title: What Happened in the Middle of the Night?
author:  John Syrbu 
description: <span><span> </span>Since he was a kid, Karl Lonngren has wondered what happens</span><span>during the middle of the night. As an Emeritus Professor of</span><span>Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Iowa, Karl</span><span>finally decided to write about it in the form of this story. Karl joined</span><span></span><span>with his friend John Syrbu, an author, illustrator and dentist to</span><span>complete <i>What happened in the middle of the night?</i></span>
zlib_text: OUT OF THE MIST
  
  He heard breathing. His own was short and shallow, gasping almost, but this
  was loud and steady and coming from—where? One second it seemed to be ahead of
  him, the next from behind. The scuttling came again. A bang startled him, but
  it came from one of the tenements above. A couple began arguing—he had come
  home drunk again. No, _she_ had come home drunk again. Boot allowed himself a
  little smile, found himself relaxing a bit. Here he was, jumping at ghosts,
  scared of a few rats and a pair of old birds quarreling. Whatever next?
  
  He turned to go. In the same moment the mist ahead of him billowed and
  striding out of it came a figure in robes who, before Boot could react, had
  grabbed him and pulled his fist back as though to punch him. Only instead of
  striking out, his assailant flicked his wrist and with a soft snick a blade
  shot from within his sleeve.
  
  Boot had squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them it was to see the man in
  robes behind the blade that was held st