The wind howled through the fields. The crops had failed again. Everything was withered and dry. Jacob, the farmer, stood there, empty-handed. Fear gnawed at his gut. He couldn’t face another year of loss. The bank was calling. His kids were hungry. He needed a miracle.
I didn’t see it coming. None of us did.
It was supposed to be a fun night, just me, Chris, and Tony cruising around like we always did this time of year. We had the windows down, the cool October air biting at our skin, and the moon hanging low, full, and bright over the endless fields of our small town in Virginia. I still remember Chris laughing in the back seat, going on about the lacrosse season and how we’d taken the state championship last year. Tony, riding shotgun, was scrolling through his phone, looking for the next thing to do.
Liam stood at the edge of the old schoolyard, staring up at the abandoned brick building that loomed like a giant, dark shadow against the night sky. The moon was nearly full, casting long, crooked shadows across the cracked pavement, and the wind whispered through the broken windows like a warning, carrying with it the faint scent of mildew and age.
Becky stood in front of the old metal locker, her new locker. Rust crept around the edges like it had been there for ages, biding its time, and the number “13” was scratched and faded, barely visible in the dim hallway. She pushed her braided hair behind her ear and glanced over at Oscar, who was peering down the hallway like he expected a ghost to jump out at any moment.
Part 1: The Move
Summerville was a town that seemed to be frozen in time. The houses, all brightly colored and perfectly maintained, looked as if they were plucked from a postcard sent from the 1920s. The streets were lined with old-fashioned lampposts, and the sidewalks were always clean, with flowers blooming in every garden. It was the kind of place that felt warm and inviting, as if nothing bad could ever happen there.
Max and Jack had been best friends for as long as either of them could remember. They lived in a small town where everyone knew each other, and the two boys were inseparable. Whether they were biking through the quiet streets or exploring the dense woods that bordered the town, they were always together, always on the lookout for their next adventure.
I always loved visiting Grandma. Her house was like a second home, filled with the smell of fresh cookies and the soft hum of her favorite radio station. But this time, something felt different. The moment I stepped inside, a chill ran down my spine, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
Prologue
The old house stood quietly at the edge of town, its weathered walls bathed in the soft glow of moonlight. Inside, the comforting sounds of a family settling in for the evening echoed through the halls. The grandfather clock in the living room ticked steadily, its pendulum swinging with a familiar rhythm that had marked the passage of time for generations.
Liam slouched in his chair, tapping his pencil against the desk as he stared at the clock. The second hand moved sluggishly, and he could almost hear it mocking him. Biology class had never been his favorite, but today was worse than usual. Their regular teacher, Mrs. Dunlap, was out sick, and the substitute was … strange.
The evening was shrouded in a heavy, overcast sky, the kind that pressed down on the city of Harrisburg like a weighted blanket. A light drizzle tapped against the windows of the black van, its tires crunching on the gravel as it pulled into the small parking lot beside an old, crumbling church. The words “Harrisburg Haunted History” were painted in ghostly white letters along the van’s side, their reflection wavering in the rain-slicked pavement.