Chapter 1

Deep breaths. Everything's okay.

Vera looked out the car window as her aunt and uncle drove them down to the supermarket, taking in the sights of the small old town passing them by in the dying light of early evening. It was a fairly picturesque town, Vera thought to herself, as words like 'quaint' and 'cozy' came to mind at the view of its aged buildings and architecture. Certainly nothing like the more populated, modern city she had travelled from down south. 'A change of pace,' her father had called Derry, while her mother had nodded in agreement. 'Start out somewhere small, get a feel for something simple, and then maybe you'll find what it is you're looking for.'

Having only just graduated from college, Vera was at a point in life where someone either seemed to have their entire future planned out until their death – career, family, retirement – or were simply leaves in the wind, being tossed about from place to place, job to job, in search of something that might bring them some fulfillment or hint as to the road ahead. Vera was one of the latter, having initially intended on going to school for history but settling on studies in literature and writing once she realized she wasn't very good at the former with all its numerous dates and political focuses. Reading and writing were things she had done in her pastime, and thus seemed like things she could continue to do with some skill and continued interest. If anything, she figured they could provide her with some sort of skill set for future work, though she had no idea what that would be. Her mind had always been focused on the present when at university, and now that she no longer had books to read and analyses to write, she was quite lost as to how to proceed forward, having never really considered what kind of career she wanted.

Which brought her back to the present moment, where she sat comfortably in the back of a car while aimlessly scanning street names and shop signs. In the driver and passenger seats, her uncle and aunt had been conversing amongst themselves about dinner and something about the garage roof needing repairs after a rain storm a couple weeks ago. Vera hadn't really been listening until her aunt turned sideways in her seat to look back at her with an amicable expression, her curly gray perm appearing nearly brown in the shadows of the setting sun.

"Are you doing alright back there? Not too warm or anything?" the older woman asked, her pleasant smile never faltering as Vera gave her a quiet nod in response.

No doubt Vera's aunt had already heard about her increasing difficulties with anxiety from her parents earlier in the year and was doing her best to try and put Vera at ease. When Vera had first arrived at the couple's house the previous day, the two had been more than welcoming, asking Vera all about her trip and if there was anything they could get for her. To be perfectly honest, she felt like she was imposing on them more than anything, considering all they were doing for her.

"I'm glad you decided to come out here and stay with us for a bit; we don't usually get to see you very often except at the larger family gatherings," her aunt went on. When Vera gave no response, she continued. "It's hard getting out there after graduation; I actually did the same thing that you're doing now after I graduated. Setting out someplace new, just trying a number of different things to see what was out there; it's never easy and I know it can be scary sometimes, but you'll make it. Why, Derry was actually the first place I came to after I got out of school. I never expected to stay long, but here I am, over thirty years later, with a husband, a house, and a well-paying job. And I'm happy," she finished, emphasizing the last word as if to make a point. Vera nodded and threw a glance out the window as the street lights suddenly came on to illuminate the darkening town, coloring the store fronts and parked automobiles while making the shadows that crept up the buildings and within the alleyways all the more prominent.

"But you already knew what you wanted to do after graduating, didn't you, Aunt Belinda?" Vera asked, her eyes briefly tracing the lights down the street before resting on her aunt's. "You knew you wanted to work with selling home furnishings and all that, so you came out here where there was some current growth in the industry at the time, right? Mom said you had some help getting in – that's how you got a job so quickly and now run your own store."

"Oh, she had help all right," Vera's uncle suddenly chimed in from the driver's seat, earning him a playful nudge from his wife. Belinda rolled her eyes.

"Yes, alright Richard, I'll admit there were some preconceived work plans being put together before I came here," she confessed with a smile in her voice and shifted in her seat to speak more comfortably with Vera. "Richard here was the son of the man who used to own the store I now run. They were looking for temporary help with some of the administrative work – dealing with clients and purchases and all that, but I seemed to really fit well with the business, so after a year or so Richard's father offered me a chance to stay on longer. The rest, as they say, is history."

"But then Uncle Richard's father gave the store to you after he died? Not his own son?" Vera asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, well, if it was under Richard's care, I think everyone – including his father – knew that it probably wouldn't last long. Richard's so disorganized sometimes it's a wonder he can even find a matching pair of socks," she teased, causing Vera to smile as her uncle grumbled something under his breath about getting no respect from anyone.

"Anyway," her aunt spoke continued, her voice taking on a more serious yet sympathetic tone, "as I said before: I know it's tough and you're nervous about… a lot, but things will work out in their own time. Mrs. Peterson is very nice and has already told me on multiple occasions that she is happy to have you come work with her at the library. And who knows, with your degree, and given a little bit of time, you might find that the library – and maybe even here in Derry – is where you'd ultimately like to be."

Vera smiled at her aunt's words and thanked her for her support, though her smile held a hint of sad uncertainty underneath. Coming to stay in an unfamiliar place with family she had never spent much time with and working a job that may prove to be a dead end presented Vera with all sorts of anxieties that caused her constant distress. Although the words of her parents – now backed by her aunt and uncle – had offered assurance that Vera would be okay, she could never completely rid herself of the worry that always ate away at her insides, keeping her ever alert, ever fretting over the 'what ifs' and wondering how things would have been if she hadn't been so wrapped up in her anxieties. Yet here she was in Derry, starting a new job in the next couple days. She had come so far, and now there was no going back.

Deep breaths. Everything's okay.

Several miles away, deep within the ground, an ancient being stirred from its long slumber.