Chapter 5

That night, the two-speed had stayed at the mortuary. Frank didn’t mind the walk. Besides, riding a metal bicycle when violent streaks of electricity cut the darkness every several seconds seemed less than prudent. Frank had known there would be lightning, even before the newsman’s warnings. Frank could predict storms better than any meteorologist now, even without fancy weather maps and charts.

He pulled at the dampness in front, where his pants had soaked right through to his undershorts, right to the skin and hair behind them. Then he shivered—not only from the cold. The lightning came, and then a loud crack of thunder, right to the second he knew that it would. “Three, two, one…” Another flash. Another boom. The storm was right overhead. Standing outside the little store, counting the seconds to the next flash and rumble, Frank debated going inside.

Should I?