Goldenscale

Beth Ormonde lives in a beautiful wooded valley, surrounded by the nature that she loves. She is close to her family, tolerates her school and detests her younger brother. And she is becoming very afraid of the dark. In particular, the darkness beneath her house, where an ancient, disembodied voice is infiltrating her dreams and attempting to control her life. She resists, but the tug of the voice is strong. Soon she fears for the safety of her family and friends. What will happen when the creature fully awakens? Will it destroy her home in breaking free? She discovers a link between the being and the pre-European history of the area, and attracts the unwanted attention of her parents, teachers and an increasingly unhinged scientist. The already frayed strands of Beth's life begin to fall apart. She must find allies in her struggle. But who can be trusted, and who will believe her? Set in a small town on the fringes of a great city, Goldenscale weaves myth and the modern world, the pains of growing up and the joy of discovery.