Gabriel's Revenge (The Adventures of Gabriel Celtic Book 2) by J.T. Lewis

altogether, one that concerned me very little at that moment.
    I found one of the cans of coffee and set about making a pot. While it was brewing, I threw my luggage in the laundry room to take care of later. Finding some old clothes of mine, I grabbed a clean shirt and pants and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. I smiled slightly at the memory of Allen’s discomfort on the ride back when he would get a periodic whiff of my expired clothing and deodorant.
    Besides, I had a lot to do, and I needed to refresh my body in an effort to refresh my mind at the same time. As I was heading to the bathroom, I heard the low rumble of thunder in the distance. An August storm was on its way, the feel of cooler temperatures suddenly in the air preceding it. Looking out the window in the hallway, I saw a wall of water approaching, interspersed with intense lightning throughout.
    I stood there mesmerized as I watched the approaching storm, feeling the increasing power with every approaching second. It seemed to rise in height as it drew nearer, becoming more ominous and violent as it worked to build for a climax of as yet unknown proportions.
    The wall of water finally hit like a freight train, the house rattling on its foundation. I leaned against the aluminum frame of the window, my nose only inches from the glass as I strained to see through the maelstrom.
    A blue arc of lightning descended on the back yard, and I watched in amazement as the bolt flashed multiple times. I seemed to be watching in some sort of slow motion; the flashes appearing for as long as five seconds or more. As I watched, two fingers jumped out of the main flash, each grabbing onto the fence around the back yard before they slowly traveled around the yard, one each way.
    I watched the display in wonder; the lightning seemed to be playing as it made its way around the yard. Making its way around the final corner posts, I was shocked to see that it was now heading straight for the house.
    I started to push myself away from the window when another huge white bolt of lightning struck the yard in front of the glass, joining the fence riding fingers in a magnificent display of electrical power. The shock hit me and traveled through my arms, jolting my brain as I was forcibly thrown from the window and against the opposite wall of the hallway.
    Pushed against the wall, the power of the lightning coursed through my veins as my eyes held onto the tree-trunk sized light outside the window.
    Then….everything stopped.
    As I stood there held against the wall, stillness suddenly enveloped me; there was not a sound anywhere. The sequoia tree of energy outside my window had stopped moving, turning into a statue that would do DaVinci proud. As my frozen body stared at the immovable apparition, a white figure floated out of it, a beautiful apparition.
    She was instantaneously in front of me, laying a hand on my cheek with familiarity, a shy smile on her face below the bluest eyes I have ever encountered.
    Betty!
    Her smile grew at my recognition…and then she was gone.
    Immediately the noise was back, the electric again coursing through me as the force of the lightning pushed me farther into the wall. The seconds seemed like hours before the arc pulsating in front of me disappeared, leaving me numbly staring out the window until gravity finally drug my body down the wall.
    I landed on the floor with a thump, and I sat there for a few seconds, unable to think.
    I realized that I was unable to move at all. Suddenly I felt my shoulders slowly slide the rest of the way down. My eyes watched, helpless as the approaching floor neared my face. And then a blackness enveloped me totally.

Chapter 20
    August 21, 1998
     
    I was surrounded by blackness, a comforting warm blackness. I experienced the feeling of an embrace, arms around me in a comforting protective hug. The eyes were there too, barely discernable in the distance, but still radiating love… and concern? There was no