|OLDER DRAFT|

Lost in the depths of the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park, Ranger Kates meets a mysterious hermit who may very well have a connection with the decade-old legend of the Ghost of Ontario.

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Ranger Kate wants only one thing: to see her son, whom she lost to a canoe accident ten years ago. The opportunity comes when she and her partner, Ranger Amelia, attend the 24-Hour Ghost of Ontario Challenge in the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park. Legend has it that a ghost haunts it with his mysterious lullaby, "Lucilla", and the only way to connect with him is for two individuals to brave the lakes.

Ihaan never expected to find Ranger Kate on Red Squirrel Lake, said to be the birthplace of the ghost. He and his eagle friend, Ro, band together to win her trust, which is crucial for Ihaan's Guardian Trial. It's the only way for him to learn whether he is truly dead or not.

Fate turns to reality, and suddenly, the legend of the ghost is more real than Ihaan and Kate think. What will happen when the Spirit Animals come and try to interfere with their long-lost memories? Will Kate and Ihaan defeat them, or will they lose themselves to the hands of Ontario's Beast?

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*Ihaan is pronounced "I-an".*

*Based on a canoeing trip I took with my family to Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park!*

Word Count: 7,000-7,500