Imogen Adams stood on the edge of the old quarry, her breath coming out in quick, shallow gasps. The wind rustled the trees around her, carrying the scent of pine and something else—something darker, something that hung in the air like a secret. The cold night pressed in, but her mind was on fire, racing with a thousand thoughts at once. She stared down at the water below, where the murky depths seemed to call out to her, filled with the weight of unanswered questions.

The lyrics from Taylor Swift's "Dear Reader" echoed in her mind: "You don't have to answer, just 'cause they asked you." That was the problem, wasn't it? Everyone wanted answers from her—from all of them—but no one really knew the full story. Not yet. The secrets they held were heavier than the town of Millwood could ever understand.

Imogen took a deep breath, turning away from the quarry to face her friends, who were standing a few feet behind her, watching her with a mix of concern and determination. Tabitha "Tabby" Haworthe, Faran Bryant, Minnie "Mouse" Honrada, and Noa Olivar—the girls who had become her lifeline in the midst of all the chaos. Together, they had faced danger, lies, and betrayal, and tonight was no different.

"We shouldn't be here," Faran said, her voice tense as she glanced around. "This place gives me the creeps."

Imogen nodded, though her eyes lingered on the quarry. "I know, but we don't have a choice. This is where everything started. This is where we'll find the answers."

Noa crossed her arms, her gaze hardening. "You really think coming here will solve anything? We've been chasing clues for months, and all it's gotten us is more questions."

"Maybe," Tabby said, stepping forward, her eyes locked on Imogen. "But we're not leaving until we know the truth."

Mouse, the quietest of the group, shifted nervously from foot to foot. "I still don't understand why 'A' wanted us to come here tonight. What's the connection?"

That was the million-dollar question. They had all received the cryptic message from 'A' earlier that day, telling them to meet at the quarry after dark. It was the latest in a string of mysterious instructions from the figure who had been tormenting them for months—'A,' the shadowy presence who seemed to know all their secrets and wasn't afraid to use them against them.

Imogen clenched her fists, feeling the anger rise in her chest. 'A' had destroyed so much of her life, taken so much from all of them, and now they were standing on the edge of something terrible—something that could either break them or finally give them the answers they had been searching for.

"We'll figure it out," Imogen said, her voice firm. "But we have to stay focused."

Tabby stepped up beside her, her hand brushing Imogen's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "We've come this far. We can't turn back now."

Imogen nodded, though the fear gnawed at her. They were getting closer to the truth, but every step they took seemed to lead them deeper into a web of lies and danger. And the closer they got, the more Imogen feared that not all of them would make it out unscathed.


The five girls made their way down the narrow path leading toward the edge of the quarry, the moon casting an eerie glow over the landscape. As they walked, the silence between them felt heavy, each of them lost in their own thoughts, their own worries.

"Does anyone else think this feels like a trap?" Noa muttered, her eyes darting around the trees.

"It always feels like a trap with 'A,'" Faran replied, her voice tight. "But what choice do we have?"

Tabby glanced over at Imogen, her brows furrowed. "What do you think 'A' wants from us this time?"

Imogen shook her head, her mind racing with possibilities. "I don't know. But if 'A' wanted us here, there has to be a reason."

Mouse stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening as she pointed toward the water. "Guys, look."

They all turned to see what Mouse had spotted—something glinting in the moonlight, half-submerged in the water near the quarry's edge. Imogen's heart pounded in her chest as she took a step closer, her mind racing with possibilities.

"Is that... a box?" Tabby asked, squinting at the object.

Imogen felt a chill run down her spine. Whatever it was, it looked like it had been placed there deliberately—as if waiting for them to find it. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, carefully lowering herself down to the water's edge. Her fingers brushed against the cold, wet surface of the box, and she lifted it out of the water with a grunt.

The box was small and metallic, its surface tarnished from the elements. It was old, that much was clear, but its presence here felt intentional. Imogen set the box down on the ground, the others gathering around her in a tense circle.

"Should we open it?" Mouse asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Noa crossed her arms, her expression skeptical. "Do we even want to know what's inside?"

"We have to," Imogen said firmly, her hands already moving to the clasp. "This might be the key to everything."

She hesitated for only a moment before flipping the clasp open and lifting the lid. Inside, there were papers—old, yellowed with age—and a small, weathered photograph. Imogen's heart skipped a beat as she pulled out the photo, her hands trembling slightly.

The image was black and white, grainy, but there was no mistaking what it showed: a group of young women standing together, smiling at the camera. And in the center of the group was a familiar face.

"My mom," Imogen whispered, her breath catching in her throat.

Tabby leaned over her shoulder, her eyes widening. "That's... that's your mom?"

Imogen nodded, her mind spinning. The photo was old—taken long before she was born—but there was no doubt. It was her mother, surrounded by women Imogen didn't recognize. What was her mom doing in a photo like this? And why had 'A' wanted them to find it?

Faran reached for one of the papers in the box, her brow furrowing as she scanned the text. "This is... a police report. From over twenty years ago."

Imogen's stomach churned as she took the paper from Faran's hands, her eyes scanning the words. It was an incident report, detailing a missing person case from the summer her mother had graduated high school. A girl named Angela Waters—the same girl whose name had come up again and again during their investigation into 'A.'

"Angela Waters," Imogen said, her voice barely above a whisper. "She was... friends with my mom."

Noa frowned, crossing her arms. "Why didn't your mom ever mention her?"

Imogen shook her head, her mind racing. "I don't know. But whatever happened to Angela—it's tied to 'A.' I'm sure of it."

Tabby nodded, her expression grim. "This has to be why 'A' is targeting us. It all goes back to Angela Waters."

Imogen looked down at the photo again, her heart heavy. Her mother had kept this secret for years, never telling Imogen about her connection to Angela. But why? What had happened all those years ago that had led to this?

"We have to find out what happened to Angela," Imogen said, her voice filled with determination. "It's the only way we'll ever stop 'A.'"

Faran nodded, her eyes hard. "Then let's figure it out. Whatever it takes."


The next few days were a blur of research, late nights, and dead ends. The more they dug into the past, the more questions they uncovered. Angela Waters had vanished without a trace all those years ago, and the police investigation had gone cold, leaving behind nothing but speculation and rumors.

But as the girls pieced together the fragments of the past, they began to see a pattern—one that connected not only Angela's disappearance, but their mothers, the secrets of Millwood, and the dark force that had been stalking them for months.

One evening, as they sat in Tabby's living room, surrounded by old files and photographs, Mouse spoke up, her voice hesitant. "Do you think... our moms knew? About Angela? About 'A'?"

Imogen stared at the photo of her mother, her heart heavy. "They must have. They were all connected to her somehow. But they never told us."

"Maybe they were trying to protect us," Tabby suggested, though her voice wavered with uncertainty.

"Or maybe they were hiding something," Noa said darkly.

Imogen sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Whatever the reason, we can't let it stop us. We're getting closer to the truth. I can feel it."

Faran leaned forward, her eyes sharp with determination. "Then we need to keep going. We can't let 'A' control us anymore."

Imogen nodded, though the fear still gnawed at her. They were on the verge of uncovering something huge—something that had been buried for decades. But the closer they got, the more dangerous things became.

And deep down, Imogen knew that once they found the truth, there would be no going back.


The final piece of the puzzle fell into place one night when Imogen received an unexpected call. It was from a woman claiming to be Angela Waters' sister. She had seen their recent inquiries into Angela's case and wanted to meet.

Imogen gathered the girls, and they met the woman at a secluded café on the edge of town. She was older now, with weary eyes that spoke of years of pain and unanswered questions. She handed them a journal—Angela's journal—filled with entries about the final months of her life.

As they read through the pages, the truth finally emerged. Angela had been bullied, ostracized, and betrayed by the very people she had called friends. Their mothers. And in her final entry, Angela had written about a terrible secret—a secret that had led to her disappearance.

Imogen felt sick as the weight of it all settled over her. Their mothers had been involved in Angela's disappearance, and now 'A'—whoever they were—was using that secret to torment their daughters.

"It was them," Imogen whispered, her voice filled with disbelief. "Our moms... they're the reason 'A' exists."

Tabby stared at the journal in shock. "But why? Why go after us?"

"Because we're their daughters," Faran said darkly. "And 'A' wants revenge."

Imogen's heart pounded in her chest. They had uncovered the truth, but at what cost? The weight of their mothers' sins now rested on their shoulders, and 'A' was determined to make them pay.

As they left the café that night, the girls knew one thing for certain:

The real fight was just beginning.