Preview of Once Upon a Dark November Summary:

The "Prologue" to Once Upon a Dark November describes a frightened child locked in an attic closet for punishment by an aunt who seems not fully aware of the terror the experience caused. The reader does not know the identity of the child, but suspects that thirty-five years later when Chapter One begins, that the now-grown-up child will not have forgotten the attic closet.

Fourteen-year-old Katie who has a crush on her English teacher, Mr. Herron, helps Mr. Herron's wife do housecleaning two afternoons a week. When Mrs. Herron's mysterious Cousin Martin comes to visit, Mrs. Herron predicts that no good will come of his stay.

Katie discovers that Cousin Martin's suitcase is empty, as are the drawers in the guest room. Cousin Martin seems to have come from nowhere and gives no indication of how long he plans to stay. Katie, too, begins to think that no...