1 of The Curse of Hibiscus with the school introduction, the teacher’s class, and fun moments with her best friend Lily and Jake’s entry:

Hibiscus slipped into her seat just as the bell rang, her mind still clouded by the lingering dream that had haunted her last night. She felt a faint chill in her bones that she couldn’t shake. Brushing off the feeling, she looked around the bustling classroom. Students chatted and laughed, energy buzzing through the air. Her best friend, Lily, plopped down beside her, flashing a grin.

“Late night?” Lily teased, poking her arm.

“More like a weird one,” Hibiscus replied, forcing a smile. She wasn’t ready to admit how disturbed she still felt.

Their teacher, Ms. Blair, strode into the room, her heels echoing with an authority that silenced the class. She was a mysterious figure herself, with an old-fashioned look and eyes that seemed to see right through you. Today, her expression held a peculiar excitement, which immediately caught Hibiscus’s attention.

“Today,” Ms. Blair began, her voice a low whisper that made everyone lean in, “we’re going to talk about the Curse of Everwood Villa.” She paused dramatically, letting her words sink in.

Hibiscus’s heart skipped a beat as a thrill of curiosity sparked inside her. Local legends were something she couldn’t resist, and judging by the looks on her classmates’ faces, she wasn’t the only one intrigued.

Ms. Blair continued, “Everwood Villa stands on the edge of the forest, abandoned, but not empty.” She cast a dark glance at Hibiscus, her eyes glinting. “A family lived there many years ago—a mother who practiced strange rituals, a father rarely seen in daylight, and their daughter. Rumor has it the daughter was cursed, bound to her mother’s dark power and her father’s… condition.”

A wave of nervous laughter rippled through the class, but Hibiscus felt something stir within her. There was an eerie familiarity to the story that unsettled her.

Ms. Blair continued with intensity, “The curse follows the girl, born again to bear her family’s sins.”

At that moment, Hibiscus’s phone buzzed with a message from Jake, her boyfriend. Need rescuing? he texted, followed by a winking emoji. She glanced over to see him peeking in from the door, offering a goofy salute. He always seemed to show up at the right moment, bringing a burst of light when things felt heavy.

Lily nudged her, eyes gleaming with mischief. “I swear he’s got a radar for you, Hibby.”

Rolling her eyes, Hibiscus shot him a quick text back. Hang tight, we’re in ghost-story mode.

“Pay attention,” Ms. Blair called out, her gaze never leaving Hibiscus. “This isn’t just any story. It’s a legend—and legends are born of truth.”

Hibiscus exchanged a glance with Lily, both of them feeling the unease the tale had stirred. Yet as they left class and joined Jake in the hallway, laughter soon replaced the tension.

“Sounds like Ms. Blair’s taking Halloween early this year,” Jake joked, throwing an arm around Hibiscus’s shoulders.

“Yeah,” Hibiscus replied, laughing along, though the story lingered in her mind. She pushed the feeling aside, determined to let it go.

But somehow, Hibiscus knew that the curse of Everwood Villa was only the beginning.

Hibiscus slipped into her seat just as the bell rang, her mind still clouded by the lingering dream that had haunted her last night. She felt a faint chill in her bones that she couldn’t shake. Brushing off the feeling, she looked around the bustling classroom. Students chatted and laughed, energy buzzing through the air. Her best friend, Lily, plopped down beside her, flashing a grin.

“Late night?” Lily teased, poking her arm.

“More like a weird one,” Hibiscus replied, forcing a smile. She wasn’t ready to admit how disturbed she still felt.

Their teacher, Ms. Blair, strode into the room, her heels echoing with an authority that silenced the class. She was a mysterious figure herself, with an old-fashioned look and eyes that seemed to see right through you. Today, her expression held a peculiar excitement, which immediately caught Hibiscus’s attention.

“Today,” Ms. Blair began, her voice a low whisper that made everyone lean in, “we’re going to talk about the Curse of Everwood Villa.” She paused dramatically, letting her words sink in.

Hibiscus’s heart skipped a beat as a thrill of curiosity sparked inside her. Local legends were something she couldn’t resist, and judging by the looks on her classmates’ faces, she wasn’t the only one intrigued.

Ms. Blair continued, “Everwood Villa stands on the edge of the forest, abandoned, but not empty.” She cast a dark glance at Hibiscus, her eyes glinting. “A family lived there many years ago—a mother who practiced strange rituals, a father rarely seen in daylight, and their daughter. Rumor has it the daughter was cursed, bound to her mother’s dark power and her father’s… condition.”

A wave of nervous laughter rippled through the class, but Hibiscus felt something stir within her. There was an eerie familiarity to the story that unsettled her.

Ms. Blair continued with intensity, “The curse follows the girl, born again to bear her family’s sins.”

At that moment, Hibiscus’s phone buzzed with a message from Jake, her boyfriend. Need rescuing? he texted, followed by a winking emoji. She glanced over to see him peeking in from the door, offering a goofy salute. He always seemed to show up at the right moment, bringing a burst of light when things felt heavy.

Lily nudged her, eyes gleaming with mischief. “I swear he’s got a radar for you, Hibby.”

Rolling her eyes, Hibiscus shot him a quick text back. Hang tight, we’re in ghost-story mode.

“Pay attention,” Ms. Blair called out, her gaze never leaving Hibiscus. “This isn’t just any story. It’s a legend—and legends are born of truth.”

Hibiscus exchanged a glance with Lily, both of them feeling the unease the tale had stirred. Yet as they left class and joined Jake in the hallway, laughter soon replaced the tension.

“Sounds like Ms. Blair’s taking Halloween early this year,” Jake joked, throwing an arm around Hibiscus’s shoulders.

“Yeah,” Hibiscus replied, laughing along, though the story lingered in her mind. She pushed the feeling aside, determined to let it go.

But somehow, Hibiscus knew that the curse of Everwood Villa was only the beginning.

Hibiscus lingered by the school gate after class, her eyes scanning the parking lot. She didn’t have to wait long. Jake, tall and unassuming with that familiar crooked smile, wandered over, his hands tucked into his pockets. As soon as their eyes met, Hibiscus felt a warmth that began to melt away the chill she’d been carrying since morning. Somehow, he always made her feel that way—like the world was a little less dark when he was around.

“Hey,” Jake said, his voice soft but playful. “Lily told me you had a rough night after Ms. Blair’s story.” He paused, studying her with a hint of concern. “Are you… okay?”

Hibiscus tried to shrug it off, but the memory of her dream clung to her like a shadow she couldn’t shake. “Yeah. Sort of. I mean, it’s just a story, right?” She forced a laugh, but it sounded hollow, even to her.

Jake raised an eyebrow, reading her far better than she liked. “So, you want to prove it’s just a story?”

Hibiscus glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “I know it sounds crazy, but… I feel like Everwood Villa is calling me. Like something there needs me to understand it.” Her cheeks flushed, embarrassed by how ridiculous it sounded out loud.

Before Jake could respond, katie, Hibiscus’s best friend since childhood, bounded over, clutching a thick pile of library books. Her curly hair bounced as she flashed them a mischievous grin. “Did I hear something about Everwood Villa?” Her voice was bright, but there was a familiar glint of determination in her eyes. “You two aren’t planning to go there without me, are you?”

Hibiscus let out a breath, feeling a surge of relief. With Jake and katie by her side, the haunting feeling didn’t seem quite so overwhelming. She shot katie a grateful smile. “Actually, yeah. I was just thinking maybe we could… check it out. Together.”

Jake chuckled. “Good thing you’re here, katie. I didn’t want her to drag me into a haunted house alone.” But despite his joking tone, he reached out and took Hibiscus’s hand, his fingers intertwining with hers. The gesture was so subtle yet grounding that Hibiscus’s heart fluttered.

katie raised an eyebrow at their clasped hands but said nothing. Instead, she held up one of the library books she’d been carrying—a dusty, leather-bound history of the town. “Well, lucky for you two, I did some digging after Ms. Blair’s story. Turns out, Everwood Villa has a lot more history than we thought. There was a family that disappeared there in the early 1900s, and no one knows what happened to them.”

Hibiscus felt a prickling at the back of her neck, but she tried to keep her voice steady. “So… it’s not just a ghost story?”

“Nope,” katie replied, grinning. “It’s more like a mystery waiting for us to solve.”

Jake nodded, squeezing Hibiscus’s hand reassuringly. “Then let’s solve it. Who knows, maybe we’ll be the first to figure out what really happened there.”

With a deep breath, Hibiscus felt her fears melting away, replaced by excitement. With Jake and katie by her side, she felt ready. Whatever secrets lay within Everwood Villa’s haunted walls, they would face them together.

As they walked away from school, a cold breeze rustled through the trees, and for a moment, Hibiscus thought she saw a flicker of movement in the shadows—a faint figure watching from a distance. She blinked, but it was gone. Yet, as they made their way to Everwood Villa, she couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever had haunted her dreams was waiting for them, just beyond the edge of town.