The Burning and the Burned

Wren is only eight, but he's been Crooked for as long as he can remember: when he touches an object, he can hear the memories of the dead who've touched it in the past. He views his magic as a gift that puts hundreds of lifetimes' worth of memories at his fingertips. But his older brother Finch is burdened with the reality of their situation: their small town hates and fears the magic of the Crookeds, and discovery could mean being burned at the stake. After the death of their father, Finch struggles to hide their situation from the town's prying eyes and keep himself and his younger brother safe, all while Wren sets out on a journey of self-discovery to find a place in the world for himself and his magic.

Ilsa is a creature of legend, the strange woman who came from the north and settled somewhere in the woods that surround the town. No one has spoken to her and lived to tell the tale, and these days she is mostly forgotten in the minds of the townsfolk, except in whispers exchanged only by the most superstitious in the night. But she is a real woman, and her story is as much one of tragedy as of mystery: the insane mother, the steady loss of her voice, the guilt of an unwitting murderess. These days she lives alone, surrounded by her own thoughts... and the grotesque consequences of her magic.

Wren's childish curiosity will bring their stories together, but it may also bring them to a close; the three of them stand alone against a world of fear and superstition, and if they're not careful, they may just get burned.

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Inspired by Radical Face's family tree albums. Trigger warning: contains themes of abuse and suicide.