Chris opened his eyes at the quiet but insistent noise coming from the front door. He lifted himself off the couch he had fallen asleep in, waiting for his neighbor. His sleep had been deep but disturbing, and now that he was finally awake, his body was filled with fatigue and a slight shiver. The wind whistling outside the windows brought with it a chill and a foreboding of something unkind.

As he approached the hallway, Chris noticed that the doors were slamming in the strong wind. The wind seemed to be trying to tear them off their hinges. It was already evening, and the sky, usually calm, looked dark and ominous tonight. Ted was still gone, and it was beginning to get unsettling. Chris figured it had been hours since he was supposed to arrive. "We've got to do something about that door," he thought, feeling irritation overwhelm him.

He stepped out onto the porch and breathed in the cold air. The wind immediately hit him in the face, making him shiver. In the sky, on the horizon, Chris saw a strange purple glow. It was so bright that it blinded him for a moment. The light pulsed like a living thing, and a strange sense of unease emanated from it. Chris felt a chill run down his spine.