Free Reunion (A Psychological Suspense with Murder, Mystery and the Paranormal) by Jeff Bennington

hearing everyone’s stories and stuff.”
    In her heart, Lana knew she should go, but her mind remained cautious. The demons were lurking. Yet her passion for people won her over. Besides, this wasn’t the first time Zoe had given Lana good advice. Lana trusted her daughter’s discernment. Consequently, she agreed. Lana and Maria made arrangements to meet with Kate and Bryan.
    When she hung up her cell phone, Lana couldn’t help but think about Noah. Would he be invited? Her heart sank. Would he come? Was he married? Oh my! What have I committed to?
    Lana flicked her index finger forward, indicating that Zoe should resume driving, but kept looking out the window. She hadn’t thought about Noah since her divorce from Bill. After seven years, Bill had buckled under the pressure of living in her shadow. Lana’s success became more than he could handle. So one day, he disappeared, and a man she loved once again abandoned her. Still, Noah always remained in her heart.
    What does he look like now? she wondered. Does he have children? A family?
    The mountains in the distance transformed into images of Noah Berkley, her true love, the boy she had hoped to marry. She saw her reflection in the window and noticed a black stream running down her cheek. She carefully wiped her eyes, so Zoe wouldn’t see.
    I’ve not heard from him in twenty years. Why would he bother?
    In that brief moment of negativity, Lana’s optimism took root. It’ll be okay, she said to herself. He’s probably long since forgotten about me, and Crescent Falls. And that’s okay. Really.

7 th
     
    B ryan observed the fear in the boy’s stance as he stared into the school entrance. The basketball player began to slowly back up as if a predator threatened to strike. Bryan moved quickly toward the court. The kid’s fear seemed to increase with each second, giving Bryan reason to quicken his pace. His handcuffs, radio and other gear clanged and jingled as he trotted across the court. The other boys watched their friend anxiously, even though they could not see what he was looking at.
    The boy’s head cocked to one side, parallel with his shoulders, into a defensive position. His eyes were riveted on the doorway, looking deep into the building. Bryan observed the boy cautiously step back, then he tripped on the concrete and fell down. He raised his hands to cover his face—a hurried motion, prompted by his instincts to protect himself. Bryan and the other boys watched in horror as something that could only be described as energy as strong as a gale-force wind blew across his body. The basketball that lay on the ground bounced with the wind, or whatever it was, and hammered the boy hard on his protective arms, knocking him flat on the rough pavement. The wind stunned the boy. He lay there motionless and out of breath.
    The shock of the force caused the other boys to take a defensive stance as well. They covered their faces for a moment, instinctively shielding their eyes from the mysterious energy. Seconds later, the temperature dropped drastically. Bryan watched them cross their arms and begin to shiver. As rapidly as the force attacked, it left with equal haste, but not so fast that the witnesses did not see a trace of its form.
    “Did you see that?” asked one of the boys.
    “What was it?” asked another.
    Bryan walked onto the basketball court near the boy, stunned by what had transpired. His position required that he maintain a level head and a keen eye. Unlike the boys, who seemed to be caught up in the moment, Bryan noticed the smallest details—the details that made the experience so fearful for him.
    He squatted down next to the boy on the ground and asked, “Are you all right? Are you hurt?” The boy shook his head, indicating that he was fine. Bryan remained still, silently contemplating what had occurred.
    The dazed boy lifted his head. “Did anyone see the light?”
    “What light?” asked one of his friends.
    “All I saw was one of