Paul Alan Fahey

Psychiatrist Haleigh Hugo thinks he’s found the perfect setting for his experimental treatment plan -- an isolated home in the middle of a small lake in the high Sierras. Dr. Hugo’s office mate and life partner, Guy Sanford, is unconvinced that the benefits of the treatment plan outweigh the risks, but soon gives in to the charm and boundless enthusiasm of his lover.<br><br>Dr. Hugo’s subjects are six female patients who have failed to make what he considers significant progress in one-to-one therapy. They all share something in common: grief over the loss of a loved one, a psychological barrier that prevents them from moving on. Hilary Colbert lost her life partner to a serious illness; Jennie Travers no longer trusts her unfaithful husband; Meeda O’Connell’s infant son died in his crib; Vera Field wakes from a coma to learn her father has committed a senseless crime: Sarah/April Preston no longer knows who she is and suffers from a loss of identity; and Emily West has psychic abilities yet longs for a normal human existence.<br><br>The six patients, overseen by Dr. Hugo and Dr. Sanford, descend on Devonshire, a simple mountain home on the lake for a weekend of intense therapy. Yet within the walls of the home lies a terrible and painful secret that haunts anyone who comes near.

Too Long Among the Dead

“Honey, if you think Ms. Lansing is old you need to take a good look at me.” Sarah glanced down at her hands. “Every time I bump into something, I get a bruise or a scab that bleeds and doesn’t want to heal.”


“Isn’t there a cream or lotion you can buy for that?” Vera asked, opening the door wide and switching off the bathroom light. “Do we need the overhead light on?”


“No, you can turn it off,” Sarah said. “We’ve still got this little night light here on the table between us. You know, I’ve tried everything recommended for old ladies like me, nearly every product advertised, and my skin, well, nothing happens.” She rubbed her hands together rather harshly as if punishing them for not cooperating. “I hate getting old.”


Vera pulled down the bed covers of the twin bed next to Sarah’s and slipped inside. “That’s just plain ridiculous. You’re what…fifty?”


Chapter 26