I reach over and change the station on the radio.  Commercials.  The last thing I want to hear after a long day of work is some guy telling me that I should buy my siding from him.  After flipping through several stations, I give up and shut off the radio.  The silence is settling and the hum of the tires on the pavement is soothing.  As I look out the windshield, I can’t help but notice just how bright the moon is and just how clear the sky is.  I love nights like this.  Not a car on the road, the yellow dividing lines zipping past, the calmness.  So easy to get lost in thought, thinking about the days events and what I have to do tomorrow.   My head nods.  My eyes close for what feels like a split second.  I’m slammed into the back of my seat and I feel the car spin out of control.  The screaming of the tires across the pavement sends shivers down my spine.  Searing pain shoots through my chest. The car hits the embankment and flips several times.  I black out.   Pain. Everywhere. I can’t open my eyes. I start to feel disconnected from what’s happening around me.  I start to blackout again.  The last thing I here as I drift off into the darkness is, “We’ve lost him….”

I’m awake.  I think.  Blue sky and bright yellow sun.  As I sit up, I realize that I am laying on the side of a road.  I have no pain, but feel a bit groggy.  As I stand up, I stumble a little but catch myself on mile marker 39.  I look down.  The hands that are holding onto the sign aren’t mine.  They belong to a stranger…