The Parallel Shift

☯ Prologue

Dana Clarke glanced at her rearview mirror when she heard the truck honking behind her. This was enough to ruin her morning on any given day. But not today.

Breathe, Dana. Breathe. She forced a smile and reached for her Café Latte. After the coffee had soothed her throat, she felt light again.

Today was her big day, alright. From the moment she read the job posting from Procyon Technologies, she knew it right away. It was her dream job. Working on a portal to alternate realities is like the Holy Grail for quantum physicists like her. She may be smart, but Professor Chris Reid isn't someone who's easy to please.

I have to ace this job interview. She rolled her shoulders to loosen her stiff muscles. Taking a deep breath, she looked to the side as the warm sun kissed her cheeks.

She turned on her car stereo and belted out a song as she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. Her spirits soared high as she bobbed her head to the beat.

Then it happened.

All of a sudden, a blinding light hit her. It was so bright everything in front of her turned white. It lasted for a fraction of a second, but the effect it had on her felt like years. Her whole life flashed before her at dizzying intervals, starting with her childhood memories up to that very moment. The flashes ended as quickly as it happened.

She blinked hard.

Holy shit! Where am… Her voice trailed off as she felt something clutching at her ankles. She lowered her head and saw what it was.

A severed hand!

She let out a gut-wrenching scream as she shook her foot. Immediately, the car lost speed as she lifted her foot off the pedal. A wave of panic shot through her as she tried to yank the hand off her. She reached low causing her to steer slightly to her right, as the truck honked behind her. Finally, she was able to pluck off the dismembered part and threw it on the passenger seat.

When she lifted her head, it was too late. The truck hit the rear of her car as she swerved out of control. The car skidded out of its lane as another car tried to avoid her – and failed.