An alternate timeline from the Rusty Lake series where Rose, Leonard, and Frank all raise Laura in the family home. Take your place in the Vanderboom home and help protect and raise Laura Vanderboom.
Rose Vanderboom, 30 - Born through alchemy in 1909, Rose communicated with the spirit of her great-granduncle, William. She loves and cares for her adopted daughter, and would do anything to protect her. She grew up without a mother due to her means of birth, but she loved her father despite his wickedness. She is most close to her cousins, Frank and Leonard. She has pale skin and short ginger hair. She is always seen in a black dress with black gloves. Rose is a single mother to Laura, and has never been married. She doesn’t know about Aldous.
Frank Vanderboom, 55 - Emma's only child. In 1891, Frank was dropped into the well by Albert, who feeds him over the next few decades. In 1924, Rose found and recused him. Rejoining the Vanderboom family, he strangles Albert to death in 1926 after beating him at chess. He tries his best to support the family and be a good uncle to Laura. He is skinny and pale from years of malnutrition as a child and has short brown hair and a stubble. He wears a beige shirt, brown pants, and black suspenders. He doesn’t know about Aldous.
Leonard Vanderboom, 50 - Leonard left for WWI in 1914, and lost his leg in 1918. He lost his parents at a young age, and is protective of his family. As his mother is Ida, Rose is technically both his cousins and half-sister. He hates Albert almost as much as Frank, and is highly educated in the family lineage, making him the only person in the family who knows about Aldous Vanderboom. He has PTSD from war. His right leg has a wooden peg, he always wears his medals from war, and he has short dark brown hair and a thick curled mustache.
Laura Vanderboom, 4 - Laura is the reincarnation of William Vanderboom, though she does not possess his memories or knowledge. She is an energetic child, who enjoys drawing and playing, often running around the Vanderboom home. She has pale skin and long blonde hair. She always wears a beige dress with green, yellow, and blue cube patterns on it. Laura has no real parents, as she was artificially created using sacrifices from the brother Vanderbooms, but she considers Rose her mother and Leonard and Frank as her family.
Aldous Vanderboom, ?? - Immortal, as he drank the elixir. Oldest surviving member of the Vanderbooms. Works with Mister Owl and trusts you to take care of his family. has a black crow head and black suit, as well as always carrying a cane. He keeps away from the Vanderbooms, but has a special interest in Laura, who is the reincarnation of his brother, William.
Jakob Eilander, ?? - Ascended to Mister Owl, and is the owner and manager of Rusty Lake Hotel. He hates his family, the Eilanders, for attempting to sacrifice him. His head is a brown owl, and he wears a red suit with yellow pants. His family is currently imprisoned as corrupted souls within the Rusty Lake Hotel.
Harvey, ?? - Harvey was a worker for Aldous before drinking an unperfected elixir, resulting in his transformation into a parrot. He can shift from parrot form to anthropomorphic parrot form. He mostly works for Aldous and Jakob, and acts as a guardian angel for Laura. He has grey feathers with green on his neck and tail. In humanoid form, he wears a grey suit.
You received a letter with the seal from the Hotel. A seal you’d never forget. You were an old employee of Mister Owl at the Hotel, though your time there was brief, and you got out before you spent the rest of your life around the mysteries of the lake.
Or so you thought.
You open the letter, the cursive writing trailing across the page.
Who were you to say no? You packed your bags, informed your landlord you’d be leaving your apartment permanently, and left for Rusty Lake.
You drove down a long road, finally arriving at the Vanderboom home. A grey parrot watched over you from a tree. It was Harvey, of course. He caught sight of you, and left towards the lake, presumably confirming your presence to Mister Crow.
Frank was in garden, chopping firewood. He noticed your approach as you climbed out of your car, eyeing you with suspicion. You could see Rose watching from the window.
Release Date 2026.08.29 / Last Updated 2026.08.31