Luca Fern has been a girl with a morbid fascination for disguises ever since a case of mistaken identity lead to her mother's murder. Moving to Bottle Island was supposed to heal her obsessive behaviours, but instead it has revealed a mystery that could swallow her whole. As tradition on the island, Altswood High School organizes an annual game called the Hunt: a thrill-seeking contest among peers of seek and eliminate. But this year, instead of an innocent paint pellet, players are being eliminated permanently with bullets to the head. The head investigator, Luca's own father, is stumped as the death toll increases. Soon Luca will be next, and if she cannot bring light to the hidden secrets within Altswood High's traditions, then she too will die in this twisted version of the Hunt.

*03/03/2020 - 𝙐𝙉𝘿𝙄𝙎𝘾𝙊𝙑𝙀𝙍𝙀𝘿 𝙁𝙀𝘼𝙏𝙐𝙍𝙀𝘿 𝙇𝙄𝙎𝙏* _̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲ Everybody at Black Hill knows about the lake by the old house. They know never to let an open wound bleed out in the murky waters. Never to take their eyes off the pine trees lining the banks. Then Annalise Madigan moves in, and she can't believe her luck when the popular kids invite her for a swim in the lake. But when she dives under the depths of the water, her life unravels. After swimming up, 2 months have passed and her new friends lie dead on the surface. As time goes on, Annalise can't keep track of the days, losing hours where she's unable to remember what she's done. And there's always a trail of dead kids on the water behind her. Drawn into a mystery of dark creatures and police investigations, Annalise must find out what happened at the bottom of the lake that night. Or else risk losing her soul forever. _̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲_̲ ONC 2020 Entry

When Isabelle Donovan disappears without a trace, her case eerily resembles another woman's unexplained vanishing just a year before-raising chilling questions about what truly links these two mysteries. Isabelle Donovan doesn't show up to work, which causes immediate concern. Known for her impeccable attendance, Isabelle would never miss a day without notice. The police launch a swift investigation, with initial suspicion falling on her estranged husband, Scott Donovan, from whom she separated six months earlier. Scott claims ignorance regarding Isabelle's disappearance, but his alibi begins to unravel when her best friend comes forward with unsettling new information. A year earlier, another young woman vanished under eerily similar circumstances. Though her body was never recovered, police remained convinced her husband was responsible-despite lacking proof. As the search for Isabelle intensifies, troubling questions emerge. What truly led to the end of Isabelle's marriage? Is Scott harboring secrets, or is he a scapegoat for a deeper mystery? And could Isabelle's case be linked to the earlier disappearance? If so, does that clear Scott-or deepen his guilt? In this story, innocence is elusive and every character harbors secrets. Because here, nobody is innocent.

[ONC 2020 Shortlister] Something evil dwells in the black lake by the misty woods, something that will claim the souls of those who dare to dive into its realm. Lynn Morris is ready to enjoy some well-deserved holidays in the company of her closest friends. And that house on the lakeshore looks like a dream come true and is exactly what she needs. Or that's what she thinks. It takes her diving into the lake, it takes a blood-curdling vision for her to know they shouldn't have touched the waters. Something is watching her; ready to turn her holidays into the worst nightmare ever had. When reality and illusions start clashing in a never-ending war, will she be able to remain sane and save her friends? Or will she fall prey to the darkness growing in her own mind? *ONC 2020. Prompt #40.

There's nothing you're forced to trust more than your own mind. You're dependent on it, it stores the memories that make up your world. But what if it could be stolen from you? Aspen's world is growing, from the boundaries of her country farm to the edges of the city. Her first year of university. It's supposed to be full of independence and new beginnings, and Aspen's is filled with new friends and the prospect of romance. Until she finds out her best friends are killing people. A YA thriller swimming with mystery, romance, and a seething danger that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Highest rank: #10 in Mystery/Thriller Cover by @supernovass © 2016 AUTHERAS, All rights reserved

A campus thriller: suspense, murder & one handsome roommate. ***** When Haley Bell is offered a scholarship to study at the exclusive Woodcreek College, famous for moulding the world's brightest thinkers, politicians and entrepreneurs, she jumps at the opportunity. Except when she arrives, the murders start. In a campus hidden from civilisation in the mountains of Colorado, Haley's classmates are slowly turning up dead. As the bodies pile up and eyes of suspicion turn on her, Haley finds that there's a reason why she was brought to Woodcreek. And it wasn't to study. "That opening line will hook you (I still think about it) & it DOESN'T STOP! I binged this like crazy" - Leah, Sr. Editorial Manager @ HQ [[word count: 90,000-100,000 words]] Cover designed by Ellie Sita

WATTPAD ORIGINAL EDITION Everyone knew Clara was in love with Griffin, the most popular and perfect kid at school - so no one understands why her older sister, Emily, murdered him. ***** Golden boy Griffin Tomlin is found dead, floating in his pool, the morning after his family's Labor Day party. Clara Portfield's older sister, Emily, is arrested for his murder. No one knows why she killed him - except for Clara. The mystery is uncovered in dual timelines: In the present, Clara, burdened by a heavy secret, struggles with the aftermath of the murder. And In a series of flashbacks, the events that brought Clara, Emily and Griffin together are revealed: a crush, an obsession and a shocking twist. (𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐩𝐚𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬) 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐗𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐓

Mia Hansen is missing. She dropped off the face of the earth last week leaving her twin sister, Tiril, alone to face the wolves at Asker International College. When Tiril and her classmates start receiving strange messages from Mia, it slowly becomes clear that they never knew who she really was. Her game is simple - complete the challenge she sets before time runs out. She knows what they did last summer, and she'll stop at nothing to expose every dark secret they hide. Tiril has to find a way to stop the madness as suspicion rises against her. But something's out to get them - something way bigger than what Mia could ever be. One by one, the wolves start dropping like flies.

"Pretty girls like you get lost in these woods all the time, Alexa." On the night of Sebastián's annual Beginning of Summer Bash, amiable and adventurous Melody Tryniski went missing. What might have appeared as a juvenile escapade - a casual incident in eerie Levittown, Utah - turned into a missing person's case. Nobody knows what happened, but what they do know is that Melody was last seen with best friend Alexa King and boyfriend Logan Price. After two months with no trace of her, she returns to Levittown unharmed, unresponsive, personifying the town itself: solemn, eerie, quiet. However, Melody's long-awaited return is cut short when she's found brutally murdered in the comfort of her room. Questions begin to arise and it seems everyone in Levittown believes someone from her group of friends committed the awful crime. With outside media taking an interest in a town that's best left alone and a terror-stricken town willing to accuse anyone of the murder, Alexa King must find the truth behind Melody's death. But the truth is not always simple, it can sometimes be dangerous - and, as the scandalous revelation comes to the surface, she realizes she's challenging something more sinister. °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° [Featured on Wattpad's Mystery Page: Bright Young Minds] [Previously won Best of Mystery/Thriller hosted by Wattpad's Mystery page] [Won Best Mystery/Thriller in The 2018 Readers Choice Awards] © all rights reserved Abigail F. Boneta

❝ MAYBE THERE ARE NO GOOD GUYS ANYMORE. ❞ Mere weeks after the start of sophomore year, Angelina Jung awakens in the middle of the wilderness, stranded with no explanation. When she finds three other college students in the same predicament as her, she isn't sure what to believe. With all their recent memories erased, the four must set aside their uncertainty in order to survive. From enduring the harsh conditions to facing their inner demons, it'll take all their resilience to overcome this true test of their strength. However, the forest will soon become the least of their worries as a ghost from their past surfaces, enmeshing them in a ploy more sinister than they could imagine. Some secrets are meant to be buried. → Open Novella Contest Prompt #1 → cover by @demonologies → banners by @wintermoxie