No one has lived in the old Buchanan house for decades. Its windows are boarded, its porch sinking into the weeds—but when the wind is right, you can still hear the piano.
When three friends—Tori, James, and Owen—dare each other to explore the abandoned Victorian, they expect creaking floors and dust, not the mournful melody that seems to come from nowhere. Inside, they find more than cobwebs and shadows—they find Cora, a lonely spirit bound by sorrow and song.
Drawn to the ghost’s tragic story, Tori feels a connection she can’t explain. But as the music begins to haunt her dreams, she realizes Cora’s song isn’t just a cry for help—it’s a plea for release. To set Cora free, the friends must uncover the truth buried beneath years of silence and betrayal… before the past claims one of them for good.
A chilling tale of friendship, forgiveness, and the echoes love leaves behind, Cora’s Requiem reminds us that some melodies never fade—they wait to be heard.
This Story took Third Place in the Things That Go Bump In The Night Contest at the 2025 OCW (Ozarks Creative Writers) Conference.
Lynn Combs 
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