Lightning in a Bottle: Alastair Stone Chronicles Book Thirty-Nine by R. L. King

Author:R. L. King [King, R. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Magespace Press
Published: 2025-03-02T00:00:00+00:00

17

Stone didn’t find any other non-fogged people.

By the time he returned to Bev’s place at three-thirty that afternoon, he’d finished canvassing the rest of Nealy Road and all of Tempest Lane. The people who answered the doors all turned out to be of the fogged variety; he took a closer look at some of their auras as he spoke to them, looking for anything subtle he might have missed that indicated their potential transformation, but found nothing. He even risked offering a handshake to a couple with his barriers up, to see if skin-to-skin contact caused any mental distress—probably not the best idea, but he was nothing if not a scientist. Nothing happened, however. As far as any magical or mundane indicators showed, these people were one hundred percent human, at least when the sun was up.

He also didn’t find anyone else hiding in ADUs, guest houses, or outbuildings, which didn’t surprise him much. The more time that went on, the less likely anyone would be able to remain hidden—they’d either have to venture out to replenish their supplies, or they’d convince themselves it was safe to emerge.

He’d made better time today because he’d driven the BMW, parking it in a central location and then moving it a few times as he made his way along the streets. The gas level was still doing all right—even though he only had a quarter tank, that would go a long way when driving such short distances. He made a mental note to check the town’s only local gas station to see if they were taking cash, but it wasn’t a priority yet.

As he drove back to Bev’s place, he remembered what Danny had said about the “old witch” the kids had believed lived in the woods. He wished there were an old witch in town—perhaps he could consult with her about the problem. Or, he thought with a chuckle, perhaps she might end up being responsible for the problem. But urban legends weren’t going to help them, unfortunately. His magic, as inadequate as it currently was, would have to suffice.

Fielder and Meghan were already there when he arrived, as was Tank. They all met in the living room, where Bev had once again provided an array of snacks. Everyone was a bit nervous, glancing at the clock when it ticked to three thirty-five and then three-forty without any sign of Katie and Danny, but the two kids hurried in a couple minutes later, looking apologetic.

“Sorry we’re late,” Katie said as the two of them loaded their plates with chips and pretzels. “But we made really good progress. There were a bunch of different people in town today that we hadn’t seen before—including the whole Tinsley family. They’re all foggy, by the way.” She tossed a notebook on the table. “Got about twenty more people to add to the map.”

Stone had to think for a moment before remembering the Tinsleys were the LDS family. “Perhaps they had to restock on perishables.” He added his own notes to the table.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.