Zoe Flynn has a secret. She used to live in California, in a big old house -- the best house in the world really -- at 18 Hawk Road. It rambled and creaked and was full of good hiding places. She used to have a best friend named Kellen who lived right down the road, and a dog named Merlin who loved to play with her. But now she lives in a little town in Oregon, and everything has changed. Now, Zoe has to be careful. Careful that she doesn't tell anyone, not her friends or her teacher or anyone else ...