Seven Silent Witnesses
Description
High school senior Cora Langston has always loved her small, coastal town of Haven's Bay-until one of her classmates, Jaden Harper, is found dead during their annual Founder's Day Festival. Jude's death is ruled an accident, but Cora notices a pattern: six other teens have died under similar circumstances at the festival over the past twenty years. The official stories never add up, and the town seems determined to bury the past.
Chapter 1
Aug 21, 2025
Jaden Harper’s scream still echoed in Cora’s ears. She could still see the panic in his wide, terrified eyes as he fell, his arms clawing at empty air. The crash of waves against jagged rocks below drowned out the sound of his body hitting the shore.
Overhead, fireworks lit up the night sky in garish colors, painting the scene in grotesque celebration.
She hadn’t moved.
Not when Callie screamed beside her, not when the first festival-goers came running up the path toward the lighthouse.
She had just stood there, frozen, staring at the rocks below as if Jaden might climb back up, shaking off the fall like it had been nothing more than a bad prank.
But Jaden didn’t move.
Earlier that evening, the Founder’s Day Festival had been in full swing. The streets of Haven’s Bay thrummed with energy—laughter, music, and the scent of fried dough swirling in the crisp, salty air. Carnival booths lined the main street, their neon lights blinking in rhythmic patterns. Children darted past with sticky cotton candy fingers, their parents trailing behind with tired smiles.
Cora wasn’t charmed by any of it. Founder’s Day wasn’t her thing, and it hadn’t been for years. To her, the festival was a hollow excuse for Haven’s Bay to pat itself on the back for existing, a tradition as old and weathered as the town itself. If she had her way, she’d have been at home with a book or a podcast. Instead, her best friend Callie had insisted they go.
“You can’t just hide away every year,” Callie had said, looping her arm through Cora’s as they walked. “It’s tradition, and traditions are fun. You need more fun in your life.”
Cora had grumbled something about how “fun” was subjective, but Callie had dragged her along anyway. That was Callie’s thing—finding light in the mundane and demanding others bask in it with her. It was why they had been friends for so long.
Things took a turn when Jaden Harper joined them near the game booths. Cora hadn’t known Jaden well. He was the kind of guy who lingered at the edges of conversations, a little too intense, a little too offbeat. He’d been in her English class for years but never left much of an impression. Tonight, though, he looked different—pale, jittery, and paranoid.
“Cora,” he’d said, tugging at the sleeves of his hoodie, his words spilling out in frantic bursts. “You need to listen to me.”
She had raised an eyebrow, already wary. “Jaden, it’s Founder’s Day. What’s your deal?”
“It’s not just a festival,” Jaden insisted, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “There’s a curse. Haven’t you noticed? People die every few years. Always at the festival. It’s not an accident. It’s—”
“Let me guess,” Cora interrupted. “Ghosts? Demons? Or did the Illuminati decide our tiny coastal town was worth their time?”
“I’m serious!” Jaden hissed, his voice cracking. His wide eyes darted toward Callie, who was watching the exchange with growing discomfort. “It’s The Circle,
Something in his voice, a note of raw fear, made Cora pause. She still didn’t believe him, but she found herself asking, “What do you mean? Prove what?”
Jaden glanced around as if someone might be listening, then jerked his head toward the lighthouse. “Come with me. I’ll show you.”
The lighthouse loomed at the edge of the cliffs, a dark silhouette against the sparkling ocean. Cora hesitated at the foot of the path, the sounds of the festival fading into the distance.
“Jaden, we’re not supposed to be up here,” Callie said nervously, glancing over her shoulder. “If we get caught—”
“Then don’t come,” Jaden snapped, his urgency fraying into frustration. “But if you want to know the truth, follow me.”
Cora didn’t know why she followed. Maybe it was the way Jaden’s hands trembled as he spoke, or the way his eyes kept darting toward the shadows. Whatever it was, she found herself climbing the narrow path with him, Callie trailing reluctantly behind.
Jaden’s steps were erratic, his movements jerky. When they reached the top, he turned to Cora, thrusting a crumpled piece of paper into her hands.
“Take this,” he said. His voice was shaking, barely more than a whisper. “Don’t let them see it. Keep it safe.”
“Who’s ‘them’?” Cora asked, frowning as she unfolded the paper.
But before he could answer, footsteps echoed behind them. Jaden stiffened, his face draining of color.
“They’re here,” he muttered, backing toward the edge of the cliff.
“Jaden, wait!” Cora yelled, stepping forward.
He spun, panicked, and ran—straight toward the cliff’s edge.
“Jaden, stop!” Callie screamed.
Cora lunged forward, her heart in her throat. For a moment, she thought he might stop, might turn back. But then his foot slipped, and he fell.
The next morning, the town had already moved on. Sheriff Marks called it a tragic accident, like all the others before it. People muttered platitudes about the dangers of the cliffs, but no one lingered on Jaden’s death.
Not really.
Cora couldn’t let it go. She couldn’t forget the sound of his scream or the way he’d begged her to take the paper.
When she was finally alone, she unfolded it. Her hands shook as she stared at the list of names. Jaden Harper’s was at the top, crossed out.
Her own name was near the bottom.
Seven Silent Witnesses
10 Chapters
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