*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

Secrets, sadness, and summer. Three things that converge on Emmie Bridges. She always knew that there was something different about her mother, but when more mysteries are uncovered after her sudden death, she begins to realize there was a lot about her that she didn't, and still doesn't, know. When the search for answers sends her on a trip to the local lake with her friends, things go horribly wrong very fast. Now, Emmie is left with a whole new issue to deal with - survival. And she'll do anything it takes to get back home. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ My second entry for the 2020 Open Novella Contest (how could I contain myself and just write one?) Based on prompt #40

Kit Marra is a nomad, directionless and free-spirited. After leaving Burning Man Festival with her latest fling, she finds a temporary home on an old ranch modified into an artist's commune. Soon after her arrival, Kit begins to see troubling visions of the ranch's dark past and the carefree inhabitants take on dark affectations. Could her presence alone have triggered the haunting? Also available on iTunes and Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Shade-Audiobook/B09FR5ZYM8 #OpenNovellaContest2020 Inspired by Prompt 40 Horror/Paranormal