THE SHADOW OF FAITH

<p>The night draped the road in an inky blackness, a fitting backdrop to George's uncertain footsteps. Dreams of a promising future shattered by the cruel reality of financial constraints weighed heavy on his mind. With a heavy heart, he had forsaken his pursuit of a master's degree in human psychology, resigned to the bleakness of his current circumstances.<br/><br/>"Perhaps I should take on more part-time jobs," he mumbled to himself, weariness etched into the lines of his young face. Each step echoed the rhythm of his inner turmoil, a silent lament for the dreams that seemed forever out of reach.<br/><br/>As George trudged along, lost in the labyrinth of his thoughts, a sudden movement shattered the solitude of the night. A small, injured cat darted out from the shadows, its plaintive meows piercing through the silence. Startled, George stumbled backward, his heart racing with a mixture of fear and concern.<br/><br/>"Damn little fellow, you scared me half to death," he muttered, his eyes softening as he noticed the cat's injured leg. Without hesitation, he set off in pursuit, determined to help the helpless creature find refuge from the darkness that threatened to engulf them both.<br/><br/>Unaware of the impending danger lurking just around the corner, George chased after the injured cat with single-minded determination. But fate, it seemed, had other plans in store.<br/><br/>With a deafening roar, an ambulance careened around the corner, its lights extinguished in the blackness of the night. In the blink of an eye, George's world was plunged into chaos as the vehicle collided with him with devastating force.<br/><br/>Pain seared through his body as he was thrown to the ground, his vision swimming in a haze of agony. Blood pounded in his ears as he struggled to make sense of the nightmare unfolding around him. With each labored breath, he felt the icy grip of death tightening its hold, dragging him inexorably into the abyss.<br/><br/>"Why me?" he whispered, his voice barely a ghostly echo in the night. Tears mingled with blood as he grappled with the cruel hand fate had dealt him, his once bright eyes clouded with despair.<br/><br/>As consciousness slipped away, George was dimly aware of figures emerging from the darkness, their voices a distant murmur in the void. Through the haze of pain and confusion, he struggled to make sense of their words, their faces swimming in and out of focus like phantoms in the night.<br/><br/>"He's dead," one voice declared, the words a solemn pronouncement of his fate. Panic rippled through the air as accusations flew between the figures, each desperate to absolve themselves of blame.<br/><br/>In the midst of the chaos, one voice rose above the rest, its tone laced with desperation and fear. "You killed him," it accused, the words hanging heavy in the air like a damning verdict.<br/><br/>But amid the chaos and confusion, one truth remained undeniable: George's fate had been sealed by the hands of fate, a tragic casualty in the relentless march of destiny.<br/><br/>And as the night swallowed him whole, George's final thoughts were consumed by the echoing refrain of a question left unanswered: "Why me?"</p>