A Jungle of Stars by Jack L Chalker

Author:Jack L Chalker [Chalker, Jack L]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780345904270
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 1994-09-01T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWO

The ship came in low over the horizon, like some ghostly, misshapen balloon floating wobbily down as the helium slowly escaped and it glowed a sickly blue much stronger than moonlight.

Everyone in town who was out that night saw it. A meteor, most said, and families rushed out into backyards to get a better view.

Jennifer Barron heard the commotion outside her apartment and made her way over to the French windows and out onto the balcony. The warm, humid air enveloped her like a moist rug, and the mosquitoes took the exit as a signal to attack. She heard her neighbor muttering exclamations under his breath.

“What’s going on, John?” she called over to him.

“A meteor, Jenny. Biggest damned thing I’ve ever seen! It’s bigger and brighter than the moon! Wow! Look at that!”

“Describe it to me, John,” she asked. “What’s it like?”

For the first time, through his excitement, John remembered that Jennifer was totally blind.

He coughed apologetically. “It’s really kinda huge, Jenny—larger than this apartment house. Sorta glowing, kinda floating down. It’s gonna hit pretty soon. Funny, though…”

“What is?” she asked, trying to picture the unprecedented.

“It’s coming in so damned slow. Every meteor I’ve ever seen has come in like fireworks.”

She remained on the balcony, feeling the excitement and hearing the comments and sensing the awe, but she could not escape the dark thoughts. In a few minutes it’ll be all over, she told herself. And I’ll go back in again and be alone.

In the dark.

But she was wrong. For her, it was the beginning.

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