Simon Vandenberg survived his family’s infamous disappearance thirty years ago.Or perhaps he didn’t merely survive, but killed them all. For three whole decades, he lived in isolation in the forests surrounding the Vandenberg estate—right under everyone’s nose. He became increasingly unstable and began abducting individuals, holding captives in remote locations, moving them periodically to avoid detection. A group of teenagers followed the clues, tracked Simon’s movements, and discovered his hideout. The confrontation that followed ended with Simon dead, his body swept away in the Blackwillow River.
Captives were recovered, but there were several fatalities, too, and the misidentification of a body, a scandal blamed on decomposition and the presence of Ivy Winslow’s clothing. The six missing teens who survived could only give fragmented accounts, consistently describing a single captor who remained in shadow. They were kept in darkness, mostly unconscious. Drugged, no doubt.
Thankfully—to the relief of everyone—Simon Vandenberg operated alone.
What was decidedly less clear was his motive.
Why was he kidnapping teens?
What was he trying to accomplish?
We pretend not to know. Nobody would believe the truth anyway, or how very close he got to accomplishing it.
Though we are minors, our names are leaked to the press. I suppose with such a bright spotlight, anonymity is impossible. A family spokesperson releases a joint statement to the public on our behalf, requesting privacy.
The request is ignored.
Ivy and Jude are harassed worst of all.
One, a female Lazarus. The other, the Vandenberg heir with a familial connection to the culprit. Gossip news and online forums have a heyday discussing inherited mental illness, hidden family scandal, and a dark and twisted legacy. Conspiracy theories crop up on Reddit. Many of us receive messages from strangers. In an ironic twist of fate, Twig and I become immensely popular fodder for supernatural podcasts everywhere.
The lawyers tell us to wait it out.
We don’t give interviews.
We decline to comment.
Most of us, anyway.
Lola Hayes is all too eager to talk. Or rather, her mother is eager on her behalf. They don’t give a crumb to the major media outlets. Apparently, those outlets don’t pay money. But they are happy to make a deal with the tabloids.
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Most of it’s made up. None of it’s accurate. But with the attention shifting to her, we don’t care to correct or corroborate.
Eventually, the story runs its course.
The news vans leave.
The dust settles.
And we are left to pick up the pieces.
Funerals are held.
Foggy Hollow mourns.
Four of our classmates are gone.
Lainey Sikes.
Griffin Tate.
But also, Caleb Briggs and Brady Keller.
Their deaths remain unconnected. A separate tragedy overshadowed by the sensational story of a deranged man in the woods and a group of teen heroes. But they will be revisited. Once the quarry thaws, the search for their bodies will continue.
