CHAPTER 1
A Strange Visitor

Alison stared into the mirror, her eyes wide with fear as the shadowy shape behind her shimmered in the dim light, slowly materializing from a shapeless, smoky column into a distinctly humanoid form.

The comb in her hand stilled and she held her breath, closing her eyes tightly and then quickly opening them again. The shape was still there, still waiting.

She'd dined with Chad at the local seafood restaurant and, after the usual desultory conversation, they returned to her flat for coffee. She liked Chad and enjoyed his company, but he hadn't been his usual cheery self during the meal; he'd seemed even more preoccupied than usual, lapsing into long, pregnant silences.

She hoped it wasn't because he was losing interest in her, but she was getting tired of his work intruding into their time together. Maybe he was dating someone else, but he'd given no sign of being interested in other women. Alison pleaded a headache and, like an obedient Spaniel, Chad took the hint and left.

After a shower, Alison sat in front of the mirror to comb her hair, wondering what the future held, or if she had a future with Chad at all. She was ready to settle down, but what about Chad? Was he frightened of making a long-term commitment, or did he just put his work ahead of his love life?

She'd been visualizing Chad in the role of a husband and provider when the movement in the mirror caught her attention.

"What are you?" Fear sharpened her voice.

"Do not be afraid, Alison." The gentle voice emanated from the shimmering shadow. "We mean you no harm."

"We?" Alison squeaked, looking around frantically for other shapes, but still only able to see one.

"I'm sorry," the voice replied. "I was speaking figuratively for our group."

Alison looked around in panic. We. Group. She couldn't see the others this strange creature was talking about. A cold sweat beaded her forehead.

The creature seemed to sense her growing panic. The shimmering steadied and it began to glow with a delicate aqua light. Fingers of light reached out toward her, gently touching her skin. Her fear receded as a sense of peace pervaded the room, her skin tingling where the light touched, as if the rays were mildly charged with electrical impulses. It was a pleasant feeling, invigorating yet at the same time strangely soothing.

Alison relaxed, her muscles no longer rigid. The comb slipped from her fingers to drop with a subdued thud on the thick pile of the woolen carpet.

"We need your help," the voice said, the aura surrounding it deepening in color and pulsing with a greater intensity. "You have close contact with Chad Tennyson and we need to be able to reach him. He is not aware of us and will not let his mind make contact with us. You must help us make him receptive. We must reach him before it is too late."

Alison frowned. Chad was very involved with his work at the space center, but he never really discussed his work with her. She knew he was involved with computers, but she didn't really know what he did with them.

"How do you expect me to help you get in touch with Chad? If you can suddenly appear in my bedroom, why can't you pop up in his room and talk to him?"

"It's not as easy as that," the being explained patiently. "The subject must be receptive to astral projections, and Chad Tennyson is so committed to the physical sciences that his mind will not knowingly move in the astral spheres. You are more receptive than most in opening the power of your mind, and you have the ability to travel outside your body, although you are not aware that you have experienced such journeys; you put them down to dreams, but they were more than that. You must bring him here and, when the conditions are right, I will appear to him. Then he will listen."

"Why is it so important for you to make contact with him?"

"Chad Tennyson is working on a very important project, one that could bring great benefits to your world, both now and in the future. Unfortunately, there are forces moving in my sphere that seek to destroy that project. These forces are driven by a hatred of humans so intense that once they are released they could become uncontrollable. If that happens, then it will endanger all life on this planet.

"I was once part of your world and I know how harsh life can be on a small planet with dwindling natural resources. What happens to Man impacts on all living things, plant and animal. Man must be a protector, not a destroyer of the environment. The forces I speak of would destroy humanity, even if it meant the destruction of the earth. We feel that, with our help and advice, Chad Tennyson is the key to defeating these forces."

"You're kidding." Alison shook her head slightly, having trouble with the idea of Chad as a key to defeating anything.

Copyright © 2004 by Alan M. Brooker