by William Bebb
Years spent riding a bike from town to town had made Jeremiah's leg muscles strong and he felt ready while mounting his ten speed bike where he and Issac hid them yesterday. When he heard the distant gunshots and screams he had a moment of doubt, but it passed as he felt the chain hanging around his neck.
It was a gift his mom gave him when he told her of his plans to travel the country spreading the Good News. The cross hanging on it wasn't made of gold or any other precious metal, and yet what it represented reminded him of the promise he'd made to Charlie to go get help.
He looked up at the beautiful blue sky for a moment and prayed aloud the Twenty-Third Psalm before climbing onto the bike. His legs trembled like a powerful current of electricity was running through the muscles as he pedaled toward the trailer park's exit. He stared across the park at the steep road and repeatedly prayed the same Psalm aloud as his legs pumped faster. At first he barely whispered the prayer but as the exit grew closer he was breathing hard and speaking the words confidently.
When he reached the part of the prayer with the words: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: For thou art with me,” he was shouting them. He swerved the bike through the multitude of zombies and ignored them. Jeremiah never felt stronger or better in his life as he pedaled as hard as he could.
It’s possible the horde of undead and infected may have just been too slow to react to the sight of him riding by shouting words they no longer understood. But for Jeremiah, his faith was all the explanation he needed as to why none came close to touching him as he rounded the first turn without slowing at all. The wind blew through his hair and he felt that God had guided him through the worst.
Offering silent heartfelt thanks, he breathed harder riding his bike up the road leading out of the valley. The initial burst of energy left him almost entirely by the time he reached the halfway point to the summit, which is probably the only reason he survived the crash.
His shirt and face were drenched in sweat as he pedaled around a corner of the road.
Jeremiah was distracted by the unexpected sight of a big man carrying a dog in one arm and a sword in the other with a little boy following him. By the time he managed to look away from the unusual group, he had a difficult choice to make: Jump off the bike or ride it down the steep cliff side that he was moments away from going over.
He took a leap of faith and jumped.