SPARK [ONC 2025]

At 19, Talia Wells is grieving the sudden and tragic loss of her parents. Living in her clapped-out Volvo station wagon, she is at her wit's end. But when she learns her great Aunt Maeve has left her Wicklow House, the 150-year-old Victorian that's been in the family for generations, everything changes. And while the mansion is falling apart, Talia is determined to restore it - and herself.

On her second night there, a violent storm blows up out of nowhere, and while racing to take cover, Talia is struck by lightning. Shaken but unharmed, she soon begins noticing a new power stirring deep within her, an energy humming beneath her skin. After a strange interaction with her elderly neighbour and, hours later, with a small boy on the street, Talia thinks she might be able to heal others by manipulating their energy, easing both physical pain and emotional wounds.

As she struggles to manage this extraordinary gift, Talia must confront the wounds of her own past. But striking a balance between helping others and healing herself is not for the faint of heart. To complicate matters, not everyone in town is happy about Talia's arrival at Wicklow,
Can she trust the new people in her life? And is her new power a blessing... or a curse?
Ultimately, Talia's journey might just save more than the house she's trying to restore.

Prompt: #19. You inherit a house from a long-lost relative, only to discover it's haunted by a ghost from your past. How do you deal with what you once knew?

Prompt: #131. "This girl is on fire"