Beneath the Oak: A Novel

After the sudden death of her mother, Alyssa Ward returns to the rural home she fled years ago. The property is quiet, untouched, and eerily preserved, except for the massive oak tree towering behind the house. Once a place of childhood comfort, the tree now radiates a strange, oppressive presence. At night, Alyssa hears whispers drifting from its roots, and shadows gather beneath its branches long after the sun has set. As she sorts through her mother's belongings, Alyssa uncovers journals detailing a family curse tied to the oak. Generations of Wards have been haunted by a spirit bound to the tree a spirit that chooses one family member to "keep" beneath its roots. Soon Alyssa begins experiencing visions of a young girl calling her name, begging to be freed. The more Alyssa investigates, the more the boundary between the living and the dead unravels. When the spirit beneath the oak reveals its true identity, someone Alyssa once knew and unknowingly abandoned, she must confront buried memories and a supernatural force determined to claim her as its next offering. To break the curse, Alyssa must face the darkness beneath the oak... before it drags her down into the earth forever.