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Crossroad
by David Story Max stepped off the curb and onto the street. He walked to the center of the intersection. He stood in the middle of the road for a minute, looking in all four directions. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he made his way back to the sidewalk. He walked over to the side of a building and sat down, and waited... ----- "That's it, Mister. I'm gonna have to cut you off." The man with the empty glass looked at the bartender. "Give me a break, will you? Just one more." The bartender shook his head. "No can do." He looked at the man across the bar. "Maybe I could call you a cab instead." The man shoved the empty glass in the bartender's direction. "Hey, don't do me any favors, huh?" The bartender caught the empty glass just before it went off the edge of the bar. By the time he looked up, the angry man was on his way out the door. ----- Max leaned against the side of the building. He thought of missions past. He thought of future missions. He tried not to dwell on the mission at hand. He took off his hat and covered his face with it, stretching his body out at the same time. He closed his eyes and tried to relax ----- "And maybe I could have a mp3 Player, too." Harry smiled at his son. "That's a pretty long birthday list, don't you think?" Benjamin smiled back. "Like mom said, I'll only turn fourteen once." Harry laughed. "That's true." He stared at the road ahead. "Sure is dark. I hope your mother's not too worried about us." Benjamin did his own bit of staring out the window. "Nah. She knows how great a driver you are." Harry had to laugh again. "I've told you already, you're too young to learn right now." Benjamin gave up on the discussion before it could go any further. Instead, he began to hum the tune to one of his favorite songs, and the car cruised through the night. ----- It was time. Max stood up. He looked to the heavens and whispered a silent prayer to the Master, then placed his hat on his head, and walked over to the edge of the sidewalk. The beams of light from both vehicles were coming into view... ----- The angry man's car swerved erratically. Aware that his driving left a lot to be desired, he clenched his hands tightly around the steering wheel. Even with his best attempt to keep the car on a steady course, the alcohol coursing through his system won the battle, and the car continued to swerve, gaining speed as it did so. The man blinked once, and then again. His thoughts drifted back and forth as he concentrated on any and all thingsall things, except driving. ----- Max looked again to the heavens, and the rain began to come down... ----- The car was almost to the intersection. "It's starting to rain, Dad." "Yeah, really came out of nowhere. I hope it doesn't last, though. I was really hoping we could" Father and son were hit broadside. They never saw it coming. ----- Max came upon the burning car that had flipped over, the same car that contained the father and son. Smoke and fire burned from within. Max walked past it without looking in He came to the second car. It was up on the sidewalk, the same sidewalk where Max had previously been standing. The car had run straight into the side of the building. Max peered inside... ----- The once angry, but now terrified man saw Max out of the corner of his eye. The way he was penned against the dashboard prevented him from turning his head. He ached. He ached badly. "Can you help me?" Max nodded his head. "Very soon now." The man closed his eyes and he felt a rush of pain. The taste of blood was on lips. "The other car...is everyone alright?" Max shook his head. "Not this time." The man began to weep. "I...I'm sorry" Max reached inside the car. "Shhh. Don't talk, it'll all be over soon." "But...there's so much I want to say. So many things I could have, should have done" Max place his hand on top of the man's head, and caressed it as a mother would soothe her hurting child. The tears ceased, and the man's body fell limp. ----- The man held tightly to Max, as joy quickly replaced pain. His journey home had begun. Before the scene was completely out of their sight, Max looked once more at the burning car, and a small tear ran down his face ----- The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don't live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light. - Romans 13:12 (NLT) "And I so hate consequences" - Relient K ---------- __________ Whispers is now available in paperback: Purchase your copy: http://www.amazon.com/Whispers-David-Story/dp/1615792643/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263831037&sr=8-1 Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |