Mock Pitch
They Long To Be recounts the story of Cassandra, a young woman who wakes up one morning to find herself in an old Victorian manor in the company of a group of strangers, who all seem acquainted with each other, and more disturbingly, seem to know everything about Cassandra. They insist she is part of their family, and yet she has no memory of her past, only the vague feeling that she does not quite belong there, even though life at the manor itself is generally peaceful, interrupted only by the occasional domestic squabble and trip into town.
As time goes by, however, Cassandra’s misgivings about the manor and its inhabitants increase, especially when she stumbles upon a series of hidden chambers, accessible only through the cellar, each of which is laid out as if for a young woman like herself. The manor itself also transforms into a threatening presence, as its inhabitants begin to mysteriously disappear, at first for hours, and then days on end, only to re-emerge with small injuries that are always passed off as kitchen accidents or clumsiness.
About a third of the way through the novel, Nathaniel, a journalist, turns up at the manor seeking information, drawn by dark rumours in town of cult activity at the manor. On the pretext of writing an article on its historical architecture, he takes up residence there. Cassandra, still amnesiac, feels drawn to him because he represents a connection to the world beyond the confines of the manor, in which she increasingly feels trapped. Confiding in him, the two begin an investigation into the inhabitants of the manor: who they really are and what exactly they are up to.
In this enterprise, they are aided by a minor cast of supporting characters, mostly servants at the manor, who initially warn the pair against nosing, but eventually come to their rescue in the climactic scene of the novel. Part detective mystery, part horror story, They Long To Be is sure to leave the reader chilled and wary of the confines of their own four walls.
As time goes by, however, Cassandra’s misgivings about the manor and its inhabitants increase, especially when she stumbles upon a series of hidden chambers, accessible only through the cellar, each of which is laid out as if for a young woman like herself. The manor itself also transforms into a threatening presence, as its inhabitants begin to mysteriously disappear, at first for hours, and then days on end, only to re-emerge with small injuries that are always passed off as kitchen accidents or clumsiness.
About a third of the way through the novel, Nathaniel, a journalist, turns up at the manor seeking information, drawn by dark rumours in town of cult activity at the manor. On the pretext of writing an article on its historical architecture, he takes up residence there. Cassandra, still amnesiac, feels drawn to him because he represents a connection to the world beyond the confines of the manor, in which she increasingly feels trapped. Confiding in him, the two begin an investigation into the inhabitants of the manor: who they really are and what exactly they are up to.
In this enterprise, they are aided by a minor cast of supporting characters, mostly servants at the manor, who initially warn the pair against nosing, but eventually come to their rescue in the climactic scene of the novel. Part detective mystery, part horror story, They Long To Be is sure to leave the reader chilled and wary of the confines of their own four walls.