After the sudden death of her mother, Alyssa Ward returns to the rural home she fled years ago. The property is quiet, untouched, and eerily preserved, except for the massive oak tree towering behind the house. Once a place of childhood comfort, the tree now radiates a strange, oppressive presence. At night, Alyssa hears whispers drifting from its roots, and shadows gather beneath its branches long after the sun has set. As she sorts through her mother's belongings, Alyssa uncovers journals detailing a family curse tied to the oak. Generations of Wards have been haunted by a spirit bound to the tree a spirit that chooses one family member to "keep" beneath its roots. Soon Alyssa begins experiencing visions of a young girl calling her name, begging to be freed. The more Alyssa investigates, the more the boundary between the living and the dead unravels. When the spirit beneath the oak reveals its true identity, someone Alyssa once knew and unknowingly abandoned, she must confront buried memories and a supernatural force determined to claim her as its next offering. To break the curse, Alyssa must face the darkness beneath the oak... before it drags her down into the earth forever.

Autorentext

Vanessa M. Chattman was born on in Newark, NJ. Her family moved to East Orange, NJ a few years later. She graduated from Clifford J. Scott High School in 1989. She joined the US Army in 1990 served on Active Duty for four years and ten months. She deployed to Desert Storm in 1990 and attended Vincennes University In 1993. In November 1997, she was accepted into the International Poetry Hall of Fame. Her membership with The Writer's Digest Book Club was active in1997. Her poems have been published in three different anthologies. The poem "My House" has been published in "The Poetic Voices of America Anthology." The second poem titled "The Celebration" has been published in the "Beginnings" anthology. The poem titled "People" has been published by The National Library of Poetry and has received The Editor's Choice Award. The Play titled, "Street Gigs", and the Screenplay titled, "ZEROX CODES" were written in 2008. She has also written 12 poetry books. Her First horror Novel "The Black Sea of Roses: (Book 1) was published on October 17th, 2019, by Amnet Systems. Her second Novel "The Black Sea of Roses: A Novel (The Antique shop, Book 2) was published on April 30th, 2021, by The Book Baby Publishing Company. Her full-length poetry book titled "The Poetry Series" was published on July 4th, 2020, by The Dorrance Publishing Company. Her Fantasy Novel, "SPELLMARKED" in Paperback format was published on August 28th, 2025, by Barnes & Noble Press, in paperback format on August 25th, 2025, on Amazon. Her new horror Novel, "The Sleepwalking Whispers" was published on November 18th, 2025, on Amazon and She has an associate's degree in applied science.