Into the Gathering Dark - Abridged

Summary

When teenagers Amy and Josh decide to spend an afternoon hiking in the nearby forest, they meant for it to be an innocent adventure. But things take a dark turn when they lose their way among the dense trees as night falls. With no cell service and the growing sounds of unknown entities approaching, the pair begins to fear they may not make it out alive. 

Meanwhile, local detective Dana Clarke is investigating the strange disappearance of several hikers who all went missing in that same forest over the past few months. With no solid leads, she feels she is chasing ghosts. But when Amy and Josh's parents report them missing after they fail to return home, Clarke senses she may finally have her big break in the case.

Braving the nighttime forest herself, Clarke uses her tracking skills to follow signs that Amy and Josh have left behind in hopes of locating them before it's too late. But the deeper she ventures into the woods, the more she realizes this is no ordinary missing persons case. Something - or someone - is out there picking off unwary visitors one by one. And if Clarke isn't careful, she may become the predator's next prey.

Through twists and turns as Clarke pieces together clues both real and misleading, the story builds mystery and suspense until a shocking climax reveals the true mastermind behind the forest disappearances. In the end, will Clarke be able to save Amy and Josh in time, and finally close her case? Here is a 7-chapter outline crafted to appeal to the 18+ demographic with Mystery genre elements woven through a compelling narrative structure: