Cloud-to-cloud can be spectacular. One night in a North Dakota thunder storm I was surrounded by clouds but clear overhead. A bolt took off, went all the way around me, and didn’t quit until it connected with itself. I just took it to be my Guardian Angel checking in?
😯 Sounds like it! You are lucky. I was up near the top of a mountain - plateau - north of Chattanooga, with a TV antenna on a high mast. It was an unusual early year storm. I pulled the antenna wire off of the TV, dropped it on the floor and was in process of hooking up the rabbit ears.
The lightning ran down the loose antenna lead, jumped to my right foot, exited out my left knee into the picture tube - blew it - and went through my arms in to the rabbit ears, frying what was left of the TV.
I don't know about those here who posted about '7 times'. Once set me back a few years, quite enough for me!