Kaylee Stepkoski

Twenty-two-year-old Abigail King wanders aimlessly through life. From the time she was a little girl, she’s heard things no one else does: foreign whispers. They follow her, prowling in her shadow endlessly. At the age of fourteen, a mysterious scar appeared on her arm, accompanied by strange clinking and a new, strange voice. Her parents sent her to counseling and therapy, hoping to help Abigail’s abnormal condition, but no relief was given. Now, living in Savannah, Georgia, Abigail is looked upon as mentally disabled and insane. The grim voices and shrieks swarm her thoughts and dawdle in her midst. Never-ending. Ever rising. She doesn’t know where they come from or what they are, but they’re growing worse. Though the voices intensify, there is one sound that oddly soothes her: a ruffle. Every evening, she opens her window, praying she hears that sound to drown out the whispers lurking nearby. The locals of Savannah tease Abigail, calling her Ghost Girl. Her only friend, Casey Bryant, does her best to support Abigail, but even she doesn’t understand. One morning, Abigail is startled beyond normal and panics. Causing a huge scene, she runs, but the multitude of beastly and muffled voices follow. The shrieks nip at her ears and drive chills up her spine, until her fear peaks. She hits her breaking point. To end it all, she takes a jump that would end her life entirely; however, that day, something unthinkable changes everything. Abigail’s eyes are opened to another vision, unmasking all that dwells beyond the naked eye.