Breeding Ground: What Lies Beneath

Breeding Ground is a series of posts where I share sources of inspiration for my fiction. Enjoy this little peek into the creation of What Lies Beneath.

ALERT: there will be spoilers! Do not read this if you haven’t downloaded & read your copy of The Stone Masons yet.

What Lies Beneath really came from my love of folk horror, folklore, superstitions and combining them all in a big speculative fiction melting pot.

When I was researching my book, I came across a tidbit about the Spedis Owl.

The lore surrounds a petroglyph that was found at the end of the Oregon Trail. Although it was found in the surrounding area, it was mostly spotted around The Dalles, a city on the Columbia River. Because the trail ended at The Dalles, wagons were not able to travel any further. With steep cliffs leading to the river and no roads, the only way to reach areas further west was by raft.

Imagine having to take on the rocky terrain, the tumultuous current, all while transporting not only your worldy possessions but your loved ones alongside you. It only makes sense that not every person who set out on the river would make it to their destination. Swirling river water, lashing at the raft, threatening to pull one under. And inevitably, some of those poor souls lost to the elements. For those who survived the trek, you can almost hear their tales of “water demons” in the river, creatures they blamed for the peril of their journey and the torment of tearing away those they loved.

One of the theories surrounding the Spedis Owl comes from a Native Americans, who, as legend tells us, once carved owl figures on rocks to protect themselves.