The road in front of Samuel was flooded. A puddle, choppy like the ocean. Maybe twenty feet across. He couldn’t tell how deep it was. As he got closer, it seemed to surge forward, toward him. Like a guard dog. It splashed over his shoes. Cold bit his ankles. He waded in. Even in such a shallow area, he could feel a pull like a current or tide. The wind howled. He backed up.
“What should we do?” a woman asked.
“What is it?” another said. “This doesn’t make sense, water flowing from in the trees.”
“It’s a final test,” Samuel said, realizing. He stripped off his trash bag poncho, which was catching the wind like a sail. “God’s final test. Seeing if we’re worthy. She’s right there. Just gotta make it across.”
He took off his shoes and rolled up his pants.
“Hey,” he said. “Someone get a video of this.”