Have you ever just known something was wrong? For me, that was inevitable. I can sense things others can't. Feel connections in ways unimaginable by others. I know my life was truly messed up. I know my parents aren't my real parents. I know that they truly believe I am their biological son, but I just know I am not. I know I have a real family. I know that they're all out there in this messed up world, probably not knowing that their lives were ever any different. And maybe they weren't. Maybe I am some crazy person who imagines things out of thin air. But trust me, I am not.
16 year old Bayani knows there is more to life than what he is told. His so called "family" seemed as far away from relatives to him as possible. Currently living with his "mother" and his abusive stepfather, Derek, Bayani's life is uneventful and mysterious. When Bayani's "real" father takes him to land co-owned by his family for a tournament dedicated to a friend of his father's who died three years ago in a car crash, things change. He sensed a connection in children he had never met. When one of the children was with Bayani, the child fell to the ground and shook violently until he turned blue. While calling for help, he noticed an almost identical birthmark on the child as he did. Was this really a birthmark? Once at the hospital with the boy, the doctor announced that the boy had a very rare heart abnormality caused by a genetic disorder. Was the birthmark a sign that they were related? Does Bayani too have this condition? If so, how much longer will he live?
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]]