Lisa McKowell checked for oncoming traffic before turning right onto Central Avenue in her Honda Civic. She was running late again for work. As usual, she had gotten all worked up by her mother, and had lost all track of time.
Seeing the ball fields approaching off to her right made her think of Krispy Kreme. It was only a little further ahead. There was even a traffic light right there for her if she wanted.
When she got there, the light caught her as it often did, making her stop. She was tempted to turn off and go in to pick up a donut and some coffee at the drive-thru. But she was running late, and she really didn’t have the time.
The traffic light finally released her. Lisa drove on by, looking at the donut shop with longing. Her mouth tingled at the missed opportunity of a fresh-baked donut and some coffee. Her stomach growled at her decision to keep going.
Lisa was feeling a little stressed this morning. She was tempted to light a cigarette. But her mother would not ride with her if she smoked in her car.
Lisa got caught at another light, this one on twenty-fourth street west. She had to stop behind a white Ford Focus. It looked like a short, older lady was behind the wheel. Lisa hoped the woman wouldn’t slow her down much, as she was already running behind schedule.
It was a longer light, making her wait impatiently. She cursed herself for not leaving her apartment sooner. If only she hadn’t called her mother and gotten into another argument about that Jesus thing again.
The light finally released her, and she drove through the intersection behind the Focus. That’s when a yellow van in the Taco Bell drive-thru on her right caught her eye. It had JESUS SAVES in big, emblazoned letters, with a cross illuminated by sunbeams.
Lisa scowled and shook her head as she drove on by. Had her mother arranged for them to be there while she was on her way to work? No, that was impossible. But it sure seemed as though her mom was trying to bring Jesus to her attention every chance she got. It was really starting to annoy her.
Traffic was becoming heavier. The Focus in front of her was forced to settle in behind a dark blue sedan. Today, it seemed like everyone had chosen to go to work at the exact same time. If this kept up, she was definitely going to be late getting to the hospital.
Both the sedan and the woman in the Focus got caught at the next light. Lisa impatiently cursed under her breath. A glance over revealed three cars beside her, making it impossible for her to switch lanes and scoot around the Focus. Damn!
Lisa subconsciously drummed her fingers on the steering wheel until she caught herself doing it and stopped. Now was the time she really needed a cigarette. But her mom could not handle the smell, nor could she deal with the lingering odor in her vehicle. It was a small thing she was trying to do for her mother. But today, she was seriously thinking about going back to smoking in her car.
The light finally released the sedan, allowing her and the Focus to move forward as well. A quick check revealed a string of vehicles in both lanes. A pickup pulling a trailer full of mowing equipment was now coming up on her left.
Lisa looked ahead at the light coming up at the next intersection. The cross street either took you to the right and down to the city golf course clubhouse, or it took you left to the cemetery. She could see some ducks in a pond at the golf course near the street.
She mentally prayed for the light to stay green. But it went yellow just as the sedan was clearing the intersection. What was the Focus going to do?
Thankfully, the woman in front of her kept going, being as how she was too close to stop in time. Lisa instinctively hit the gas to follow her through. She rushed through the light just as it was turning red. The car behind her followed her right on through.
She anxiously glanced at the cars waiting to cross through the intersection. She was hoping not to see a police cruiser waiting to pull out or hit its lights. Getting pulled over was the last thing she needed, as she was probably going to get to work a few minutes late.
Lisa almost jerked with a start upon seeing those ducks suddenly burst up into the air, squawking like crazy. It was as though something had spooked them. But she didn’t see any nearby golfers, nor did she see any errant balls splashing into the pond to disturb them.
It wasn’t just the ducks. Birds were now launching up into the air from the trees, shrubs… everywhere! They were all putting up an incredible fuss.
Lisa found herself looking around at all the birds rising up into the air. Damn! It looked like every bird in the immediate vicinity had suddenly taken flight. What the hell was going on??
She put her eyes back on the road just in time. Drivers were slowing down in alarm. Some were swerving from having been distracted.
Two squirrels suddenly dashed out onto the road. But they were not trying to cross the street. They looked like something had upset them and they were trying to get away. But they were acting as though they had no idea which way to go!
The pickup towing the mowing equipment had just cleared itself from beside her when it nailed one. The Focus took out the other. “Crazy squirrels,” Lisa muttered, shaking her head while at the same time feeling bad.
Further down the street, Lisa thought she saw a dog dash out into the road. Car horns went off in alarm as drivers tried to avoid the upset pooch.
No more than a scant couple of seconds later, there was a sudden flash of brilliant light up in the sky. Every driver facing east instinctively glanced up in surprise. That’s when Lisa thought she heard a voice. It was accompanied by what sounded like the blaring of a horn, but not one she was familiar with.
Drivers were instinctively slowing down while looking confused. Lisa prepared to hit the brakes. That’s when all hell broke loose over in Sunset Memorial Cemetery off to her left.
Caskets suddenly began popping up out of the ground, forcing up the earth they were under. It was as though the ground was vomiting up some of the dead! Coffins popped out of the dirt and tumbled everywhere, spilling their contents. Lisa just happened to get a brief glance inside one long enough to observe no body inside.
Traffic immediately started honking and swerving as brake lights came on ahead of her. Lisa had to slow down even more from speeding through that light behind her. She was looking at the Focus ahead of her, trying to leave enough space between her and the old lady.
To her utter astonishment, she thought she saw a figure emerge up out of the driver’s seat of the Focus through the roof! At that exact same time, Lisa thought she saw what looked like more human figures going up into the air.
A big, white delivery truck coming from the opposite direction suddenly swerved into oncoming traffic. Lisa got enough of a glimpse that she could have sworn there was no driver behind the wheel!
The pickup with the mowing equipment plowed right into it, along with the Focus. Lisa screamed as she instinctively jerked on the wheel. There was a deafening sound of metal crashing against metal all around her as she skidded sideways.
Cars were swerving to avoid hitting each other, only to be hit from behind and twisted around. Lisa’s Honda Civic slid sideways into the trailer with the mowing equipment. That’s when a Kia behind her slammed into the corner of her rear-end as her passenger side windows shattered.
For a moment, Lisa was sure she was dead. Instinctively, she closed her eyes as the crashing sounds continued. She didn’t want to witness her last moments. She also didn’t want flying debris getting into her eyes.
The sound of metal against metal finally died off as she came to a screeching halt. For a moment, there was an eerie silence. That’s when Lisa realized she was not dead.
She began to hear cries and screams from all around her. Lisa opened her eyes and stared in shock. This part of Central Avenue was now filled with cars twisted and smoking. It reminded her of news scenes of winter freeways filled with motorists having crashed into each other from snow or fog.
She did a quick inventory. She had gone sideways, and had thus avoided crashing head on into the mowing equipment trailer. She was stunned, but otherwise, she seemed to be unhurt.
Lisa looked upwards through her now cracked windshield. The rising figures were gone, as was the brilliant display that had briefly appeared in the sky. But the birds were still squawking and flying around as if in a daze.
She turned to look over at the cemetery as though that was what had started it all. Caskets lay strewn everywhere. It was as though some giant kid had pulled a bunch of them out of the ground, only to indiscriminately toss them helter-skelter.
A clear view into one revealed the empty contents. The material looked as though a body had been lying in there at some point in time. But it was no longer there. Where the hell had it gone??
The first thing that came to mind was her mother’s voice, telling her about Jesus and that she shouldn’t put a decision off too much longer because the rapture was imminent. Lisa gasped in horror as she cried out, “Mom??” That’s when she frantically pulled out her iPhone and punched in the number.
There were screams and cries all around her as the other end rang. Something was wrong. It was not supposed to take this long. Her mother usually responded right away.
A male voice finally answered. Lisa’s eyes flew open in alarm. This was supposed to be her mother’s number!
“Mom; is that you?”
“Lisa??” It was her father.
“Dad??”
“Your mother just disappeared right in front of me! She was bringing the coffee pot over while I was reading the paper. I heard the pot crash to the floor, and I looked up. Your mother is gone, Lisa! She was standing right there… and now she’s gone!”
Gone!?? No! It wasn’t possible! It couldn’t be!!
There was growing panic in her voice as she blurted out, “Dad, are you sure??”
“Honey, she’s gone! Your mother has vanished! She was right here… and now she’s vanished!”
Lisa felt the contents of her stomach start to rise up in her throat. She was sure she was going to be sick. But she’d nearly gotten sick many times before in the trauma unit looking at badly injured patients.
Her training instinctively helped her to do now what she had always done back then. Lisa swallowed it back down. Then she took a deep breath to compose herself. But it only helped a little, as panic still threatened to overwhelm her. Now she was trembling like crazy.
She wanted to speak, to say something reassuring to her father. But she didn’t know what to say. She was in utter disbelief, especially from looking at the devastation all around her while hearing the cries of the injured.
She looked at all the vehicles around her before looking into the cemetery and its scattered coffins. Lisa felt herself start to go numb with shock. If she didn’t do something soon, she would end up becoming paralyzed with fear.
She made the only decision she could think of, one that would at least keep her busy and distracted for a while. “D-dad, I’ve got to go! There are p-people hurt here!” Then she tried the door, experiencing relief that it unlatched and came open.
“Honey?? You have to come home right now!” Her father sounded panic-stricken.
“Dad, I can’t! Central Avenue is totally jammed up here. Nothing’s moving, and my car’s been damaged!”
She knew people around her were going to need help. Some were numbly getting out of their vehicles, many looking hurt and bleeding. She had to do something!
“Honey, I need you here with me!”
Lisa swallowed hard as she pushed the door open. At least she was able to get out. She was beginning to calm down now as her training kicked in.
“Dad, I have to go. People here are injured and need my help.”
“Honey, your father needs you! Please come home right away!”
“Dad, I’m going to administer first aid to as many as I can until help arrives.” She could at least provide aid and comfort until an ambulance showed up.
An instant later, Lisa realized there would be no ambulance. Nothing was getting through. For the moment, she was on her own. And there were so many around her who would be needing her help.
Her iPhone was still in her hand as she got out of her car. Her father sounded desperate; he was almost in hysterics. “No, honey! I need you to come home right now!”
Lisa surveyed the carnage. Then she told her iPhone, “Dad, I just can’t get there from here. This car isn’t going anywhere! Nothing’s moving here; it’s all jammed up!”
“Then start walking, honey! I need you here with me right now! Please; I’m so frightened! Your mother is… she’s gone, I tell you! Lisa, I need you!”
“Dad, you live clear across the city! Besides, I can’t leave! People need me here!”
“Please, honey!”
Lisa was more frightened that she had ever felt in her entire life. The crazy situation she now found herself in was beyond anything she had ever witnessed before, despite her being a trauma nurse at the hospital. But there were people here who were obviously injured and who needed medical assistance. As a nurse, she felt it her duty to assist in any way she could, even if her father was panicked and wanted her back home.
It would be a welcome distraction if she could start tending to the wounded around her. That way, she wouldn’t have to process what had just happened. She needed a task to take her mind off things, or she would end up freaking out like many of the others who were nearby.
Cars were strewn everywhere, some at odd angles and all banged up while others were starting to smoke. Some drivers and passengers were in complete and utter shock. Others were in hysterics, as though they, too, knew exactly what had just happened.
Lisa stood upright on the pavement outside the door of her Honda. Then she looked all around. Who needed medical attention the most? Gawd, she needed a cigarette!
“Honey?”
“Dad, I really have to go.”
That’s when several shots suddenly rang out…
More screams were added to the ones currently going on in the background. Lisa turned to see two shocked females and an elderly gentleman go down. Then she located the origin of the shots.
Nearby, a young male was freaking out, screaming they were all doomed. He was waving a handgun in the air. Lisa stiffened in alarm.
“Honey, what was that? Were those gunshots I heard?” Her father was still on the other end on her iPhone.
“D-dad? I h-have to go now.”
“Honey, don’t hang up!”
It was all so surreal. Open graves, missing people, and a massive car pileup on Central Avenue. Now a crazed young man of about nineteen or twenty was in hysterics, shooting at anything that moved. There was a bloody gash in his forehead, and he had a wild look in his eyes.
Lisa saw the revolver in his hand. Clearly, he was the one who had fired the shots. If she could calm him down and tend to his injury, maybe she could put him at ease while helping him put the gun down.
Deep down, she was to the point of panic and terror. But Lisa instinctively allowed her training to take over as she called out to him, “I can help you! I’m a trauma nurse! You’ve got a bad gash on your forehead! Let me treat it for you!”
The young man was far too hysterical to be reasoned with as he screamed in reply, “Lady, don’t you understand?? Don’t you get it?? It’s the rapture! Mom was right; and now she’s gone! Don’t you understand? We’re dead; we’re all dead!”
Lisa carefully put out the palms of her hands, trying to wave him to calm down. But she was still instinctively clutching her iPhone, having not let go of it in case it would fall to the pavement and become damaged. “We’re not gonna die. Just let me treat that injury for you, ok?”
She saw him lift the gun and point it in her direction. Surely he wouldn’t, would he?? There was no need; she wasn’t a threat to –
The gun fired twice. Lisa felt two bullets hit her in the chest. She couldn’t believe it!
She fell back against the side of her Honda and slumped down to the pavement. She collapsed into a sitting position, stunned he had actually shot her. The iPhone fell out of her hand onto the blacktop.
There were more screams. Lisa sensed a handful of people were trying to duck and cover. Then the civil alert siren went off, filling the air all over the city. Nearby, people panicked and started to scream and cry out all over again.
“Honey? I heard more shots! What’s going on??”
The iPhone lay on the pavement. It was just out of reach of her hand. But she could not muster the strength to stretch over and retrieve it.
The young man screamed in hopeless agony. “We all missed it! Mom tried to warn me, and I missed it! I missed it, and now I’m dead! We’re all dead!” And with that, he put the barrel of the gun up against his chin from underneath.
Despite what he’d done to her, Lisa didn’t want him to do that to himself. She tried to call out for him not to do it. But she couldn’t get any words out of her mouth. She was gurgling blood; one of her lungs had been punctured.
The gun fired one last time, blowing material out of the top of his skull. The young man collapsed onto the ground. There was nothing she could do for him now. At least he was out of his misery.
“Lisa? Honey, what happened?? I heard more gunshots! Speak to me!”
She tried again to open her mouth to speak. But she couldn’t form the words. Now she was coughing up blood. Even if she were lucky enough to receive immediate medical attention, Lisa instinctively knew she wasn’t going to make it.
“Honey?? Lisa, answer me! Honey, what happened??”
It was all so surreal. In the background, the civil alert siren was loudly blaring all over the city, causing the birds to continue to erratically fly all over the place. Lisa heard the screams of the horrified. She also heard the groans of the dying, including her own.
From her position against her Honda, she had a clear view into the grounds of Sunset Memorial Cemetery. The last thing she saw were the many holes in the ground. Many caskets had been pulled up out of the earth and were now strewn everywhere, devoid of their contents.
Lisa couldn’t make herself move. The iPhone was lying on the ground right beside her from where she’d dropped it. Her father was frantic now that she wasn’t answering. All she could think of was, ‘I’m sorry, dad. I can’t get there from here. Mom, you were right. I should have listened to you. Mom, you were right all along…………’
*****
Lisa McKowell opened her eyes. Her alarm was buzzing, loud and impatiently. She blinked as portions of the nightmare started to fade away.
She found herself breathing heavily. Her chest rose and fell as she panted to catch her breath. When her eyes adjusted, she realized to her immense relief that she was in her bed back in her apartment.
She blinked her eyes to make sure it had all been a dream. Then she reached over to the nightstand and grabbed her half-empty pack of cigarettes. She was trembling like mad as she reached for the lighter and lit one up.
The nicotine promptly hit her system. She was just starting to calm down when she thought of her mother. Oh, gawd!
She reached over and picked up her iPhone. Then she frantically punched in a number. What if…?
“Hello?”
“Mom?”
“Good morning, honey. What’s going on? Need a ride into work?”
“No, mom. The car’s fine. I’m fine, uh… everything’s fine.”
“Are you sure, honey? You don’t sound so good.”
“I just had… a bad dream is all.”
“Are you sure you’re all right? What was it about?”
What was it about indeed. Did she really want to tell her mother about it? What if the obsessed woman started preaching again??
“There was… a big accident, mom. There was… a big accident and… and I was going to help. And there was this guy who was… he was scared, and… and he was shooting at people.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, honey. Maybe you should transfer out of the trauma unit.”
“I’ve thought about it, mom. But they say I’m really good at it. It makes me feel important when I help seriously injured people.”
“Well, that’s something to be proud of, honey. You know I’m proud of you.”
“Uh, mom?”
“Yeah, honey?”
“Are you still going to that End Times Prophecy Conference this weekend?”
“I sure am, honey. Are you sure you won’t tag along? I’ve asked your father, but he’s not the least bit interested.”
“I’ve, uh… I’m not sure. I’m kinda… I’m kinda thinking about it.”
“Oh, honey; that would be great if you could go with me!”
“They’re not going to talk about Jesus and that rapture stuff; are they?”
“I’m sure they are, honey. I just thought you might be interested in hearing about what’s going to happen to those who get left behind and why it’s so important to accept Jesus as your…”
“Not now, mom. I’m really not in the mood for another sermon this morning. I was just… I was just asking is all.”
“I’m sorry, honey. I don’t mean to push you. It’s just that I don’t want you to miss out is all. Things are going to get really bad around here after the rapture. I really do think it’s imminent.”
“I know mom; you keep telling me. Look, I’ve got to take a shower, get dressed and get going; ok? Maybe I’ll talk to you about it later.”
She heard her father’s voice in the background calling out, “Don’t let her talk you into going to something you don’t want to attend, Lisa!”
“Oh, Harold. She can make up her own mind.”
It was time to cut the conversation short before her mother started in on another one of her sermons. “Mom, I’ve got to go. Love to you and dad.”
“Love you too, honey.”
Lisa disconnected the call. A moment later, she felt foolish for checking up on her mother. Of course she was still around! It had only been a dream.
—
Lisa McKowell checked for oncoming traffic before turning right onto Central Avenue in her Honda Civic. Once again, she was running late for work. Being distracted by her call to her mother had thrown off her routine.
Seeing the ball fields approaching off to her right made her think of Krispy Kreme. She hadn’t eaten anything before she left, and a donut and coffee sure sounded good right now. There was even a traffic light right there for her.
When she got there, the light caught her as it often did, making her stop. She was sorely tempted to turn off and go in to pick something up at the drive-thru. But she decided she was running late, and that she really didn’t have the time.
The traffic light finally released her. Lisa drove on by, looking at the donut shop with longing. Her mouth tingled at the missed opportunity of a fresh-baked donut and some coffee. Her stomach growled at her decision to keep going.
This morning Lisa was feeling uneasy and a bit on edge. She didn’t know why, and she was tempted to light up a cigarette. But her mother would not ride with her if she smoked in her car.
Lisa got caught at another light, this one on twenty-fourth street west. She had to stop behind a white Ford Focus with what looked like an older lady behind the wheel. Lisa hoped the woman wouldn’t slow her down much, as she was already running behind schedule.
It was a longer light, making her wait impatiently. She cursed herself for not leaving her apartment sooner. If only she hadn’t called her mother and gotten into another discussion about that Jesus thing again.
Why had she called her in the first place? Oh yeah, it was about a bad dream she’d had. But she could hardly remember any of it now.
The light finally released her, and she drove through the intersection behind the Focus. That’s when a yellow van in the Taco Bell drive-thru on her right caught her eye. It had JESUS SAVES in big, emblazoned letters, with a cross illuminated by sunbeams.
Lisa stared at it for a moment or two as she drove on by. Something about it seemed awfully familiar. She found herself experiencing a sense of déjà vu as that uneasy feeling grew stronger.
Traffic was becoming heavier. The Focus in front of her was forced to settle in behind a dark blue sedan. Today, it seemed like everyone had chosen to go to work at the exact same time. If this kept up, she was definitely going to be late getting to the hospital.
Both the sedan and the woman in the Focus got caught at the next light. Lisa stopped behind them, experiencing that strange feeling of déjà vu again. But she dismissed it, as she’d driven this same stretch of road so many times before.
Strangely, her growing sense of unease was enough to make her squirm in her seat. Why was this particular drive into work bothering her so much? Was it because of the call earlier to her mother?
Prophecy conference? She didn’t want to go to no Prophecy conference! What the hell was she thinking??
Something made her want to change lanes so that she was no longer behind the old lady in the Focus. But a glance to her left revealed three cars beside her, making it impossible for her to switch lanes. Damn!
Lisa had just started to drum her fingers on the steering wheel when she caught herself. She stared at her hands, feeling that sense of déjà vu again. Why was this particular trip into work unsettling her so much?
She had a stronger than usual urge to light up a cigarette. But her mom could not handle the smell, nor could she deal with the lingering odor in her vehicle. It was a small thing she was trying to do for her mother, and it had taken months just to get rid of the stale smell. But today, she was seriously thinking about going back to smoking in her car.
The light finally released the sedan, allowing her and the Focus to move forward as well. A quick check revealed a string of vehicles in both lanes. A pickup pulling a trailer full of mowing equipment was now coming up alongside her.
Lisa looked over at the pickup… and then did a double take. This all felt so damned familiar! She was starting to get all creeped out, and she had to take a deep breath to calm herself down.
Lisa looked ahead at the light coming up at the next intersection. The cross street either took you to the right and down to the city golf course clubhouse, or it took you left to the cemetery. She could see some ducks in a pond over at the golf course near the street.
Lisa stared at the waterfowl before inhaling sharply. Now why did seeing all those ducks there make her feel so anxious? Why did all of this seem so damned familiar? What the hell was wrong with her??
She thought the light at the intersection was about to turn red. But she didn’t want to get hung up again. “Stay green,” she murmured as the sedan ahead of her started through.
Lisa inhaled sharply as the light went yellow just as the sedan was clearing the intersection. She had known that was going to happen! How had she known that??
What was the Focus going to do? Lisa prepared to hit the brakes. But the woman in front of her went right on through the yellow light.
Something deep inside screamed for her to hit the brakes and stop. But Lisa instinctively hit the gas to follow the Focus because she was running late. She rushed through the intersection just as the light turned red. The car behind her also speeded up and followed her through.
She anxiously glanced over at the cars waiting to cross through the intersection. She was hoping not to see a police cruiser waiting to pull out or hit its lights. Getting pulled over was the last thing she needed, as she was now going to be a few minutes late for work. But that’s not why she was breathing so heavily.
Lisa started to tremble as she stared at the ducks in the pond at the golf course. Then her heart started racing. A moment later, every duck suddenly started flapping its wings.
Lisa let out an anxious cry as she watched them burst up into the air, squawking like crazy. It was as though something had spooked them. But she didn’t see any nearby golfers, nor had she seen any errant balls splash into the pond to disturb them.
It wasn’t just the ducks. Birds of all shapes and sizes were launching up into the air from the trees, shrubs… everywhere! They were all putting up an unbelievable fuss. Lisa was sure she had seen all this before!
She put her eyes back on the road and saw other drivers looking around at all the birds taking flight. There was a lot confusion to the point where some vehicles were starting to swerve in their lanes a little. Then two squirrels dashed out onto the road.
Lisa let out another cry of alarm as they deliberately jumped into traffic. They looked like something had upset them, making them act as though they were trying to escape. But they seemed to have no idea which way they should go!
The pickup towing the mowing equipment had just cleared itself from beside her Honda when it nailed one. The Focus took out the other. Lisa felt bad for them both. But something was frightening her, and she now found herself struggling just to catch her breath.
Further down the street, Lisa saw a dog dash out into the road, only to get hit as car horns went off. She was frightened out of her wits as she then looked up into the Eastern sky. Something told her it was going to appear right about….
…now!
A sudden flash of brilliance lit up the sky. Lisa experienced a feeling of intense dread when she heard a booming voice. It was accompanied by what sounded like the blaring of some sort of horn.
Lisa instinctively turned toward her left. She knew – she knew! That’s when all hell broke loose over in Sunset Memorial Cemetery.
She shook her head gasping, “No – no – no!” as caskets began popping up out of the ground, forcing up the earth they were under. It was as though the ground was vomiting up some of its dead!
Coffins popped out of the dirt and tumbled everywhere, spilling their contents. Lisa got a quick look inside one long enough to observe no body inside. That’s when she screamed bloody murder.
It was obvious many drivers had also seen what was happening in the cemetery. Some were slowing down; others were swerving. She could heard screams and cries from the panicked.
Lisa thought her heart was going to explode out of her chest as she looked ahead at the white Focus directly in front of her. Again, it was as though she knew what was about to happen. She just shook her head as she muttered, “No – no – NO!” Then she saw the old lady appear to be pulled right up out of the driver’s seat into the air.
She screamed again in complete and utter horror as she saw what looked like more human figures going up into the air from the vehicles ahead of her in all four lanes. A big, white delivery truck coming from the opposite direction suddenly swerved into oncoming traffic. Lisa was sure she saw no driver behind the wheel.
The pickup with the mowing equipment had no time to react. It plowed right into it, along with the Focus. Lisa screamed as she instinctively jerked hard on the steering wheel.
There was a deafening sound of metal crashing against metal all around her as she skidded sideways. Cars swerved to avoid hitting each other. But in morning rush-hour traffic, it was a hopeless task. Lisa’s Honda Civic slid sideways into the trailer with the mowing equipment before getting hit from behind, shattering all the passenger side windows.
Lisa closed her eyes tight, praying she was dreaming. Another scream was torn out of her lungs at all the crashing sounds. That’s when the trauma nurse wondered if she was even going to survive the pile-up.
The sound of metal against metal finally died off as she came to a screeching halt with a grunt. For a moment, there was an eerie silence. That’s when Lisa realized she was not dead.
She heard cries and screams from all around her. Lisa opened her eyes and stared in shock. This part of Central Avenue was now filled with cars all twisted and smoking. It reminded her of news accounts of winter freeways filled with motorists having crashed into each other from snow or heavy fog.
Lisa took a quick inventory of herself. She had gone sideways, and had thus avoided crashing head on into the mowing equipment trailer. Bits of glass lay sprinkled inside her car from the shattered passenger-side windows. She was stunned, but otherwise, she seemed to be unhurt.
Her heart hammering in her chest, Lisa looked out and upwards through her now cracked windshield. The rising figures had all vanished, as had the brilliant display that had briefly appeared in the sky. But the birds were still squawking while haphazardly flying around.
Lisa turned to look over at the cemetery as she panted like crazy, struggling just to catch her breath. Caskets lay strewn everywhere. It was as though some giant kid had pulled a bunch of them out of the ground like toys, only to indiscriminately toss them helter-skelter.
A clear view into one casket revealed the empty contents. The material looked as though a corpse had been lying in there at one point in time. But the body was no longer there. Where the hell had it gone??
The first thing that came to mind was her mother’s preaching about Jesus and the rapture, and that she shouldn’t put off a decision much longer because the event was imminent. Lisa gasped in horror as she cried out, “Mom??” That’s when she frantically fumbled for her iPhone until she got it in her hand and anxiously punched in the number.
There were screams and cries all around her as the other end rang and rang. Lisa was shaking like crazy. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath.
Something was wrong. It was not supposed to take this long. Her mother usually responded right away.
A male voice finally answered. Lisa’s eyes flew open in alarm. This was supposed to be her mother’s number!
“Mom; is that you?”
“Lisa??” It was her father. What was her father doing on her mother’s phone??
“Dad??”
“Your mother just disappeared right in front of me! She was bringing the coffee pot over while I was reading the paper. I heard the pot crash to the floor, so I looked up. Your mother is gone, Lisa! She was standing right there… and now she’s gone!”
Gone!?? No! It wasn’t possible! It couldn’t be!!
Lisa tried to compose herself. This time, it was a struggle. There was growing panic in her voice as she blurted out, “Dad, are you sure??”
“Honey, she’s gone! Your mother has vanished! She was right here… and now she’s vanished!”
Lisa thought she was going to throw up. Instinct and her training made her swallow it back down. But her mind kept telling her this just couldn’t be happening!
“Honey, are you all right?”
No, she was not all right! Lisa sure wasn’t going to tell him that though. She wanted to say something reassuring to her father. But she didn’t know what to say. Besides, she was still in shock.
She looked at all the vehicles around her before looking into the cemetery and its scattered coffins. Lisa felt herself start to go numb as another scream wanted to erupt out of her mouth. If she didn’t do something soon, she would end up becoming paralyzed with fear.
She made the only decision she could think of, one that would at least keep her busy and distracted for a while. “D-dad, I’ve got to go! There are p-people hurt here!” Then she tried the door, experiencing a brief sense of relief that it unlatched and came open.
“Honey?? You have to come home right now!” Her father sounded panic-stricken.
“D-dad, I can’t! Central Avenue is totally jammed up here! Nothing’s moving, and… and my car’s been damaged!”
She knew people around her were going to need help. Some were numbly getting out of their vehicles, many looking hurt and bleeding as they looked all around in absolute shock and horror. She had to try helping them; she had to do something!
“But honey, I need you here with me!”
Lisa swallowed hard as she pushed the door open. She was still trembling, but at least she was able to get out. And she was beginning to calm down a little, now that her training was starting to kick in.
“Dad, I have to go. People here are injured, and they need my help.”
“Honey, your father needs you! Please come home right away!”
“Dad, I’m going to administer first aid to as many people as I can until help arrives.” She could at least provide aid and comfort until an ambulance showed up.
Lisa took a quick look down Central Avenue and immediately realized there would be no ambulance. Nothing was getting through that mess of twisted metal. Did the entire city look like this?
For the moment, she was on her own. And there were so many around her who would be needing her help. Hopefully there were other doctors and nurses inside the crashed vehicles who might be able to assist her.
Her iPhone was still in her hand as she climbed out of her car. Her father sounded desperate; he was almost in hysterics. “No, honey! I need you to come home right now!”
Lisa surveyed the carnage. Then she told her iPhone, “Dad, I just can’t get there from here! This car isn’t going anywhere! Nothing’s moving here; it’s all jammed up!”
“Then start walking, honey! I need you here with me right now! Please; I’m so frightened! Your mother is… she’s gone, I tell you! Lisa, I need you!”
“Dad, you live clear across the city! Besides, I can’t leave! There are people here who need medical attention!”
“Please, honey!”
Had her mother been right all along? Had the rapture actually happened? She did not want to believe it. She COULDN’T believe it; she didn’t dare!
Lisa was more frightened than at any time in her entire life. The crazy situation she now found herself in was beyond anything she had ever witnessed before, despite her being a trauma nurse at the hospital. It felt overwhelming.
There were people here who were obviously injured. Many needed medical attention. As a nurse, she felt it her duty to assist in any way she could, even if her father was panicked and wanted her back home.
It would be a welcome distraction if she could start tending to the wounded around her. That way, she wouldn’t have to mentally process what had just happened. She needed a task to take her mind off things, or she would end up freaking out like many of the others nearby.
She briefly took it all in, wondering where to start first. Cars were strewn everywhere, some at odd angles and all banged up. Others were starting to smoke.
Most people looked to be in complete and utter shock. A few were in hysterics. It was as though they, too, knew exactly what had just happened.
Who needed medical attention the most? Gawd, she needed a cigarette!
“Honey?”
“Dad, I really have to go.”
That’s when several shots suddenly rang out…
More screams were added to the ones currently going on in the background. Lisa felt her blood run cold as she turned to see two shocked females and an elderly gentleman go down. Then she located the origin of the shots.
Nearby, a young male was freaking out, screaming they were all doomed. He was waving a handgun in the air. Lisa stiffened in alarm…
No. Gawd; no! This couldn’t be happening!
“Honey, what was that? Were those gunshots I heard?” Her father was still on the other end on her iPhone.
Lisa began to tremble as her breathing problems returned. “D-dad? I h-have to go now.”
“Honey, don’t hang up!”
It was all so surreal. Open graves, missing people, and a massive car pileup on Central Avenue. Now a crazed young man of about nineteen or twenty was in hysterics, shooting at anything that moved. There was a bloody gash in his forehead, and he had a wild look in his eyes.
Lisa saw the revolver in his hand. Clearly, he was the one who had fired the shots. What if he decided to take a shot at her?? Would he do that? Lisa felt a sick feeling in the pit of her gut.
Clearly he was in hysterics. Could she calm him down and tend to his injury? Could she put him at ease while helping him to put the gun down?
Deep down, she was once again approaching the point of unbridled panic and terror. Everything inside her screamed for her to duck and take cover. But Lisa instinctively allowed her training to take over.
She called out to him, “I can help you! I’m a trauma nurse! You’ve got a bad gash on your forehead! Let me treat that for you!”
But the young man was far too hysterical to be reasoned with. He screamed, “Lady, don’t you understand?? Don’t you get it?? It’s the rapture! Mom was right; and now she’s gone! Don’t you understand? We’re dead; we’re all dead!”
Lisa carefully put out the palms of her hands, trying to wave him to calm down. But she was still instinctively clutching her iPhone, having not let go of it in case it would fall to the pavement and become damaged. “We’re not gonna die. Just let me treat that wound to your head, ok?”
She knew the moment she saw him lift the gun and point it in her direction. She knew he was going to shoot her. But there was no need! She wasn’t a threat to–
The gun fired twice. Lisa felt two bullets hit her in the chest. She couldn’t believe it!
She fell back against the side of her Honda and slumped down to the pavement. She collapsed into a sitting position, stunned he had actually shot her. The iPhone fell out of her hand onto the blacktop.
There were more screams. Lisa sensed a handful of people were trying to duck and cover. Then the civil alert siren went off, filling the air all over the city. Nearby, people panicked and started to scream and cry out all over again.
“Honey? I heard more shots! What’s going on??”
The iPhone lay on the pavement. It was just out of reach of her hand. But she could not muster the strength to stretch over and retrieve it.
The young man screamed in hopeless agony. “We all missed it! Mom tried to warn me, and I missed it! I missed it, and now I’m dead! We’re all dead!” And with that, he put the barrel of the gun up against his chin from underneath.
Despite him shooting her, Lisa didn’t want him to do that to himself. She tried to call out for him not to do it. But she couldn’t get any words out of her mouth. She was gurgling blood; one of her lungs had been punctured.
The gun fired one last time, blowing material out of the top of his skull. The young man collapsed onto the ground. There was nothing she could do for him now. At least he was out of his misery.
“Lisa? Honey, what happened?? I heard more gunshots! Speak to me!”
She tried again to open her mouth to speak. But she couldn’t form the words. Now she was coughing up blood. Even if she were lucky enough to receive immediate medical attention, Lisa instinctively knew she wasn’t going to make it.
“Honey?? Lisa, answer me! Honey, what happened??”
It was all so surreal. In the background, the civil alert siren was loudly blaring all over the city, causing the birds to continue to erratically fly all over the place. Lisa heard the screams of the horrified. She also heard the groans of the dying, including her own.
From her position against her Honda, she had a clear view into the grounds of Sunset Memorial Cemetery. The last thing she saw were the many holes in the ground. Many caskets had been pulled up out of the earth and were now strewn everywhere, devoid of their contents.
Lisa couldn’t make herself move. The iPhone was lying on the ground right beside her from where she’d dropped it. Her father was frantic now that she wasn’t answering. All she could think of was, ‘I’m sorry, dad. I can’t get there from here. Mom, you were right. I should have listened to you. Mom, you were right all along…………’
2024 (written Apr 18 ’24 by riwa)
Inspired by 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 New International version
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
