ASMSG Scifi Fantasy Paranormal Emagazine April 2015 | Page 43

Extinction Level
Event Book One:
The Turn
J. Walker

in a vibrant array of color. Spring could not arrive
soon enough. Everyone was far beyond winter weary.
My eyes flew open and an exasperated sigh escaped
my lips. Winter still gripped the world around me and
spring had not arrived during my brief reverie.
I drained the contents of my mug and watched the
last remnants of the setting sun bathe the Detroit
skyline in fading hues of orange and red. The light
reflected on the Renaissance Centre and for a brief
moment the suns dying rays caused the cluster of
buildings to look as though they were engulfed in
flames.
My gaze shifted to the river ice that had broken up
during the day. I watched as it drifted lazily on the
slow moving current. An all too familiar chill was
beginning to creep into the shelter of the sun porch
and I shivered uncomfortably. Yet I remained
unwilling to abandon my thoughts of spring.
I need more coffee, I thought, and definitely more
Bailey’s.
I heard the creak of the door and turned to see my
husband Marcus step out onto the covered porch.
“Still waiting?” he asked as he reached out to gently
massage the tension from my shoulders.

It was late February and the seemingly endless bane
of winter had already begun its slow but quiet retreat.
If memory served me right, it couldn’t last for long.
March was fast approaching and everyone liked to
point out the superstitious notion that it should come
in like a lion and out like a lamb.
The winter had been a particularly cold one for the
region. Although we were no strangers to cold winters
in this Canad ian border city, the early months of the
New Year had seen record setting snow fall and
below freezing temperatures. Even the most winter
hardy individual had been voicing their complaint.
For a moment of brief pleasure, I sipped my warm
coffee spiked with Bailey’s Irish Cream and smiled to
myself. I closed my eyes and imagined the coming
spring. With very little effort, I was able to conjure up
images of the trees with their green buds ready to
burst into lush foliage. I could envision the spring
bulbs pushing through the earth to blanket the earth

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I am,” I replied, hoping my
tone did not betray my frustration.
“Let me get you more coffee,” he said and gently
took the mug from my hand.
“With Bailey’s please!” I called out as he entered the
house.
I was waiting for Ashley, my teenage daughter from
my first marriage. She had left for the weekend to
visit with her father and his family. Visitation was
open but it varied, always subject to change,
depending on her wishes. With tomorrow being a
school day, I’d been expecting her home much earlier.
She had homework and a test to study for but hadn’t
brought any of her textbooks or notes.
I heard little fingers tapping on the glass paned door
behind me and I turned to see the twins, Liam and
Laken, with their faces pressed to the glass. They
giggled and ran away, leaving behind smudges of their
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