of it. The two classmates who were indifferent to each other must now work together if they are to survive through the month.