This story uses strong language and is intended for MATURE audiences.
What you don't know CAN hurt you.
After years of bouncing from town to town, Anna Michelle Jenkins and her off-beat parents settle down in Oak Shores, North Carolina. It's a sleepy coastal village, the kind of place where the only gossip occurs at the weekly Baptist service and the sheriff--who doubles as the mayor--knows everybody's business. Sparked by rumors surrounding the last mayor's disappearance, Anna enlists the help of the charming sheriff's boy to begin crafting her own true-crime documentary featuring a few willing and conspiratorial citizens . After conducting interviews and asking around, it becomes clear that these conspiracies aren't far-fetched. Brushing the sand from the town's coldest case, Anna realizes Oak Shores might not be as sleepy as it appears. In fact, many things may not be as they appear. Secrets are unearthed and tensions escalate as Anna concludes there's one more secret she's overlooking--one that's been hiding right beneath her eyes.
When Jane Madarang's neighbor Natalie kills herself and leaves behind cryptic instructions, it's up to Jane and her classmates to unearth deadly secrets.
*****
Natalie Driscoll is dead.
She threw herself out a window and left her neighbor Jane to unravel their town's darkest secrets. Following Natalie's instructions leads Jane to three other high school students who all have something to hide. The four of them must carry out Natalie's final errand while solving the mysteries written in her diary. But the secrets they unearth may be far more dangerous than what they ever imagined.
Content and/or trigger warning: This story contains scenes of suicide, violence and murder that may be triggering for some readers.
[[word count: 100,000-150,000 words]]