Page 54 of My Cowboy Freedom
Struck by lightning, my ass.
My eyes were opened to the truth that day.
I never liked the Apostle Paul anyway. He was one of those smug bastards. It’s like he quit selling tobacco products and afterwards, all he wanted to do was make life miserable for everyone who still smoked.
Maisy eyed me like she knew what I was thinking. Maybe she’d heard Paul’s story one too many times too.
That night, I strummed the intro to the Chris Tomlin song, “I Lift My Hands.”
Next to me, Maisy stretched out, putting her head on my foot. She liked the way I tapped my toes. I don’t know why. That’s her spot.
It was fascinating to watch those kids from the pulpit, some of them were focused, some bored. Some had shiny, lit-up faces, as if they were tuned in to something the rest of us couldn’t see or hear. During the chorus, they stood, lifting their hands and singing along.
Maisy nudged my foot. She started licking. I guessed I’d tapped the tempo wrong or something. Everybody’s a critic. Then the song went somewhere wrong because Maisy pulled on my sleeve.
I glanced down, unable to understand why she would do such a thing while I was obviously playing a song in front of people.
But I wasn’t playing anymore and neither was Maisy.
She carefully took my wrist between her jaws and tugged until I had no choice but to slide off the chair and lay down.
“Maisy—You dick...”
Wait. Are my words slurred?
I blinked. Opened my eyes wider, like that would help. I knew what I was experiencing was an aura—but my mind rejected the idea. I tried to blink away the wavy, snakeskin lines in my field of vision. Sniffed to identify some strange smell...
This cannot be happening to me. Not now. Not here.
Goddamn it. This can’t be...
I’m sure it’s just...
And that’s when I tasted metal.
As if I touched my tongue to the strings of an electric guitar.
Then there was something more elusive, something that tasted like metal and spark.
Ozone.
The scent of lightning itself. I tasted the scent, or... no... that’s not what you do with smells...
I gave in, because that’s what I do.
When the lightning comes, I let Maisy do the thinking for both of us.
***
“You’re okay, Rock.”
I have no idea how much time has passed.
I have no idea what my body did while it wasn’t taking orders from me.
I’m confused and I’m angry and I’m scared all at once. It’s all fucking bullshit.
I’m raging mad now. Raging.
