The light of the new moon spread over the prairie, making the tall grasses glisten and sparkle. Leo walked through, his hands raised slightly at his sides, letting his fingertips gently touch the grasses.
Northbound from Oklahoma, he had driven past this exit on I-35 in Kansas many times but never stopped. This time, it was as if the car made the decision, swerving right and leaving the highway, heading toward the tall grass prairie.
Coming at night also was not his idea, but the road trip was the result of a promise he had made to a dear friend in Kansas City. Her surgery was scheduled for that next morning and he wanted to be there.
He hated hospitals, but a promise was a promise.
In the distance get saw a light that outshone the moon, and he found himself drawn to it. As he got closer, he realized it was not a light at all, but an incredibly bright beam that protruded through what seemed like a tear in the fabric of the night.
Very unlike him to be this curious —Leo was prone to running away from anything unfamiliar — he got closer. And closer. And closer, until he stood so close his nose could touch the tear.
Right then, he remembered his friend. The promise. But there was no other choice. He stepped in and never looked back.
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