Fourteen year old Sophie is too old for monsters under her bed. But they whisper to her every night, claiming that she belongs to them. That she must protect them.

Because someone is hunting the things that go bump in the night.

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Dear Friends, Family, and Righteous Supporters,

Twice before I have tried to tell this story, and twice it has eluded me. But this time it will be different. Because this time, I will have your help. In addition to my writerly duties, I'm raising money to help Script Frenzy's parent nonprofit, the Office of Letters and Light, continue to put on free creative writing programs for kids and adults in classrooms, communities, and libraries around the world.

Every dollar I raise will keep my spirits high as I write. If you help me reach my $100 donation goal, my spirits will be very high indeed. More importantly, your contribution will help Script Frenzy and its Young Writers Program create a more engaged and inspiring world.

And I'm not above bribery to get what I want. Hopefully, the knowledge that you will be doing good will be enough to motivate you to donate. But if it isn't... a donation of $10 will get you exclusive access to the work in progress. $20 will get a character named after you, or I can insert a line of your choice. $50 and I will have to come up with something extremely creative, but I believe in my power.

Make a diference!


For a taste of what your donation will get you...

The first page...

PANEL 1
Inside a locker. If it weren’t for the books and jacket, you’d think it was unused. Remnants of tape pepper the inside of the door, but whatever pictures they had held are long gone.

A pale hand reaches in for one of the books.

PANEL 2
A small girl, carrying the weight of someone who prefers books to sports and food to therapy. Her pale skin highlights the dark circles under her eyes. Her dark hair hangs heavy and flat. So does her expression.

Her name is Sophie, and though she doesn’t know it yet, she is the hero of the story.

She takes out the book.

PANEL 3
She sits in the back corner of her classroom, staring blankly at the chalkboard.

MR. HENDERSON, her pot-bellied, cleaned-up hippie History teacher, turns around from writing at the chalkboard and gives her a look of concern.

PANEL 4
LAURA, Sophie’s energetic mother, looks up from preparing vegetables for dinner as Sophie comes home.

LAURA
Hi sweetie. How was school?

Sophie brushes past.

SOPHIE
Fine.

PANEL 5
Sophie does her homework. Eats dinner with her parents. Gets ready for bed. All without expression.

PANEL 6
Sophie is curled up in bed, her bedroom light still on. Laura smiles at her from the doorway, her hand on the lightswitch.

LAURA
Night sweetheart.

There is the slightest trace of fear in Sophie’s expression.

SOPHIE
Could you leave the light on?

LAURA
Sophie.

SOPHIE
Please?

PANEL 7
Laura flicks off the light.

LAURA
Good night, Sophie.

PANEL 8
Sophie hides under the covers as glowing red eyes appear in the dark recesses of her room.

Want to read more? Donate just $10 and you'll get access to the entire story as it's written.

Thank you for your support!