The Event by Mike Corthell

Mike Corthell

- The Event -

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A Hard Rain is About to Fall

''Oh, what did you see, my blue eyed son?
And what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin'
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin'
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall...''

- Bob Dylan 1963

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It's cold, extremely cold. The Farmer's Almanac was correct, we will have the coldest winter since 1888. I am extremely grateful...

About a week ago, the day after Christmas, they all died. Died where they stood, sat or laid. No disease, no trauma they just stopped living. They quit like pulling a plug or popping out the batteries on the Energizer Bunny®.

They all died just like approximately 2 billion other souls that day. Here in the mountains it was 2:00 pm. On every continent, no race, no age, no gender was spared. And it was - still is – chaos.

My family is in the barn, wrapped in comforters and blankets. My dear wife, my children and a granddaughter. I can't bury them you see, it's too cold, the ground is frozen. In the Spring perhaps but for now I am extremely grateful.

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I've been in meetings every day since the 26th. The first one was at Town Hall.

The police chief picked me up at about 5:00 pm. Other police were there, half the fire department and the county coroner. They asked me: Why? What happened? Who did this? What do we do? I didn't tell them what happened or why - not yet anyway. Some do know the what and why, most don't. I tell them, first take care of the dead.

When I got home I went to the barn and prayed.

The next day was Concord and the Governors Council. The gov. was dead. Same questions, same answers from me. They are all mentally ill and it will take some time for them to recover - some won't.

I discuss mental health resources with the state director. He is concerned. I tell him to pray and find faith. He can't hear me.

On Friday she finally calls me directly. I say yes Madam President. ''What do you think, aliens''? She's still a fool after all my council.

I told her and her predecessor and her husband that it wouldn't be what everyone thinks. I used the words you will be amazed. Evidently a stronger word was in order. Astounded possibly. Indeed.

Everything is as it should be in the present but things rarely happen just as we envision - no matter how clearly the message is transmitted. Even I am astounded and I was given this mission when I was a child...