Restoration by Sharon Mikeworth

Bronze Award winner for the 2021–2022 Reader Views Literary Awards.

Taking refuge in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Cliff Phillips tries to come to terms with the breakup of his marriage. The natural seclusion is exactly what he needs, and he settles in for a month-long stay, soothed by the unspoiled beauty of his surroundings.

But his peace is short lived, and he soon finds himself unsettled by the eerie desolation. Out paddling the lake in the center of the historic park, he is nearly capsized by a mysterious disturbance. Not long after, a neighboring lodger flees following a terrifying night and another one vanishes without taking any of his belongings.

Cliff’s worst fears are confirmed when he has his own frightening encounter. But how will he ever get anyone to believe what he now strongly suspects: that there is something hiding in the lake’s depths?

Category: Science Fiction – First Contact