The River Man

When Lucas Mire returns to the isolated village of Black Hollow following the mysterious drowning of his sister Clara, he expects grief, unanswered questions, and perhaps a village hiding dark secrets. What he finds instead is something far older and far more terrifying than murder. For generations the people of Black Hollow have feared the river cutting through the valley. They speak in whispers about a smiling figure seen standing waist deep in the water during storms.
A figure known only as the River Man. Those who see him begin hearing voices from the river after dark. Dead loved ones calling softly through rain and fog. And sooner or later, they vanish. As Lucas digs deeper into the village's history, he uncovers a horrifying truth buried beneath centuries of drownings, disappearances, and silence. Hidden beneath Black Hollow lies an ancient underground river where something monstrous has waited for generations, feeding on grief, memory, and the dead themselves.
The River Man is only the beginning. Trapped between crumbling tunnels, drowned victims who refuse to stay dead, and a creature wearing stolen human faces beneath the water, Lucas must confront the terrifying connection between his own bloodline and the ancient entity beneath the valley before Black Hollow is swallowed forever. Bleak, atmospheric, and deeply unsettling, The River Man is a slow burn paranormal dark fantasy filled with ancient horrors, drowned secrets, and the creeping terror of something waiting beneath black water.