Laurie - Author's Note - Hazelthorn x Don't Let The Forest In Crossover Bonus Scene

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Jiven

Short story crossover told from Laurie Lennox-Hall’s perspective, set at Wickwood Academy during the October timeline of Don’t Let The Forest In and positioned before Hazelthorn’s events. The author explains how Hazelthorn references Wickwood, motivating a bonus scene that connects the two gothic horror standalone novels. Inside the brutal school culture, Laurie navigates survival rules, performs sharp wit to hide struggles with reading, and wrestles with fear of dyslexia and physical trauma from Hazelthorn.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages47

Reading Time1 h 12 min

AccessFree to download

Author's Note

Crossover background and setting

Laurie’s survival rules

Hiding reading struggles

Backstory: wrist injury and Hazelthorn

Laurie CG Drews [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) Copyright © 2025 by CG Drews All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) Author's Note This short story is a crossover between Hazelthorn and Don't Let The Forest In. It contains major spoilers for Hazelthorn, but you could still read it even if you haven't read Don't Let The Forest In yet (it only contains minor spoilers for it) . In my humble opinion, it is best eaten if you have read both books. Even though Don't Let The Forest In and Hazelthorn are both standalone gothic horror books, I couldn't help but slip a little reference into Hazelthorn that would link it to Don't Let The Forest In. Laurie in Hazelthorn mentions being expelled from Wickwood Academy…which is the boarding school that Andrew and Thomas attend in Don't Let The Forest In. Thus the craving to write a little crossover bonus scene was born. This short story is told from the point of view of Laurie Lennox-Hall and it's set in Wickwood Academy during the October of Don't Let The Forest In. It happens before the events of Hazelthorn. Laurie is a junior and Thomas and Andrew are seniors. The story takes place in the lead up to Chapter 16 in Don't Let The Forest In. Being the insufferable smartass rich brat that he is, I knew Laurie wouldn't get on particularly well with Thomas (hater of all humans) and Andrew (social anxiety disorder on two legs), but I still wanted them to have some fleeting interactions. Sadly Evander, locked in his room in the mouldering gothic Hazelthorn Estate, could not make an appearance. Writing this was a chance to explore Laurie's previously untold perspective and I thoroughly loved being in the head of my wretched, snarky boy. I hope you enjoy reading a little more forest rot. [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) Laurie Wickwood Academy eats students alive. The school demands the kind of academic excellence that makes eyes bleed and it has been known to chew students up and spit out only their bones. To attend is meant to be a privilege and to ask for help would be unthinkable weakness. Not that Laurie Lennox-Hall has asked for help in along time. That need has been surgically removed, his mouth still crammed with dirt to soak up the blood that used to spill between his lips when he dared loose secrets that weren’t his to tell. These are the rules of survival Laurie holds tight behind his back where no one else can see: Never look like you care. Never let anyone know anything about you or your family. Never stop trying to get back home to Hazelthorn. The first two rules take less effort now. Practise has awarded him the perfect insolent smirk and his quicksilver tongue spins honeyed lies and quick-witted quips that earn him the shallowest definition of friends. He is both insufferable and magnetic and therefore fits in amongst Wickwood’s students. It’s survival. He has no choice but to be this way. The last rule, however, hurts the most since it’s impossible. Some nights his throat will be raw from whispering Hazelthorn too many times in his sleep, his tongue flowered with thorns and briars when he wakes. It will bea long time until he’s allowed home again. September has him stowed solidly back at Wickwood, his wings cut, his skin bruised, his grandfather ’sire noosed to his neck like a crushing millstone. Laurie won’t return to Hazelthorn until Christmas break and then only if his grandfather doesn’t ship him off to his great aunt’s house instead. If that happens, Laurie is officially going to lose his ever-loving shit. Though he’s considering losing his shit right now as he sits hunched in the dim Wickwood auditorium, trying to angle his phone to snap a photo of the Romeo and Juliet script in his hand. The plan, of course, is to pull the text and run it through his text-to-sp

FAQs

What crossover connects Hazelthorn and Don’t Let The Forest In in this bonus story?

A Hazelthorn reference to Wickwood Academy is linked to Andrew and Thomas from Don’t Let The Forest In, inspiring a crossover scene from Laurie’s viewpoint.

When and where does the Laurie story take place?

It is set in Wickwood Academy during the October of Don’t Let The Forest In, occurring before the events of Hazelthorn.

What survival rules does Laurie follow at Wickwood Academy?

Laurie’s rules include never looking like he cares, never letting anyone know anything about him or his family, and never stopping efforts to get back home to Hazelthorn.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Jiven