4.

Christopher Lenard Furlong was born on the eighteenth day of January 1962 without any complication. There was nothing distinctive or out of the ordinary about his birth. Everything was routine and as regular as any other birth. There was nothing to distinguish it from most any other births within the maternity hospital to which he was born.

His initial few years of life involved nothing out of the ordinary; he was an ordinary child with an ordinary life heading the way of never stepping out of the ordinary. A little shy as a child and a teenager though he would have his friends and they would all get along with one another just fine. There was nothing for so many years which could have indicated that one day Christopher Lenard Furlong would find himself somewhat of a centerpiece in a battle of epic proportions.

He attended a primary school as a child and as his teens came along there was a secondary school, a community college where exam results would turn out lest than average. There would be no further college attendance or university attendance and for Christopher this was perfectly acceptable. He had no major life ambition, no career drive and would be perfectly happy to live out a perfectly ordinary life in a perfectly ordinary town; he even got work in a perfectly ordinary garden center.

Thing was and is that when faced with the reality that his life was never really meant to be ordinary, Chris would accept his part as if he had always known that he would be stepping into an epic battle which would lead to another epic battle within an epic war. Thing also is, just how much did he know before stepping into his first ... battle?

Less than two years into his ordinary garden center job he would begin to notice certain ... oddities. Flowering plants on sale within that garden center store and its outer premises altered over time to become unusually vibrant and colourful and as odd as it all is, Christopher so wanted to attribute such an alteration to the continues presence of a repeat store customer.

There appeared to be a reaction on her very first visit to the store. One of Christopher's greatest qualities within his own life in general was his ability to recognize, respond to and aid those he would come into contact with which would need such aid and this skill, if it could be called a skill, would be put to use at the store he had come to work at.

This first time he as a store employee responded to Missus Estelle Fontaine, she was making inquiries as to acquiring some tulips. Chris is good with names and faces so if Missus Fontaine had come to the store prior to her tulip inquiry then he would be sure he'd have remembered her or at least would be sure that if he had been here on a prior occasion then he may have been on a day off or lunch break. At that too there was something in here with aiding this lady that he recognized, not a recollection of this lady in speaking to her for the first time rather there is something he recognizes in the moment.

His own life journey begins here ... in said moment.

Chris aided the customer with her tulip inquiry and purchase, putting aside his own inquiry as to why it all seemed so familiar, and he would remember her on each of her consecutive visits. He done all he could to dismiss the thoughts that the improved vitality of the store plant life was due to her continued visitations though when she brought her daughter to the store for the first time, things really began to change, and Christopher soon properly began to put two and two together.

Thoughts festered until a conclusion could be made suggesting that whatever connection mum had that it was only some kind of residual effect and that the real connection to all things floral is something attributed to the child. The first visit with little Ester in tow began the turning of the cogs for plant life within the store strengthened all the more once she began to come through a visit sometime later when Ester was almost two years old confirmed it for Chris.

Yeah, mother and daughter came in for one of their regular visits when Estelle became somewhat distracted when she came into contact with a neighbour of hers. As a conversation began little Ester, indeed almost two, moved up a little ways along an aisle. Mum could see her daughter and she could also see that Chris was working away at the far end of that aisle, so she felt safe enough with Ester entertaining herself for a moment or two as the conversation with said neighbour indeed took place.

What mum could not see or did not take notice of was something Chris would take notice of. After this event concluded and after mum and daughter were to leave the store, Chris became sure that all noticeable plant reaction over those past two years was definitely due to the Fountains', sure his own night-time dreams also aided him to come to his conclusion. Yeah, his conclusion is no longer a suspicion.

Mum must be aware of what is going on, she must be as far as Chris is concerned. What he observed in store on this occasion was Ester more or less communicating with some of the flowering plants and in turn these plants were clearly reacting to her. Yeah, the child may not yet have reached a second birthday but the reaction with the plants was incredible. They even appeared to be stretching out for her.

Something else that Chris observed on this day was a shadow, an unnatural looking shadow extending from the little girl. It was far too odd and large to be her own shadow and even its movements appeared not to match with the child.

This is wrong, so very wrong. As odd and unusual as it is, a reaction between a child and a plant could be thought incredible, it could be thought of as an amazing gift, but the sight of that shadow told Chris all he needed to know. Whatever is going on, it is unnatural and if left unattended could become something ... evil. He is sure of this.

Something has to be done and is it down to Chris to be the one to do that something? If so, then just what is it he can do? He has not observed any wrongdoing, he has not observed any evil so what is it he may think it is that is coming, if anything at all, and what is it he thinks he can do about it?

Two days after this most recent Fontaine visit to the Garden center Christopher has a delivery to make and the delivery so happens to be to the Fontaine family home itself. Estelle had put in an order for delivery. Christopher doesn't usually do the delivery service though when he took Estelle Fontaine's order he inquired with his superiors as to if he could do this particular delivery himself. His insistence insured an approval to his request.

Christopher has never before taken the imitative in anything he has ever done and asking to take the delivery run actually impressed those who run shop and they may even see this as possible ambition for the young man who rarely does anything out of the ordinary. His request was not one intended to impress.

Of course, Christopher had never before been to the Fontaine family home prior to this delivery and he kind of had no idea of exactly what to expect once he got there. If he is to take any of his theories anywhere then he first would like to scope this building out first and see if he can find out anything worth finding out.

His theories ... huh ... just who exactly could he take any suspicions too? Certainly not to any of his workplace superiors.

Front of house is clean, bright and obviously has been tended too but noting to the level Chris was expecting. The house itself is rather large, looking at it from out front. The garden out front is plain, neatly trimmed grass with one Weeping Willow centrally placed. Chris has the company van though he is to go to the front door before removing anything from the van.

He enters the garden and only at this point he notices that he himself has a shadow. He doesn't think much of this at first other than the fact that he was kinda sure that he had no shadow before entering the garden. The sunshine is not particularly bright on this occasion, certainly not enough to be creating shadows. Before he reaches the door, he does notice this shadow properly for it looks to be a little on the erratic side as if it had become energized, a shadow of himself cast to the ground with more energy than what he himself seems to have ... this is most odd.

Then as he does reach the door the door, the shadow moves up upon it and this does not look natural at all. There isn't much time to consider this for the door opens before any knock or ring could be made.

'Yes? Can I help you?' speaks a man wearing brown shoes, brown slacks, a brown cardigan and a white shirt.

'Err ...' speaks Chris not quite knowing what to say given his current circumstances. 'I have a delivery for ...'

Before another word can be spoken, Estelle comes to the door and passes the man who Chris presumes must be her husband then comes out into the garden.

'It's alright Jim' she says. 'I am gonna help Chris here bring some of the colours through...'

Jim gives a shake of his head, obviously the husband and obviously not happy that more floral goods have arrived. Chris wonders as to if this Jim fellow suspects anything. Whatever any of this may be, could Jim be a part of it? Perhaps not for he is apparently disgusted that there more crap is coming into his home.

For Chris, one thing is soon confirmed. Moving into the house it does look as big as it seemed to be from outside. He is in awe of it as he has been since arrived, awe of all except for the lack of front garden colour. He hasn't come to be awed; however, still he can allow himself a moment or two. Anything too which is decorative within the home of course is decorated florally. It is easy to see how this Jim fellow may not be a happy fellow.

Wallpaper, carpet, paintings, everything is floral. There are a few household items not connected to something floral but again not as many as one would expect. The first moment he gets, Jim discreetly passes a comment to Chris.

'She only got into all this when she became pregnant with Ester ... I go along with it, not always mind you, but if it keeps her happy.'

For Chris, this is confirmation, clearly. Jim is not aware of a darkness. Ester Leigh Fontaine is not your average everyday child, she can't be.

'Wait until you see the back garden ...' Jim's discreet commentary continues.