Little by little, finally, the rain eases off into a faint drizzle, and then stops altogether. For a long minute, nothing happens - it's just rain-slick streets, clouds still hanging low overhead, and an eerie silence all through the city ( Read more... )

Near midnight, the tree behind the library groans and starts to sway as though in a high wind. Cats scatter from the branches along with the snow. A faint glow begins between the tree's roots, brightening until it's almost like a spotlight pointed up into the sky ( Read more... )