I thought you might like a small taste of the novel I am working on. Tentatively titled THE MOON BELOW, it is the story of Saleemy's journey from her moon to Earth and back in a time of war.

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It was close to Azomet's zenith, the highest point their sister moon would reach in the night sky. The planet Ferial had already begun the steady slide toward the horizon. Saleemy tossed and turned in her bed. Her body was too warm, her feet too cold, and her head couldn't find a comfortable place.

Saleemy's eyes had become scratchy, demanding sleep, but they kept popping open in response to her brain's twisting and turning. The peculiar idea that she was connected across impossible distances with a living thing in another universe thrilled and scared her all at once. Earlier, when she had swung her legs under the crisp, cold sheets, it seemed like a wild idea, but as the night passed it made more sense. The hope that more anomalies would pop up in her room crept into her mind. Why not? The creature appeared and disappeared without leaving a trace. What harm could possibly come from it?

She cast her mind back to the times she had seen the spongy blob of a being and heard the voices. It struck her as interesting that she was always deep in concentration when the sightings occurred. First reading, then reading again, then remembering things for the exam, and then in the exam, concentrating on a visualization.

Saleemy jumped out of bed and stepped carefully, pads down and claws up, along the passage to her parents' room. She waited a moment, pondering the wisdom of tapping on the door. With gritted teeth, she reached out and knocked gingerly.

"Come in," said Dad, just loud enough for her to hear. His voice sounded tired, but cheerful enough.

Saleemy allowed the door to slide back a crack and peeked in.

He motioned for her and set his data block down on the table by his bed.

She tiptoed across the threshold. "Dad, I think I know something about why these sightings happen."

He gestured for her to speak at a lower volume and nodded toward the mound of sheets next to him.

"Sorry," whispered Saleemy. "I think if we do things that take all our brain power, we're able to see these aloma… anola…” She stopped and pretended to spit. “…anomalies from Mom's other universe."

Dad thought for a minute. "That's a good observation," he whispered. "Every time I see a creature, it's out of the corner of my eye. I'm always engaged with something else. I never see these strange occurrences when I'm looking for them."

"That's what happens to me." Saleemy let her mouth fall open.

"Me too," said Mom from under a pillow, her voice thick with sleep. She threw back the covers, squinting and rubbing her eyes. "It's a good assumption, but there's something else at work here." Mom pointed to her head. "Our brainwaves have a frequency ranging between six and sixteen hertz. If we accept that the gravity-well has somehow disrupted the natural vibration of our space-time, then perhaps something as small as a change in thought patterns and the resulting wavelength can trigger the effect."

"What does it mean?" Saleemy sat on the edge of the bed.

Mom pushed herself up and yawned into her hand. "I suspect there's a frequency in our brains that triggers this anomaly. I don't know, though." She pushed the sleep-tangled white hair out of her face.

"This may be a clue to controlling it." Saleemy shrugged one shoulder. "Do you think it's worth looking into?"

Mom smiled at her. "I think it's worth looking at in a controlled environment, like a laboratory." She cocked her head. "Don't you go doing any experiments on your own."

"Sure." Saleemy returned Mom's yawn and stretched. "I'm going to sleep, anyway." She hopped off the bed. "I'll let you know what happens next time I focus on my history."

"G'night, Slee." Dad blew her a kiss and reached for the bedside lamp. "No independent research, okay? You promised."

Saleemy nodded and shut the door behind her.

I’ll keep writing if you keep reading.

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