The Quarry

Hoping to escape the horrors of World War II, Jeanne Butte and her family take refuge in an ancient Roman quarry on the outskirts of their French village. But the little girl soon finds the quarry, like her family, holds deep, dark secrets. When Jeanne finally emerges from the underground shelter, the four-year-old is found alone among a cluster of Roman ruins just outside her village. With no memory of her time lost below or what became of her parents, the orphaned girl is shipped overseas to live with her aunt. Growing up near Chicago, Jeanne tries to fit in and pursues the classic American dream.

Nearly forty years later, Jeanne finds herself struggling in life. Newly divorced and with a child of her own, lost details from her past begin emerging. Jeanne impulsively returns to the French village of her birth, hoping to find some sense of closure. When she is shown her own tombstone, Jeanne becomes determined to reenter the ancient Roman quarry. When she descends into the chasm for a second time, Jeanne finds something had been expecting her all along.

Though entirely fiction, this disturbing tale pulls from historical fact, ancient pagan beliefs, and French legends. The story weaves timelines together from 1944, 1979, and present day as Jeanne struggles with an ageless horror you can't simply run away from.

Has Jeanne ever not been, or escaped, the quarry?