Transport

Tara was four years old when she first flew through time..

It was nighttime, and her parents were having a party. She awakened and climbed out of bed to get a glass of water. She crossed the lvingroom through what seemed a forest of grown-up legs to reach the kitchen. There she paused to stare at the television set that someone had left on, though they were all in the other room. The refrigerator was in front of her, the tv to her right. The little set with its wood case and rounded sides sat on a small table with splayed legs, just about at her eye height. She turned to watch, forgetting everything except what was on the screen--a human skull dripping with sweat. A deep, resonant voice intoned words that shivered through her. "Too bad for the birds in the trees. Too bad for the deer and the hunters."

Tara fled, whipping around through the doorway to put the wall between herself and the scary things. She was safe. But the words rolled on, tugging at her. She couldn't keep away. As if pulled by a magnet, she slid back around the wall. The skull was still there, turning slowly, sweat beads trickling down. "THEY LOOKED UP!" boomed the voice.

The truth swept over her. She screamed.

She looked up as a brilliant light streaked across the sky, then plummeted beyond the forest, making shadows of the trees spin from one side to the other. The thunderclap came later, and after that a great wind made the branches thrash. The sky darkened, then glowed red as a soft roar followed the wind. The world was on fire.

The transport lasted only for a moment. Tara was back in the kitchen, in her life, in her skin. But everything had changed. She would never feel safe again. From that moment, her quest began. She had to do something to escape the terrible things that had flashed out when she'd been transported.