World War III Read Free Page A

Suddenly a blinding flash of light lit up the sky. The burst was so intense that he tripped trying to back away from it and fell flat on his back, hitting his head on his truck’s foot step and landing in a puddle. For a moment he just lay there, afraid to move because he couldn’t see anything and the pain in his head was overwhelming. He opened and closed his eyes several times but it didn’t help.
    Am I blind?
    He rubbed his eyes with desperation, praying that this wasn’t permanent.
    Casey slowly rose to a sitting position and felt the back of his head, trying to feel for a wound. He couldn’t tell if he was bleeding because he was already soaking wet. He’d been standing dangerously close to the road when he fell and he began to panic when he heard a car drive dangerously close to him, splashing him with water. Frantically, he searched for the step leading up to the cab.
    Casey had no desire to live the remainder of his life in darkness. How would he make a living? Blind men can’t drive! Suddenly his hand brushed against something cold and metallic. It was the step leading up to the cab! Using the step as a guide, he slowly stood up and leaned against the open door of his eighteen-wheeler.
    He stood there for a moment trying to catch his breath. He needed to calm down before he could figure out what to do. He took a few deep breaths and prayed for the Lord’s protection. Feeling a little calmer but still dizzy from hitting his head, he slid down towards the footstep with his back toward the cab. He felt around with his hand until he found the step and sat down. He looked up and opened his eyes, allowing the rain to run down his face.
    A few minutes passed before he started to see blurry shapes. Hope filled his heart. He could hear the sound of frightened voices, as other people scrambled around frantically.
    At least I’m not alone.
    The abrupt sound of screeching tires from only a few feet away startled him, but what worried him more was the subsequent thud followed by a woman’s scream. He splashed some more rain water on his face and rubbed his eyes once again. His vision was slowly returning but everything was still blurry.
    Thank God I’m not permanently blind!
    After a few more blinks and splashes of water he was able to see the lines on his hand. As blurry objects and shapes became clear, relief washed over him and his spirits lifted. His vision had finally returned and he was grateful.
    The feeling of elation didn’t last long when he realized what he was looking at. He felt his heart sink even lower than before. Directly in front of him was the young couple he’d seen standing in the street only moments ago. The man’s twisted body was lying on the pavement in a pool of blood. His arms and legs were bent in ways that God had not intended.
    The woman had red hair with a blue bow and was wearing a tan overcoat. She was kneeling beside the man’s body and sobbing uncontrollably. Casey stood up and held on to his truck for a moment, staring at the deep blue color of the bow. He was still a little dizzy and didn’t want to fall again. Slowly he made his way towards the couple. He knelt down beside the woman who was holding the man’s hand.
    “Wake up baby, wake up! Please don’t leave me Johnny!” she cried.
    Casey reached down and felt for the man’s pulse. Nothing. The man was dead. He wrapped his arm around the young woman’s shoulder and squeezed ever so gently.
    “He’s gone ma’am,” he whispered into her ear.
    “No! No he’s not!” she cried out in agony. “He can’t be gone! He’s all I have!”
    “I’m sorry ma’am,” said Casey, wishing there was more that he could say.
    “Oh my God Jennifer, are you okay?” asked a voice from behind Casey. A small man with large spectacles pushed his way through the crowd and knelt down on the other side of the man’s body. “What happened to Johnny?” he asked.
    “He’s dead,” replied Casey. “He got hit by a car.”
    “Oh my