The Darkness Greeted Her

The Darkness Greeted Her by Christina Ferko is an atmospheric Sapphic horror debut that combines the eerie vibes of The Honeys and Yellowjackets. It tells the tale of a group of troubled teens who find themselves stalked through the Appalachian wilderness by a creature that feeds on their deepest traumas.

Penny's abusive father is dead, but she still hears his voice in her head, encouraging her to hurt those around her. She can't go to school, interact with her friends, or even draw with a sharp pencil without her intrusive thoughts urging her toward violence. Desperate to gain control over her OCD, she agrees to spend the summer at Camp Whitewood—an exclusive therapy retreat in the woods.

When Penny arrives, she feels optimistic. The other girls all have their reasons for being there, which makes Penny feel a little less alone. But soon, she starts seeing things that can't possibly be there: the gold watch her father was buried with, his favourite whiskey spilled on her cabin floor... and a terrifying figure she calls the Shadow Man looming at the foot of her bed. Initially thinking she is losing her mind, it becomes clear that whatever is happening at Camp Whitewood isn't all in her head when a girl goes missing and is later found dead.

As the hallucinations become increasingly intense and more girls wind up dead, Penny must work with whoever is left standing to determine what is real before the Shadow Man uses their traumas against them and claims their lives.