"Deciduous," by Michael Devendorf, is a compelling thriller pulsing with mystery and suspense. Sienna is a forest conservationist who has lost her daughter Kira, and now her son Kai, both under tragic circumstances. To make matters worse, she was the only other person present at the time. She is thrown into a state of grief and heartache, and fears she is losing her mind to the overwhelming loss. To hold on to her memories and her sanity, she climbs into the treehouse where Kai passed away. As she uses meditation to bond with him, her thoughts are invaded by frightening visions of a "mother tree," a kind of tree Sienna researched in a nearby field close to their lake house. These dark images tarnish the memories of Kira and Kai. This tree, once nurturing and powerful, now threatens her with its skeletal-shaped limbs and hand-like leaves. Sienna's thoughts culminate in doubt and fear, and she is sure that the deaths of her children are her fault, not accidental. Others actually believe that her consuming guilt must mean she is responsible for their deaths, even though she is unable to remember it. Driven to uncover the truth suppressed in her subconscious, Sienna is herself in danger as the hidden is revealed.