Ashes in the Wood

In the quiet town of Wrenfield, Michigan, May appears to be just another college student - soft-spoken, warm-hearted, and a little odd. She spends her days studying botany, tending her herbs, and blending in with the locals who have no idea that she's not like them.

Because May isn't mortal. Not anymore.

Centuries ago, she fell in love with a creature from the shadows - a being of silence and darkness the world would one day call Slenderman. Their love burned bright but ended in ruin, leaving her cursed with immortality and a dangerous gift: magic that bends emotions, stirs nature, and draws human hearts toward her like moths to flame.

Now, after centuries of hiding, May has built a fragile peace among mortals. But when an ancient corruption begins to stir in the forests surrounding Wrenfield - whispering her name, twisting the world with forgotten power - the past she buried claws its way back.

To stop it, May must confront the being she once loved and the darkness they both helped create. Old feelings reignite, old wounds reopen, and the line between protection and obsession blurs once more.

As shadows creep closer and the woods remember her name, May will have to decide what she's willing to sacrifice - her humanity, her heart, or the quiet life she fought so hard to build.

edit: Played Creepy Dates and felt the old passion to write again like I use to in middle school. Please be patient as I'm juggling work life with college classes.