Pilot

Mia stepped off the bus and onto the familiar streets of Ashwood, her hometown. She had been away for a year, and everything looked smaller, yet somehow more vibrant. The misty forests loomed in the distance, their secrets whispering on the wind.

As she walked towards her family's old Victorian house, Mia felt a mix of emotions. Excitement to be back, but also a hint of anxiety. What would her friends be like now? Would they have changed? And what about her family? Her parents had always been supportive, but her relationship with her brother, Jake, had been strained before she left.

Mia's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her phone buzzing. A text from her best friend, Alex: "Hey, welcome back! We need to catch up ASAP." Mia smiled, feeling a sense of relief. Some things didn't change, and her friendship with Alex was one of them.

As she entered her house, Mia was greeted by the familiar scent of fresh-baked cookies. Her mom was in the kitchen, a warm smile on her face. "Welcome home, sweetie! We've missed you so much." Mia hugged her mom tightly, feeling a sense of comfort and belonging.

But as she looked around the house, she noticed something off. The windows were all locked, and the curtains were drawn, even though it was a beautiful day outside. "Mom, why are the curtains closed?" Mia asked, her curiosity piqued.

Her mom hesitated before answering, "Oh, we just wanted to, uh, keep the dust out." Mia raised an eyebrow. That didn't sound like her mom at all. She was always eager to let in the sunshine.

As she headed to her room to unpack, Mia couldn't shake the feeling that something was off in Ashwood. She decided to call her best friend, Alex, to get the scoop on what was going on in town.

"Hey, girl! Welcome back!" Alex answered on the first ring. "We've missed you so much. What's it like being back?"

Mia sat down on her bed, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. "It's weird. Everything looks smaller, but also more vibrant. And my mom is acting strange. She's got all the curtains closed, and she's being super secretive."

Alex's tone turned serious. "Yeah, things have been weird in Ashwood lately. People have been acting strange, and there are rumors of...well, I don't know if I should be telling you this, but there are rumors of some kind of presence in the woods."

Mia's ears perked up. "What kind of presence?"

Alex hesitated. "I don't know, but people are saying it's been seen at night, lurking in the shadows. Some people think it's just a legend, but others are really scared."

Mia felt a shiver run down her spine. She had always loved the woods, but now she wasn't so sure. She decided to ask Alex more questions, but before she could, her brother Jake walked into her room.

"Hey, sis," Jake said, his voice neutral. "Welcome back."

Mia turned to him, feeling a mix of emotions. She had always been close to Jake, but they had a falling out before she left Ashwood. "Hey, Jake. Thanks."

Jake sat down on her bed, looking at her with a serious expression. "We need to talk."

Mia raised an eyebrow. What was going on with her family?

"What's going on, Jake?" Mia asked, her curiosity piqued. She had always been close to her brother, but their relationship had been strained before she left Ashwood. She wasn't sure what to expect now.

Jake leaned back against the bedframe, his eyes serious. "Mom's been acting weird, like you said. And Dad's been getting these strange phone calls. He's always trying to keep it from us, but I've seen him arguing with someone on the phone."

Mia's eyes widened. She had noticed her mom's strange behavior, but she hadn't realized her dad was involved too. "Do you think it's related to the rumors Alex was telling me about?"

Jake nodded. "I think it might be. People have been talking about strange occurrences in the woods, and some folks are saying it's connected to an old legend."

Mia felt a shiver run down her spine. She had always loved the woods, but now she was starting to feel uneasy. "What kind of legend?"

Jake hesitated, looking around the room nervously. "It's an old story about a presence that's said to haunt the woods. Some people think it's just a myth, but others believe it's real."

Mia's mind was racing. She had always been skeptical of ghost stories, but now she wasn't so sure. She decided to ask Jake more questions, but before she could, their mom called out from downstairs.

"Jake, Mia, dinner's ready!"

Jake stood up, his expression serious. "We'll talk more about this later, okay?"

Mia nodded, feeling a sense of unease. She wasn't sure what was going on in Ashwood, but she was determined to find out.

As they headed downstairs for dinner, Mia couldn't shake the feeling that something was off in her hometown. The strange occurrences, the rumors, and her family's behavior were all adding up to a sense of unease. She was determined to get to the bottom of it, but she wasn't sure where to start.

After dinner, Mia and Jake snuck up to Mia's room, eager to continue their conversation.

"Okay, so tell me more about this legend," Mia said, her curiosity piqued.

Jake leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's an old story about a presence that's said to haunt the woods. Some people think it's a ghost, while others believe it's something more sinister."

Mia's eyes widened. "What kind of presence?"

Jake hesitated, looking around the room nervously. "They call it 'The Shadow.' It's said to be a dark figure that appears in the woods, especially at night."

Mia felt a shiver run down her spine. She had always loved the woods, but now she was starting to feel uneasy.

"What's the story behind The Shadow?" Mia asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Jake leaned in closer. "From what I've heard, The Shadow is the spirit of a person who died in the woods a long time ago. Some people say it was a tragic accident, while others believe it was something more sinister.