The Sacred Glade By Diane Charles Linford
The Sacred Glade by Diane Charles Linford has been released as an eBook by Aspen Mountain Press. This is DC’s first published work since Loose-Id’s release of Handle Me With Care .
Click More for an excerpt of this time warp romance, an exploration of what might be…
I stopped and looked across a span of at least one hundred eighty degrees from one side to the other. I let out a loud sigh of frustration and continued to scan the area. Finally, I spotted the thin scratch of a trail to the southeast. I headed toward the narrow wisp of dirt determined to follow where the path led me.
What the heck, go for it.
I’m glad I had enough sense to wear my sneakers as the ground which had been soaked and then partially frozen in the November weather had thawed. The dying grass and vegetation covered squishy mud which coated the bottoms of my shoes. I could just imagine what this trail would do to a pair of good shoes.
I saw a glint of blue light in the trees ahead. Could this be the portal Hannah referred to? I decided to investigate. At least there was something here worth checking out. It occurred to me I might find what I was looking for but not know how to get back out when the time came. Wouldn’t that just figure? And me without a trail of breadcrumbs, I growled softly in frustration. Nancy Drew’s probably laughing her ass off at me.
Chance it, Diane. What have you got to lose?
I looked around to get my bearings. Bare trees on all sides, gray sky above, and muddy vegetation below. Oh yeah, got it now. I continued to step forward trying to find my bearings in the forest when a bluish flash of light burst through the intertwined branches once more. Okay, go toward the blue light.
I wound my way through the trees for another hundred yards or so. Well, that wasn’t quite right. I had to cover about a hundred yards in a straight line, but the forest wouldn’t allow me to move in any kind of a straight line. So, as I wove in and out of the trees, I tried to keep the intermittent glimmer of light in sight.
Then I heard the sigh in the breeze, just like the one I’d heard that day from the other side of my decorative fence. Was this a trick? Was it my imagination playing games with me?
Suddenly, I caught my breath. The forest opened into a small clearing, a glade, if you will. The earth in this patch of open space seemed to be built on a natural mound, like a dry hummock which I gravitated to naturally. Now the shimmering blue glimmer floating above me seemed to ripple and descend toward the same dry mound where I stood. I figured I’d remain judicious and keep back from this phenomenon. The shimmering light looked like some sort of jellyfish membrane hovering in the air, though, thankfully, I didn’t see any stinging tentacles hanging from its core. My body reminded me to breathe out and I released some of my tension.
I have to say, whatever it was, the phenomenon scared and excited me at the same time. I shook my head and subconsciously raised my hand to my mouth. I couldn’t help it. Whatever this thing was made me giggle. I felt millimeters away from losing control. I should walk up and touch the surface of the thing.
No! Don’t do that. That’s crazy! Stand still. Stand here. Don’t move. Well except a little bit this way, maybe. If I move this way maybe I can see it from a different angle.
What the hell, I moved.
The membrane of light rippled and shimmered in place over the mound. It hovered in one spot as if holding itself in place for inspection. Curiosity seized me and I found myself magnetically drawn toward the light.
I moved again. The airborne membrane drifted over the mound like a blue tinted window to the other side. Wait a minute. This wasn’t right. If I looked at the area across from me in the glade, it looked different than if I looked right through the blue filtered veil. Why was that? Was this some effect of the light? No, the trees opposite from me stood about six or seven feet apart, but similar trees seen through the window appeared closer.