Curiosity is a double-edged sword. It drives innovation, uncovers hidden truths, and fuels some of the greatest stories ever told. But sometimes, asking the wrong questions, poking in the wrong places, or trusting the wrong people can have fatal consequences.
In The Nearly Departed, curiosity isn’t just a character trait—it’s a lifeline and a death sentence all at once. Julie Ann Wilson, a fifteen-year-old girl with a natural instinct for uncovering secrets, learns this the hard way. What starts as an innocent summer at the lake soon turns into a terrifying investigation that costs her everything! But even death won’t silence her.
A Summer of Suspicion
For Julie, the lake house had always been a place of joy, of warm nights and endless laughter. That summer should have been like any other—filled with sun-soaked afternoons, the sound of cicadas in the trees, and late-night ghost stories with friends.
But something felt… off.
Roger Fenson had just moved into the neighborhood, a man with a charming smile and an impressive reputation. He was a doctor, a well-respected member of the community, the kind of person parents trusted without question. But Julie noticed things others didn’t. The way he always seemed to be watching. The way he inserted himself into conversations, especially with young girls. The way his stories never quite added up.
Her instincts told her to dig deeper. Her curiosity refused to let it go.
Secrets That Should Have Stayed Buried
Julie was smart. She knew that if something felt wrong, it probably was. So she started paying attention. She watched. She listened. She asked questions that made people uncomfortable.
And then she found something.
A connection between Fenson and missing girls from nearby towns. A pattern too precise to be a coincidence. A hidden collection of photographs, notes, and maps—evidence of something sinister lurking beneath his polished exterior.
Julie knew she had to tell someone. But who would believe a fifteen-year-old girl over a respected doctor?
The Danger of Knowing Too Much
As Julie gathered evidence, the world around her began to shift in unsettling ways.
The man she had been investigating, once warm and charming, now carried an edge of quiet menace in his voice and movements. She was no longer just a curious teenager asking too many questions—she had become a threat. But she refused to stop. The phone calls started, each one dripping with unspoken danger. Deep down, she knew she was running out of time. And then, one night, she was gone.
Justice from Beyond the Grave
Most stories would end there. Another unsolved tragedy, another girl lost, another predator slipping through the cracks.
But Julie wasn’t done.
Trapped in The In-Between Land, she watched as life moved on without her. Her family grieved, her town whispered rumors, and Fenson carried on as if nothing had happened.
And that? That was unacceptable.
Through the whispers of the nearly departed, through the eerie echoes of the past, Julie found her voice. She wasn’t just a ghost. She was a witness. A fighter. A girl who refused to be forgotten.
Her story—her warnings, her discoveries—wouldn’t stay buried. And because of that, justice wasn’t far behind.
A Costly Lesson in Trust
Julie’s tale is a chilling reminder that, sometimes, the truth is the most dangerous thing you can uncover. It forces us to confront the unsettling reality of how often red flags are ignored simply because the person behind them seems charming, respected, or untouchable. It challenges us to think about the times when young voices were dismissed, and their concerns brushed aside as exaggeration or childish imagination. And it raises the difficult question of when curiosity stops being a courageous pursuit and becomes a dangerous gamble. In a world where predators don’t always lurk in the shadows but often stand in plain sight, Julie’s story is more than just fiction—it’s a warning wrapped in a haunting, unforgettable tale.
Would You Have Listened?
The Nearly Departed by Jeanne K. Johnson is a crime thriller wrapped in the supernatural, a tale of a girl who refused to let evil win. It will keep you up at night, not just because of its eerie twists but because of the terrifying reality it exposes.
Curiosity has a price. But sometimes, the cost of silence is even higher.
Don’t just read the story. Learn from it. Pick up The Nearly Departed today and discover a mystery so haunting that even death couldn’t end it.
