The sky flashed with jagged light as sound tore through the night sky.

Walter was generally excited by storms. Some folks might think of them as ominous – a harbinger of something unwelcome. Walter was cut from a different cloth and didn’t think that way at all. Walter believed that no harm could come from Nature. His grandmother would tell him that any sort of flood, blizzard or other event which our local news would label a disaster was simply “God’s Will.â€?

Nevertheless, Walter was in a hurry tonight and urgently needed to beat the rain. Walter rolled up the window and sped up ever so slightly. He wasn’t getting any younger and even driving at night was becoming a chore. Driving at night in the rain was a certified adventure.

It was only a few more blocks to Beth’s house, but the first few drops were already hitting his windshield. Walter took a deep breath and readjusted his hands on the wheel, getting a better grip. As he pulled in the driveway, he saw that he was already too late.