Thistle Winchester never thought of herself as responsible, but when Overlook helper Belinda gets a chance to go to a special conference and learn about opening her own business, Thistle volunteers to watch Belinda's daughter Annie.

Thistle was the queen of rotten children so she thinks Annie will be easy. How hard can one child be to handle, after all? That feeling only lasts until Annie disappears into the frigid woods surrounding Hemlock Cove.

Thistle is at a loss and desperate to find her, so she calls for reinforcements. After that it's a mad race, with everyone who loves Annie tearing apart the town to find her.

Answers are never easy, and when clues start rolling in, Thistle and Aunt Tillie are left to piece together a puzzle that is years in the making and could have dire consequences.

It's all hands on deck for another Winchester adventure. When the end comes, Thistle finds her belief system shaken to its very core...something she will gladly overcome to get Annie back.

Note: This is a 28,000-word short set in the Wicked Witches of the Midwest world. It is set between "The Trouble with Witches" and "Murder Most Witchy."