The Light Bringer Book Excerpt #9

Alan stepped closer to the table to see what Andrea was examining and immediately saw the three large, black marks across her back. They resembled deep bruises.

"What's that?" asked Alan.

"Hmm, don't exactly know yet.  You two said that you suspect an overdose?" 

"Just a guess," replied Clint.

"Looks like some type of deep bruise. There's some kind of blistering on the surface. Let me get a closer look." She positioned the scalpel and slowly made a shallow pass over one of the marks.

The flesh separated and widened to show a deep, black gash. Andrea turned and grabbed a small penlight sitting on the tray next to the table. She directed the beam down into the open wound and drew her head closer in an attempt to further examine it.

She shook her head. "Looks like a burn, cauterized perhaps. It's very deep."

"So it was something hot, something that burned her?" asked Alan.

"No.  It was something cold—very cold, almost like frostbite. Like it crystallized and deadened the tissue. I've never seen anything like this."

She moved the flashlight closer so that the end was only half an inch away from the surface of the gash. Alan peered over her shoulder and saw something that made him gasp. The beam of light streaming from the bulb was being absorbed—as if it were being sucked into a vacuum.