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Chapters (33)
  1. The Reincarnationist Papers
  2. Author’s Explanatory Note
  3. Foreword
  4. 1st NOTEBOOK
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 2nd NOTEBOOK
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 3rd NOTEBOOK
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. From The Progress of the Soul
  33. About the Author

I was halfway down the alley when the spotlight hit me in the back. Turning around, I saw a police car parked at the end of the alley behind me. I continued walking down the alley, stalking the elongated shadow in front of me. My heart raced, my mouth was dry, my neck hurt. 'Calm down, they don't know it's me, they can't know it's me. Take it easy, keep walking. They'll question me, maybe take me in, but they can't put me at the scene except for...' I ran my still gloved hand over the front pocket of my jeans and felt the outline of the key to the warehouse door. 'Fuck-Fuck-Fuck!'

"Stop walking and turn around with your hands in the air!" called an authoritative voice over the cruiser's public address system.

I took off the right glove and shoved it into my pocket after the key.

"Now asshole!" shouted the voice.

I was three-quarters of the way down the alley when I took off running.

4

I turned the corner at the end of the alley and glanced over my shoulder to check the position of the police car. It was gone from the alley entrance and a large black police officer, silhouetted by the burning warehouse, was already halfway down the alley running toward me. I missed a stride as I fished the key out of my pocket and threw it onto the roof of the building on the corner. My Converse high top sneakers made little noise as I ran, allowing me to hear the footfalls of the cop's hard-soled shoes behind me. He had gained slightly when I ditched the key but was slowly falling behind as we ran down the sidewalk past closed shops and empty storefronts.

I had first heard the distant sirens when I took off running and finally saw the source as two white fire trucks raced up the street toward us. Their blaring prevented me from listening for the police cruiser or my pursuer's footfalls. The cop chasing me was still falling behind but had taken his pistol out. It jerked up and down in his right hand as he ran. He tried to shout something but stopped as the sirens closed on us. The lead engine was half a block away when it swerved to the right in anticipation of a left-hand turn at the cross street in front of us.