Introduction

By Chris Born-Long

This story was written by Gloria Barnes, Annie’s mother. According to Gloria, Annie came to her mother a few days after her death, saying she had a story she wanted Gloria to record. Annie told Gloria where to find the only writing paper in the house, then dictated the story. When she was finished, Gloria had used exactly the forty-seven available sheets of paper.

Gloria faxed the story to me, and I transcribed it. There was not one single correction in the entire handwritten document—no changes, no cross-outs, no erasures, no rewrites. In transcribing, I have not edited or rewritten.

Whether or not you believe in spirits, it’s an engaging fantasy. You’ll meet some folks you know, and encounter some you don’t know—people who were part of Annie’s life. And you’ll see, no matter how you believe it happens, that Annie’s light is shining.