"Hoooaaah," I muttered under my breath, stretching my arms as I walked down the rain-slicked street. The weariness in my bones wasn't just physical—it was mental too. Another long day of work. Another day in the never-ending cycle of life. As I trudged through the downpour towards the bus station, I couldn't help but think about my life so far.
Orphaned at a young age, I had grown up in the shadow of a distant, uncaring world. Average looks, average grades in school, and a job that could've been more fulfilling but paid the bills. The life of a 9-to-5 employee. A life where excitement seemed to be a rare visitor. Even my relationships had followed the same routine—three girlfriends throughout my life, each one of them fleeting. I couldn't even say I had much regret—maybe a touch of loneliness, but nothing more.
In my late thirties now, I found myself questioning the meaning of it all. No wife, no kids, just me and the quiet hum of a life that felt like it had already reached its peak.
I sighed as I glanced at the heavy rain that blurred the edges of my vision. It was just another evening to add to the long list of uneventful days.
Suddenly, a flash of light pierced through the dark clouds, followed by a thunderous crack that made my heart skip a beat. A tree on the roadside was struck by lightning. I froze for a moment, my eyes wide with a mix of awe and fear. Thank God it was far away—far enough that it wouldn't strike me, or anyone else, but close enough that the sound of the thunder rattled my bones.
Around me, people had started to move in a hurry, sensing some unseen danger. They scurried towards their destinations, eager to escape the storm. I took a deep breath and followed them, boarding the bus that would take me to my apartment complex.
As the bus rattled on through the rain, my thoughts wandered again, drifting back to my mundane life. The world seemed so big, and I felt so small in it. The bus lurched to a stop near my building, and I couldn't help but sigh again. The rain was heavier now, the kind that soaked you through in seconds.
With no umbrella in hand, I did what any sensible person would do—I started running. The streets were slick with water, but it didn't matter. I had a goal: get home, take a shower, and sleep. Simple.
But as I ran, an overwhelming pain suddenly shot through my body, blinding me with its intensity. I staggered, my legs giving out beneath me, and my vision flickered to a painful white. My breath came in shallow gasps, and my mind swirled in panic.
I couldn't process what was happening as the pain grew worse, and before I could fully understand it, I felt my consciousness begin to fade. The pain dulled as my mind slipped into the darkness, and in a strange moment of clarity, I realized—I was hit by lightning.
And just like that, everything went black.