Copyright © May 2017 by CiaoSteve
CiaoSteve reserves the right to be identified as the author of this work.
This story cannot be published, as a whole or in part, without the express agreement of the author other than the use of brief extracts as part of a story review.
This is a work of fiction. The events described here are imaginary; the settings and characters are fictitious and are not intended to represent specific places or living persons.
Author's Notes
Foreword #1 : All characters in this series are over 18
Foreword #2 : This is pure fantasy and could contain events which may not happen in real life
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A warm Summer day in the deep mid west. The town of Charlottesville was nothing but normal. It could have been anywhere, a small town built up on the back of the railroad boom. Originally a staging post for travellers, the railways had moved on and the town had settled down to a more sedentary life. A population of some 25,000 now lived in Charlottesville, made up of a mixture of young business families and a more elderly retired population, enjoying the proximity of the town to some wonderfully relaxing countryside.
Nothing ever happens in Charlottesville. Life goes on, day becomes night becomes day again. Nothing ever happens, at least nothing that gets reported on any more. It hadn't always been like that though. There was a time, some 10 years back, when Charlottesville was all over the news. It wasn't exactly Charlottesville
per se
, but the locality which made the headlines.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
One Winter's evening a local drunkard had noticed a bright light hovering over Charlottesville before disappearing into the distance. It was a light, but not one he recognised. For one it hovered, not moving, just there. OK, a helicopter, but there wasn't a sound to be heard and no downdraft that would be felt from a low flying helicopter. The other strange thing is that the light kept changing colour, shades of white, yellow, blue and red alternating at varying speeds. It was almost like it was watching him.
Then suddenly it went, shooting off into the night. Taking a long look at the bottle he was holding, he took another big swig and tried to contemplate what had just happened.
His contemplation was shattered by a bright flash in the distance followed by a huge bang. In an instant the town was awake but by now there was nothing to be seen, just the tales of a local drunk.
Searches of the area over the coming days drew a media frenzy, bringing Charlottesville to the centre of attention. Eventually, some 10 miles out of town, in a popular hiking area, a crater was found, an area of scorched earth on the end of a long straight indentation in the ground, a few damaged trees, but no sign of any wreckage. Nothing to say this was a plane crash or anything else of the like. It was a mystery. Unsolved and now old news, after a couple of weeks the media frenzy died down and the event was written off as a probable meteorite strike. They happen from time to time so nothing really to get too excited about.
Life went back to normal and the events of that night faded into recent history. Charlottesville returned to normality. Normality that is, for all except one drunkard, a drunkard who would spend his life trying to tell the story of what happened that night. A story he kept telling, but who was going to believe a drunkard. It was a tale of lights, of flying objects and something in the woods, a warning almost but one which no-one took any notice to.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
So back to the present and the sleepy hollow of Charlottesville was again going about its own business. The sun was shining and people were out and about in the town, dressed for the Summer and enjoying the warm temperatures. Nothing unusual at all. Nothing except for one young woman, probably late-twenties walking slowly through the town.
So what is odd about a young woman walking through a quiet town. Well, there were a few things. It was a warm day but here was a young woman, wearing almost pure black shades but dressed in a long beige trench coat and matching hat. Combined with this was the way she stuck to the shadows, making no eye contact with anyone, concentrating only on her destination. She wouldn't have looked out of place in an old sixties detective movie.
Slowly she continued down the main street, people glancing, heads turning momentarily as she passed, then going back to their own business. She was carrying a large padded envelope, obviously precious by the way she held it tightly in one hand.
She stopped outside of a nondescript office building, opened the door and entered. It was the offices of The Courier, Charlottesville's local newspaper.
"Can I help you miss?" came the enquiry from the desk in front.
Not removing her hat or shades, she walked over and placed the envelope down on the desk. It was an medium sized padded envelope and by the size looked like it could contain a small book.
"Please, help me, please."
"How can I help?" came a quizzical response.
"This envelope contains a secret, a secret it is time the world knows about. Please tell the story, if nothing else, for the wellbeing of others. I am trusting you to reveal all."
At that she turned and left.