Chapter 1
Briarwood Lane ended in an empty lot.
At least, it always had.
Mason had lived on that street for almost sixteen years, and the lot had never changed. Tall weeds. Broken glass. A leaning fence that everyone avoided. So when he saw a house standing there on the first night of October, his brain refused to accept it.
The house was tall and narrow, painted a dull gray. Its windows were dark—too dark, like they swallowed light instead of reflecting it.
Lena stopped her bike beside him.
“That wasn’t there before,” she said.
Mason nodded slowly. “I know.”
Behind them, Eli scoffed. “It’s October. Someone’s trying to scare people.”
Zoe didn’t speak. She was staring at the house like it had just blinked.
