In the faux-documentary style of The Blair Witch Project comes the campfire story of a missing girl, a vengeful ghost, and the girl who is determined to find her sister--at all costs. Once a year, a road appears in the forest. And at the end of it, the ghost of Lucy Gallows beckons. Lucy's game isn't for the faint of heart. If you win, you escape with your life. But if you lose.... Sara's sister disappeared one year ago--and only Sara knows where she is. Becca went to find the ghost of Lucy Gallows and is trapped on the road that leads to her. In the sleepy town of Briar Glen, Lucy's road is nothing more than local lore. But Sara knows it's real, and she's going to find it. When Sara and her skeptical friends meet in the forest to search for Becca, the mysterious road unfurls before them. All they have to do is walk down it. But the path to Lucy is not of this world, and it has its own rules. Every mistake summons new horrors. Vengeful spirits and broken, angry creatures are waiting for them to slip, and no one is guaranteed safe passage. The only certainty is this: the road has a toll and it will be paid. Sara knows that if she steps onto the road, she might not come back. But Becca needs her. And Lucy is waiting.

Raves for Rules for Vanishing:

"This story is woven with eerie small town folklore, lost girls, and vengeful ghosts! I loved the documentary-style storytelling and I couldn't read it fast enough."--Shea Ernshaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep

"Rules for Vanishing will make you question what is real and what is illusion, and which option is more terrifying."--Caitlin Starling, author of The Luminous Dead

"Rules for Vanishing has all the prerequisites of a horror classic--stunningly original, delightfully dark, and simply terrifying. A tense and exhilarating read for those with or without a pulse."--Dana Mele, author of People Like Us

"Delightfully chilling! Marshall delivers riveting twists, gasp-out-loud surprises, and a series of truly haunting revelations right up to the final page in this irresistible mystery."--Natalie C. Parker, author of Seafire

* "In this chilling tale, Marshall ties together regional folklore, urban legends, and ghost stories to craft an exquisitely unsettling dark fantasy."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Engrossing.... [Readers] will enjoy this mashup of The X-Files and the The Blair Witch Project."--Kirkus

"Marshall delivers a haunting tale about a childhood game that twists into a disturbing rescue mission."--SLJ

"Marshall keeps the twisty narrative intentionally murky, ensuring that readers, like Sara and her friends, may never find their way out."--Booklist**

Raves for I Am Still Alive:**

*"This tense wire of a novel thrums with suspense. . . . [this book] just might be the highlight of your summer.”–The New York Times*

“An expertly conceived plot plus a true heroine (and her dog) make for an original, engrossing, and twisty survival story that I tore through compulsively. You won’t regret the hours that disappear when you read this one.” –Nancy Werlin, National Book Award honoree and New York Times bestselling author
 
“I couldn’t set this book down—the words actually made me shiver. It’s Hatchetmeets The Revenant, infused with fierce, undaunted girl power.” –S.A. Bodeen*, award-winning author of The Raft

“If Hatchet was your favorite book in grade school, but you wish it was filled with much more girl power, then I Am Still Alive is the book you've been waiting for.”–Bustle

"A gripping adventure."–The Wall Street Journal*

• ** "A taut, gripping page-turner with a strong female hero to root for."–Kirkus, **starred review

   "With masterful pacing, rich characterization, a dynamic voice, and a thrilling blend of wilderness survival and revenge, this is an engrossing read from a writer to watch."–Booklist*, starred review
  *"A gripping tale of endurance and discovery of inner strength."–School Library Journal

  "[A] striking first novel. Marshall’s immersive descriptions will hook readers into this exhilarating survival story."–Publishers Weekly

• "Marshall’s thrilling tale is also a deeply moving story about coming to terms with imperfections (both in oneself and in others) and about finding true resourcefulness and inner strength.”–BookPage

  Autorentext

  Kate Alice Marshall

  Klappentext

  In the faux-documentary style of The Blair Witch Project comes the campfire story of a missing girl, a vengeful ghost, and the girl who is determined to find her sister--at all costs.

  Once a year, a road appears in the forest. And at the end of it, the ghost of Lucy Gallows beckons. Lucy's game isn't for the faint of heart. If you win, you escape with your life. But if you lose....

  Sara's sister disappeared one year ago--and only Sara knows where she is. Becca went to find the ghost of Lucy Gallows and is trapped on the road that leads to her. In the sleepy town of Briar Glen, Lucy's road is nothing more than local lore. But Sara knows it's real, and she's going to find it.

  When Sara and her skeptical friends meet in the forest to search for Becca, the mysterious road unfurls before them. All they have to do is walk down it. But the path to Lucy is not of this world, and it has its own rules. Every mistake summons new horrors. Vengeful spirits and broken, angry creatures are waiting for them to slip, and no one is guaranteed safe passage. The only certainty is this: the road has a toll and it will be paid.

  Sara knows that if she steps onto the road, she might not come back. But Becca needs her.

  And Lucy is waiting.

  Leseprobe

PART ONE

The Game

 

INTERVIEW

SARA DONOGHUE

May 9, 2017

 

ASHFORD: I’m starting the recording now. This is the first interview with Sara Donoghue concerning the disappearances in Briar Glen, Massachusetts. Today is May 9, 2017. Present are Sara Donoghue and myself, Dr. Andrew Ashford. Thank you for joining us today, Miss Donoghue.

SARA: You’re welcome. I guess. I don’t know what you expect me to tell you.

ASHFORD: The truth, Miss Donoghue. I think you’ll find we are some of the few people who are willing to hear it.

SARA: So you believe me, then?

ASHFORD: Is there a reason I shouldn’t?

Sara begins to laugh, a low sound that croaks in the back of her throat.

ASHFORD: Miss Donoghue—

Sara’s laughter continues, her shoulders shaking. Her hands cover her face.

??: Pay attention.

 

 

EXHIBIT A

Text message received by all Briar Glen High School students on Monday, April 17, 2017

 

 

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE LUCY WENT?

SHE WENT TO PLAY THE GAME.

YOU CAN PLAY, TOO.

FIND A PARTNER.

FIND A KEY.

FIND THE ROAD.

YOU HAVE TWO DAYS.

SARA DONOGHUE

WRITTEN TESTIMONY

1

The message arrives overnight, and by Monday morning it’s all anyone is talking about. People cluster around their phones, as if by reading the text again, comparing the identical messages, they might reveal some new clue about who sent them.

“Hey, Sara! Do you want to play the game?” Tyler Martinez asks, lunging toward me as I walk inside, the first bell ringing. He waggles his eyebrows at me and swings away, laughing at his own joke. I cross my arms over my ribs and lean forward, as if pushing against a current.

Whispers of Lucy are everywhere. And the game. People in clots, heads leaned together.

I’ve timed things so that I arrive just before the bell, and the hallway is emptying out a…