First published 2018
Ms Valdez forces her way through a maze of twisted statues that look almost human to reach her new position. She has come to tutor Isabella at a remote estate. The parents hired her to continue their daughter's education, but they failed to mention one crucial detail about Isabella's current state. When Ms Valdez arrives, she finds no student waiting for her lessons. Isabella died, yet her parents act as though she still needs a governess. They remain determined that death will not interrupt their daughter's schooling. Ms Valdez must decide whether to flee this impossible situation or somehow fulfill her contract. The estate holds secrets about what happened to Isabella and why her parents cannot let her go. Ms Valdez discovers that the line between the living and the dead blurs in ways she never imagined possible.
Genres: mystery, horror, supernatural, gothic
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: supernatural-elements, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Remote Estate
Period: 19th-century
104 pages · Kindle Edition · Tor.com
Content warnings: death