Opening Scene

Your sister’s perfume shouldn’t smell like vanilla.

That’s the first thing I noticed when I stepped into Lana’s room. Vanilla—sweet, cheap, and wrong . Lana hated vanilla. Last summer, she’d thrown her vanilla body spray at my head and called it “basic bitch juice.” But now, two weeks after she vanished, the scent clung to her bedroom like a stalker’s cologne. It was thicker here, sickly , as if the walls were sweating it.

I dropped to my knees, pried up the loose floorboard under her bed, and found the journal. Its leather cover was cold, too cold for August, and etched with symbols that prickled under my fingertips—spirals, eyes, a tree with roots like tangled veins.

Burn this if I’m gone.

Her handwriting slashed across the cover like a threat. My hands shook. The cops said she ran away. The school counselor said she was “troubled.” Mom said she’d come back.

They were all lying.

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The Journal

The first page was dated 100 days ago .

Day 100

If you’re reading this, I’m dead. Don’t trust Mom. Don’t call the cops. And for god’s sake, Charlie—don’t look for me.

A rusty stain smeared the corner of the page. Blood or ink? I pressed my thumb to it— still tacky . Below it, Lana had drawn a twisted tree with blackened branches, its roots strangling a skull. Symbols crawled up the margins: eyes that followed my gaze, spirals that seemed to spin, a snake eating its tail. The paper hummed faintly, like a wasp trapped in glass.

“Charlie?”

I slammed the journal shut. Mom stood in the doorway, her face pale as hospital sheets. Her “I’m fine” mask was slipping—her hair hadn’t been brushed in days, and her sweater was inside out. A dried leaf clung to her sleeve, brittle and veined like a dead hand.

“What’re you doing in here?” she asked, voice trembling.

“Looking for Lana.”

“She’s gone.” Mom’s eyes glistened. “Just like—”

“Like Jenna?” I snapped, clutching the journal tighter. The symbols on the cover bit into my palm.

She flinched. Jenna was Lana’s best friend. She’d disappeared last year on a hiking trip. They’d found her sneakers at the bottom of a ravine, laces tied in knots. The cops called it an accident. Lana called it murder.

“This isn’t the same,” Mom whispered, her knuckles whitening on the doorframe.

“You’re right. Jenna didn’t leave a diary saying you’re a liar.”

Mom’s face crumpled. “Get out,” she said softly. “Before you break this family apart.”

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The First Clue

That night, I spread the journal’s pages across my floor. Three things stood out:

Blackwater Falls—a town 200 miles north, population 817. Lana had circled it in red, the ink bleeding through the page.

A bus ticket stub tucked into the back page. Dated three months ago. Destination: Blackwater Falls.

A red ribbon, coiled like a snake, reeking of vanilla.

Lana hated ribbons. But this one was ours. She’d tied it in my hair the day Jenna vanished, her fingers steady despite the tremor in her voice: “Red’s your color, kid. Makes you look brave.” Now the silk felt wrong—too warm, almost pulsing —as I looped it around my wrist.

My phone buzzed.

Unknown Number: Stop digging.

A photo followed: me, kneeling in Lana’s room tonight, the journal in my hands.

Unknown Number: 99 days left.

A voice message played—a garbled whisper, half-human, half-static: “She chose the tree. Will you?”

The line died.

In the corner of my room, Lana’s old skateboard tilted against the wall. Stickers plastered its surface, except one spot—a fresh, jagged scratch spelling XI . The cuts gleamed wet, as if made seconds ago.

99 days.

But Lana’s countdown started at 100.

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Closing Scene

The ribbon tightened around my wrist as I typed Blackwater Falls into my laptop. It dug into my skin, sharp as a promise.

The first search result: “The Bone Tree: 150 Years of Unsolved Disappearances.”

A photo loaded. A gnarled oak, its branches clawing a stormy sky. Names were carved into its trunk— Jenna Marlow near the roots. The image flickered. For a heartbeat, the tree’s limbs twitched, reaching.

My phone buzzed again.

Unknown Number: Tick-tock, Charlie.

Outside my window, a shadow moved. Someone stood in the street, hood up, face hidden. The streetlight above them guttered, staining the pavement red.

They lifted a hand.

In their palm: a red ribbon. It writhed like a live thing, twisting into a knot I recognized—the same one from Jenna’s sneakers.

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Teaser for Chapter 2

Charlie digs into Blackwater Falls and discovers a local legend: every 11 years, a girl vanishes near the Bone Tree. The next victim is due in 99 days. But when Charlie uncovers security footage of Mom meeting a stranger in a black SUV—the same vehicle spotted near Jenna’s trail—the countdown suddenly feels personal. Worse, the Bone Tree’s symbols begin appearing in her own home: XI scratched into doorframes, roots creeping under the floorboards, and a voice in the static hissing, “You’ll look better on the trunk.”

The Aftermath of the Forest

Charlie stumbled out of the woods, her heart racing as she gasped for breath. The sunlight felt foreign against her skin, a stark contrast to the suffocating darkness of the forest. The Bone Tree loomed behind her, its twisted branches clawing at the sky, a silent witness to the chaos that had just unfolded.

Mia, Jake, and Lila were already a few paces ahead, their faces pale and drawn. “What just happened back there?” Mia asked, her voice trembling. “Was that really Jenna?”

“I don’t know,” Charlie replied, her mind racing. “But we can’t ignore this. We have to find out what’s going on.”

The Town’s Secrets

As they made their way back to Blackwater Falls, the weight of the town’s history pressed down on Charlie. The streets were eerily quiet, the townsfolk casting wary glances as they passed. It was as if the entire town was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

“Let’s go to the library,” Jake suggested, breaking the silence. “Maybe we can find something about the Bone Tree or the girls who went missing.”

Charlie nodded, her resolve hardening. “We need to dig deeper. There has to be a connection between Jenna and Lana.”

The library was a small, unassuming building at the edge of town, its wooden sign creaking in the wind. Inside, the air was thick with the smell of old books and dust. Rows of shelves towered above them, filled with volumes that seemed to whisper secrets of the past.

Unearthing the Past

They settled at a table in the back, surrounded by stacks of books and newspapers. Charlie flipped through a dusty tome about local legends, her fingers trembling as she searched for anything related to the Bone Tree.

“Here!” Lila exclaimed, pointing to a faded newspaper clipping. “Look at this.”

The article was dated eleven years ago, detailing the disappearance of a girl named Sarah Thompson. The headline read: “Local Girl Vanishes Without a Trace: The Bone Tree’s Dark Legacy.”

Charlie leaned closer, her heart pounding. The article described how Sarah had gone missing just days before the town’s annual festival, and how her family had searched for her in vain. The last place she was seen? Near the Bone Tree.

“Every eleven years,” Mia murmured, her eyes wide. “It’s like a cycle.”

“Lana was the next,” Charlie whispered, the realization hitting her like a punch to the gut. “We have to find out what happened to Sarah.”

A Mysterious Journal

As they continued to search, Charlie’s eyes landed on a small, leather-bound journal tucked away on a high shelf. She reached for it, pulling it down and brushing off the dust. The cover was embossed with strange symbols, similar to those in Lana’s journal.

“Do you think it’s connected?” Jake asked, peering over her shoulder.

“Only one way to find out,” Charlie replied, flipping it open. The pages were filled with handwritten notes, sketches of the Bone Tree, and frantic entries detailing the author’s descent into madness.

The Last Entry

Charlie’s breath caught as she read the last entry, dated just days before Sarah’s disappearance:

I can feel the tree calling to me. It whispers my name in the night, promising secrets and power. I must go to it before it’s too late. They say it demands a sacrifice, but I will not be its victim. I will uncover the truth.

“Guys, this is it,” Charlie said, her voice barely above a whisper. “This journal belonged to Sarah. She was trying to warn us.”

A Dark Revelation

Suddenly, the library door creaked open, and a figure stepped inside. Charlie’s heart raced as she recognized the woman from the café—the one who had warned her about the Bone Tree.

“Charlie,” the woman said, her voice low and urgent. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Why? What do you know?” Charlie demanded, clutching the journal to her chest.

The woman hesitated, glancing around as if afraid of being overheard. “The Bone Tree is not just a legend. It’s a curse. Those who seek its secrets often pay the ultimate price.”

“Sarah Thompson was one of them,” Charlie said, her voice steady. “What happened to her?”

The woman’s eyes darkened. “She was taken by the tree. And if you’re not careful, it will take you too.”

The Countdown Begins

Charlie felt a chill run down her spine. The countdown was real, and time was running out. “We have to stop it. We have to find out what happened to Lana before it’s too late.”

The woman nodded, her expression grave. “You need to gather more information. There are others who have tried to uncover the truth. Some have succeeded, but many have vanished.”

“Where do we start?” Mia asked, her voice trembling.

“Follow the clues,” the woman replied. “The journal will guide you, but be warned—the deeper you dig, the more dangerous it becomes.”

As the woman turned to leave, she paused at the door. “And remember, the tree is always watching.”

A New Resolve

With the journal in hand and a renewed sense of purpose, Charlie and her friends left the library, the weight of their mission heavy on their shoulders. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the town, and the air felt charged with anticipation.

“Let’s head back to my place,” Charlie said, determination flooding her veins. “We need to figure out our next move.”

As they walked, Charlie couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The shadows seemed to stretch and twist around them, and the whispers of the forest echoed in her mind. The Bone Tree was calling, and she was ready to answer.

Teaser for Chapter 3

Back at her house, Charlie and her friends gather to decipher the journal’s cryptic messages. As they piece together the clues, they uncover a hidden connection between the Bone Tree and a series of unsolved disappearances. But as they dig deeper, they realize that someone is watching them, and the countdown to the next sacrifice is drawing near. With time running out, Charlie must confront her fears and the dark forces at play in Blackwater Falls.

Opening Scene

Charlie sat at the kitchen table, the dim light casting shadows across the pages of the journals spread out before her. Mia, Jake, and Lila were gathered around, their faces a mix of determination and fear.

The air was thick with tension as they prepared to delve deeper into the mysteries surrounding the Bone Tree and the disappearances in Blackwater Falls.

“Okay, let’s go over everything we found,” Charlie said, her voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside her. She picked up Lana’s journal, its leather cover still cold to the touch. “We need to connect the dots between Lana and Sarah.”

Deciphering the Journal

As they flipped through the pages, Charlie’s heart raced. The entries were filled with frantic notes, sketches of the Bone Tree, and symbols that seemed to pulse with a life of their own. “Look at this,” she said, pointing to a drawing of the tree with roots that twisted like serpents. “Lana drew this just days before she disappeared.”

Mia leaned closer, her brow furrowed. “And here,” she said, tracing a line with her finger, “she mentions feeling watched. It’s the same thing Sarah wrote about.”

“Every entry is filled with fear,” Jake added, his voice low. “It’s like the tree has a hold on them.”

A Hidden Connection

Charlie felt a chill run down her spine. “We need to find out what happened to Sarah. If there’s a connection between her and Lana, we might be able to figure out how to stop this.”

Lila nodded, her eyes wide. “What if the tree is calling to them? What if it’s not just a legend?”

“Every eleven years,” Mia murmured, recalling the article they had read. “It’s like a cycle. We have to break it.”

The Legend Deepens

Charlie’s mind raced as she recalled the woman from the café. “She said the Bone Tree is a curse. We need to learn more about it—its history, the rituals, everything.”

“Let’s check the library,” Jake suggested, breaking the silence. “There has to be more information there.”

As they gathered their things, Charlie felt a sense of urgency. The festival was approaching, and with it, the possibility of another disappearance. They had to act quickly.

Unearthing the Past

The library was quiet, the air thick with the smell of old books and dust. They settled at a table in the back, surrounded by stacks of volumes that seemed to whisper secrets of the past. Charlie flipped through a dusty tome about local legends, her fingers trembling as she searched for anything related to the Bone Tree.

“Here!” Lila exclaimed, pointing to a faded newspaper clipping. “Look at this.”

The article was dated eleven years ago, detailing the disappearance of a girl named Sarah Thompson. The headline read: “Local Girl Vanishes Without a Trace: The Bone Tree’s Dark Legacy.”

Charlie leaned closer, her heart pounding. The article described how Sarah had gone missing just days before the town’s annual festival, and how her family had searched for her in vain. The last place she was seen? Near the Bone Tree.

“Every eleven years,” Mia murmured, her eyes wide. “It’s like a cycle.”

“Lana was the next,” Charlie whispered, the realization hitting her like a punch to the gut. “We have to find out what happened to Sarah.”

A Mysterious Journal

As they continued to search, Charlie’s eyes landed on a small, leather-bound journal tucked away on a high shelf. She reached for it, pulling it down and brushing off the dust. The cover was embossed with strange symbols, similar to those in Lana’s journal.

“Do you think it’s connected?” Jake asked, peering over her shoulder.

“Only one way to find out,” Charlie replied, flipping it open. The pages were filled with handwritten notes, sketches of the Bone Tree, and frantic entries detailing the author’s descent into madness.

The Last Entry

Charlie’s breath caught as she read the last entry, dated just days before Sarah’s disappearance:

I can feel the tree calling to me. It whispers my name in the night, promising secrets and power. I must go to it before it’s too late. They say it demands a sacrifice, but I will not be its victim. I will uncover the truth.

“Guys, this is it,” Charlie said, her voice barely above a whisper. “This journal belonged to Sarah. She was trying to warn us.”

A Dark Revelation

Suddenly, the library door creaked open, and a figure stepped inside. Charlie’s heart raced as she recognized the woman from the café—the one who had warned her about the Bone Tree.

“Charlie,” the woman said, her voice low and urgent. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Why? What do you know?” Charlie demanded, clutching the journal to her chest.

The woman hesitated, glancing around as if afraid of being overheard. “The Bone Tree is not just a legend. It’s a curse. Those who seek its secrets often pay the ultimate price.”

“Sarah Thompson was one of them,” Charlie said, her voice steady. “What happened to her?”

The woman’s eyes darkened. “She was taken by the tree. And if you’re not careful, it will take you too.”

The Countdown Begins

Charlie felt a chill run down her spine. The countdown was real, and time was running out. “We have to stop it. We have to find out what happened to Lana before it’s too late.”

The woman nodded, her expression grave. “You need to gather more information. There are others who have tried to uncover the truth. Some have succeeded, but many have vanished.”

“Where do we start?” Mia asked, her voice trembling.

“Follow the clues,” the woman replied. “The journal will guide you, but be warned—the deeper you dig, the more dangerous it becomes.”

As the woman turned to leave, she paused at the door. “And remember, the tree is always watching.”

A New Resolve

With the journal in hand and a renewed sense of purpose, Charlie and her friends left the library, the weight of their mission heavy on their shoulders. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the town, and the air felt charged with anticipation.

“Let’s head back to my place,” Charlie said, determination flooding her veins. “We need to figure out our next move.”

As they walked, Charlie couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The shadows seemed to stretch and twist around them, and the whispers of the forest echoed in her mind. The Bone Tree was calling, and she was ready to answer.

Teaser for Chapter 4

Back at her house, Charlie and her friends gather to decipher the journal’s cryptic messages. As they piece together the clues, they uncover a hidden connection between the Bone Tree and a series of unsolved disappearances. But as they dig deeper, they realize that someone is watching them, and the countdown to the next sacrifice is drawing near. With time running out, Charlie must confront her fears and the dark forces at play in Blackwater Falls.