My name is Kaitlin Reid. I'm simple-minded, boring, and a little less than capable of dealing with stressful situations. When I witnessed my best friend being murdered, I did all that I knew how to do, and I called the cops. They captured the murderer and put him in prison, and for a while, I felt safe. I had the cops on my side and just enough strength left in me to try to get my life back in order. But of course, as the story goes, that illusion of 'safety' was short-handed. The murderer escaped a high security prison. I know I am the top of his hit list. And I'm not sure when he will find me, or how he will do it, but he is after me. And my limited time is running out.

There are things that happen at night that do not belong fully to dreams or to waking. Moments when the body goes still but the mind stays alert. When shadows feel deliberate. When voices sound familiar enough to answer, yet wrong enough to fear. When you are certain you are awake - and later realize you may not have been. This book is not about monsters. It is about losing control while fully conscious. What you will read here did not happen once, or in one place, or in one form. These experiences followed me across years, rooms, and stages of my life - changing shape, but never intent. Sometimes they whispered. Sometimes they watched. Sometimes they touched. Every incident in this book is real as I remember it. Some moments are clear. Others are fragments - sensations, fear, stillness, pain. Where memory faltered, emotion remained. Where certainty failed, awareness did not. If you have ever woken unable to move, if you have ever heard your name when no one was there, if you have ever felt fear before understanding why - this book may feel uncomfortably familiar. And if it doesn't, read carefully. Because once you become conscious in the dark, sleep is never entirely innocent again. Content Warning (15+) : This book contains intense descriptions of sleep-related experiences that may be disturbing for some readers. Themes include fear, loss of bodily control, altered states of consciousness, and psychological distress occurring during the night. Descriptions may trigger anxiety in readers with sleep-related disorders. Reader discretion is advised. Recommended for readers 15 years and older.

The boy stood in front of the bathroom mirror, a little too close, his tiny hands pressed against the cold surface. He smiled at his reflection, though it didn't smile back right away. He was used to this. It was always like that-he would smile, and then the reflection would follow, eventually. "Hi, there," the boy whispered, his voice a soft murmur in the quiet house. From the kitchen, the sound of pots clanging echoed, and his mother's humming filled the space. He could hear the rhythm of the spatula stirring in the pan, the sizzling of whatever she was cooking. His father, still seated at the dining table, rustled the newspaper, absorbed in the evening's headlines. "Mom, look, it's me," the boy called out, his eyes never leaving the mirror. He waited for her usual response-a glance over her shoulder, a quick nod of acknowledgment. But she didn't answer. She just hummed. The boy tilted his head, eyes narrowing. There was something about his reflection now that felt different, too still, too patient. "Hello?" His voice trembled slightly. "Why don't you say something?" In the reflection, his own lips parted in silent mockery. But this time, he swore it wasn't him. The boy swallowed hard, his pulse quickening. His reflection didn't mirror his every movement anymore. It was slightly delayed, like it was watching him instead. A whisper seemed to curl in the air around him, soft but distinct. "You're not alone here." His heart thudded. The voice, distant but clear, came from the mirror. "Who's there?" the boy asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His father grunted from the other room, and the boy glanced toward the dining table. His father was engrossed in his newspaper. The boy turned back to the mirror. The reflection was still staring, but now, something more than just the image of himself looked back. "Don't you want to play?" the reflection asked, its smile curling wider, unnaturally wide.

I came to The School looking for a reset - a quiet place to disappear. For a moment, it almost felt possible. Until the calm cracked. Students vanish. Lights flicker without cause. Whispers know my name. Bruce watches the corners like something might crawl out. Bilton hides jealousy behind sharp smiles. And Kairaness... she looks at me like she's afraid I'll disappear next. Now survival means keeping Bruce steady, keeping Bilton from breaking, and keeping Kairaness alive long enough for all of us to escape. Because once The School decides you belong to it, it doesn't let go.

When Blade convinces his dad to take a weekend trip to a hidden mountain campsite called Shadow Hollow, he expects waterfalls, hiking, and a break from his boring life. Instead, the moment they arrive, something feels wrong - the ranger won't speak, the woods are too quiet, and a chilling note appears at their door: They're always watching. That night, Blade wakes to an old woman hanging upside‑down outside his window, smiling with teeth that shouldn't exist. Determined not to run, Blade pushes forward... until a scream in the forest leads him to a mysterious girl in a crystal‑blue dress, unconscious and alone. Saving her was the right thing to do - but bringing her back to the cabin may have been the mistake that changes everything. Because the shadows in these woods aren't empty. They're alive. And they've been waiting for him. As Blade, his father, and the girl fight to survive the shapeshifter that hunts them, Blade and Chrysalis form a bond neither of them expected - one strong enough to challenge fear, darkness, and the nightmare closing in around them. Their only chance is to trust each other and escape before the Hollow takes another life. Shadow Hollow is a cinematic YA horror‑thriller about fear, survival, and the connection that forms when two strangers are forced to face something no one else would believe. Perfect for readers who love emotional storytelling, supernatural danger, and stories that keep you up at night.