Chris drove his old pickup down the narrow forest road that led to the secluded cabin he'd inherited from his father. He was driving from a small town called Ridgeport-it was his hometown. The sun was setting, coloring the treetops a warm golden hue. The radio station was playing quietly in the car, but the music couldn't distract Chris from thinking about the upcoming roof repair. He had already noticed a few leaks after the rain, and now his mind was occupied with plans to replace the old slate.
Suddenly the phone rang, and Chris automatically hit the speaker button without looking at the screen.
– Yes, I'm listening," he said, trying to speak louder than the noise of the engine.
– Hi," he heard Mary's familiar voice.
– Hi, did you miss me already? – Chris asked with a smile.
– Yeah, I miss you already," she replied. – How are you doing?
– Turned off Highway 61," Chris answered, glancing at the pothole in the road. – I'll be there in a couple more hours.
– Come back again," Mary said with a smile, "save me from loneliness.
– What about the repairs? – The roof is leaking. We can't put it off, or we'll have to redo everything inside.
– I know, I know," Mary sighed. – I just wanted to hear your voice. You're not going to lose the connection up there, are you?
– The signal's almost gone," Chris said, looking at the screen of his phone. – I'm on a forest road, and there's almost no reception.
Soon I'll be riding in transfixed loneliness, Chris said.
– You're the master of solitude," Mary said with a slight sneer.
– What kind of innuendo? – Chris laughed. – Solitude is good for everyone. It is confirmed by great philosophers. It helps to energize and relieve excess weight from the soul. Anyway, I'm going on business.
– Just don't overcharge," Mary said jokingly. – Did you bring your tools? You didn't forget anything?
– Yeah, everything on the list," Chris replied, patting the backpack on the seat.
– Is there enough food for the weekend?
– Yeah, I also want to shoot some game, and there's some in the cellar. So I won't go hungry.
Chris looked again at the road, illuminated by the headlights of his car. Suddenly, something unusual caught his attention. He noticed a glow in the sky, colored in purple-red shades. The light was so bright that it blinded him for a moment.
– 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.
Chris got out of the car and looked around. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his breathing was ragged. There was silence all around, broken only by the crackling of burning debris and his own hoarse breathing. There was an acrid odor in the air, mixed with the scent of burning.
