PROLOGUE: BY nine o’clock in the evening, westbound traffic on the Broken Arrow Expressway had cleared and was moving along at a fairly steady clip. The sun had long since set, but a full moon had risen in the eastern sky, and a field of bright dancing stars spread a blanket of light over Tulsa. Alone in his small blue car, Dr. Loren Price was happily oblivious of sky, moon, or stars. Unaware the speedometer had moved up steadily—five, ten, fifteen miles over the speed limit, he puffed on his favorite pipe and tapped his foot on the accelerator in time to the offbeat tune he hummed. Up ahead and off to the right, Loren caught a flash of green. “Damn,” he muttered. All in one motion, he clamped down on his pipe, glanced over his shoulder and shot across the right lane onto the exit ramp. His left foot hit the brake and his breath came out in a soft whoosh as the car squealed up to the stoplight. By the time he turned left onto Shannon Boulevard, he was humming again. A few more minutes and he’d be home. Barb would be waiting, and Buddy probably had the cribbage board out, ready for a quick game. Later, Loren was never sure exactly when or why, he began to feel uneasy. Maybe it was the sudden absence of cars. Shannon wasn’t one of Tulsa’s main arteries, but as he drove through the familiar residential neighborhood, he didn’t see another vehicle anywhere. And it was quiet, too quiet. His windows were rolled down, yet the only noise he heard was the steady hiss of his own tires eating up the asphalt paving. Frowning, he closed the windows and locked his door, then reached across the seat and locked the passenger side. Normally, he paid no attention to such things, but at that moment it felt like the right thing to do. He was counting now. Ten more blocks and he’d be home. Nine…eight…. He approached Crossland Park, a pretty little bit of country on the southeast edge of town that he and Barb often visited with Buddy. A thick stand of pines marked the park entrance. They were beautiful, stately trees that Loren had often admired. Tonight he saw nothing but giant black sentinels silhouetted in the moonlight. Moonlight? For the first time, he noticed an unnatural brightness in the sky. True, the moon was full, but this was different. Then he saw it, a white glowing light below and slightly left of the moon. Even as he watched, the light steadily grew bigger and brighter. Loren blinked and rubbed his eyes, but when he opened them, the light was even closer. It appeared to be coming straight toward him. A surge of panic, unlike anything he’d ever known, washed over him. It must be a plane out of control and about to crash on top of him! The park entrance loomed ahead, its gates wide open. It wasn’t till later that he wondered why. The park always closed at dark. But right now, all he could think about was getting away from that light. Slamming on his brakes, he jerked hard on the wheel. His car careened wildly around the corner into the park. Don’t stop! Don’t stop! He tore down the two-lane road at forty, fifty. If he could get far enough away, maybe it wouldn’t catch him. Narrowing to a dirt path with trees and shrubs on both sides, the road ended. Loren stopped the car. Slowly, he looked up. Somehow, he wasn’t surprised that the light still hovered in front of him, bigger and brighter than ever. He knew now that he couldn’t fight it. Nor could he escape. With a calm acceptance of the inevitable, he sat and waited. _______________________________ [DREAMTIME by Paula Blais Gorgas (Paranormal Romance cr2001) This excerpt is protected by copyright and is for use only on the Dragonfly Publishing, Inc. websites; it may not be printed, altered, or distributed without the publisher’s prior written consent.] |
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