by Vera Strange
He clutched a curious spiral seashell, a keepsake, he stated, that once belonged to Shelly. They found it at the bottom of the exhibit the day she went missing. He pressed his face to the thick glass, peering at the fish.
“Hey, fishy, want to come home with me and live in my aquarium?” he said. “Mommy, I found a new pet!”
Ms. Anderson nodded, and the family held each other. The ceremony was a peaceful one, ending with guests laying flowers against the glass as another day in Triton Bay came to a serene close.
This book is a collaboration as much as anything. It wouldn’t be here without Eric Geron. You’re the best editor any writer could hope for—and a fantastic human. Thrilled we got to work together. And on something creepy. Thanks for coming up with this chilling book series and for approaching me to author it. Thanks always to my book agent, Deborah Schneider, for being in my corner; the Studios of Key West for awarding me a writing residency, where I broke many of the ideas that appear in this book and channeled inspiration from the ocean; and the Vermont Studio Center and my friend Joj for bringing me to Provence, where I revised these pages. I also want to thank my grandfather Robert Rogers, who consulted with Walt Disney on the music for Fantasia and other projects. I know you’d be so proud of me. Last, special thanks to my parents for taking me to see Bambi, my first movie, and inspiring a lifelong affinity for Disney. And yes, I’ve always liked the Disney villains best. Writing this book was a wish my heart made as a kid who loved scary books. I hope you enjoy this delightfully frightening series, dear reader.
JENNIFER BRODY (writing as VERA STRANGE) is a graduate of Harvard University and a creative writing instructor. She began her career working in Hollywood on many films, including The Lord of the Rings and The Golden Compass. She lives and writes in LA, where she’s hard at work on her next book. You can find her on Twitter @JenniferBrody, and Instagram and Facebook @JenniferBrodyWriter.
