The same night in the parallel world of Earth…
The night was dark and lonely, and it was late.
Val Kingsley was sitting at his computer composing his next novel, but he couldn’t seem to get into it. He was distracted by the sounds of the carnival close-by. It was the First Night Celebration of the week-long Winter Carnival at Saranac Lake, and he could hear the sounds of music, laughter, and screams in the distance. But it was when he heard something that sounded like a shot that he became concerned. He knew that it could have been the crack of a whip, or even a firecracker. He’d heard sounds like this before. Guns and whips were often used in the animal trainer acts. He’d seen it himself. It didn’t hurt them. It was just a way of keeping the animals in line. But the sounds continued int
