"Jerry Oltion - The Miracle" - читать интересную книгу автора (Oltion Jerry)

When he got home just before dinner, his blood-soaked T-shirt tied around his
leg, his three roommates crowded around the bathroom to hear his story while he
cleaned himself up. He stuck to the facts; weird as they were, there seemed no
point in embellishing anything. Even so, he didn't expect anyone to believe him,
so he wasn't disappointed when his account of the burning bush that hadn't
burned and how it had somehow thrown him backward drew derisive laughter from
Dan and Tom.

Brian didn't laugh. Normally Brian was an overbearing pain in the ass and Greg
had expected him to lead the assault, but this time he stood in the doorway
quietly shaking his head until the laughter died down and then said in a level
voice, "You got a direct sign from God and then you pissed on it? You're lucky
you got away with your life."

When the laughter quieted a second time, Greg turned toward him with a
blood-stained washcloth in his hand and said, "I thought of that. I thought
about a lot of things while I was walking back down to my car and bleeding all
over myself, but I don't think God had a whole lot to do with it. I mean, it was
just this bush flickering blue and yellow and throwing off sparks. No voice or
anything. Wouldn't there have been a voice if it was God ?"

Dan and Tom laughed again, but whether at Brian's discomfiture or Greg's earnest
reply Greg couldn't tell. He said, "Hey, you guys weren't there. It was strange
as hell. Anybody would have considered the possibility, but there just wasn't
any proof."

"No proof?" Brian's voice echoed in the bathroom. "A burning bush that isn't
consumed isn't proof?"

Dan said, "We've got no proof anything happened, when it comes to that. Greg
goes jogging and comes back with an owie and a silly story. Maybe he's putting
us on, eh?"

"I saw the damned thing," Greg growled at him. "And it zapped me when I tried to
make sure it was out. I don't know what the hell it was, but neither do you. Or
you," he said to Brian.

There was an uncomfortable silence, then Dan said, "Okay, so tomorrow we go have
a look."

When the four roommates jogged onto the rounded top of the hill the following
afternoon, they found the bush already afire, crackling and glowing even more
powerfully than the day before. Sheets of blue flame danced in its branches, and
glowing fireballs swooped away in the breeze.

"Holy shit," Dan said.
"Wow," said Brian in an awe-stricken whisper.

"Told you so," said Greg.