When a young girl vanishes, a haunted cop burdened by a past mistake finds himself entangled in the dark secrets lurking beneath Westville’s quiet facade. As the missing girl’s best friends embark on their own search, they uncover something malevolent and hungry stirring in the shadows of the woods. Parent discretion is advised.
The mystery deepens and shadows grow darker in Westville Season 1, and you can find the final episodes on the Westville Substack. Here’s what’s coming your way:
- Episode 7: “Siloed” – Saturday, December 21st
- Episode 8: “Holly and Fire” – Monday, December 23rd
- Episode 9: “Welcome to Westville” – Friday, January 3rd
And now, an except from Episode 6: Bad Blood:
Rain came down in sheets, drumming against the awning of Fischer’s Cafe as Casey stood there, already soaked to the bone. And cold. More than just the damp November bite of the chill—a numbness that had sunk down to the marrow.
He’d spent a good part of the day and some of the night before just driving. He drove through Iron Falls, the yellow and white arc sodium lights giving a glow through the November gloom. He’d kept going along M-23 until he hit a small Lake Michigan town he hadn’t been too since he was a kid. There was a small motel there, and he grabbed a room. Almost without thinking about.
What he had been thinking about, was the Hopkins kid. Millie. About Joe and Erin. Regretting ever getting involved with Heiser’s crazy conspiracy theories and getting his hands in things with feds, where he didn’t belong.
Most of all, he thought about the wreck he’d become because he didn’t know how to deal. Then he thought about Aly.
He’d taken his time driving back, stopped at his place before driving here to Fischer’s.
Through the window, Christmas lights strung along the interior cast kaleidoscope colors across the wet sidewalk—the mid-November weekend marking the kickoff of the holidays season in Westville.
The neon “OPEN” sign flickered once, then died.
Before he could knock, the door flung open.
“Casey,” Aly said, surprise evident in her voice. “What are you doing here?”
He didn’t say anything, just walked in past her. She let him, closing the door against the wind and rain. The cafe felt too quiet, too still – like a confessional after hours.
“I’m closing down.”
“Anyone else here?” Casey asked, scanning the empty dining room, eyes moving to the kitchen through the order window.
“Sam just left a few minutes ago. Why?”
Casey just shook his head, still trying to gather his thoughts, still trying to talk himself out of what he was about to say. Everything felt wrong since Millie had gone missing – since they’d found her body in the river. But being here, with Aly, that felt like the only right thing left.
“Casey, what’s wrong?” Aly asked, taking a cautious step toward him. In the dim light, her green eyes searched his face.
“Nothing. That’s the thing.” He exhaled slowly. “At least until all this.”
Read for the rest of this episode on the Westville Substack.
Ryder Jones is the author of the ongoing paranormal mystery thriller serial, Westville, as well as the forthcoming Remnant Divine series of fantasy novels. He was born and raised in Lowell, MI, where he still lives with his wife Jessica, two daughters and son.
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