Cast Out Part 3

Walt had only been driving a truck for a living since he lost his job. Took his “severance” and with his wife’s blessing, enrolled in truck driving school. God had blessed him there and got a good job offer as soon as he got his license. The new job kept him away from his family during the week, but at least he was able to get home for the weekends. He was still able to be a deacon in their church, and most folks there were oblivious to the change that had gone on in their lives. So it seemed to Walt.


Walt had gotten into the routine of taking his cellphone and mp3 player with him on trips, along with the other necessities. The cellphone kept him in contact with family and other folks, and the mp3 player was packed with good music and Bible studies. Shoot, he figured that he was learning more of the Bible now more than ever in his life. So maybe this wasn’t so bad after all. He also got more time to pray than he ever had before. Good thing too, because he was going to need to be “prayed up” real soon.

Going down the Interstate at night was not one of Walt’s favorite things with the new job. He wanted to make good time with his load, but he was more thinking about finding a nice place to pull over and stop. Hotels were a luxury he only indulged in once each week, and this night he was looking for one. The road sign told him that there was a town coming up in 5 miles. “That’s good,” he said, “I’m done for tonight!”

Driving further, Walt saw what looked like fog ahead. “Maybe its dust?” he thought. Slowing down the rig, and switching to high beams, what he saw made his heart drop: Two cars had hit, one was in the median, the other was on the road in front of him. They were now just mangled pieces of steel. He stopped the rig, put on the hazard lights, and grabbed his cell.

He got a connection.

“911. What is your emergency?”

“There’s been a car crash about 4 miles outside of Hays! On the Interstate - Two cars! Send help, please!”

“Sir, help will be coming.”

“Thank you! I am going to check them out!”

“Sir! Be careful!” She paused. “Stay away from the dead bodies!”

“What? What did you say?”

“Sir, please. If there are any deceased…no….dead bodies…stay away from them! Run away if there are any dead bodies!”

“What do you mean, ‘Run away from dead bodies?”

“Sir, for the last hour … every call with a dead body…they have come back to life! But they have been coming back and …. and attacking people! For your own safety, if there are any dead, stay away!”

“Uh…OK. Thanks”. As Walt ran up to the car in the median, he thought, “Thanks! Crazy 911 lady tells me to stay away from dead bodies, and I say ‘Thanks’”.

Walt got to the car, or what was left of it. He looked inside and saw a body trying to move around, but it was trapped in the wreckage. It looked like a woman, and she was in bad shape. The wreck had messed her up pretty bad, and was bleeding still.

“Hey! It’s gonna be OK! Help is coming!”

The woman moaned, and then, the head looked up at him. It had black eyes. The darkest eyes Walt had ever seen.

The woman opened her mouth. “Set me free”. The voice was beyond strange.

Walt hesitated.

The woman looked at him like she was sizing him up for a fight.

Under his breath, Walt said “Oh Jesus…”

The woman twitched. “Don’t…say… that… name. Set me free.” Again with that voice!

Walt smelled gasoline.

The woman looked at Walt again and smiled, like when someone has a secret that only they know. “You will join us, Walter. It’s a matter of time.”

Why did Walt feel so cold?

The woman looked at him again and said, “Do you think that He cares for you?”

At that moment, Walt realized what he was talking to.

A moment later the fire started, engulfing the car in flames. The woman’s body just looked at Walt and smiled as the body burned away.