Chapter Two

An ominous darkness descended on Albany. The departure of the sun brought a thick thunderhead past New York City, over the Palisades and up the Hudson Valley to the outskirts of the capital city.

Joanne looked briefly at the far away lightning flashes slicing through the black horizon following route 87 right into the heart of the city. She closed the curtain before the rumble of thunder shook the house.

Inside, she nervously prepared for bed. The room felt strange with an air of expectation, a sensation she had felt before and knew was just the beginning. In the past five years the small house had not felt the same, and thought it would be awhile until it felt right again, if ever.

Why am I torturing myself? She wondered at the reason she brought up the subject. She knew why. It was night, it was bedtime, and soon it would happen again.

After a shower, she brushed her teeth, slipped into her favorite mint green nightshirt, and pulled back the sheets. A thunderous clap of light flashed outside the window, temporarily stuttering the lights. They snapped and crackled, then flickered off, then popped back on as the black cloud formation stalled overhead. It shook the entire house. Joanne slipped under the sheets.

The comfort of the bed enclosed around her. Her body relaxed, softening tired muscles. Frayed nerves began to desensitize. A skeleton crew took over brain and bodily functions allowing her to drift into a guarded sleep.