Silence in the Barrens

By Michael Julian

For a final senior project a group of five friends have chosen to venture deep into the Pine Barrens of New Jersey to chronicle not just the flora and fauna of the Pines but also to capture on video proof of the existence of the vicious Jersey Devil, an integral part of the folklore of these parts, dating back generations, and sewing fear, sightings, and wild stories as far back as anyone can remember.

Despite stern warnings from adult quarters that it isn't safe, they embark on their journey. On the first leg, they get more than they bargained for and barely get out intact. Unwittingly one of their video cameras has captured the image of someone-or something-lurking in the shadows, apparently waiting for them, and watching. With some members determined to go back to investigate this shadowy figure, the group splinters. The girls are adamant they will not return-ever. The boys are unwavering and venture back without them.

Now, two boys, Michael and Shane, are missing, last seen at marker 13 where the shadowy figure was spotted on their video feed. The third boy, Paul, known to everyone as Pigpen, is a self-proclaimed Piney who knows intimately every inch of the Pines, and was on the scene with the other two boys before they disappeared. He's the only one of the three who returns. But he is holding back-and there's fresh blood in his vehicle and inconsistencies in his story. Old tensions resurface; the community and the boys' friends quickly turn on Paul, certain he is the monster responsible for the carnage. The police bring him in for questioning and he is looking guiltier by the minute.

A massive manhunt ensues. The sleepy town is now brimming with media serving up wall- to-wall coverage of the tragedy. But as the frantic early hours of the search span several nights, hopes of finding the boys are fading. Odd clues appear on the trail--bloody, pulverized remains of undetermined origin, rubbing marks on trees of a scale that no known creature in these woods could make, and strange hoof prints that even the most experienced trackers can't identify-or explain. The recovered video cameras found in the woods show disturbing images of the group running in terror with ear-shattering sounds of intensifying screeches in the background, heightening the tension and confusion. Yet still no sign of the boys, only Shane's ever-present hat is found.

Paranoia and suspicion point to more than one possible culprit within the community. But like the odd animal tracks running in circles, the investigation unearths more questions than answers. Did the boys encounter a literal monster inside a haunted woods or did they fall prey to a predator lurking within their midst, one of their own?
After a brutal week has passed, graduation for their fellow students proceeds as the town mourns the missing boys. It is a ceremony no one in attendance shall ever forget and one that leads to surprises and plot twists no one saw coming.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0G6WBZ197
• ISBN13: 9798278096887
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 258 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"