The Nixies of McGillivray Lake

Book excerpt: A family vacation in the remote British Columbia wilderness with no cell signal or electricity was not Alexis’ ideal Labour Day weekend. Not that she had much choice in the matter. Rather than find herself grounded, the 16-year-old resigned herself to a dull weekend alone with her parents, surrounded by nothing but trees. While her friends back home threw their back-to-school parties and had the time of their lives, she’d be forced to miss out on all the excitement and spend her last days of freedom trying not to die of boredom. Out of her element and focused on her frustrations, it took her a moment to notice that all was not as it should be out there in the deep, dark woods. There, beneath the dock, the eyes of a fish peered out from beneath the shadows. It watched her closely, almost as if sizing her up. Her mother’s assurance that fish don’t watch people did nothing to ease her mind, and she soon became aware of other creatures that lurked in the shadowy recesses all around her. The arrival of two other girls her own age from across the lake should have been a welcome distraction. Instead of relief, however, Alexis found they made her uncomfortable and was suspicious of them. While city life may not have prepared her for the wilderness, it had taught her to trust her instincts. Wanting to get to the bottom of the sense of mystery the sisters presented, Alexis decided to forego a jaunt on the lake with her parents to investigate on her own. This led her to discover the dark and dangerous secrets of McGillivray Lake, hidden beneath nature's picturesque façade.