Dark Moon Crossing Read Free Page A

before they nabbed him, but get this, he said he’d been hunkered down
in some bushes the night before and witnessed a whole van load of people
getting waylaid by aliens.”
    Jim’s face twisted in disbelief. “What the hell does that mean?‌ He is an alien.”
    “No, dummy. He didn’t mean illegal aliens. He was talking about space
aliens. Little green men from Mars.”
    The amazed silence that followed his remark seemed to emphasize the
strangled gasp. We all turned around in time to see the glass casserole dish
fall from Lupe’s hands and shatter on the concrete patio. Her dark eyes glassy
with horror, she muffled a cry with her hand and fled.
    Seconds later, Tally appeared in the doorway and, like the rest of us,
stared in shocked dismay at the remains of our enchilada dinner. He looked up
and shrugged. “Was it something I said?‌”

2

    I hadn’t realized just how hungry I was until dinner evaporated before
my eyes. My stomach rumbling in protest, I pulled my eyes away from the tomato
and cheese covered lumps to meet Tally’s quizzical stare. “No,” I said
quietly, “we can thank Walter here for frightening Lupe with his UFO story.”
    “Shame on you, Walter!” Ginger wailed, jumping to her feet. “You’ve
gone and ruined supper for everyone. Now what am I gonna do?‌”
    He drew back, looking defensive. “Well, gee whiz. How could I know
that was gonna scare her?‌ Geez, I’m glad I didn’t mention anything about the
other weird part of the story concerning the cattle…”
    Nona’s terrified scream aborted his words and everyone froze. “Stop
her!” she shrieked, pointing to Suzie, who was eagerly wolfing down large bites
of enchilada casserole. “She might swallow a piece of glass!”
    “Suzie, come!” Brian shouted, making a grab for her. The dog artfully
sidestepped him, snatched another mouthful and then executed a forward roll
through the sauce. Brian lunged for her again, but slipped in the gooey mess
and would have fallen if Tally hadn’t grabbed the back of his shirt. When
Churchill suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, Suzie took off after him,
barking madly. Suddenly, everything looked like a scene from an old Marx
Brothers comedy. Some of the kids, shrieking with laughter, joined in the chase
while the adults cursed and tried to hang onto their drinks and food as chairs
flew in all directions. I tried, but couldn’t suppress a shout of laughter as
the dog wove in and out among the startled guests, anointing everyone she
touched with enchilada sauce.
    Above the mayhem, I heard the sound of a car engine starting and
glanced over the fence in time to see headlights flash on. The laughter died
in my throat. Oh man. It must be Lupe. She was going to get away before I
discovered why Walter’s seemingly innocuous remark had caused such a violent
reaction. I sprinted for the side gate and ran out to the dimly-lit street,
yelling, “Lupe, wait a minute!”
    In response to my shouts, she turned her head in my direction for a
second, then shoved the car into gear and floored it. Disappointment mingled
with anger as I watched her taillights vanish around the corner. Why had she
run away from me?‌ I made one of my instant decisions and swiveled around only
to collide with someone in the shadows. My heart contracted and I let out a
squeak of fright as arms closed around me. “Whoa!” came Tally’s soothing
voice, “what’s with all the drama tonight?‌”
    When I recovered my breath, I said, “Jesus, Tally, you scared the crap
out of me.”
    “Sorry. Where are you going in such a hurry?‌”
    “To get my car keys and go after Lupe.”
    “Why?‌”
    “Why?‌” I stared up at his finely-chiseled features outlined in the
moonlight. “Ginger’s party is in complete shambles and you’re not the least
bit curious to find out what caused it?‌”
    He shrugged. “Well, I gather something Walter said spooked her, but is
it really necessary for you to go chasing after her