Fifteen-almost-sixteen-year-old Calia Johnston, who lives in Washington state, has a dad who is off on a mandatory business trip for a year, which only leaves her adventure-loving mother to take care of her and her two brothers, Tommy and Gale. Unfortunately, that also means that when her mom says they're moving out-of-state, they're moving out-of-state. When they move to a small forest-y region in Maryland, her mother picks out a slightly worn-down rickety 1800s-style mansion, which, due to its age, has been largely discounted. Calia's hatred for it only gets worse when she starts to feel the creeping sensations of constantly being watched. She complains about this to her older brother Gale and her mother, but all they do is be optimistic about their life there. Her younger high school freshman brother, Tommy, starts to feel it, too. But it only gets worse. Dark hallways, empty rooms, flickering lights, mysteriously misplaced things, loud noises, eerie howling, strange nightmares, cold spots, whispers, empty houses, creaking floorboards, strange shadows, haunted pasts, paranormal activity, screams of insanity, insane asylums, hidden passageways, basements, attics, a dead man, screams, yodels from nowhere, yelling, blood, blackness, graveyards, ghosts, possession, asylum, doctors, death, pain, and mentality all suddenly seems to have a meaning, and the writing on the walls all say one thing: She won't leave. She will haunt you. She will come for you. You will know her name. Insanity never ends.
Rated R for strong language and many frightening graphic scenes. Copyright - 2014. All rights reserved.
"You are our sister, Ana! Our little girl and our world. You may not be ours by blood but you are ours by heart and choice, baby. We love you."
-
Anastasia Miller.
A little girl whose life has never been treated fairly. A girl who spent her entire life cleaning and cooking, serving her abusive parents, hoping they would stop their torture and finally love her. She can't seem to remember the last time love and affection were shown to her or the last time she smiled or laughed.
She went from seeing loving parents to now gazing at monsters who abuse her at every given chance. Now, in the aftermath of living a pain-riddled life, she's left scarred for life, utterly vulnerable to a harsh world with a tainted mind, expecting nothing but the worst from everyone she meets.
Sick and tired of the constant torture, she escapes and leaves the hell she's lived in her whole life. But having no one to rely on, she has no idea what to do now. That's until she ran into a tall stranger who calls her Darlin' and regards her with a soft look of affection and longing that makes her feel safe and... loved?
Ana wasn't sure but she knew that the moment she met the rest of the Romano family, that was the first time in her 12 years of life that she felt truly at home.
-
Please check TWs.
*The book towards the beginning is relatively tame in terms of darkness but after a certain chapter, the themes I'll explore are very dark and triggering. Please proceed with caution.*