Druid's Future

Chapter 1 Year 19--

In a remote southwest area, the usual peace and calm settled in as
everyone's lives continued in their typical fashion.  No one knew of the
change that was about to happen.  The tension in the air began to build
with a feeling that a great storm was approaching.  There was the sound
of something tearing.  The sound was not unlike that of cloth being
ripped in two by a great force.  The force from the rip in time set up a
chain reaction in the atmosphere and lightning ripped it's way across
the sky.  A great jagged gap in the fabric of time could be seen.  It
was crinsom red and it appeared as if time and space had been wounded. 
Like a great scar, it hung there, without witnesses to see or care.  A
dark figure stood against the blood red background and behind him could
be seen creatures of unknown origin; unspeakable in their appearance. 
Then as the figure stepped through, the scar healed itself cutting off
the figure from the rest of his forces.  But that did not matter to
him.  HE WAS FREE. After 700 years he was free.  And this time, he
would not be bannished, again. 

*****

Sirens sounded as morning dawn approached.  There was another fire
somewhere down the street.  That was the third one this week.  The area
was a tinderbox waiting for someone to drop a match.  It seemed that
even at that hour the weather was going to be just as inhosbitable as
yesterday.

"Another day of 100 degree weather folks.  No rain in sight.  And now
for the sports.  The Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 last night.
. ."  Click.

Enough of the radio.  It had confirmed her suspisions about the
weather.  Lynae got up from the bed and stretched.  Two weeks of
vacation and already boredom was setting in.  There wasn't much to do in
Antiach.  Allysia and Barry had moved to New York some months back.  By
the gods she missed her cousin.  Allysia was one that could really make
life in Antiach seem exciting.  She was really the only friend that
Lynae had.  Lynae stared at the picture that they had taken together. 
Allysia was so beautiful.  Even though she showed the signs of their
ancestry more, Lynae could not help wondering what would have happened
if they hadn't been cousins.

Just then the smell of sausages and eggs cooking in the kitchen rose
from the first floor.  Lynae's stomach decided the next thoughts for
her.  She grabbed a robe and headed downstairs to help set the table.  

"Honey, could you get the newspaper from the front porch?" a voice
called out from the kitchen.  "I want to see if they have any more news
on that guy who inherited that castle several months back.  They said he
was going to rebuild it somewhere in the states.  I want to see if they
have an update."

Lynae went to the door.  She had hoped this time the paper boy would
have thrown the newspaper on the steps, and not on the roof of the porch
again.  She looked, but it wasn't there.  She looked up to the roof of
the porch.  It wasn't there either.  Then a sudeen gust of wind caught
it just right to send it falling down on her head.  The boy had tossed
it up in the tree.  'I'm going to have to have a good long "chat" with
that boy,' she thought.  She took the paper in and placed it on the
table.  Dohne, her husband, came out of the kitchen carrying two plates
of sausages and eggs.

"Oh, good."
"You won't believe where it was this time."  Lynae said with sarcasm in
her voice.  "It was in the tree."
"You're kidding?' asked Dohne.
Lynae gave him one of those looks that told him that she wasn't kidding.
"That newspaper boy is asking for it," Dohne said.  "Ever since we came
to this town everyone has acted suspiciously.  You would think after two
years they would have gotten used to us by now."  Dohne looked at his
wife with a sad and pitious eye and sighed.  His thoughts drifted back
to the previous town and the last time. 

"I know what you mean." sighed Lynae.  "When Allysia was with us no one
wanted to come near at all, except for some curious so called men who
were interested in only one thing.  They just didn't understand. 
Allysia couldn't help looking the way she did.  She was lucky to meet
that Barry.  At least he respected her and didn't try anything.  It
wasn't like the last time 15 years ago."  A hint of anger raised to the
surface that surprised even Lynae.  Could she still be bitter after all
these years?

"Well," thought Dohne.  "I really didn't trust Barry.  You didn't see
the reaction he had when he found out that Allysia inherited her
father's estate.  Your cousin may be beautiful but I don't think she
should have married that guy.  You know that our kind only marries those
whom the gods bring together by true recognition of the souls.  Allysia
did not recognize him.  You know the real reason she left and nothing
good can come of it.  You mark my words.  Barry will give her nothing
but grief.  That human was no good."  

Lynae shook her head at what her husband had said.  She knew he was
right.  She only hoped that Allysia would realize in time the mistake
she had made.  Though marriage in the human world was different, Lynae
hoped that her cousin would be safe.  If there was only something she
could do to help her.  They settled down for breakfast after that. 
Dohne opened the paper to search for the interested article.  Lynae
started in on her eggs, when without a warning, she got a perculiar
feeling that she was being watched.  She looked up and noticed that
Dohne sensed it, too.  She shivered.  There should not have been
anything to make her feel that way.  They both looked at one another and
then around the room.  In an instant, it was gone.  Both did not want to
think what the feeling meant after the conversation they both had.  They
knew that if anything had happened to a member of their family, they
would know; even if that family member was half way around the globe. To
try to shake the feeling, Dohne started looking through the newspaper. 
Briefly, he looked around, handed part of it to Lynae, and began to
read.

Across the miles Barry was taking a shower.  The day had finally come
and he was looking forward to meeting her at the airport.  The day they
met was the best thing that ever happened to him, not like what happened
a year ago.  Just then he heard a noise coming from the bedroom. 
Allysia still slept.  Too bad.  Allysia was the kind of girl that would
turn men's heads when she would walk into a room.  She not only was
beautiful, she was intellegent, and that was a danger.  He hoped she
didn't suspect but that could have changed.  Lucky for Barry it hadn't;
and now that the day that he's been waiting for had arrived, he would
not have to worry about it ever again.   'It sure wasn't like the last
one,' he thought.  'It would have been so easy to have gotten rid of her
the usual way.  The only way to remedy this one was to go to Reno and
make it legal.'  He hated the idea but it had to be done.  There were so
many other ways to get rid of unwanted "baggage".  It really was too
bad.  Allysia's exotic look was something that no man could ignore. 
Maybe she could have been used another way, if other things hadn't
working out.  'I'd have to think about it and work out the details.  It
could be interesting to see if it could be done.  I'd have to find some
way to control her better,' he thought.  'No, better leave while I still
have the chance.  I don't want another disaster like the last time. 
Whatever she is I'd rather get away from her as far as possible.'  Barry
shuddered remembering what happened a couple of months before.  'At
least this one's family likes me,' he thought.  After dressing, he
looked to see if there was any change in Allysia's sleeping form.  She
could sleep through a hurricane or so he thought.  Barry quietly walked
over to the closet and pulled out the already packed suitcase.  In his
suit jacket were the plane tickets.  'Too bad,' he thought.  'If there
hadn't been that clause in that will. . .' Then he walked out the door
and down the drive to his car.

Cliff Bareth was not too happy.  His last days had been miserable, to
say the least.  He made one little mistake in his life and this one had
to be a doozy.  He had not realized the man he punched out was a
General.  He wasn't in uniform.  Cliff tried to apologize but the man
was bent on making his last days in the army a living hell.  Two shifts
of guard duty as well as K.P.  What really hurt was that the incident
happened three weeks ago and still the General would not let him forget
it.  He would never understand the grudges that some people could hold. 
Cliff watched the other personnel heading to their prospective duties. 
'At least he can't restrict me to the base,' he thought.  'I'm sure glad
I had the forethought to get an apartment when I arrived.'  Just four
more days and he would finally be released from duty.  Then he'd head
for Arizona and his fiance.

End of Chapter 1