Who Gave You Permission To Leave?

Or so it seemed. After the bright flash of lightning had dazzled their retinas, their sight gradually returned and the few survivors were given the opportunity to behold the scope of the disaster.

All the coaches and carriages that were still standing had a gaping hole in them, while the wood and cloth that were often part of their design had caught fire or burned to a crisp.

Of the 2,400 refugees still alive, more than 2,000 had been blown to death on impact. The remaining 400 survived only by a fortunate combination of circumstances. Once unleashed, the lightning had an erratic trajectory.

Those who were closest to the mysterious attacker had somehow borne the brunt of the attack for the others. As the lightning weakened with each subsequent person struck, the 400 survivors escaped with minor injuries, but many of them, including a few children, required emergency treatment that no one could provide.