Anna Kellogg has always felt different. Growing up in Hartwood, New Jerseyโwhere frequent disappearances are attributed to an urban-legend-like beast that dwells in the walled-in swamp at the center of townโcan have that effect on people. But for Anna, itโs more than that. Since she was a child, sheโs been plagued by episodes where she sees things others canโt see. Feeling different is one thing, but actually being different is another. If it werenโt for her best friend, Olivia, Annaโs not sure where sheโd fit in.
But any hopes of having a normal senior year come to a halt when Olivia is attacked in the woods, bitten, and left for dead by a whirling cyclone of claws, fur, and teeth. Though Olivia survives, a sinister entity makes it clear that the mark had been set on Annaโฆand the miss has set in motion a catastrophic shift that will change Anna and her friendsโ lives forever.
Elizabeth Byrne grew up in New Jersey and earned her MFA at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She currently lives in Northampton, Massachusetts. You can find her on Twitter @heylizbyrne.