Barely Scratching The Surface

Bys: Benandonner Publishing Original and Haig, Silas

Everyone has an itch.

Most of the time, it's nothing.

For Jamie Reed, it starts as a small irritation on his palm. A rash. A reaction. Something ordinary.

Then the letters appear.

LET ME OUT.

At school, other kids start scratching too. Teachers call it stress. Parents call it imagination. The itch spreads anyway. Some students stop scratching completely... and become something worse. Calm. Silent. Watching.

Jamie learns a terrifying rule:
The more you react, the stronger it gets.
The more you resist, the harder it pushes.

When a crack begins to form beneath his skin, Jamie realises the itch isn't trying to hurt him.

It's trying to leave.

With the help of two friends and a woman who knows more than she should, Jamie uncovers the truth buried beneath an abandoned hospital wing - a place where children were once taught to be quiet at any cost.

Now something wants out.

Something that learned how to use hands.

Perfect for readers aged 10-16, DeadQuiet - Barely Scratching the Surface is a fast-paced horror packed with creeping dread, rules you don't want to break, and a final twist that will make you look at your own skin twice.

Try not to scratch.

It might be listening.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GNNG4VC2
• ISBN13: 9798248551231
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 212 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"