Dark Path

DARK PATH By T.H. Willis

It was a cold december night a couple weeks before Christmas and Larry and his wife Melinda were driving back to their suburban home just outsude os Tucson Arizona. It was their anniversary and they had celebrated with a sreak dinner in town follwed by dessert and a few cocktails.

Melinda was droning on and on about sommething thst Larry was doing his best to ignore when suddenly a bright flash lit up the deserted highway and the cow pastures. that surrouned it. Larry, half blinded by the intense glare hit the brakes a moment before the engine of the older model Ford Taurus died along with the dashboard and head lights. Even without power brakes or stearing Larry managed to pull over to the shoulder, safely out of the road.

For a moment the light was gone, just as fast as it had come, and Larry being slightly scared tried to restart the engine.

Nothing.

Larry", her voice sounded on the verge of panic, "What the heck was that."

The answer came swiftly. Once again, almost instantly and without warning the bright blue light surounded their stopped vehicle. The couple could hear a static buzz that seemed to penetrate their entire bodies. A fine crack began to form from nowhere on the windshield.

"What the hell?"

"Larry, I'm scared," Melinda whimpered clinging yo his shoulder.

The buzzing grew louder for a moment, almost painfully so, then a moment later it dissapeared completely and the blue light slightly dimmed.

"Get out of the vehicle please. You will not be harmed." The voice was in strangely accented English, but seemed to be coming directly ino their minds instead of through their ears.

The couple exchanged nervous glances, but for some reason felt compelled to comply. They both stepped out together and the sight that greeted them was one of sheer terror. Hovering about 25 ft above the taurus there was a strange ovular craft, just hovering there motionless and completely silent. Melinda ran around the back of the car and fell into Larry's wiry arms.

The craft was about 20 feet wide and 30 feet long with a domed top and an array of small blue lights surrounding the bottom edge. On the bottom, evenly spaced were three more larger blue lights. They seemed to be slowly pulsating.

Larry considered running, but knew that this would be futile and that his wife, on the verge of shock, would be left behind.