Kent, Connecticut
Deirdre was only six when the headaches started to alter her life, resulting in the loss of family and friends. Being a child, she could not accurately articulate her pain. Although her experiences were somewhat debilitating, she managed to have an average childhood. She lived with her mother and father in a small community west of Hartford, Connecticut. Their modest two-bedroom red brick house was centered on half an acre and surrounded by a traditional white picket fence.
The backyard had a small play set with ladders and ropes complete with sand underneath. Deirdre could not easily count the number of times that she had fallen and been comforted by that sand. As a family, they never had pets in the traditional sense, although she did have a frog from time to time. Green was her favorite color and it was the color of her playground. It was also the main color of her bedroom, which, thanks to a local high-school artist, was painted into a dense coniferous forest.
The forest located on the walls of Deirdre’s bedroom was completely different from that of her backyard and surrounding community. The leaves on her trees were thin and narrow needles of all lengths with some even having cones. Outside her window, the trees had large flat leaves in every color and size imaginable, but they were much smaller than what she had on her walls. She enjoyed long walks through the woods with her parents, who often took her to Bigelow Hollow State Park. No matter how hard she tried, she could never find a tree that matched the height or the leaves of hers. She made her mom promise one day to take her to a place where she could enjoy those trees in nature.
It took her mom, Mattie, over a week to locate that artist that had painted Deirdre’s bedroom. After several unanswered e-mails, she finally had her response—redwood trees. The artist had painted a redwood forest like the ones that existed in California. Mattie smiled from ear to ear at the thought of telling Deirdre about those trees one evening over dinner. Arnold would be happy too; although he was a very loving and caring father, he tired easily when the discussion turned to trees.
Six years ago
Mattie was a forty-something, married, stay-at-home woman with a daughter that she had late in life. When Arnold and Mattie found out that they were pregnant, their good news was overshadowed by the bad. Complications were inevitable, and their doctor gave her a fifty-fifty chance of carrying their baby girl full term and only a 10 percent chance of that child being healthy. Mattie had high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Those potential complications together generally meant that most would not reach the age of fifty, let alone birth a child.
As their baby continued to grow inside Mattie, Arnold worried more than she did. Before he knew it, he had put on about ten unwanted pounds during their pregnancy. Mattie actually felt better after the first trimester. She worked hard at her diet and remained moderately active throughout her pregnancy. Mattie’s latest doctor visit gave her a clean bill of health for her and her baby. “It was a miracle,” Mattie would say.
On the longest day of the year, toward the end of the month of June, on one of the darkest nights Arnold could remember, baby Deirdre Elizabeth Anne Daly was born. On the outskirts of town in the county general hospital shortly after midnight, several nurses scrambled to give baby Deirdre a fighting chance. It was the summer solstice, the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Today’s date went unnoticed by most, but it did not escape Lucinda.
Picking Murphys Description:
From Connecticut to California, evil runs rampant. It learns as it goes, having been released into our world without the benefit of a mentor. It has gone by many names and held many jobs. Waiting patiently for its next distraction, it stares at the wall for hours on end.
Attempting to start over anew, Matthew travels to California in pursuit of his dreams. He purchases property to mine for minerals beneath the beautiful countryside. Join Matthew as he explores his new environment while working to become a great role model to his son, Robbie.
However, an evil presence has taken an interest in Matthew and Robbie. Everything that happens leads its prey to California; all done according to plan. Not a single decision or happening occurred without its direction. Although not always immediately present, it was never too far away to admire its handiwork. It watched on as their lives completely unraveled.
Follow Matthew and Robbie as their lives and everyone around them become intertwined with the supernatural. Its evil doings do not go unnoticed by all. An older couple follows the evil as closely as they can. An intriguing game of cat and mouse ensues, with those in pursuit always two steps behind.
Hold on to your fears as you witness what’s possible when one applies determination in an uphill struggle. Could you persevere in extreme adversity? Could you fight against what you cannot see? Do you believe in one and not the other?
