Disclaimer:

The Thurston Files is a work of fiction. While it’s inspired by real places, all characters, events, and supernatural mysteries are entirely made up. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental.

New Here?

Hi! Is this your first visit to my blog? Well “The Thurston Files” is kind of a long story, you can start from the beginning, or see this index for all of my posts from fourth grade. I hope you enjoy!

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Recent The Thurston Ghost

image from Epilogue: Summer at Freeman

Epilogue: Summer at Freeman

Hey again. Just me, Ember. One more post before school starts. I know Chapter 16 felt like an ending. But turns out, it wasn’t. Not really. A Summer Without Camp (But Not Without Plans) I didn’t sign up for camp this year. Neither did Eva. After everything that happened, it just didn’t feel right to be off at some ropes course pretending our world hadn’t changed. So instead… we showed up.
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image from My Homemade Suet Recipe (For Birds, Not People)

My Homemade Suet Recipe (For Birds, Not People)

Hello fellow bird nerds! As promised (in Chapter 3, if you’re keeping track), here is my homemade suet recipe. It’s super easy, holds up in Michigan winters, and has officially been approved by: Chickadees Nuthatches Downy woodpeckers A very rude squirrel named Greg 🪺 What Is Suet? Basically: bird snack bricks. Suet is a mix of fat and seeds that gives birds energy, especially in cold weather when …
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image from Birdwatching for Beginners (From a Real 4th Grader Who’s Obsessed)

Birdwatching for Beginners (From a Real 4th Grader Who’s Obsessed)

Hi! I’m Ember, and I’m here to tell you one very important truth: Birds are awesome. Some kids are into Pokémon. Some kids are into slime. I’m into avian biodiversity. If you’ve ever seen a heron flap its giant wings or watched a nuthatch scoot down a tree headfirst and thought, “Whoa, how do I see more of this?”—this post is for you. 🐦 What You Need to Start Birdwatching Spoiler alert: Not much.
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image from The Heron and the Girl

The Heron and the Girl

Today was the last day of school. No groundbreaking. No bulldozers. Just popsicles and chalk drawings and kids sprinting through sprinklers on the Thurston blacktop. I think it was the happiest I’ve ever seen it. Clara’s Last Visit It happened early, before school. I biked to the Nature Center just after sunrise. I wanted to say goodbye. Or thank you. Or both. She was there. Perched like always—a …
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image from Clara’s Story. Our Future.

Clara’s Story. Our Future.

I’ve never spoken into a microphone before. Not one like that—standing at the front of the Thurston cafeteria, which had been turned into an official school board hearing room. Every folding chair full. A news camera in the back. Two teachers crying in the corner before we even started. And me? Holding Eva’s hand so tightly I could feel her pulse in mine. The Presentation They gave us three …
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