Beyond Appearances
by Christie Harrington. An Autobiographical 'Novel'.
Paperback, 225 pages, ISBN = 1890711225.
Published 6-22-98. Retail: $14.95 US
The Midwest Book Review, 10-9-98: "Raised in a world of spirits, poltergeists, and angels, Cheyenne matures in a rich and humorous family life where the gifts of the spirit are commonplace. On her own in a world away from her family, her encounter with evil forces and an abusive husband lead her to ask God to take her spirit gifts away. She can only live that way for a time. Struck by lightning, and encouraged by signs, she finds a rebirth to the spirit real. Beyond Appearances is a work of fiction, a biographical novel based on author Christie Harrington's own life and experiences--so closely that the names had to be changed to protect the innocent and to make her personal saga more universal. Written with humor, insight, pathos, and inspiration, Beyond Appearances is an engaging read, one that will not soon be forgotten."
Abbey Reviews, 6-19-98: "The reader is caught up in a real life story of ghostly apparitions, spiritual guides, angels, and demons. Christie Harrington weaves a tale for the ages. It seems like fiction, but it is her life. Her writing speaks for all those experiencing a new awareness. Her life is so painful, it is bound to reflect just about everyone's, and yet her detachment and humor provide comfort. Beyond Appearances was so readable, I forgot I was reading and found I was living another lifetime."
John R. Barker, 5-25-98: "Beyond Appearances shows it is possible and necessary to live a life in the spirit. Written in a whirlwind of trials, Ms. Harrington employs a style of fluid grace, humility, and humanity to tell a story sure to catch the public eye and heart. Time stopped while I read this book."
Excerpt:
CHAPTER 8 - THE MILFORD LIGHT
Cheyenne now had time to spend with her friends. She was still cautious about seeming too friendly with her classmates, particularly the upperclassmen, as people were just starting to warm up to her as a human being. She gave little thought to the vicious rumors that had destroyed her reputation before she'd even begun high school. She simply knew she hadn't been accepted for what she really was. Never mind that no one knew who she was...
However, her whole life was spent gathering the neighborhood boys in Paris for hikes, exploring the tanks at the National Guard Armory, playing baseball or building forts in the woods, and having mud fights. No one had ever questioned her disdain of giggly groups of girls playing dolls and painting their nails and gossiping. Her family had certainly never made her wonder at her choice of friends and activities. And so it was very natural and wonderful to her to be back among a group of peers who made her their unofficial leader of childhood fun.
One night she and her friends Phillip, Steve, and Troy were riding around Roseville. Phillip, although a sophomore, had turned sixteen and had his driver's license. She asked if they'd heard about 'The Lantern' in Milford, a town about twenty miles away. Steve heard some story about a haunted stretch of road where people reported seeing a light come from nowhere, but the others hadn't heard about it at all.
She told them she heard a story about a couple who had been newly married in the late 1800s. They were coming home late one night from their honeymoon in a horse-drawn surrey with a lantern mounted on the buggy. Apparently it was stormy, and visibility had dropped to zero. As they approached a bridge over a flooded stream, one of the horses stepped off the edge of the road, throwing the entire rig over the edge of the bridge.
The man managed to swim to the side of the creek and searched for his new bride. He called and called to her to no avail and, after securing the lantern, which remained intact, he examined the area under the bridge, up and down the banks of the raging little stream, swinging the lantern wide here and there. Frantically he searched for his wife, making his way back up onto the road, calling her name desperately, walking up and down and up and down the road around the bridge in the driving rain.
The road was now paved, but still out in the middle of farm country, with no houses in the immediate area. The bridge, though rebuilt, was still there. People had recounted that if you sat about a quarter of a mile down the road from the bridge with the motor and lights off, sometimes you could see the ghost of this man still searching for his wife... well, not the actual ghost, but the lantern light swinging to and fro under the bridge, then up on the road, then up and down the road. The story fascinated the boys and the decision was made to go to Milford and 'see the light'.
The four of them found themselves sitting in a car parked smack in the middle of the road in the country north of Milford, Illinois. Cheyenne was using her imagination to scare the pants off three boys who were still innocent enough to be having the time of their lives in pursuit of childhood frights. Although there was high excitement over the idea of actually seeing this apparition, none of them really believed that such a thing ever happened. The stories were told, but always second, third and forth hand... no one had ever claimed to have witnessed it themselves. Perhaps that is why what followed caused such shock and alarm.
They spooked each other in the dark for nearly an hour and Phillip mentioned getting back, when Steve said, "Wait a minute, you guys, what's that?"
Looking to be spoofed yet again, they all turned their attention to the bridge ahead where he was pointing his arm out the car window. A faint glow came from somewhere under the bridge and, although she felt a little quickening of the heart, Cheyenne immediately clicked on what she thought of as her "writer's brain", trying to figure out how some ornery Seniors had rigged a light on a timer under the bridge. She was smiling silently to herself as the boys popped open car doors and got out for a better look.
"Sure got them going," she whispered to herself with a giggle.
About that time, their voices became sharp and she strained to see what they were looking at. When she spotted a gold-yellow dome of light moving upward from the bridge area to the road in front of them, all three boys were jumping in the car, rolling up car windows, locking car doors and generally panicking.
"Jesus, man, it's all true!" hollered Troy.
"Let's get out of here," urged Steve.
Phillip couldn't seem to find the car keys and was having a moderate to heavy anxiety attack behind the wheel when the light centered in the road directly ahead of them and, to their horror, began moving rather rapidly in their direction.
"Oh, man.... oh, man, start this car now," Steve said, fear and panic now straining his voice.
Cheyenne simply sat in the back seat and watched as the light moved independent of any power source toward them. By the time the golden circle of light approached the windshield of the car, panicked voices were literally screaming. But when the light stopped dead still directly in front of them, you could have heard a pin drop. Silently, as if holding their breath, each of them witnessed the circular orb of golden light turn suddenly bright blue and pass through the windshield, into the car, through the car, and out the back window.
As quickly as the whole ordeal had started, it ended. For, as the light passed out through the back window of the car, it turned golden-yellow again and then vanished completely. Phillip somehow realized the car keys were still in the ignition, spun the engine over, and left treadmarks the likes of which he would never again duplicate. After the initial shock wore off, they chattered all at once, wondering if they should tell anyone, wondering if anyone would believe them if they did, wondering how this could actually be... Only Cheyenne was quiet. She didn't have to wonder. Although she had figured such a public story for a hoax, she had no problem believing that the lost spirit of this poor soul walked the earth even in death searching for a love he never accepted losing. She suddenly felt very sad. "Imagine a love that strong," she thought to her romantic self. They would have to come back here again.
