– Mary, you won't believe what I'm seeing right now," he said excitedly.
– What?" Mary asked.
– It looks like the northern lights, but the color is kind of weird, purple.
– You're not kidding? How is that possible?
– I don't know," Chris answered, staring. – But it's insanely beautiful.
– I'll have to ask Chloe. She works at the weather station, maybe she knows something about this phenomenon," said Mary.
– Okay," Chris replied as he continued to stare up at the sky.
– Okay, Chris, be careful out there," Mary said. – If anything happens, call me right away.
– Okay," Chris repeated.
– Okay, bye. Love you.
– You too," Chris replied, smiling.
He turned off his phone and looked up at the sky again. I wonder what that could have been? – he thought. The radio on the stereo began to stutter, and soon all that was left was the noise in the speakers.
– That's it," Chris muttered, turning off the radio. – There's no more connection. I've got to pick up the pace, because I'm going like a turtle.
The sun was almost hidden behind the horizon, and the forest around him had fallen into a soft twilight. The light from the car's headlights was the only source of illumination, revealing the winding road and the sparse trees along the side of the road.
Chris gripped the steering wheel tighter, trying not to be distracted by thoughts of the strange phenomenon. He had roof repairs ahead of him, and then perhaps a hunt. He knew he had a few days of solitude ahead of him, but there was a charm to it.
Chris was enjoying the solitude and silence when he noticed something unusual in the sky. At first he thought it was a big bird approaching very fast, but soon he realized that it was an airplane. The sudden rumble of an explosion deafened him, and at the same moment Chris felt the car shake violently.
The car spun out of control like a rabid beast and, doing a wild somersault, plummeted into the ditch. Time seemed to slow down. Chris, who was inside, felt his body thrown against the door. There was a deafening ringing in his ears, and dazzling sparks flashed before his eyes. For a few moments he was plunged into a viscous darkness, unconscious.
When consciousness returned, Chris felt an excruciating pain piercing every cell of his body. It was like thousands of hot needles digging into his skin. But to his surprise, he realized that there were no serious injuries. Perhaps a few abrasions and bruises, but nothing that would incapacitate him.