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Trial by Faith

By Tabitha Bouldin

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The sudden, icy chill of the rain took her breath away, and Faith shivered as she cranked up the heat on her old, silver Toyota. Not that it would do much good, she grumbled quietly as her teeth chattered. This poor old car took forever to heat. Even though it was the middle of spring, the downpour had chilled her to the bone.
She rubbed her damp hands together, trying to dry them enough to grip the wheel without them sliding. The windshield wipers beat an erratic rhythm as they struggled to keep up with the seemingly never-ending rain, but it too was a losing battle. Nothing could stand against this storm for very long. Faith clenched the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were white.
It had already started raining by the time she clocked out from her shift. Rain had been pouring for hours with tumultuous ferocity, and even though she ran across the parking lot, Faith was drenched before she reached her car. Her scrubs held up against the rain about as well as snow to a fire.
Faith always parked on the lower end of the hospital parking lot. She normally enjoyed the few minutes of walking from her car to the hospital and back again at night. Sometimes those few minutes were the only peace she would have all night long.
Working as a triage nurse on the mid-afternoon shift in the ER kept her on her feet all eight hours of her shift as she ran back and forth between her patients that were already checked in and taking care of new ones as they arrived. She rarely had a chance to stop and breathe before she would be called upon again. St. Michael’s Hospital was one of the largest hospitals in the state and was definitely in the top three busiest. Tonight had been no exception, and Faith had hoped for a slackening in the rain so that the next shift might have a better end to the night than her shift had experienced.
Taking a deep breath as she eased out of the parking lot and onto the road, Faith tried to relax the tightening in her shoulders. Right now her hands drummed on the steering wheel with something close to panic. It had been building throughout the afternoon. Everyone was seeing the effects of the rain, but what Faith felt was something else.
She had to get home, her heart pounded in rhythm with the rain, and her hands tightened further. Her kids needed her to be home. They were safe with her parents, but something inside her screamed, ‘hurry, hurry, hurry’. She’d been trying to call for the last few hours but the power must be out. Her parents had cell phones, but reception was spotty at their house even on the clearest day.
The rain made the trip even slower than normal as she left the hospital and traveled the old country roads until she reached the mountain. It felt as though she crept along at a snail’s pace. Even the well-tended roads of the main city were flooded to the point that some were blocked off. The twists and turns of the mountain slowed her down even further, and she dared not move her hands from the wheel as she reached the worst part of the mountain. The horseshoe curves were notorious for wrecks in decent weather, and they could be deadly if not traveled carefully.
All Faith wanted to do was hit the gas and go as fast as she could. Not only was that thought dangerous, but it was impossible. Even on a straight road, this amount of rain would send you into the ditch without a thought. To risk something like that now was reckless and stupid. So, she drove slowly and carefully. It made her head ache and her pulse thrummed with adrenaline, but she drove the twists and turns with the care they deserved. The sound of the rain pounding on the roof drowned out any other sound. Faith was cocooned within the walls of the storm.
Seeing the faint glow of brake lights ahead, Faith let her foot ease up off the gas pedal, and she gently coaxed the car to a slower pace. She had been meaning to get new tires for months, but there never seemed to be enough money left over at the end of each payday. The lack of tread on her tires made slowing down more difficult, but eventually, the car did as she asked.
Her teeth ground together in frustration when her car came to a stop behind a long line of vehicles. She was too far back to see how long the line was, but the taillights went as far as she could see through the deluge of rain. Faith didn’t want to get out in the rain again to see what was going on, but after several minutes of pounding rain, it occurred to Faith that no cars had passed coming in the opposite direction.
Like a quiet monster – the kind that kids fear are hiding under the bed – terror began to creep in, and with a heavy heart, she unsnapped her seat belt and opened the door. Almost immediately, she was drenched again, and the wind took her breath away as it howled down the mountain in a raging fury. At least she hadn’t had time to dry from the first time, so there really wasn’t any difference.
She’d left the house this morning without her coat or an umbrella. As usual, she’d been in a hurry and the threat of rain had been minimal at the time. Faith realized that even if she’d been completely prepared it would not have helped much. No amount of gear that she had available was going to keep her dry in a storm like this.
Faith had to keep her hand on the car for support while slowly making her way forward until she was at the hood. The wind was pushing against her, forcing her against the car in its fury. She took a brief minute to glance around, flinging hair and water from her eyes, but there was nothing to be seen beyond the glare of her headlights except the next vehicle. The only sound was the howling of the wind in her ears.
The gap between her and the truck in front of her seemed huge even though it was barely four feet. She feared she would be blown away before she reached it. But she had to try. With a quick prayer, and an even quicker step, Faith threw herself forward. It was close, her hand barely made it close enough grasp the bumper of the old Ford before her feet were ripped from beneath her with the rush of water across the road and the force of the wind pushing against her. Her fingers scrabbled desperately against the cold metal until she had a firm grip and could pull herself back to her feet. Her instincts tried to warn her that she was pushing her limits, but she had done it. Adrenaline kept her from realizing just how close she had come to disappearing down the side of the mountain, but the stutter of her heart warned her that it had been too close.
Slowly hauling herself up the side of the truck, she did the same thing again and managed to make it up to the next car. Faith walked faster after that, knowing what she was going to find, and yet unable to make herself stop. Faith pushed ahead until finally she could see a group of people gathered in the headlights of an SUV.
The roar finally broke through the sound of the wind and rain, and Faith gasped at the sight of the river that was rushing headlong across what used to be the road. The asphalt had peeled away beneath the onslaught, the ground beneath it unable to hold up, and the torrential downpour had easily managed to create an enormous gap in the middle of the mountain. Nervously, Faith let her eyes wander up the monstrous river, looking for trees or anything else that might be coming down the newly created channel.
It was too dark to see beyond the glare of the headlights, and Faith was uncertain if that made her feel better or worse. She could see a faint glare of headlights from the opposite side of the river if she shielded her eyes and squinted hard enough. It was hard to judge distance in the wind, rain, and darkness, but if she had to guess, she would put the gap at over fifty feet. Faith prayed no one had been on the section of road when it washed away.
Her next thought was of her family. There was no way for her to get home, and there was no way for her family to get to her. The fifty-foot gap might as well have been a desert. Their perfect little town on top of the mountain had only one road going in and out, this road, and it was gone. A swirl of hopelessness tugged at her heart, and Faith did her best to push it back down. Tears threatened her eyes but never fell. There would be a way, there was always a way, she just had to believe and have faith.
Sometimes her own name mocked her. Faith, it was always about faith, not her, but her faith in God. It had taken her a long time, and she was still learning, but she now trusted God to lead her life. That meant she had to have faith that there was a reason for this. There was a reason she was being kept from her family. As much as she hated to admit it, God knew best, and He would provide.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and, without thought, she ran back several steps. She had moved back several feet when she heard it over the pounding rain and screaming wind. There was a moaning and creaking that sent shivers up and down her already chilled spine. It sounded of death. There was no other way to explain it. Cold fingers pricked up and down her spine and she shivered.
She had to see, she had to turn around. If it was going to take her out, she wanted to see it coming. Faith was angry now. She wheeled around and planted her feet. It was fear and adrenaline that gave her the strength to stand there in the outer glow of the headlights as the massive oak tree swirled toward her. She felt she could reach out and touch it. It appeared to be abnormally close as the adrenaline pumping through her body caused her to focus on nothing but the carnage floating toward her. Leaves winked in and out of her sight, their colors distorted in the glare of headlights, as the tree shivered and turned toward her.
With a boom that shook the ground, the tree lodged itself between the two roadways. Faith turned her face heavenward and thought of her two children. There was no other way home. She could feel it in her bones as the rain stung her face. Her children needed her to come home. They would be frightened without her, her parents would be worried sick over her. This might be her only chance. Refusing to give up, she ran forward.
Just as her hand grasped a root, Faith felt an arm wrap around her waist with an iron grip and pull her back.
Struggling to hang on, she screamed, “My kids! I have to get home!”
The arm refused to budge, the strength behind it jerking her away from the tree as her weaker strength eventually gave in while a male voice shouted in her ear.
“You need to get home alive and this isn’t the way!”
Faith still struggled against the restraint, but she was simply hoisted higher until her feet no longer touched the ground. Mad once again at her lack of height, Faith sighed and let her anger subside. Once she stopped struggling, the arm loosened and her feet once again touched the ground. Faith allowed herself to be pulled the short distance to the black SUV. As soon as the arm released its grip, she wheeled around and wiped her bangs out of her light brown eyes.
Immediately, hands were there on either side of her head. Her back was to the vehicle and he blocked her path on every side. His body towered in front of her like an immovable wall. His height actually blocked the rain from her face slightly as she tried to look past him. Faith considered ducking beneath one arm but she knew - even without trying - that his reflexes were far superior to hers, and she didn’t want to be hauled back here again like an invalid. Looking up, she struggled to see his face while the rain continued to pour over them.
Just then, lightning flashed and Faith’s gaze was torn once again to the massive oak. His arm blocked her view, and instinct, mixed with need, caused her to raise her hands to his arm and pull herself up on her tiptoes. Her hands gripped his arm and her eyes closed against the pain of being separated from her kids. Just as she suspected, the tree wasn’t going to stay very long. The rushing water was simply too much force for it to hold up against. Her cheek rested against the slick material of his raincoat and she sighed.
Her body trembled as the adrenaline left her with a departure so sudden it was frightening. She trembled with the cold, fatigue, and loneliness as it washed over her. The arm she was hanging onto lowered beneath her chin and crept around her shoulders while the other hand rested on her hip. His strength pulled her back against his broad chest.
Faith turned her head and let her cheek rest on the forearm while she grasped his wrist and elbow with her hands. His voice rumbled in his chest and reminded her of the thunder that sounded overhead.
“You would have been about halfway by now.”
He had his mouth directly on her ear. It was the only way to be heard in a storm like this. She hated to admit that he was right, but there was no denying the truth of his words.
She shivered again, but this time, many more emotions ran through her as his voice rasped in her ear, and the tree finally gave way to the rushing water. It swirled past them in an angry spin, and Faith was pulled back as the crown of the tree reached out over the roadway. Angry tendrils of death reached out to them, seeking to drag them into the watery grave. The SUV was bumped by the creaking branches, and Faith was finally grateful to this man who had pulled her back from certain death.
The wind picked up again, and Faith tightened her grip on his forearm. Suddenly, she was turned around, and the SUV was in front of her again.
He let go of her hip and opened the door. “Get in,” he yelled over the storm.
Faith didn’t think twice as she climbed into the driver’s seat and scooted over to the passenger side. He climbed in beside her and shut the door with barely a sound in the raging storm.
 

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