Prologue: The First Haunting

In 2001, Brad and Shelley, two Sanera High students, sneak into the abandoned Carrington Manor to film an episode of Brad's amateur ghost-hunting show. Their playful banter and nervous excitement quickly turn to terror as they encounter the legendary Carrington Ghoul—a spectral figure with a butcher's blade. Trapped by a rapidly spreading fire, the teens realize the legend is horrifyingly real. Their desperate pleas are drowned by flames, and the last thing the camera records is their final, doomed moments. The prologue sets the tone: Carrington Manor is not just haunted by stories, but by something—or someone—deadly.

New Girl, Old Secrets

Cam, Jonesy, and Amber, three close friends at Sanera High, meet Buffy, a perceptive and mysterious new student from Connecticut. Buffy quickly integrates into their group, her sharp observations and outsider's perspective both intriguing and unsettling the others. As the group navigates the social labyrinth of high school, Buffy's presence stirs up old insecurities and new dynamics, especially as she seems to know more than she lets on. The arrival of a new face in a town where nothing ever changes foreshadows the disruption to come, and hints at secrets lurking beneath the surface.

Death Shocks Sanera High

The school is rocked by the news that Brad and Shelley have died in a fire at Carrington Manor. The principal's somber announcement sends shockwaves through the student body, and the media quickly descends, eager to connect the deaths to the town's infamous ghost story. The group reels from the loss, struggling to process the reality that their classmates—seemingly invincible—are gone. The deaths are officially ruled accidental, but the circumstances are too strange to ignore. Fear, suspicion, and a sense of vulnerability settle over Sanera, changing the town's atmosphere overnight.

Rumors and Ghost Stories

As the town mourns, rumors swirl about the Carrington Ghoul and the possibility of a curse. The sheriff and local reporter Rick Field stoke the flames, each with their own agenda—one to calm, the other to sensationalize. The group debates the plausibility of supernatural explanations versus more rational ones, with Buffy pushing for deeper investigation. The legend of Robert Carrington, the manor's original owner who died in a fire after cursing the town, becomes more than just a campfire tale. The line between myth and reality blurs, and the group's curiosity is piqued.

The Group Unites

The deaths draw Cam, Jonesy, Amber, and Buffy closer together. They bond over shared grief and a growing determination to uncover the truth. Each member brings their own strengths and vulnerabilities: Cam's easygoing nature, Jonesy's intellect, Amber's empathy, and Buffy's relentless curiosity. Tensions simmer—especially as Buffy's motives and past remain unclear—but the group's loyalty is tested and solidified as they decide to investigate the deaths themselves. Their unity becomes both their greatest asset and a potential liability as they step into danger.

The Legend of Carrington

The group delves into the history of Carrington Manor and its infamous owner. Robert Carrington, once the town's wealthiest man, lost his family to illness and became a pariah, eventually dying in a fire that many believe was set by vengeful townsfolk. His dying curse—promising retribution on Sanera—has haunted the town for generations. The group uncovers rumors of a hidden fortune, secret passages, and a pattern of disappearances. The legend is no longer just background noise; it becomes a possible motive for murder, and the group realizes the past is not as distant as it seems.

The First Investigation

The friends skip school to search the town library for clues, discovering that key newspaper articles about the original Carrington fire have been recently removed. Their research is interrupted by news of another murder—Kenny, a student who publicly vowed to catch the killer, is found dead in his home. The killer's methods mimic the original legend, and the group realizes they are dealing with someone who is both cunning and obsessed with the town's history. The investigation becomes personal, and the stakes rise as the killer's pattern emerges.

The Camcorder's Truth

Amber recovers a camcorder from the manor, containing footage of Brad and Shelley's final moments. The video shows not only the fire, but a figure dressed as the Carrington Ghoul, wielding a butcher's blade. The group is horrified by the brutality and the calculated nature of the murders. The footage is anonymously turned over to the police, but the killer leaves a chilling note: NO POLICE. The friends realize they are being watched, manipulated, and possibly targeted. The line between investigator and victim begins to blur.

The Murders Escalate

As more bodies turn up—including a freshman whose death is faked to distract the group—the killer's game becomes more elaborate. The friends set a trap, only to discover they've been manipulated into capturing an innocent pawn. The killer, using the persona of the Carrington Ghoul, is always one step ahead, orchestrating events to sow fear and confusion. The group's trust in each other is tested, especially as suspicions about Buffy's past and motives come to a head. The killer's message is clear: no one is safe, and the game is far from over.

The Killer's Game

The killer abducts Cam and his mother, leaving a taunting note and a video as a challenge to the group. The friends must race against time to save their own, navigating the manor's secret passages and facing their deepest fears. Buffy's secret—her involvement in a friend's death at her old school—is revealed, but the group ultimately chooses trust and unity. The killer's obsession with Carrington's lost treasure and his desire for vengeance against the town become clear. The friends realize they are the final pieces in the killer's twisted reenactment of the legend.

The Trap Is Set

The group devises a plan to lure the killer into a trap at Amber's house, using themselves as bait. The plan nearly succeeds, but the killer outsmarts them, using a kidnapped student as a decoy. The friends are forced to confront the reality that the killer is not only dangerous, but intimately familiar with their every move. The sense of being hunted intensifies, and the group's resolve is pushed to the breaking point. The killer's endgame is revealed: a final confrontation at Carrington Manor, where the legend began and where it must end.

The Real Ghoul Revealed

In a climactic showdown at Carrington Manor, the killer is unmasked as Mr. Graham, the group's trusted history teacher. His obsession with Carrington, his belief in the town's guilt, and his desire for the hidden treasure drove him to murder. He orchestrated the killings to mimic the legend, using his knowledge of history, drama, and the town's secrets to manipulate events. The friends fight for their lives in a brutal struggle, ultimately defeating Mr. Graham through courage, quick thinking, and their unbreakable bond. The true horror is not the supernatural, but the evil that can hide in plain sight.

Final Showdown at the Manor

The group rescues Cam and his mother, narrowly escaping death as the manor becomes a battleground. Amber, forced to kill Mr. Graham in self-defense, is left traumatized but alive. The friends support each other through the aftermath, grappling with the reality of what they've endured and the knowledge that their actions saved lives. The town is left to reckon with the truth: the real monster was not a ghost, but a man consumed by obsession and vengeance. The legend of Carrington is finally put to rest, but the scars remain.

Aftermath and Recovery

In the weeks following the ordeal, the friends recover physically and emotionally. Cam and Jonesy's relationship deepens, Amber seeks therapy and comes out to her parents, and Buffy finds acceptance and belonging after years of guilt and suspicion. The town hails them as heroes, but the group is haunted by what they've seen and done. They vow to use their experience to help others, forming a mystery-solving club to bring light to the darkness in their community. The hidden treasure remains undiscovered, a reminder that some secrets are best left buried.

Epilogue: New Beginnings

Months later, the friends have become local legends, using their skills to solve small mysteries and help their neighbors. Their bond is stronger than ever, forged in the crucible of fear and loss. Buffy, now fully integrated into the group, keeps one last secret: she knows where Carrington's treasure is hidden, but chooses to leave it undisturbed. The group's future is uncertain, but they face it together, ready for whatever mysteries—and dangers—may come. The story ends not with an ending, but with a promise: as long as there are secrets, they will seek the truth.

Characters

Cam

Cam is the heart of the group, balancing athletic prowess with a gentle, self-deprecating humor. He is haunted by the loss of his father and the pressures on his single mother, which make him fiercely loyal to his friends. Cam's easygoing nature masks deep insecurities about his future and his place in the world. His relationship with Jonesy evolves from friendship to romantic love, providing both comfort and complexity as they navigate trauma together. Cam's courage is tested when he is kidnapped and nearly killed, but his resilience and empathy help hold the group together in their darkest moments.

Jonesy

Jonesy is the group's brain, a reserved and cautious thinker who prefers logic to superstition. His home life is troubled—his mother struggles with addiction, and his father is absent—making his friendships a lifeline. Jonesy's skepticism is challenged as the murders escalate and the supernatural seems increasingly plausible. His unspoken love for Cam adds tension and vulnerability, culminating in a tender, hard-won romance. Jonesy's journey is one of self-acceptance, bravery, and learning to trust both his instincts and his heart, even as he faces mortal danger.

Amber

Amber is the group's emotional anchor, known for her kindness, intelligence, and fierce loyalty. She is the first to welcome Buffy and the last to give up on anyone. Amber's home life is stable but conservative, and her bisexuality is a source of both pride and anxiety. She is traumatized by the violence she is forced to commit in self-defense, but her willingness to seek help and support her friends exemplifies her strength. Amber's empathy is both her greatest gift and her greatest burden, as she shoulders the pain of those around her while striving to do what's right.

Buffy

Buffy arrives in Sanera with a hidden past—a friend's death at her old school that left her ostracized and guilt-ridden. Her intelligence and perceptiveness make her both an asset and a source of suspicion within the group. Buffy's relentless curiosity drives the investigation, but her secrecy and intensity create friction. Ultimately, her vulnerability and honesty earn her the group's trust. Buffy's arc is one of redemption and belonging, as she learns to forgive herself and find a new family among her friends. She keeps one final secret: the true location of Carrington's treasure.

Mr. Graham (R. M. Renfield)

Mr. Graham is the group's history teacher, beloved for his humor and approachability. Beneath his affable exterior lies a mind warped by obsession with Robert Carrington and a sense of grievance against the town. As the killer, he orchestrates the murders to mimic the legend, using his knowledge of history, drama, and the students' psychology to manipulate events. His dual identity as trusted mentor and remorseless murderer is the story's central twist, embodying the theme that evil can hide in plain sight. His downfall is both shocking and tragic, a cautionary tale of obsession gone mad.

Shelley

Shelley is introduced in the prologue as Brad's girlfriend and partner in the ill-fated ghost-hunting expedition. Her death, along with Brad's, is the catalyst for the story's events. Shelley represents the vulnerability of youth and the randomness of tragedy. Her memory haunts the group, motivating their quest for justice and truth.

Brad

Brad is the ambitious but insecure creator of the ghost-hunting show that leads him and Shelley to their deaths. His desire for recognition and escape from small-town obscurity mirrors the killer's own motivations, creating a subtle parallel. Brad's death is the inciting incident that shatters the illusion of safety in Sanera and propels the group into action.

Kenny

Kenny is Brad's best friend and a brash, attention-seeking student who vows to catch the killer. His public challenge makes him a target, and his murder marks a turning point in the story, escalating the sense of danger and urgency. Kenny's bravado masks genuine grief and loyalty, and his death is a sobering reminder of the killer's reach.

Cam's Mom

Cam's mother is a hardworking single parent, struggling to provide for her son after the death of her husband. Her abduction and near-death experience at the hands of the killer add emotional stakes and highlight the vulnerability of even the most capable adults. Her survival and support are crucial to Cam's recovery and the group's healing.

Sheriff Rogers

Sheriff Rogers is the face of law enforcement in Sanera, more comfortable with small-town problems than serial murder. His inability to protect the town or solve the case forces the group to take matters into their own hands. Rogers represents the limitations of adult authority and the necessity of youth agency in the face of institutional failure.

Plot Devices

Duality of Legend and Reality

The story's central device is the interplay between the supernatural legend of the Carrington Ghoul and the very real, human violence that mimics it. The killer exploits the town's belief in the curse to mask his crimes, using theatricality, historical knowledge, and psychological manipulation to create fear and confusion. This duality keeps both characters and readers guessing, heightening suspense and deepening the mystery. The legend is not just background—it is weaponized, turning the town's history into both a smokescreen and a motive.

Multiple Perspectives and Unreliable Narration

The narrative alternates between the perspectives of Cam, Jonesy, Amber, and Buffy, allowing for intimate character development and the exploration of secrets, doubts, and shifting alliances. This structure creates dramatic irony, as readers know more than any one character, and unreliable narration, as each character's fears and biases color their interpretation of events. The use of found footage (the camcorder) and anonymous notes further destabilizes the narrative, making truth elusive and danger omnipresent.

Foreshadowing and Red Herrings

The story is rich with foreshadowing—cryptic warnings, missing newspaper articles, and the recurring motif of splitting up (both literal and metaphorical). Red herrings abound: Buffy's secretive past, the possibility of a supernatural killer, and the town's obsession with the legend all serve to distract from the true culprit. The careful planting and subversion of clues keeps the reader engaged and the resolution satisfying.

The Locked Room and Secret Passageways

Carrington Manor itself is a character, with its hidden rooms, secret tunnels, and shifting architecture. The manor's labyrinthine design mirrors the psychological maze the characters must navigate, and the repeated motif of being trapped—by history, by fear, by the killer—underscores the story's themes. The final confrontation in the manor's heart literalizes the journey from confusion to clarity, from victimhood to agency.

The "Scooby Gang" Dynamic

The group's dynamic is a loving nod to classic teen mystery teams, but with a modern, emotionally complex twist. Their banter, loyalty, and resourcefulness are both a source of comfort and a means of survival. The story subverts expectations by making the adults the true threat, and by allowing the teens to be both vulnerable and heroic. The motif of "splitting up" is both a genre joke and a commentary on the dangers of isolation versus the power of unity.

Analysis

Let's Split Up is a sharp, emotionally resonant reinvention of the teen slasher and mystery genres, blending the nostalgia of 90s horror with the psychological depth and diversity of contemporary YA. At its core, the novel interrogates the power of stories—how legends can both protect and endanger, how history is weaponized, and how the past shapes the present. The Carrington Ghoul is both a literal and metaphorical ghost, embodying the town's unresolved guilt and the dangers of unchecked obsession. The novel's true horror lies not in the supernatural, but in the capacity for ordinary people—teachers, friends, neighbors—to become monsters when consumed by resentment and greed. The protagonists' journey from fear to agency, from suspicion to trust, is both a gripping thriller and a meditation on trauma, healing, and the necessity of community. By centering queer and neurodiverse characters, the story offers a fresh, inclusive take on the genre, while never losing sight of its propulsive, page-turning suspense. Ultimately, Let's Split Up is a love letter to friendship, resilience, and the courage to face the darkness—both within and without.

Last updated: October 17, 2025