Chapter 478

Suddenly, the air in the garden seems to bend and shimmer, like heat waves rising from an asphalt surface on a hot day. These aren’t heat waves though. For one thing, the temperature is very pleasant—mid-sixties, I’d guess—and more importantly, the lines are horizontal, not vertical. A barely audible high-pitched whine accompanies the disturbance in the air. The whine and the strange bending of the air are the only signs anyone other than Radar gets that an Anomaly is unfolding. If you’re unfortunate enough to be caught in it, it’s too late. No one is quite sure what happens to people trapped in an Anomaly, but we do know they’re never seen again.

Once again, my hand finds the grip of my machete, just in case. Out of the corner of my eye I notice that Radar has grabbed the hilt of her samurai sword.

I’ve witnessed enough Anomalies to know what’s coming next, but my breath still catches when the plants and furniture