A Web So Dark and Deadly
- Reads 2,161
- Votes 284
- Parts 17
Attend opera concerts. Run a few errands. Enjoy a luxury apartment, wardrobe, and car, all expenses paid.
Sounds like a dream job, right? There's only one catch.
After nights of haunting musical messages and retrieving strange items for her eccentric employer, Cleo unravels a conspiracy she definitely isn't getting paid enough to be involved in. As time goes on, she glimpses a fantastical realm of individuals that prefer to keep their powers a secret, and will do anything to remain unseen. Once unveiled, there is no going back to blissful ignorance.
It all started with a paycheck. But in the end, Cleo may be the one paying - with her life.
~
cover by Laine from @avadel
sticker by @SuVida777
*ONC 2024 Honorable Mention and Shortlister
*Open Door Awards 2024 New Adult Winner
*8CC participant January-February 2024
Completed Word Count: 31,180
Featured: @mystery
100. In a concert hall filled with hundreds of people, only you are hearing different lyrics to what everyone is singing.
27. Sometimes love is what drives you to take your next breath. Other times, it's revenge.
All Rights Reserved
#39
opennovellacontest
Join the largest storytelling communityGet personalized story recommendations, save your favourites to your library, and comment and vote to grow your community.
You may also like
The Rabbit Hole || ONC 2023 ||
Marie was not prepared to get fired from her job. This was supposed to be her chance at fame and it just went down the drain. Down on her luck she stumbles upon The Rabbit Hole, a small little talent bar. When Marie is offered a job she's skeptical at first, but eventually agrees to the job. But The Rabbit Hole isn't as normal as it appears. A man turns invisible, another starts on fire. And her partner is never seen expect right before they're about to perform. Oh, and there's a man with fire for eyes who's seen right before trouble appears. If Marie wants to do well and become famous she's going to have to learn more about The Rabbit Hole and herself. ~~ An ONC 2023 entry Cover by: @HollisOfRandomComplete
In Search of Kasena (ONC 2024) | ✓
Torn between following a family tradition of being a bounty hunter-one that he's not particularly fond of-and following his dreams of being a private detective, Niel has always struggled to land himself a job and put the food on his table. Few people were willing to hire an untraditional bounty hunter like him, so when he gets an urgent invitation from the eldest son of the wealthy Ravillet family, he is more than surprised. Enticed with the promise of a generous payment, Niel is determined to find the runaway young lady of the Ravillet family despite the lack of clues. With the help of an eccentric adventurer, he follows the trail of mysterious Kasena and her accomplice all the way to an esteemed swordsmanship tournament. But with no clues to go off of, can they really find someone who seems to have vanished into thin air? ⁕⁕⁕ STARTED: 2/17/2024 FINISHED: 11/15/2024 Word count: 27.8k wordsComplete
This was not our plan.
"Wasn't it exhausting? Lying to my face for so long?" Cleo Atwood is the head of the Oceanside Criminal Investigative department, she's 28 and seemingly already has her life together. She's got her dream job, her dream house, her secrets buried deep, life is perfect. ..Or is it? It was, until she made the mistake of hiring Fallon Smith. That woman can make her way into anybody's heart, even the stone cold, rock hard, secret filled one of Cleo Atwood. When Cleo and Fallon have no choice but to work together to solve a murder, how close will they get? What secrets will they uncover about each other?Complete
Shattered
⚠️THIS STORY IS OLD. IT ISN'T VERY GOOD. THE OTHER BOOK IS BETTER⚠️ Adeline was a good kid. She worked hard, took care of herself, and didn't let anybody push her around. At least that's what the kids at school thought. But, like most people, she had secrets. Things nobody knew about her. Nobody knew her mother and stepfather hated her. Nobody knew she lived alone with her best friend. Nobody knew that, outside of school, she was a totally different person. Nobody knew what she had been through, and all the things that left her shattered. This is how she lived her life. This is the only life she had ever known. But what would happen if all of that changed? Could one school lecture, a mishap at the courthouse, and a DNA test change her life forever? For the better or for the worst, Adeline's life is about to change. And for once in her life, she might not have to keep so many secrets. ********************************* Started: 6/18/2022 Finished: 7/29/2022 © 2022 Taylor Sassone Cover by my awesome sister @owlhootsburger13Complete
Trials of Lies
A twist on the classic fairytale Rapunzel. lnstead of a princess escaping from a tower and her evil caretaker, Trials of Lies is the story of Cleo, a young woman, escaping a dystopian palace and a corrupt government. ¤¤¤ Cleo has spent her entire life inside the Grand Palace, training alongside other orphans for a single chance at freedom-the Externship Program. Only a select few pass, earning the title of "extern" and escaping the palace's suffocating walls. But after failing the exam multiple times, Cleo is starting to wonder if the system is rigged against her. Then, a mysterious instructor hints at a buried truth: the exam isn't just unfair-it's a lie. Determined to uncover the truth, Cleo's search leads her into a web of deadly secrets, where every revelation brings her closer to danger. Becoming an extern isn't the escape she imagined-it's just the beginning of a far more dangerous game. Now, every trial is designed to test not just her intelligence and skills, but her loyalty, morality, and survival. With a corrupt government watching her every move, Cleo faces an impossible choice: become a pawn in their ruthless regime-or fight for her freedom and risk everything. When the truth is a weapon, how far will she go to survive? ¤¤¤ Disclaimer: violence, gore, death, blood Topics: YA, fantasy, dystopia, battle royale, action, mystery, suspense, thriller, romance, friends to loversComplete
The Climb
Talia has a lot of secrets, but her biggest secret she hopes nobody will ever find out. Her secret could put the people she loves most in danger. How will she protect her secret, her friends, her loved ones, and herself?Complete
Get A Life | ONC2023 Shortlist
While her best friend Cassidy snacks on brie and boys in France, Darcy Li-Quinn must face her last year of high school and the unpredictable wrath of her sister, Danica, alone. Darcy's plan for dealing with Danica and her heinous friends is simple-be invisible. But first, she's promised Cassidy she'll do 'one brave thing'. Mustering the courage to say 'hi' to the cute boy on the bus, Darcy expects rejection or indifference. She doesn't anticipate a grumpy ghost with unfinished business who needs her help. Suddenly, a quiet year of flying under the radar looks increasingly unlikely. *** Rationally, Hunter Viera knows that his brother's death wasn't his fault. But that doesn't stop his guilt about Archer invading his every thought or lessen the grief sitting heavy in his chest. Changing schools offers a fresh start, and Hunter's plan is simple-be invisible. But he hasn't counted on Darcy, or her ludicrous claim that Archer speaks to her from beyond the grave. Suddenly, a quiet year of sitting on the sidelines looks increasingly unlikely. *** This is a story about hearts and hope and public transport. This is Darcy and Hunter's story (and a little bit Archer's too). *** 'Get A Life' is my entry for Open Novella Contest 2023 and is inspired by the following prompts. 20. You finally build enough courage to talk to that cute someone you see every day on the bus. Their face turns dark as they respond "You shouldn't be able to see me." 9. There's an urban legend that's been circulating for years about a taxi cab that doesn't take you where you want to go, but where you need to go. One night, you stepped into this cab.Complete
Ink And Illusions |ENG| girlXgirl
Ambitious journalist Odette has always had her own special means of extracting the information she needs. What she didn't anticipate was that her methods would accidentally unearth long-buried secrets about her cold, commanding editor-in-chief, Illeana Adler. And Illeana does not take kindly to being exposed. What begins as a clash of wills soon spirals into a dangerous game between two women. A game both sadistic and destructive. But in the end, who will deliver the fatal checkmate? ⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘ Content Warnings: This story contains sexual content, explicit language, psychological issues, violence, recreational drug use and non-consensual scenes. *this story is also lightly interwoven with elements of fantasy and bit of crime solving* *age gap: 20 years* *technically a slowburn*
Marie was not prepared to get fired from her job. This was supposed to be her chance at fame and it just went down the drain. Down on her luck she stumbles upon The Rabbit Hole, a small little talent bar. When Marie is offered a job she's skeptical at first, but eventually agrees to the job. But The Rabbit Hole isn't as normal as it appears. A man turns invisible, another starts on fire. And her partner is never seen expect right before they're about to perform. Oh, and there's a man with fire for eyes who's seen right before trouble appears. If Marie wants to do well and become famous she's going to have to learn more about The Rabbit Hole and herself. ~~ An ONC 2023 entry Cover by: @HollisOfRandom
More detailsContent Guidelines