Bayside Reading Immersive Club

"You know that group is gonna be bullshit, right?" Luc told me after I stumbled on the Bayside Reading Immersive Club website on my laptop. To be fair, I couldn't exactly defend it, the website itself sucked and every book recommendation I followed seemed equally as shitty. They were all by some indie authors I'd never heard of, and if they found out there was any other genre than horror and gore, they probably would have had a stroke.

"Luc, shut up, you know I need to be around people that write. They aren't some Stephen King regens, but I like that."

He spat out his water. All over the counter. "Like it? Okay, tell me about the last book you read off there with a straight face. I might believe you then."

I sighed. He wasn't wrong about the quality, but it was never too late to defend your dignity. "It starts in Los Angeles. The main character, Rori, finds herself on a huge vacation trip to a coastal town that was a little less..."

Luc raised an eyebrow.

"City-y. You get it," I continued after finding the word. "She ends up getting stuck roadside, and it gets a little vague around there, but she sees this guy and he approaches her."

Luc nodded. He was following, I guess, but I could tell he was trying to fight having any interest in the book.

"Then the super cliche plot twist, where she seduces the guy who ended up being good, and she murders him inside her car and dumps him off the road."

"Woah now," Luc interrupted. "She sees the scary guy, who we thought was a killer, just for her to be the nutjob and kill him? How original."

His sarcasm was splitting through the air, and I didn't appreciate it. "Fine. Maybe it isn't professional storytelling, but they're nice. Probably."

"Listen, Grace, you know how serious I am about honesty." Luc had closed distance from the counter top, which he wiped down with paper towels. "As your brother, it's only fair that I tell you my thoughts. And my thoughts are," he tapped furiously on the counter with two fingers. "Drum roll..."

I rolled my eyes. "Luc, just shut up." His dramatic pause came to an end.

"That this is stupid! The books are weird, people are probably weirder, just don't bother with it."

Admitting that he got to my head was unbearable, so I did the only thing a sister could do. I denied it.

"Nope, I'm gonna do it."

Luc shrugged, moving over to the couch and grabbing the TV remote. "Up to you, sis. Don't blame me if you show up and it's a bunch of baggy grannies with dark romance fantasies."

I grimaced. "Yeah, let's not put that in my head before I go."

He resumed binge watching that stupid show The Ranch on Netflix, and I packed my purse and headed out the door. He waved me goodbye as I shut it behind me, and I was off.

The drive had a real pretty view. I loved Bayside, and although it wasn't home, it had all the right things to become home. A coastal, seclusive beach only ten minutes away, plenty of neighbors, easy tanning, and a soon-to-be author community for me to explore.

The roads were bare, so the trip wasn't much longer than half an hour. I passed up some Surf shops I'd like to look at once I came back, and seafood restaurants that Luc would absolutely slobber over.

I wasn't welcome to living with Luc at first. He offered the guest room, but managing a pretty nice hotel and being well-known around Bayside, he promised he'd be able to get me settled in my own place a couple weeks later. I took a risk, hoping something would open up for me.

And he did keep his promise. Next week, I'd be sitting in my hotel suite, working from home, all while writing my next novel, Where Evil Lies by Grace Fields and basking in a beautiful resort with peach tea and an umbrella.

The library the website led me to was beautiful. The entrance view was supported with massive graphite pillars. There were chiseled designs of waves going down them, and behind the pillars were ivory double doors. I got out of the car, locked it, and stood right in front of the building with my purse hanging free.

I knocked on the door, and not even thirty seconds passed before it opened. It was a girl, probably a couple years and wrinkles less my age, with the biggest smile I'd ever seen.

"Oh my gosh hi! What's your name, how can I help you?"

I stammered over my words at the quickness of hers, and she opened the door wider for me to come in.

"I'm Cassidy, did you come from the website? We love when new people visit! Please, make yourself comfortable, I'll give you a tour..."

I smiled, and she led me inside to the rows of books, which went on forever, like those houses that are bigger on the inside than out. I had just noticed in the haste of things that she was a dirty blonde with a face full of freckles.

"I'm Grace, sorry, Grace Fields?"

Cassidy grinned, pausing her frantic tour for a moments rest. "Well, I am so glad you came, and I just know the other girls will be too. Do you have any books in progress orrr are you more of a reader than a writer?"

I kept glancing off to the gargantuan shelves of books upon books. I wanted to read every single one, but there was a conversation to be had. "I'm aspiring! I, uh, just started my next novel Where Evil Lies."

Cassidy seemed more interested in me than the tour.

"Really?! You have to tell the group about that."

I smiled sheepishly, and before long we had entered an open room, tables spread and chatter echoing off the walls. I saw variety in ages, the youngest looking like a teenage girl, and the oldest having gray-streak hair in old fashioned curls. Looked like a wig, but I'd never say that out loud to a group I just met. Especially one I might be trying to join.

"Hi everybody! Could I grab your attention for just one second please?" Cassidy called out, and it took a couple more tries before conversation thinned out to silence.

"This is Grace Fields, visiting from?"

I finished her sentence. "Florida."

"Florida!" she shrilled. "Please make her feel welcome, introduce yourselves, we'll get started with the fancy stuff in a minute! Thank you!"

Cassidy patted my back and leaded me to the closest table as the rest of the room began to socialize. There were three girls, each seeming older than the last, all with matching green hair clips.

Cassidy hurriedly introduced me to them, whom I learned were Savannah, Laurah with an H, and Hannah. It should've occurred to me sooner, but they were triplets. The next few tables were similar, and I had plenty conversations about my novel, the books these people had published, and all the progress Bayside Immersive Reading Club had made. I felt guilty for trashing them with Luc just an hour earlier, but maybe I could make up for it by learning about them all.

The last table was undoubtedly the youngest besides Cassidy, either my age or just damn good at looking like it.

"And finally, this is Fae, Rori, Jasmine, and Emma," Cassidy pulled out a seat for me and her. "You guys, this is Grace!"

They all shook my hand politely, and the girl named Fae complimented my purse. Jasmine and Emma both loved my novel summary and insisted I get their numbers to sell them copies once it's finished. Rori introduced herself and her art, which was mind-blowingly impressive.

"Rori, I swear I have heard your name somewhere," I giggled along with the group, and she nodded. "Like just today, I swear I saw it or mentioned it or something..."

"Gosh, I bet you read that book recommendation on the website! It has my name in it, most people notice that." She answered as she stretched her hands along the table. The other girls seemed to pay close attention. "Yeah, that was the biggest conversation starter when I came here myself. I share so much in common with that book, which Emma actually wrote herself." She bragged towards Emma, and the table erupted in "oohs" and "wows".

"Really? So you're from Los Angeles?" I asked in surprise.

"Absolutely. Loved it there, bless, but I headed out for vacation and ended up staying here, and I love it even more. Bumpy road, but I'm happy with where I got."

The rest of the event was quick. I was informed by Cassidy about another meeting same time tomorrow, and of course I accepted with an excited heart. I hugged my new friends goodbye and headed home.

I couldn't help but smile. It was a great experience, although nerve-wracking at first, and I couldn't be more ecstatic to rub it all in Luc's face.

I walked in the house to see him scavenging on his phone. He sat on the couch facing the kitchen, raising his head to acknowledge me as I strode in.

"Guess what." I nudged.

"No, you guess what. You won't believe this shit." Luc had this mixed expression on his face, like he was joking but also genuinely concerned. Odd for him.

"Um...you go first then." I questioned as I dropped my purse and took a seat. "Is it bad?"

"Depends. You know that Bayside Reading Club Immersive website whatchamacallit?"

I tilted my head up and down slowly.

"Well, they posted their newest work in progress like, I dunno, twenty minutes ago? Just take a look for yourself."

I took the phone, and the title of the article was in bold:

"Moving In" by Cassidy Walchester: The Newest Addition

I looked up. "Nothing weird about it, it's an author club. Of course they post the new books they work on. I met Cassidy just today, she's super sweet and-"

"Ah-ah-ah," Luc shushed. "Keep reading."

In this real-time thriller exclusive, we follow the journey of young Grace Fields after a sudden move from her home state Florida. Seeking out a new life in the coastal town of Bayside, she expects a new life of peace and tranquility. But, on a disastrous note, she finds herself in a life-or-death scenario, right where she felt safest: the very community she was welcomed into. Will she survive, or succumb to the darkness inevitably coming to suffocate her?

"Okay, Luc, your real funny." I rolled my eyes, clicking off his phone and tossing it back.

"No! I'm drop dead serious when I say that's the legit website. You were just on it, remember? I wanted to check it out, so I did, and it posted that. Totally is your name though. That's priceless."

I furrowed my eyebrows. A little frustrated, but most of all confused. I'd go back and ask Cassidy about it, but I convinced myself that it was an entry article for me or something. It was a weird site after all, so it couldn't mean anything.

"Listen, don't get all upside down with me, I just found it. At least thank me for my work."

I held up a hand. "I'd rather not, I'm gonna head to bed. No point in stressing about it this late." I rushed myself into the bedroom, flopping onto the bed as Luc yelled "Night" from the living room. I could still hear the TV.

I didn't sleep that night. I couldn't.

I woke up later than usual. Made some tea, read a little. My stomach felt a little odd, but I ate breakfast anyways and checked the time.

"Got a minute." I muttered to myself. Curiosity had beaten me down over the span of the morning, and Luc wasn't the only reason why.

I wondered about that post and why it had anything to do with me and my life story. It was right to the tee, and I never agreed to have that information posted in a book.

One thought led to another, and then to Rori. She had a story too, but supposedly it just had a lot in common. Pure coincidence. But the more I put those dots together, the worse it looked for her.

I rushed open my laptop, deciding better safe than sorry. I punched in "Recent deaths in Bayside, South Carolina" and waited. A few links popped up, some news articles and YouTube videos, and it took a minute of hopeful stalking until I finally found Unresolved Homicides, a website that had all sorts of crimes that went completely unnoticed.

My phone buzzed. It was Emma, asking if I was coming today.

I didn't have time to answer. I kept scrolling, most of it being subtle stuff like burglary, assault, missing persons.

One of them was a murder, discontinued after a failed attempt to locate the body of missing persons Andy Berkhart, found dead on the side of the road. I clicked the link.

"What in the world are you doing?" Luc yawned, and I jumped in surprise.

"My god, can you knock or something?" I snapped. "I'm not doing anything. Just got this awful feeling about that stuff yesterday. The post, Rori, I don't even know."

"Isn't that the cliche chic in your rip-off slasher book from last night?"

"That's her name, but yeah. I met her at the book club."

Luc bit his lip in thought. "Yeah I have no clue. What you looking at though?"

"I had this crazy theory, I guess? I just thought it was weird how Rori has a book with her name in it, which is literally her life story, and now they are writing one with me in it, that is exactly mine. Except I don't know what it means that I'm supposed to be in danger, and that Rori killed somebody in her book."

"No way you think it's real, right?" Luc was on the verge of a deep, deep laughter.

"Okay shut up! I'm just saying."

"C'mon, sis. I told you they would be weird. I would bet you that it's just some wack ass cross-story stuff where they live out their intrusive thoughts and write it out for each other," He began to walk back towards the hall. "I gotta get ready for work, good luck though sis. All authors got that funky side."

I sighed, shutting the laptop. I replied to Emma, telling her I'd be a little late, and got ready to head out.

I pulled into the library, grabbed my purse, and carefully stepped inside. It was quieter than yesterday, and the aisles seemed empty. There wasn't a high-volt Cassidy here to walk me inside this time.

I slowly made my way forward, through the aisles, checking out most of the titles as I went. They helped with the nerves.

I stepped into the clearing, but this time the tables had been cleared out, a dimly lit area with lamps and the ceiling lights.

"Hey? Where you all at?" I called out to nobody in particular.

"Oh hey Grace!" I shot my body around, just to see Fae and Jasmine. "You alright?"

I sighed with relief. "I am so on edge right now, sorry."

"It's okay! What for?" Jasmine offered in a soft tone. Emma pushed past us to the clearing, carrying a chair and setting it out.

"I did some research, and like...do you know Andy Berkhart?"

Suddenly there was silence. Between me and Jasmine, and Emma was the only one making a peep by adjusting the chair. The pause was far too long, like part of the script had been forgotten.

"I'm sorry, who?"

"Andy Berkhart. Never found who killed him, roadside..."

Jasmine became cold. Instantaneously. The ruffle of the chair had stopped, and I could assume that Emma was also still. The air was heavy, tension holding it down like water on a trampoline. I tiptoed backwards.

There was a third voice. "You weren't supposed to know about that yet." Rori nudged me from behind. "Your story isn't even fully written."

"What does that mean?" I asked her, my knees nearly buckling. I wanted to run, to flee like all the horror movie characters are supposed to. "This is weird as hell, you guys." The expressions on their faces didn't change.

Rori seemed disappointed. In her left hand was a black trash bag, already open and ready for use. "You read our newest work in progress too, didn't you? Most people don't check that old thing."

I held tight to a book from the shelf behind me, giving me some sort of comfort I knew I needed.

"It's your story, Grace." Emma muttered from behind the other two girls. Cassidy appeared in the distance, an energetic wave as if nothing were happening. As if it was normal.

"You all are in it. In this, this insane, murder book cult?" I stammered.

Rori shrugged. "Think of the headlines to this book: young author, moving into a new city, to be murdered by the very people she just met. It's new, isn't it?"

My body had caught up to my brain. It was time to move. To sprint any direction other than forward.

I bolted to my right, to be met with nothing but the dark. I felt the plastic stretch across my face, plastering me to my own breath and dragging me to the floor. Multiple hands latched onto my arms, preventing me from reaching for the bag as I helplessly flailed, as my head grew cold and numb, and my eyes fluttered shut against the dark.

"Welcome to Bayside Reading Immersive Club, Grace Fields. You're in," I heard, before everything was gone.