Twisted Ties

By: Vanessa Aprilliano

Published by Ridge and Root Publishing, 2025-05-25

After twelve years of darkness, demons, and too many bodies to count, Amelia Birch is ready to tell her story. Between a dysfunctional relationship with her mother and the impending birth of her ex's lovechild, Amelia's mental health takes a nosedive into the abyss. With no other choice but to run away from home, she packs her twenty-six year old Subaru wagon and returns to beloved Bunman, Vermont. What was meant to be a fresh start quickly becomes a reminder that things change. The quaint city she remembers from childhood is lorded over by a narcissist who should have been tossed in a mulcher decades ago. While fighting to save the broken little girl inside, naivety and a series of hasty decisions put Amelia at odds with the ruthless and evil presence. A downward spiral of self-medication and promiscuity fuel a case of hero worship that only serves to complicate matters. Being in Bunman opens childhood wounds and wakes demons that cause her to ignore the pecking order in town. Insatiable curiosity and an unwillingness to be tamed are the perfect recipe for deadly consequences as the heartstrings that once tethered Amelia to Vermont become more like twisted ties.