Into the Black

Abstract

The following thesis is a novel in progress, set at an all-women’s college. It follows three college-age girls as they cope with finding the dead body of a professor on campus. The reader is taken through different twists and turns, as we see the group of friends try to solve the mystery of the murder. The main character, Morgan, holds dark secrets herself that she is learning to cope with. Coming from a dysfunctional family, all she has is her friends to ground her and even they do not know the internal battle Morgan is having within herself. Through a series of events, Morgan becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigation. The question is, did she, do it? As she and her friends try to prove Morgan’s innocence, they uncover a dark secret connected to a legend that surrounds the school, and a local cult. Through a difficult coming-of-age process, Morgan truly comes to know what it means to value friendship and that sometimes, it is better to let go of the people you love. This novel explores the themes of feminism, relationships/friendships, family, and mental illness.