Secrets and Shadows of the Missing

The enticing and stately façade of the English Boarding School promises a place of enchanting wonder for its young residents. Its perfectly manicured playing fields, the quaint 'chocolate bar' courtyard, and the mysterious ancient oak wood create a tapestry of endless adventures and dreams. Yet, beneath its captivating elegance, the school hides a much darker history-a buried Tudor mansion teeming with secrets and shadows that few dare to uncover.

Eleanor, along with her inseparable friends, the twins William and Leo, revel in the timeless magic of the building and its grounds. They spend their days weaving stories of heroes and dragons, exploring every corner of their secluded world. But when Eleanor learns that her parents will abandon her to the school's care over the summer, her joy turns to bitterness and betrayal.

On the last day of term, driven by a mix of anger and desperation, Eleanor decides to escape through the weakest point in the school's boundaries-the ancient oak wood-with the aim of returning home. Instead, she vanishes into its depths, leaving her friends behind to grapple with her sudden disappearance.

As William and Leo embark on a frantic search, they find themselves pulled into a vortex where the boundaries between the present and the past blur. Each step leads them deeper into the mysteries hidden within the very foundations of the school, where forgotten lives and untold stories are waiting to resurface.

What secrets lie beneath the surface of this seemingly idyllic school? What happened to Eleanor in the shadowy depths of the oak wood? As the twins peel back layers of time, they uncover a haunting legacy that threatens to unravel the fabric of their own lives.

"Secrets and Shadows of the Missing" is a riveting journey through time and memory, where the past is never truly gone, and the echoes of history can still be heard whispering in the woods.

Elizabeth Wixley was born in Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom but has moved many times during her childhood. She attended the Camberwell Art School and joined a design studio in Convent Garden. Moving to Bristol, some years later, she worked full time for the Local Education Authority supporting children suffering from emotional and behavioural difficulties, whilst ensuring that the transition into a mainstream school was done in a supportive and nurturing manner. Whilst providing children with a safe haven for learning, she raised two sons as a single parent while studying for a degree in education at the University of the West of England.

Her love of fiction started at the age of six when Elizabeth's grandmother died of cancer and to ensure that the rest of the family was safe, she would spend the nights roaming the house looking for the 'C' monster to make sure that he did not claim any more victims.

One sunny bright day, her sister told her that fork lightning would come and strike her down after which she would spend her days hiding in the garage and when she heard that the sun was falling out of the sky, well needless to say, she very seldom ventured out.

With trial and error, Elizabeth soon realized to fight her foes, she had to stare them straight in the eye, explore them and conqueror the inner demons in order to stand righteous. This helps fuel her love of horror and the many mysteries of the world. Creating a why and what if scenario that runs prominent in her fascinating fiction.

Throughout Elizabeth's life, creative arts have been her passion whether it is visiting galleries, painting or writing. She enjoys nothing more than sharing a compelling horror story with others and holding the sanity of her readers in the palm of her hand.