Preface

Does the term “paranormal” really mean “outside of normal,” whatever “normal” actually means? Paranormal events are generally thought of as events that are not scientifically explainable. We have all heard about instances of events which seem to imply that telepathy exists (such as one’s sense that a loved one is in trouble, resulting in a phone call) or premonition (for example, someone cancels a trip because of a bad feeling and then an accident occurs on the scheduled transportation). There even have been occasional reports of people experiencing precognition (knowledge of a future event). We’ve all encountered people with compelling personalities, presences so strong that when that person enters a room, all conversation stops and everyone turns to see who entered. Are these examples of the “paranormal”? Perhaps they are. But people accept such things as normal; although they might be considered to be just a wee bit on the strange side of normal. In writing this story, I decided to explore these fringes of normality, using a generally unknown and widely unfamiliar religion, Vodou, as the vehicle for the exploration.