light in the darkness

the sky was inky black. the wind howled as it bent the trees. children awakened by the nightmarish sounds of the storm, cowered under their bed covers. outside, truck drivers struggled to keep their rigs upright. flags stood out straight, their edges snapping and popping in the gale. the apocalypse?

then, in the darkest hour, that hour that comes just before dawn, a light! small, but bright, it came slowly into view. it wavered a little with the gusting of the wind, but it kept creeping forward. a savior?

no. a cyclist, head down, legs churning, will undaunted by the fury of nature. with each turn of his cranks, the storm grew less fearsome. a wailing baby was quieted by the whirring of the passing cyclist's chain. a mother laughed for joy at the faint, soft click of a gear shift. a bearded man shed a single tear at the sound of rubber tires rolling over tarmac.

then lightning brightened the sky. not an innocent cloud-to-cloud flash, but a jagged bolt of energy streaking earthward. the cyclist spun his bike around and headed home. the wind had not defeated him. the darkness had not stopped his outward trek. only the threat of 300 kilovolts of electricity coursing through his body caused him to turn. he flew over the road. up and down hills he sped. lightning pierced the darkness more and more frequently. each time he saw it, the cyclist pushed all the harder.

rounding the final corner, he raced into his driveway, opened his garage door and stabled his trusty steed. they had survived. they would ride again another day.

let others fear the wind. let them stay indoors when the rain begins to fall. the cyclist will ride. (16.47 miles @ 15.4mph)