1. Daniel Braum's stories defy category and often reside in the fuzzy areas in between genres. Much of his fiction is set in the here and now and explores places on the edges of civilization. Another line of stories are science fiction tales with speculative elements thatborder on the fantastic or magical. His work can be found on the web in places such as The Fortean Bureau, Abyss and Apex, Dark Recesses, Psuedopod, and Darker Matter; and in print in Full Unit Hook Up, Electric Velocipede and Cemetery Dance. New stories are coming soon in the October 2008 issues of Farrago's Wainscot and Dark Recesses #10. Others are forthcoming in future issues of Electric Velocipede and Cemetery Dance. More about his fiction can be found at www.danielbraum.com and dbraum.livejournal.com.

Skye turned the metal lock on the glass door even though there were five minutes left to closing time. Outside, the last red and orange streaked clouds faded to purplish-blue. He watched the coming storm through One Hour Photo’s big front window. Funny how something so beautiful could be so terrible, Skye thought. The weather said the storm would be the worst in years.

One Hour Photo occupied a concrete island in the parking lot of the Cherry Wood Shopping Center, a small strip mall in the outskirts of Albany, New York. Its window looked out on the road and the wooded undeveloped lots beyond. A Cineplex was to be built in the vacant lot, but until then One Hour Photo was an excellent place to watch the sun go down.

“Almost closing time,” Skye yelled to James. “You coming?”

“I’m in the middle of this,” James said from the backroom behind the counter.

“It’s Friday night, come on.” Skye said. He had tickets to the Astro Rave in Troy, across the river.

James didn’t answer. Skye walked into the back room.

James’s drying photos hung by clothes pins on the line criss-crossing the room-- A small cat peering around the corner of a fence; two dogs in the park sniffing each other cautiously; a squirrel perched in a branch; a raccoon in a pile of trash; a cop on a horse; a bear, ( where had James seen a bear? )

More wildlife photography, Skye thought. James had a gift. If only he’d show some drive.

James stepped through the darkroom’s black curtain. He wore a One Hour Photo apron over his faded denim jeans and hooded sweatshirt. Wisps of long, blond hair escaped his ponytail.

“I heard you,” James said. “I’m really into these pictures. Can I lock up, please?”

“Come on, James,” Skye said.

Skye was the manager and next semester he had secured an internship with a fashion photographer in New York City. The last time he let James stay he had forgotten to set the alarm. He was always doing stupid things like that.

Up front, the door rattled and he heard a tapping on the glass. James looked at the clock and frowned. Two young boys, dressed in yellow rain coats and black galoshes stood at the door.

“We’re closed,” Skye said, then mouthed it again.

“They’re here for me. Can I let them in?”

“For you?”

“I’m taking them on a hike. They’re Richard and Steven. Mrs. Gutten's kids.”

Skye opened the door.

The two boys shuffled in, rain gear swishing, galoshes squeaking on the linoleum floor.

“Guys, I told you quarter after seven,” James said.

“We don’t want to miss the bats,” Richard said.

“Bats!” Steven chimed in.

“Don’t worry. They’re just waking up now,” James told them.

“We’re just going into the woods across the road,” he said to Skye. “But after I need to work on my pictures so can I lock up?”

“Are we going to see bears?” Richard asked.

“No. No bears. Possums maybe. Wait here, guys, I’m getting my camera.” James walked Skye into the back room.

“What’s up with this?” Skye asked.

“Their father flew the coop or something and their Mom just doesn’t know how to have fun with boys,” James said, picking up his camera bag. “I’ll come out with you next time. I promise.”

“That’s the last time I send you to do the Christmas portraits.”

James smiled. “So what do you say?”

As they walked up front Skye dropped the keys on the counter.

“I’ll leave the invite to the party here just in case. Kelly’s going to be there.”

“Thanks. Bat season, boys!” James said, producing two flashlights.

Skye walked outside as the last streaks of purple faded to darkness.

Skye parked his jeep outside the house where he and James lived on Spring Street, in the college part of town. Grabbing the mail from his box, he opened the weathered door. Inside, he dropped the pile on the kitchen counter and began sorting through it.

At least James was working on photos, Skye thought. Maybe he’d get something together for a portfolio.

Skye’s fingers stopped on something rough and waxy, an oversized envelope made of long, thin, tapered green leaves. He’d never seen anything like it before. He picked it up and turned it around. The shapes reminded him of rainforests he’d seen on television.

There was no postage and no address- only the words James Mancuno, printed in purplish black ink. He’d never invaded James’ privacy before, but stories of green envelope parties were mythical and until now he’d thought they were euphoric ramblings of wacked-out rave goers. He had to know if this was an invitation.

The sound of flowing water from the filter on James’ fish tank filled the room. James’ pair of rare silver South American fish silently floated above a ceramic mermaid watching with their big eyes.

Skye carefully pulled the neatly tucked folds of paper out of the slits in the back and withdrew a square of fibrous paper. An address and a time was written on it. He recognized the name of an industrial park two exits outside of town. He carefully replaced the paper in the envelope and put it in the pile of mail.

OK, James. This will be the next time, he thought and then readied himself for the Astro Rave.

The girl at the door wore a tube top, shorts, big space boots, and a mirrored astronaut helmet.

“Who’s spinning tonight?”

“DJ Rocket Ramirez from Buffalo,” she said through a tinny speaker in her helmet.

“Nice touch.”

“Thanks. That will be twenty dollars, Earthling.”

Skye paid and entered. He felt the bass in his chest. Astro Rave’s promoters had transformed the rented roller rink into a space-themed wonderland. Hundreds of people were dressed in costumes. In corners, glittering signs hung from makeshift booths offering space themed services like ‘Massage by an Alien.’ A banner with a green spiral surrounding the earth advertised ‘Cosmic Messages from Space.’

Black lights lit the dance floor. The dancers were aglow with florescent body paint and light sticks. DJ Rocket cut the drum track. The crowd swayed to the swirling curtain of sound. Bodies kept the beat and moved in time, instinctively, like a flock of birds turning at precisely the same instant.

Skye walked to the bar, a long table covered in foil with two big punch bowls on either end. Behind the table stood Skye’s friend Alex. He wore two floppy antennae with built in white bulbs that flashed with the beat.

“What’s this?” Skye shouted, pointing to the bowl of orange liquid.

“Space Juice.”

“What’s in it?”

“Mostly orange Kool Aid and a ton of powdered Vitamin C. Someone dumped some Gatorade in there, too, but it still tastes good. Helps keep your buzz.”

“What about the other stuff?”

“Go Juice. That’s to put your buzz on.”

Skye had tried something like it once at a party when he was a freshman. Half an hour after drinking it he felt a burst of energy, stomach cramps, and got the spins all at the same time. He made it back to his dorm, threw up violently, then crawled into bed. While he was falling asleep in the dark, he swore he could feel the difference on his skin between the colors of his old quilt.

“I’ll take the Space Juice.”

“One Space Juice for the Earthling.”

Skye sipped his cup of Space Juice and watched the dance floor.

“Ever been to a green envelope rave?” Skye asked.

“Me? No,” Alex said. “I’ve heard stories though.”

“Like what?”

“The usual tall tales. They happen once in a blue moon in a secret location full of the jet setters and the elite.”

Alex paused to serve Go Juice to a group wearing big green alien heads.

“Last year my friend paid a thousand bucks just to get the location. Somewhere down in the Florida Keys.”

“How’d he do that?”

“He spends his life at raves. His family is loaded; to him it’s nothing. Said he met all sorts of celebrities. He has Winona Ryder’s autograph.”

“Tacky.”

“I know, but get this, he swears he saw Jimmy Carter there.”

“Who?”

“Jimmy Carter. He was only the President of the United States once. You art types are so out of it.”

“Shoot me. Wait, he’s the one that disappeared, right.”

“Exactly. So you do watch the news when your face isn’t in that camera. Jimmy Carter, what a total trip?”

“Your friend sounds full of shit.”

Skye saw Jessica and Kelly, his upstairs neighbors, on the dance floor. He broke away from Alex and head to them. Jessica’s star-shaped sunglasses were too big for her head. Her black tank top emblazoned with a puffy silver star too small. Kelly held an alien mask in her hand as she danced out of time. Jessica’s cup of Go Juice sloshed onto Kelly as they swayed. Skye waved to Alex and went over to them.

They exchanged hellos over the music. Kelly didn’t respond. Jessica pointed to her glass. “Too much Go juice already,” she said.

“Nice costume,” Chris, the guy Kelly was dancing with, said.

Skye gave him the finger. “I’m ground control, stupid.”

They all laughed and Skye relaxed into the music. Friends entered and exited their dance circle. Then Skye saw Amanda, dancing near DJ Rocket’s platform.

Her jet-black hair, cut short in a bob both classic and modern, glistened with sweat and glitter. Her metallic copper dress with its low cut front and sleek open back revealed her flawless white skin.

Seeing Skye, she smiled. He felt his face warm as he blushed. She hadn’t been at the last rave two weeks ago, though the one before had ended with her kisses. She told him she dreamed of someday going to Mexico. Besides that he didn’t know much about her. Early one morning after a rave she gave him her phone number and kissed him before getting into the car with her friends. He didn’t call. Outside the context of the rave he wasn’t sure what he would say.

Skye danced up to Amanda. Her silver painted lips smiled again in greeting. A long rectangle of green glitter makeup across her eyes, dripped down her face from sweat. DJ Rocket turned on the strobe lights as a counter rhythm of congas and timbales grew louder in the mix. Amanda responded by moving closer to Skye. She wore no bra. Skye could see her small round breasts when she leaned forward. Skye put his hand on the small of her back.

The music spoke to Skye with its juxtaposition of rhythms and textures. He knew the others here heard it too. There were thousands of songs, thousands of ways of saying it but the message was always the same- ‘It’s going to be alright, so dance.’ Skye’s body understood. The music circumvented his brain, where his worries and reservations dwelled and touched him deep in his gut.

“Skye! Skye! It’s Kelly,” someone yelled, running toward him.

Skye saw a flash of concern in Amanda’s eyes as Jessica pushed dancers out of the way.

“What?” Skye asked, still trying to dance.

“Kelly’s flipped out! Come on!”

Skye gave the one-minute sign with his index finger to Amanda, then ran outside with Jessica. It had started to rain. Kelly sat against the wall, sobbing and holding her knees. Chris stood next to her, smoking a cigarette.

“What’s wrong?” Skye asked.

“Too much Go Juice, what else?” Chris answered. “Besides that she’s Okay.”

Skye bent down and looked. Kelly was breathing normally. Big tears gathered in her eyes. Skye took her wrist and tried to feel her pulse. He didn’t know what he was feeling for but nothing seemed abnormal.

“I told her to slow down,” Jessica said. “I’ve got some Valium. She’ll be fine if she takes it.”

“Kelly, it’s Skye,” he said softly. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s so sad,” Kelly said through her sobs. “ It’s the end of the world. We’re all gonna die.”

“Cheery notion for a Saturday night,” Chris said.

“Shut up,” Skye said.

Chris took a last drag of his cigarette and flicked it.

“You’re not going to ruin my night, crazy bitch,” he said, walking away.

“Fuck you!” Jessica yelled.

“Easy,” Skye said, putting his hand on Kelly’s shoulder. “Where did you get that crazy idea?”

“She got a reading earlier, at Cosmic Messages from Space,” Jessica answered. “She’s been on a Tarot kick lately. She was fine all night and then this. She asked something about James.”

With the word ‘James’, Kelly began a fresh round of sobbing.

“Where is James anyway?” Jessica asked.

“At the store, working on his pictures.”

“Let’s go get him.”

“I told Amanda I’d be right back.”

Jessica looked at him.

“Let me call him first,” Skye said. He dialed his cell phone. “Pick up. Pick up. Pick up,” he said to himself.

“Hello?”

“James, it’s Skye.”

“I knew it was you. Don’t worry, I’m not going to forget to set the alarm.”

“It’s not that. I’m here at the rave with the girls. Kelly’s freaking,” Skye said.

“Is she Okay?” James asked.

“I think she will be. Too much brain-candy. I need you to come and help.”

“I’ll be right there,” James said.

Skye’s thoughts returned to Amanda. I’d never leave a project on a moments, Skye thought. He wondered what that said about him.

Fifteen minutes later James arrived in his old Buick.

Seeing him, Kelly smiled through her tears. She stood up and ran to the car. She threw her arms around James as he got out.

“Now what?” James asked with Kelly draped on him.

“Just get her to take these,” Jessica said, putting two Valium in his hand.

“Okay. Help me get her into the car. Skye, you coming?”

“Amanda’s inside,” Skye said. “I’m going to stay.”

“Is she gonna be OK?” Jessica asked.

“I think it’s under control now,” James said as he got in the car.

“I’m gonna stay too, I guess.” Jessica waved as they sped away. Skye felt he should have given James gas money or something.

Amanda was where he left her, as if nothing had happened. He stepped back into the rhythm. As they danced Kelly’s words “It’s the end of the world” raced through his mind and for a second the mix of tempos and the chants seemed darker. The world is not ending, he told himself, and soon the looping songs flowed into another and there was nothing but the rhythm. Reality turned purely physical again. Time softened. He couldn’t tell where one song ended and the next began.

At 4 am DJ Rocket announced the last dance. “Houston requires we vacate these premises. So hold on Earthlings and Space Cadets, we’re blasting off.” The lights were cut with his last word. Except for the faint trails of almost spent glow necklaces and the flicker of tiny lights on costumes, the darkness was complete.

Jungle rhythms overlapped in counterpoint to the synthesized swells and the sound of rocket engines mixed in with the beat. Amanda threw her arms around Skye and kissed him. With arms around each other, and lips on lips they half danced for the entire song. It could have been three minutes or three thousand, Skye couldn’t tell. He put his palm on the small of her back again. Together they spun in the darkness.

The music ended. A strobe light flashed revealing the crowd, a mass of moving silhouettes, before the house lights went on. Amanda’s hair was soaked, her green make up all gone except for a few sparkles. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Amanda’s friends waiting at the door.

Amanda looked at them, then at Skye, and smiled her smile.

“Bye,” she said.

It was the only word she said to him all night. Skye stood on the dance floor long after she left. The crew of Astro Rave cleaned up around him and the other stragglers.

Skye woke up at two the next afternoon. James sat on the couch watching a Discovery Channel show on snakes.

“Thanks for last night,” Skye said.

“No problem.” James’ eyes followed the jaws of an indigo black snake stretch over an egg.

“Was Kelly Okay?”

“I guess. I convinced her to take the Valium.”

Outside, thunder rolled.

“I can’t believe you slept through all that,” James said.

“Are the girls up?” Skye asked. He walked to the kitchen.

“I don’t know. I’m sure they’ll be down as soon as you start cooking.”

Making a real breakfast on Saturday, no matter how late in the day, was a ritual for Skye. He took out eggs, cheese, and bacon from the fridge and put them on the counter. Yesterday’s pile of mail was untouched. Skye noticed the corner of the green leaf envelope sticking out.

“Hey, James, did you see this?” he asked, walking into the living room.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know. It’s for you. Open it.”

James took the envelope, unfolded the flaps and removed the fibrous paper.

“All it says is 119 Garden Court, November 9th 11 p.m. That’s tonight.” He paused and stared at the screen. “Something about this is real familiar, like a dream.”

He flipped through the channels. Jimmy Carter’s face flashed on the screen. James flipped again. A satellite image from the Weather Channel showed the huge storms blanketing the country.

“Any idea who sent it?”

“You’re the rave guy, you would know. Did you get one?” James asked.

“No.”

“How come?”

“I don’t know. You’re a good guy, someone put your name on the list,” Skye said. “You going?”

“Nah. Not in this rain.”

Skye didn’t believe him. He decided he’d stay home tonight and follow James if he left. He had to know if it was a green envelope party.

James put the envelope down, flicked the channel and returned his attention to the screen. The snake moved away from the nest, the egg now just a lump inside it. Skye returned to the kitchen.

Skye heard footsteps above, the sound of people descending stairs, and then a knock on the door. “Open up. We smell food,” Jessica said.

Jessica and Kelly stood at the door both wearing sweatpants, sweatshirts, and thick socks.

“It’s like a river out there,” Jessica’s hair was wet, her sweats soaked from the calves down. She waved the newspaper in the air. “This better be worth it.”

“Thanks for last night,” Kelly said, looking ashamed. She sat down on the floor against the couch in uncharacteristic silence.

“No problem,” James said.

“You gonna tell us what happened?” Skye asked.

“I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“Tell me about it, Kel?” James asked.

Kelly looked down. “I asked the Tarot lady about you.”

James’ attention shifted from the screen.

“The lady gave the cards to me to shuffle and then took them to shuffle them herself. The cards fell from her hands and she went still. I asked, ‘What’s happening? What’s happening’, but she didn’t respond. It was like she was in a trance or something. Then she looked straight at me and started mumbling all sorts of weird shit.”

“Sounds like she was trying to scare you,” Skye said.

“Well, she did a good job then. It was really fucked up.”

“So what’d she say?” James asked.

“Like I know? All sorts of weird shit. End of the world shit.”

“The Go Juice,” Jessica said.

“Nah. I’ve taken all sorts of shit before. This was real. It felt so real.”

“She was just fucking with you,” Skye said. “Trying to give you your money’s worth.

“No. Thing is. It wasn’t.”

James put his arm around her. She threw his it off and ran down the hall then out into the downpour. James followed. Skye ran to the front door and watched. A spray of water rose with each of James’ sloshing steps.

James caught up with her in a giant puddle up to their calves. The rain flattened their hair and soaked their clothes. James put his arm around her and moved her to the curb. They stood on a piece of concrete buckled up by big gnarled tree roots. Still the water threatened to reach them.

They stood there, the rain flattening their hair and soaking their clothes before wading back to the door.

“See. You take care of us,” Kelly said, grimacing at Skye. “Skye would have left me for dead. Jessica cares just because she needs a party buddy. People don’t give a fuck.”

“I care,” James said.

“I know, that why I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Kelly ran up the stairs.

“I’ll go see if she’s Okay,” Jessica said.

“Coming out tonight?” Skye asked as she tramped up the steps.

“Probably not. I should stay with her. Call my cell around nine though.”

James and Skye shuffled into the living room. Water dripped off James, forming puddles on the floor. James changed and then returned with a towel around his neck. He sat on the couch with Skye and they ate cold eggs in silence. Outside the rain beat on the windows as if it wanted to get in and join the puddles on the floor.

Skye drove past the Cherry Wood Shopping Center. One Hour Photo was a lonely island in the flooded parking lot.

“If this keeps up the store is gonna flood,” he thought. He could still see the taillights of James’s Buick through the downpour.

A few minutes later the Buick turned off into an industrial park. Skye drove up the block then doubled back. The big front parking lot was almost filled. Skye pulled into a line of cars waiting to enter. A man walked by, looking in the windows. He didn’t wear a raincoat. It could have been a trick of the light but Skye thought his eyes flickered in the darkness like two green stars.

A line of limousines waited at the entrance to the abandoned warehouse. Skye passed a slow moving vehicle that looked like a big horse trailer. Skye thought he saw a giraffe head though the bars of the cage.

He parked the car and they joined the flow of people sloshing towards the abandoned warehouse. People tramped up a flight of steps leading to a door next to the big steel roll-down doors of the loading bay.

A tall man with dark hair and dark brown skin silently checked coats. When he moved into the dark corner of the small room to hang up wet clothes and umbrellas, something glinted green.

Strips of thick plastic hung from ceiling to floor, an old heat barrier, separating the little foyer from what was once the warehouse and was now the party space. Skye pushed through and stepped into the cavernous room.

The warehouse was already almost full of people. Skye was greeted with the sound of all of them talking and moving at once. Soft music, like a harp playing Japanese cadences, flowed somewhere under the murmur. Skye thought he heard animal sounds- birds, frogs and other jungle-like noises. The overlapping textures and swells reminded Skye of rave music without the electronic beats.

As Skye walked into the thick crowd, he saw the source of the harp- like sound, a small Japanese man sitting in front of a large, stringed board. Both man and instrument looked ancient.

I really should have brought my camera, he thought.

Skye saw James walking past the bar. As he walked toward him the tribal sound of drums mixed with the Japanese melodies. A dozen men were playing Brazilian drums on a platform near the bar.

A young boy and a girl in white robes ran by, each holding a string of bells with a ball of smoking incense on the bottom. They wove through the crowd spreading the earthy smell of sage and lavender. Skye stopped short and almost bumped into the woman next to him.

With each stride of her long legs her skirt of thousands of glistening beads rustled and shimmered. Her short top, made of the same glistening beads, hugged the curves of her breasts and waist. Her arms and belly were covered in a diaphanous, cream wrap.

She appeared to walk on air until Skye realized her high platform shoes were made of glass. A huge man walked next to her. Skye could sense the muscles and hulking frame under his dapper suit. Despite the man’s size, his arm linked gracefully with hers. The big man gently reached into a black bag and removed a bright, blue butterfly. The butterfly rested on his hands, opened and shut its wings a few times, and took to the air. The man reached into the bag for another.

Skye’s attention moved from the insect, to the woman’s leg muscles, to her breasts. Skye realized he was staring and hoped the Butterfly Man didn’t notice.

Skye turned to James but found him gone. Skye scanned the bar and still didn’t see him. He turned and looked to the crowd. People were moving toward the back of the warehouse. Skye stood up straight to try to get a better view. The back wall looked distorted and shimmered like a mirage on a hot summer road. He scanned the crowd again and saw James moving in it toward the wall.

A shirtless old man knocked into Skye, sending them both to the ground. The old man picked himself up and began spinning. His outstretched arms slapped everyone in reach as he spun. “It’s the end of the world,” he said. “It’s the end of the world!”

On the floor, waiting for his wind to return, Skye believed, for an instant, that the world was really ending.

Skye got to his feet, pushed his way back into the crowd, and looked for James. He made his way to the back wall where the crowd was at its thickest, with everyone pushing toward a single door. The VIP room, Skye though. A woman blocked the door. Her skin and her hair were dark like the coat-check man’s. Her eyes were so bright Skye could see their green light from where he stood.

One by one she singled out a person from the crowd to stand before her. Some were allowed to pass. Others stood motionless, locked in a silent exchange, before being turned away. Some of the rejected people laughed and others walked away, confused and disoriented. The shirtless old man cursed and tried to run through the door but was thrown back as if he had struck a powerful, invisible barrier.

Skye saw James step up to the woman and Skye fought to get closer. James was allowed to pass. He walked through the doorway. Skye pushed his way to the woman. He could see James’ form moving into the back room, growing blurry with each step as if he was passing through a wall of heat. The sound of birds and frogs echoed from inside. Skye thought he saw the legs of a giraffe.

“James,” he yelled. “Hold up, wait for me!”

Skye turned to face the woman at the door. “I’m with him,” he said.

Meeting her eyes, Skye stopped struggling. All his muscles relaxed. The woman’s irises pulsed with a burst of green light then separated into a hundred smaller circles. The circles spun on their axes, revealing jet-black backs, as if her eyes were malleable liquid. The tiny circles reformed into single black spheres, riddled with white pinpricks of light like tiny stars.

Skye felt dizzy, like the time he drank Go Juice. The lady spoke to him but her mouth was not moving, then all he could see were images dancing on her eyes.

The tiny stars were city lights. The lights of all the cities stretching across the globe.

“See the cities,” she said. “See the lights. Man’s power shines. His structures climb.”

Skye felt her arms slip around his body.

“Someday the cities will fall and all will pass away.” Skye heard nothing but her voice. Lightning arced across the planet. Thousands of destructive fingers sent buildings toppling with their touch. Skye saw walls of flame, whirlpools of water, and gaping holes in the earth swallowing cars and concrete.

The darkness swallowed him. Then it burned away and Skye was facing the big round sun. He moved closer and closer to the burning orange ball hanging in the blackness of space until all he saw was swirling, fire.

The turbulent orange changed to a calm blue. The blue of the Earth. Skye descended through white billowy clouds and tasted fresh air. His feet touched thick, green grass. Giraffes and rhinos and people from the party all walked together towards a dense forest.

Where am I, Skye thought.

“You are here to say goodbye,” said the woman’s voice, in his head.

Skye saw James walking with the strange crowd. He was laughing and talking with a girl. James’ two pet fish floated by his head, breathing air as if it were water. James turned and saw Skye. He looked confused for an instant then smiled and waved. Skye felt the arms slide off him and then saw only darkness.

Skye woke up to silence. His head hurt and he craved water. Rain pounded on the big skylights in the high ceiling. Puddles spread from where the rain seeped in from the seams. Half a dozen men were pushing brooms and collecting trash in the otherwise empty warehouse. Skye stood and walked into the back room. It was empty and sterile. A single blue butterfly crawled on the floor.

Skye stumbled over to a pair of the clean-up guys, “Hey, what happened? Where is everybody?” His head hurt when he spoke.

“No English,” the first man said and kept sweeping.

The second man shrugged his shoulders and picked up the fragile butterfly. “I used to see these all the time back where I come from. They only live for a day then it’s all over. You don’t look so good.”

Skye ran outside. He felt sick. The rain fell in dense sheets. Thunder rumbled and roared. The lot was almost empty. James’s car was gone. Three limos were idling at the curb. Skye ran up to the nearest one and knocked on the window. “Anyone in there? Open up! What the hell was that all about,” he yelled.

The back window rolled down. It was the Butterfly Man. He held a glass of champagne in his hand and looked annoyed. Skye didn’t care.

“I lost my friend,” Skye said.

“Go home, kid, it’s over,” the man said in a thick Slavic accent.

The lady in the beads sat in the limo next to him. She leaned over and looked out the window.

“Come on,” she said to Butterfly Man, “We can’t just leave him in that rain. He doesn’t look so good.”

“You are always picking up strays,” he said to her and opened the door.

“Get in. We’ll give you a lift,” the Lady said.

Skye climbed in. Bead Lady gave him a bottle of water. His head felt better with the first sip.

“Tell the driver where you live, we’ll take you home,” she said.

“Uh, Exit 9 off the highway,” Skye told the man and then drank the water.

“Wait,” Skye said as they pulled away. “My friend was there. I can’t leave. He may still be there.”

“Did your friend have a green envelope?” Butterfly Man asked.

“Yeah, he did,” Skye said.

“Then your friend is gone. He’s moved on to another place.”

“He’s dead?” Skye asked. His head started to hurt again.

“No. I don’t know. I don’t think so. I only know he’s gone.”

“The lady with the green eyes told me to say goodbye,” Skye said.

“She spoke to you?” Butterfly Man asked Skye.

“Of course she did,” Bead Lady answered. “Look at the shape he’s in.”

“Who were those people?” Skye asked. “I saw three of them. Three of them with green eyes.”

“No one knows for sure,” Bead Lady said. “Some people say they are spirits. I’ve even heard some say they are aliens. I call them the Shepherds.”

“What?”

“Shepherds. It’s just my name. People say they gather the best of us, those who are lost, even animals. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, anyone who gets a green envelope and goes to the location is never seen again.”

“The Shepherds throw these parties?” Skye asked.

“I don’t think so. They don’t seem to care very much about anyone without a leaf envelope. The gatherings spring up around the location once the word gets out. It’s quite the sensation.

“It’s a great party,” Butterfly Man said. “The whole end of the world thing is nice and all but I’m there for the party. ”

“I don’t believe you,” Skye said.

“You saw the woman with green eyes. Consider yourself lucky. He saw her once too,” she said, touching the big man’s arm affectionately. “He knows what you saw.”

“So what did I see?”

“You saw paradise,” Butterfly man said confidently.

Skye held his head.

“Your friend, he must have been very special,” Bead Lady said.

“He was. I mean he is. He’s a real stand-up kind of guy. An amazing photographer too.”

“Ah, an artist. Struggling I bet, doesn’t fit in the world.”

“I used to live a different life,” Butterfly Man said. “But I guess the Shepherds don’t value types like me. Only the best of us”

“So James is in a better place?”

The three of them looked at each other.

“So when is the end of the world supposed to happen? Why the old warehouse?” Skye asked.

“There are other people who know more than me,” she said. ”Does it really matter?”

“If James is gone, it does matter.”

“Nothing matters,” Butterfly Man said. “I don’t think I’m going to wake up one day and find a green envelope, so I’m not taking any chances. Every day is a new party. What if this rain never ends? Then what? I now have no regrets.”

Bead Lady touched Skye’s hand. Butterfly Man gave her his no-more-strays look.

“There are some things we never understand, no matter how much we try,” she said. “You look old enough to know this by now. Like the date of our death…”

The limo slowed, sending up big waves of water. They turned off the exit.

“…or if the world is going to end today, tomorrow, or in a million years.”

Skye waded through almost knee-high water to get to his door. Lightning flashed as he went inside. James’ room was as he’d left it. Skye took a stack of James’ photos off his desk, sat down on the floor, and cried. Skye flipped through the pile- - A cloud of bats; a little raccoon in a box; little Richard and Steven shining flashlight beams under their faces. If James was gone who would take them into the woods? Skye’s tears rolled off the black and white glossy paper. If the world was ending he was glad James was someplace else. He didn’t want to believe but his gut told him it was true.

Skye wished he was dancing, surrounded by swells of music, in a timeless embrace with Amanda. He knew he was not like James and though he felt he was a good person with a future, no one would ever deem him the “best of us.” He could not numb the rest of his life away with money like the Butterfly Man.

Skye took a deep breath, went into the living room and thought about calling the police. As he turned on the television he didn’t see James’ fish in the tank.

Skye went to his closet and checked the roll of money he kept hidden in the pocket of an old pair of pants. He counted the bills then ran into the living room.

He said “Hello,” out loud a few times to make sure it didn’t sound as if he’d been crying, then picked up the phone and dialed Amanda’s number.

“Hello,” Amanda said. Skye laughed into the receiver. He was expecting an answering machine.

“Amanda. It’s Skye.”

“Skye, you’re crazy. It’s six in the morning.”

“I figured you’d be out at breakfast or coming home from a party or something.”

“It’s Okay. It’s actually nice to hear from you, though I’m sure you woke my roommate up. What are you doing calling me now, you nut?”

“I just got back from the wildest place and I had this crazy idea. Do you want to go with me to Mexico?”

Skye wondered if there would even be a Mexico left to go to. There was no time left to be the best he could be, but perhaps enough time for this.

“Mexico?” Amanda asked. Skye could sense her smile on the other end of the phone.

Outside the rain continued to fall.