By The Tree

A short story.

As tweens, Kay and Liz were inseparable. But one day, Liz simply vanished without a trace or an explanation. Kay tried her best to move on, but she's haunted by the lack of answers, and, more frighteningly, the fact that no one else seems to remember Liz existing except her.

Years later, Kay meets Jonah, the only other person who appears to remember Liz. Kay enlists Jonah in a search for answers, but neither of them are prepared to face the strange supernatural forces at work.

Length: 6,313 words (approximately 12 pages).

Trigger warnings: Mentions of depression, vague mentions of running away from an abusive household, mentions and discussions of gender dysphoria, accidental deadnaming and misgendering.