It Waits in the Dark: A Novella

by Vanessa Lanang

For decades, the small town of Pleasant Point, CA, has been home to unexplained mysteries and disappearances. After her father's death, Tala moves there to live with her aunt and attend her junior year of high school. When she meets Liam outside a diner restroom, they discover a popular teen who had been missing for days locked inside. Eager to solve the mysterious disappearances and deaths surrounding an abandoned road on the edge of town, the duo finds themselves thrown into a battle of their own fears. Their lives become nightmares as a half-horse, half-man Filipino monster—the Tikbalang—hunts them while they sleep. A modern take on Filipino-inspired mythology, Tala and Liam must find a way to send this deadly creature back to its realm before the terrors of their dreams become reality and their names become part of the town’s fatal legend.

Genres: Young Adult

129 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2026

About the author

Vanessa Lanang makes her home in Los Angeles, CA, with her family, an insatiable passion for baking, and her two cats. When she isn’t writing and drinking copious amounts of coffee, she can be found playing tennis or watching her daughters swim.

*** WHITEOUT was a #1 New Release on Amazon under the category of YA Extreme Sports Fiction***

Reviews

[Allie Mastromartino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novella! It’s the perfect level of creepiness (it’s YA horror so it’s not too horrific), and was fast paced but with good development for a novella. I loved the Filipino mythology throughout and the monster was really interesting. Definitely recommend and I hope this gets more hype!

[N.J. Gallegos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move over Goosebumps!
Lanang has breathed new life into YA horror, adding a twist by introducing Filipino monsters. The Tikbalang, a half-man, half-horse monster that stalks you through your dreams. Learning about other cultures creatures that go bump in the dark is great.

[D.H. Schleicher · Rating 4 out of 5]

It Waits in the Dark by Vanessa Lanang is a fun, scary read. I picked this up based on the amazing cover design, and I was looking for a good Halloween read. This is a great one for the Halloween season or any time of year you’re looking to get spooked.

I enjoyed the Filipino folklore angle. It added a nice novelty (at least for me) to the premise of a mysterious creature that waits down a dark road for teens to approach and then enters their dreams and turns their grief and fears on them. This novella is paced briskly and focuses on the teens unraveling this mystery and finding ways to escape the claws of this fearsome beast.

If you want a fun, scary read, this should hit the mark.

[Alexander Nader · Rating 5 out of 5]

It Waits in the Dark was a nightmare of a novella. The story wastes no time introducing you to the main characters and their plight. It Waits has some very cool Filipino lore which I’ve never seen in a novel before and it’s used to great effect. Our supernatural creature haunts the dreams of our heroes and preys on their insecurities. Can a bunch of teenagers overcome their greatest fears and banish this monster back to where it came? The loveable cast of misfits had me rooting for them from beginning to end. Check out It Waits in the Dark if you want a quick, spooky read.

[Matthew Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fair warning: This one skips around between two characters, Tala and Liam, in first person. I find that is usually hard to pull off, especially in such a short tale, but somehow it works. Let’s you see a few scenes from different perspectives.

But does it add to the overall story? Just enough.

I read the thing in one sitting, and wanted more. So the author succeeded there. Pacing is great. If you are a fan of mysteries and folklore, give it a shot. Just a warning, the epilogue/opening is in a different style. I felt it was the weakest link, but that is a personal nickpick.

[Tellen Thurlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

It Waits in the Dark is an exciting start!

It Waits in the Dark by Vanessa Lanang is fantastic! I love this kind of horror book, the fact that it is book 1 in a series which is each going to feature its own monster and story is fantastic. It reminds me of The Dark Pictures games that come out and do a similar style, but in book form.

If you like Stranger Things and have a liking for horror this is brilliant, it is well worth your time. It is written near perfectly and the story keeps you hooked! Especially if you like creepy monsters!
Fantastic give it a go!

[N · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

A couple of misfits are forced to confront their fears and fight a horrific monster that can invade the dreamspace. What's not to like? The length is just about perfect for something like this. The characters fairly well fleshed out even with limited time. There are emotional, relatable moments that hit hard. Overall, a really solid find with only minor problems. Mainly, little editing errors here and there. A typo word, a wrong punctuation--things like that. definitely worth the read.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This YA novella was perfect parts spooky and angsty teens. I love reading myths and stories outside my own culture, and It Waits In The Dark did not disappoint.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy and emotional and I wish it had been longer. I have a lot more questions about the characters and the ending.

[Jeannie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick & easy young adult read with just enough spook factor. There's even a nice lesson at the end. I really enjoyed the characters and exploring some of the Filipino culture and heritage mentioned in this book. It left me really wanting some Adobe and wishing it was longer. I definitely wanted to learn more about Carina's family too... maybe the next book?! Lol.

[Maliha Rao · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast-paced and Entertaining. A YA folk lore horror novella with great insight on Filipino Folk lore and creatures.

I do wish the ending didn't feel so rushed.