WIP Shining Through, Excerpt #1

So far, we see our two protagonists, Beth and Marcel, out animal-spotting in the notorious Rotter's Grove. They've never been to this particular area before. In fact, nobody goes there... and they're about to find out why. Legend has it that a dead man roams the forest, guarding a supposed prize in the center of an eerie marsh. Anyone who dares get too close to the treasure meets with gruesome consequences. Of course, it's just a myth, right? A story the locals feel must be passed down throughout generations. Some believe in the tale, but Marcel doesn't. Ghosts are scientifically improbable, he thinks it's all a load of nonsense. Well...he's dead wrong.

In my WIP book,

When faced with the inexplicable, Marcel scrambles for answers, but only digs up more questions. Who is haunting the forest, and why? What is the spirit guarding? He's about to find out. His adventures flip his entire set of morals inside-out, and, most importantly, leaves his insatiable curiosity horrified yet absolutely ravenous. He may very well be the only hope for these vicious hauntings to finally come to an end; he's the light shining through the darkness of it all.

In this experimental little excerpt (which may or may not be added in the final project), I've left out enough crucial information to hopefully peak the readers' interest.

Trigger Warning, Mature Content
Gore, violence, cursing, sexual jokes, maggots, mutilation, brief fight scene, implied dark undertones, graphic depictions of gore.