by R. Brewer
One after another, six armed men in black outfits and heavy-looking boots jumped out of the van and ran into the office building. Tommy jerked as his mother knocked on the window on the other side of her pickup truck, startling him. She opened the door, holding out the big blue cone.
“Here’s your ice cream,” she said, wrapping his cone in a napkin, like she always did.
Tommy took the cone and licked it. His mother sat down in the front seat and buckled her seatbelt. “Mommy, who are those people?” he asked.
“What people?” she said, looking around the parking lot.
“Over there,” he pointed toward the white panel van. "They were scary. They had black suits on and guns,” Tommy said, unable to contain the excitement he felt over what he’d seen.
“Oh, Tommy,” his mother laughed. “You have such an imagination. They’re probably just a cleaning crew. Now, eat your ice cream.”
Tommy didn’t know how cleaning crews dressed or if they carried guns, but he trusted his mother. “Okay, Mom,” he said, biting into the cone.
“Time to go home,” his mom said. “Don’t worry. We're safe here. After all, there's an Air Force base right down the road, sweetie. They'll protect us.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R.M. Brewer is the author of the Dark Rift series, which she developed in homage to a life-long fascination with science fiction, space travel, and alien folklore. R.M. Brewer lives in Wisconsin, where the night skies are always filled with wonder.
ALSO BY R.M. BREWER
The Dark Rift: Ascension (Book One)
and Short Stories:
To Protect and Serve: Chuck's Story
The Long Ride Home