********************* Waking Nightmare*********************

Nicole fumbled in the dark for the alarm clock that sat on her head board, buried in the mess that she had allowed to pile up. Growing impatient with the clocks refusal to stop it's mechanical greeting she sat up found the cord and pulled it from it's socket. 1

She was sitting up in the big bed holding the end of the cord, confused as to how it was still working when she realized it was the telephone that had been ringing not the alarm. 2

Remembering her promise to her daughter Hailie, she raced to the phone. Hailie was spending the night over at her best friends house and Nicole had promised earlier that night she'd pick her up if Hailie needed to come home.3

Since Hailie's and Eian's dad had been killed two months earlier Hailie had been having a hard time being away from her mom. In fact Nicole had been surprised that she was attempting an overnighter.4

"Hello" she answered the phone breathless, hoping she hadn't missed the call she waited for a second then after realizing she was too late she hung up. Heading for the bathroom with the cordless phone in hand she decided to pee first, then if whoever it was hadn't called back by the time she was finished she'd call over to Gina's. She thought it would be best to let it ring only once, she didn't want to wake anyone if it hadn't been Hailie.5

She nearly dropped the phone when it rang again. Startled she quickly answered "Hello?" it was Hailie. "Hi momma" her voice was sweet and apologetic. "Hey baby, you doing okay?" It was late, she didn't know how late because she'd ripped her clock from the wall but she was sure it was pretty late. "No, I don't feel so good mom, I wanna come home and be with you". Nicole started to think of ways to calm her daughter so she wouldn't have to make the long drive but she couldn't help but imagine Hailie standing in the dark, scared and wanting to come home. Besides she promised and Hailie needed her.6

"Okay honey, I'll be there in about 2 hours." She said, trying to reassure her. "Two Hours? Mom I really need to come home now, can't you just hurry?"7

Hailie was near panic, it was a fine line for that poor kid and Nicole hated the thought of her daughter experiancing any more panic attacks. "Okay babe, what time is it right now?" Hailie told her it was 3:27, the anxiety in her voice still borderline. "I'm coming to get you, in the meantime you are going to take one of the pills Dr.Yates perscribed and then call my cell phone back, we'll talk until I get there. Okay?" She waited for Hailie's reply... "Okay?" Nicole repeated. " Alright momma, I'm sorry, I know you were sleeping" Nicole's heart broke for her child "Oh Honey don't you worry about me! I'm fine." Hailie was quiet, Nicole continued trying to convince her "I had to get up in an hour anyway" She lied "So I guess this means I will get my stuff done an hour earlier then we can get a movie and hang out, just you, me and Eian!" "Okay mom, I'm taking my pill now" she sounded better, more relaxed, more like a child of 10 should be. "Alright sweetheart, now hang up and call my cell phone okay." 8

She heard her daughter yawn and hoped the Xanax was taking effect "Kay mamma, I'll call you back in a few minutes, you're on your way though,right?" "Yep, right now" she assured her "Love you" " Love you too mom". Her words were slightly slurred which meant the Xanax was in fact working, she would probably fall asleep within fifteen to twenty minutes and when she woke up her mother would be there. 9

All would be well...10

'The moon is huge tonight' she thought outloud as she climbed into her late husbands truck. She thought about taking her car because it got better gas mileage but she was going pretty deep into the woods and felt more secure on some of those old roads in her late husbands 4x4 truck.11

Her cell phone rang almost as soon as she'd climbed into the truck "Hey sweetie" Nicole answered happily.12

Another big yawn came before she heard Hailie's voice, sleepy from the meds. " Hi mom, are ya on yer way now?"13

"Sure am, and guess what else?" "Huh?" was Hailie's sleepy reply. "I'm bringing daddy's truck AND...I am wearing my fuzzy pink kitty slippers" she announced in an attempt to make her daughter feel better. 14

"Nice mom, what if ya have to go in somewhere?" Hailie teased, they both giggled at the image of her walking around in public with her pink kitty slippers on. "Mom, I'm gonna watch cartoons and wait for ya okay?" "You got it babe, just wrap up in blanket and I'll be there soon" "Okay mom love you"15

"Love you more". 16

She smiled and hung up, thankful for the magic of Xanax, she couldn't imagine her baby going through another of those attacks.17

She thought about changing the station on the radio and then stopped herself, this was the station he listened to, she would keep it here for as long she owned the truck.18

Needing caffiene for the long trip she stopped at Z thru B espresso and ordered her usual sugar free white chocolate breve only this time she asked for a double. "Long drive" she explained with a smile. Monique who worked the coffie stand knew her as a regular so when Nicole asked for a double she had looked at her with a puzzled expression.19

"Where ya going so early?" Monique asked " Hailie called, she slept over at Gina's place last night with Lisa, says she doesn't feel so good". " Yeah, it's probably hard to be away from mom just yet" Monique replied with sincere concern. Everyone in town had been very supportive and concerned when Gene was killed, bringing by care packages for her and the kids the weeks following his funeral.20

"Thanks Monique, I'll see ya later" "Drive safe" Monique hollered out the window of the little booth. Nicole waved and drove away.21

She was, as usual, consumed with the emotional well being of her family and with the anger that had been contiually brewing inside her since Gene's murder.22

She headed out of town and onto the old highway.23

Holding the warm paper cup of coffie between her knees, she leaned over to the glove compartment and grabbed a cigarette out of the pack he had hidden there. Smiling she thought of their little games and how he'd thought himself so clever to hide his smokes in his truck. She lowered the window a crack and lit the cigarette. Inhaling deeply she relaxed as she exhaled,imagining all her pain being expelled with the toxic smoke of her cigarette.24

Another deep drag, she watched as the thick grey smoke swirled into little curls and danced with a sort of delicate grace as she again exhaled, purging herself of the toxic pain and deadly smoke of the cigarette. 25

As she was entertaining herself with the smoke of her cigarette she saw a woman walking along the highway. She slowed down the truck so as to get a better look, perhaps someone needed help. She didn't remember passing any vehicle's on the side of the road. Then again, she hadn't been paying much attention to the road.26

It wasn't something she'd usually do but something told her to stop and at least ask the woman if she needed to use a phone or if she needed emergency services.27

The woman came jogging up as the truck rolled to a stop. "Hey there, how far ya headed" the woman asked. Nicole noticed she looked more like a girl than a woman. "Um...Well, I can take ya as far as Concrete, it's a little town about a hours drive from here" The girl jumped in, extending her hand she announced in cheery yet exhausted voice "My name's Kim" Accepting Kim's handshake she introduced herself "Nicole" "So Kim what are ya doing walking out here on the Highway so early?" Kim rolled her eyes as she started her story "I've been hitchhiking for three days now and wouldn't ya know it I run into my first lunatic out here in the middle of no where" Nicole's head quickly snapped around to look at Kim "Oh My Gosh! are you alright?" she inquired. "Yeah, I am now but I ain't to proud to admit I never been that scared before!" Nicole shook her head, feeling the mother in her coming out she scolded "You gotta know how dangerous it is to be accepting rides from people you don't know" Kim turned pale as she stared out the window. Nicole started seriously regreting picking her up, 'Maybe SHE was a lunatic' Nicole thought as she looked over at her purse, wondering how she could move it closer to her without being rude. " Do ya smoke?" she asked Kim in pleasant unassuming voice. Still not a word, she just stared blankly. "Hey look, I'm not looking for trouble I just wanna get to my kid and get home ...' Kim cut her off "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude it was just something you said, kinda wierd and I guess it kinda freaked me out" Nicole looked at her confused "Wierd?, how do ya mean wierd? all I said is.." Again Kim cut her off "I know. You asked me if I smoke, I guess it's not really what you said but that guy that picked me up, ya know the lunatic?" "Yeah, what about him" "Well as I was fighting him off he was laughing and told me the danger was just beginning. Then he said word for word what you just did, AND he said it in a mocking way, ya know like he was trying to mimic what someone else said. The whole thing was just really wierd"28

"What?" Nicole looked at her skeptically "Are you alright? Do you need me to call someone for you?" She asked thinking this girl was too far from home and probably needed mental health care of some kind. "No, really I swear!" she said and then attempted to repeat what he had said to her in the same manner in which she claimed he had said it. She seemed desperate and shaken, Nicole was quiet, wondering if she should call the police, Kim continued " What's really wierd is that he said it after I fought him off and was out of his ride...then that creepy laugh" she shuddered as if she had just swallowed something sour. "Well Kim, like I said I am going as far as Concrete" Kim gave her a dirty look then said "Cool,Whatever, I'll take what I can get" then settled into the seat for the ride. 29

Nicole reached across the cab of the truck and grabbed her purse, no longer worried about seeming rude to her new, strange passenger.30

"Sure I'll take one!" said Kim enthusiasticaly out of the blue "One what?" Nicole asked. "A smoke, didn't ya ask if I wanted a smoke?, I just assumed since you were going for your purse you were getting one out" Kim casually explained. "They're in the glove box" was Nicole's short reply, now wishing she hadn't used the cigarettes as an excuse to get her purse in her lap. They were HIS cigarette's and this is a stranger. She felt a little pitiful and decided one wasn't going to change much.31

The next twenty minutes they drove in silence, every once in a while she would look over at Kim to see if she was awake, at times her breating was so rythmic she would have guessed she'd dozed off.32

Nicole saw an exit and remembered a little store about a half mile to the east and she decided she needed to pee again, maybe grab some munchee's for the ride home. 33

"I gotta stop at the store?" she told Kim as she made the right off of the Highway.34

"Whatever, I go where you go" Kim was really beginning to bug her. 'NO girly, you go as far as Concrete' Nicole thought sarcasticaly.35

They pulled into the store's parking lot and Nicole noticed it was dark inside. She checked the door, it was locked. She looked at her watch, it was 4:30 a.m. and this is a 24 hour store.36

She thought maybe the clerk was going to the bathroom or something and that he would open back up in a minute. "Dang lady I dunno bout ya all but I gotta pee!" Kim complained as she headed behind the store. "I'm sure he will open back up in minute Kim can't ya wait that long?" she didn't expect a response from Kim nor did she get one. She decided to wait in the warmth of the truck. As she was walking she noticed her slippers and smiled as she thought of her kids, imagining they were with her, Eian would be ducking down in the cab and Hailie would be belly laughing and pointing at her mothers feet. 37

She climbed into the big truck and leaned back against the seat stretching her back, then came forward and rested her head on the steering wheel. She closed her eyes and imagined her husbands smile, his blue eyes and his kindness. She was feeling tired and thought it best that she get out and stretch her legs.38

"Where the heck is Kim" she thought outloud, looking at her watch again she realized Kim had been gone for about ten minutes. "KIM!" She hollered as she walked toward the back of the store. "Are you coming or what, I gotta go". As she turned the corner behind the building she saw what looked to be junkyard. Big piles of junk and motor parts everywhere, cars and trucks scatterd through out the property. "Kim" she yelled again as she slowly walked further into the junk yard, but she heard nothing in response.39

The hair on the back of her neck stood up and she suddenly wanted to be gone, right now. "I'm leaving so if you're coming you better come on now!" she demanded. Still nothing, Nicole turned and began briskly walking back to her truck, not caring at this point what happend to the annoying girl. Right now all she wanted was to get Hailie and go home. Approaching her truck she noticed the engine was running and the door was open. "My purse, gosh darn it" she mumbled under her breath as she ran to the truck thinking Kim must have gone around the other side of building and was waiting for her. 'How rude' she thought, 'you don't get into someone's bag and help yourself' and she was going to tell this Kim just what she thought.40

The closer she got to the truck the more uneasy she felt and she slowed her fast paced gait to slow cautious walk. Again she called out for Kim but still no response. She looked around but saw no tire tracks in the dirt parking lot to lead her to believe Kim had found another ride, there wasn't even a phone booth.41

When she reached the truck she saw nobody was in it, her purse was still there and everything seemed to be as she had left it, everything except the motor was running and the door had been closed. 'Hmmph' she thought, 'To heck with it, if Kim needed a ride she'd be here, not playing some weird little game' fastening her seat belt she pulled out of parking lot and headed back to the Highway.42

She looked at her watch, she had wasted about an hour on getting coffie, picking up a hitch hiker, 'note to self never again pick up hitch hiker!" and playing some twisted hide and seek game. Hailie was probably fast asleep but she wanted to get there before she woke up, she had said two hours not three or four.43

There was about another 80 miles to go and she estimated she would arrive in about an hour and a half. The drive was making her tired, she rolled down the window in hopes that the cool morning air would help refresh her.44

The morning was especially cold and the cool air was brisk, she closed her eyes as she rolled her head from side to side, stretching the muscles in her neck.45

Before she knew what had happend the truck violently jerked from one side of the lane to the other, as she regained control she realized she must have hit something, something big. Her heart was racing and her stomach was knotting, she was sure there was nobody else on the Highway. Maybe it was an animal, the highway was surrounded by woods. "God don't let it be an animal" she prayed as she slowed down. Looking in her rear view mirror, for a moment she thought about just leaving whatever it was that she had hit and continuing on. But the thought of it being someone's pet was enough to make her stop, even if it was a wild animal, the possibility of an animal suffering because of her was something she couldn't live with.46

She sat in her truck with engine idling, she felt foolish but she couldn't help but be uncomfortable about getting out of the truck. It wasn't that she was alone it was the possibility of not being alone out here that frightened her. She had heard stories growing up about the wierdo's who lived in the woods up north, and she was definatley north. "Knock it off!" she scolded herself "just get out and go see so you can be on your way for cryin out loud!"47

Leaving the engine running she got out of the truck. The stillness of the woods seemed unatural but she chalked it up to her imagination. She grabbed a stick off the side of the Highway and continued down the road. Looking around for signs of a dead or injured animal she wasn't seeing anything that would point to that. As she approached the spot where she had lost control of the truck she saw something laying in the road, it looked like clothing. She began thinking it was probably just garbage some jerk threw out his window but she still needed to check. She walked closer and saw it was a gunny sack and again her heart started to race "My luck it would be full of unwanted kittens or something just as dispicable" she said to the nobody that she hoped was not there. 48

Looking at the sack for minute she saw nothing was moving, no signs of life, or death for that matter. She used her stick to push it over so she could get to the opening with out using her hands. It was wadded up, like someone had twisted it closed. Carefully she used the stick to unwind the sack. As she was undoing the twist she thought it would be better to use the stick to dump the contents out rather than to open it up and look inside. After unwinding the opening she stabbed her wooden tool into the bottom of the sack and began lifting it upwards, the contents clumsily rolled down the inside of it's crude container and out onto the road.49

She stared for a second, backing away she nearly fell as she stumbled over her feet. 50

"Jesus Christ!" she screamed and started running to her truck. 51

The horror she felt was keeping her on her feet, it was keeping her moving, she didn't care anymore about anything except for getting to the truck and getting to her children. She jumped into the safety of her truck and in one smooth movement slammed the door shut behind her and locked it. Looking over at the passenger door she saw it wasn't locked, dread filled her entire being, she knew she'd locked that door when she left the store. She jumped across the cab and pushed down on the lock, the door flew open from the wieght of her body hitting the door. She grasped for the handle pulling it shut as she screamed, "Oh My God", 'someone was in here, while I was out there!' She thought as she slowly looked up to her rear view mirror, terrified to see what was behind her but desperatley needing to know. She couldn't see anything but road, miles and miles of road in either direction, then it hit her. Her purse, all her personal identification, her drivers license "It has my address on it" she said, realizing the situation was now much worse.52

'Which way should I go? I have a sleeping teenage boy at home and a crazy blood thirsty manic knows where I live, I have a daughter waiting for me at her friends home in the middle of the woods' thoughts continued flying in and out of her head at thier own will. She knew she had to go, she would be a fool to sit any longer, it was Kim's body parts in that bag.53

'Did Kim tell whoever had done that to her what she was doing or where they were going and why?' She grabbed her cell phone, " Darn it! out of service area!" she yelled and tossed it onto the seat next to her. 'God, it must of have been the creep that Kim told me about' her thoughts were running wild as the panic continued to drive her forward, she just needed to get to an area that had cellular service. She would call the police first, 'Send a cop to her house, send a cop to where Hailie is and then they can take it from there' she thought satisfied with her decision, desperate for her childrens safety. She couldn't begin to fathom the pain if something were to happen to one of them, "Because I picked up a hitch hiker" she blamed herself and thought of her husband, how he always told her she shouldn't be so eager to get involved with other people's dilema's and that she was too sympathetic to people.54

Driving as fast as the truck would move she saw something ahead on the side of the Highway, it looked to be the hazard lights of a car... No... it was a street sign 'Road Work Ahead' with flashing lights and another that read 'Detour'.55

She looked at her watch, it was 6:40 "Let them be here..C'mon someone be at work...PLEASE GOD" she begged as she started to cry.56

Checking her mirrors she was sure nobody could have been following her, she slowed down to a cruise as she approached the area. Looking for signs of workmen she saw the heavy equipment that the workers used but she knew that didn't mean someone was there. They often left their bull dozers and such at the job until it was finished. She continued at a slow cruise desperatly searching for help. About a block away from where the equipment had been parked she saw a trailer, the type used as a moblie office for job sites such as these and her heart skipped, there was a truck parked in front of it. Nicole sped up to the trailer and stopped short of hitting the front of it. Although she was at first relieved at her discovery caution was beginning to take over once again. 57

She honked her horn and waited but nobody came out, grabbing her cell phone she thought to check the service area " YES!" she she said ecstaticly as she dialed 911. A bored voice answered "911 what is your emergency?" Nicole took a deep breath, finding as much calmness in herself as she could, she began to explain "I am on Highway 9 about an hour south of Concrete and somebody has killed a girl, her body... or parts of her body and her head are in a sack about 20 miles south of me in the road..." the dispatch operator interupted her " Ma'am I need to get your name and location" " I already told you I am on Highway 9 about an hour south of Concrete, My name is Nicole Culpepper, Please! I think the guy who killed Kim could be going to my house, or maybe he's..." Again the operator cut her off "Ms. Culpepper who is Kim? What is her last name and do you know who killed her?" Nicole was losing her paitence and becoming frustrated with the voice on the phone, she started to raise her voice "I have no idea what her last name is, I picked her up walking down the highway she said some guy who had picked her up hitch hiking tried to hurt her. NOW I need a cop to go to my address and check on my son cuz whoever did that to Kim was in my truck and may know my address!" The operator sounded a little hesitant as she asked her how the person who killed the girl had gotten into her truck. Nicole felt that perhaps the operator wasn't believeing her "Look lady, this isn't a joke! I need some help" she began to cry, losing the calm she had found before she started the frustrating conversation.58

"Okay, Okay, Nicole I believe you, what I need you to do is sit tight. I have officers on the way" 59

"SIT TIGHT" Nicole repeated to the operator in disbelief, "What do you mean?, Didn't you hear me? Someone needs to get to my son...NOW and I have to get to my daughter!" Nicole could hear the lady typing for the second before she replied "Where is your daughter ma'am?" "At a friends house in Concrete, I was on my way to pick her up from a sleep over when this nightmare started, I'm afraid Kim may have told him where I was going." The operator informed her they would send an officer to check on Hailie as well Eian and then asked, " Nicole did Kim know where in Concrete you were going?" Nicole thought hard and realized she hadn't told her, " Oh my gosh" she said as relief began easing it's way throguh her body "No, I didn't tell her any specifics, but I still need to get to her, Hailie hasn't been well lately and I promised her I'd be there... she looked at her watch... over an hour ago" she said with regret. "Nicole, give me the address and I'll have an officer go by and pick up your daughter. You can meet her at the station which is only about 20 minutes from where you are, off of Stanton road. But you have to wait where you are for an officer" the operator paused and Nicole heard more typing and the sound of a police radio. " The officer is only about 15 minutes away, so just hold tight". Nicole gave the police dispatch operator the address where Hailie was and with that they ended their conversation. Nicole sat back in the comfortable seat of the truck, her sense of security returning. Closing her eyes she let her head fall back and began to pray " God, please get us through this, please keep us safe!" Leaving her eyes closed she thought to herself 'I'll wait here, it won't be long now and this nightmare will be over' she thought about Kim and if she had any family. Feeling guilty she wished she'd have been more paitent with her.60

Her eyes were drawn toward the trailer, she was certain she'd seen movement inside.61

"What the..." she watched the windows closely, waiting for something or someone to give themselves away.62

She quickly stole a glance to her rear view mirror with the hopes of seeing a police car approaching but she saw nothing except the deserted Highway. As she looked back to the trailer she was confronted by a man standing in front of her truck. A loud scream escaped her and her heart beat violently against her chest. She was frozen with fear. "Woah, wait a minute lady I aint that scary to look at" he yelled to her. " Who are you and what do you want" She demanded from him. "Actually m'am this is my trailer, I was just getting some work finished inside and noticed ya sittin out here" Nicole stared for a moment then realized it must have him she saw moving around in there "So that was you in the trailer a second ago?" she asked. "Well as far as I know none of my guys have shown up yet, so yeah it was me, why what's the matter with you? ya alright?" Nicole smiled with relief and placed her hand against her chest " you scared the heck outta me". She began to explain what was going on when he stopped her " C'mon inside we'll watch for the cop from in the trailer where it's warm" She allowed him to lead her in the door, feeling safe in his presence.63

Soon she would re think her decision as he locked the door behind her. " What are ya locking the door for?" He just smiled and laughed a creepy little laugh and then mimicked her, trying to sound like a woman "Whadya lock the door for?" he was mocking her, just the way Kim had described. Her spine felt as though it had a million little needles running up it's length, then suddenly everything was black.64

" I don't know officer, she was here for about ten minutes but then took off like she was being chased, probably on that crack drug or sumthin" Nicole could hear him talking, she tried in vain to move but she was stuck, pinned tight into a wooden box. In the struggling she managed to push the end of the home made coffin from the sides of the box. She began wriggling her way out, panic again keeping her moving as she thought of her kids. Standing upright she noticed everything was quiet, she no longer heard conversation. She crept toward the window to peak out at what was going on, she couldn't see anything and wondered what time it was,' people should be showing up for work soon' she thought. Turning around she saw the end of the box he had wedged her into and quickly put it back in place, so it looked as though she had not escaped. Just as she'd finished the door began to open, she quietly rushed to the big metal office desk and tucked herself underneath it, her heart was beating so hard she was frightend it's beats would summon her captor to her. She calmed herself the best she could with breathing techniques she'd done with Hailie during her attacks, then she listened, straining her ears to hear anything that would give her an idea of what to do next. She heard what sounded like something heavy being drug across the floor and then the door opened and closed again. Unsure if he had actually left she stayed where she was, frozen with fear, then she heard moaning and more dragging. 65

Peaking out from behind the desk she saw the Sheriff deputy laying on floor next to the door, he was alive!66

She hurried to him wanting to help, wanting to be helped. He reached up grabbing her arm he whispered " take my gun, shoot the S.O.B" and then he collapsed, releasing his grasp on her arm.67

'His gun, I've never used a gun' her thoughts becoming panicked she grabbed the weapon, unsure if she knew how to use it she sat staring at it until the sound of a car door slamming startled her back to her task at hand. 68

She hid behind a big red tool box, gripping the gun in her right hand and holding herself up with the other, her head was spinning as it had been since she came to. The door opened, she heard more dragging and knew it was the psycho trying to hide the cops body, slowly she moved from behind the tool box, her aim shakey she yelled "Hey!" He dropped the deputies lifeless body and spun around, glaring hatefully at her her started to laugh. Confused she hesitated her shot, he lunged forward but was tripped by the legs of the man who layed on floor between them. With a blinding flash and a deafening bang she shot the gun, the bullet hit it's mark taking him down, he now lay lifeless and still. 69

Hearing sirens she raced for the door, wanting only to be free of this time and place. As she made her way over the two bodies and outside the first of many police cars pulled up. Now it was her turn to collapse, only she was alive, she found herself in the arms of cop, gently he led her to the police car to wait while they secured the building.70

After what seemed like hours she saw the officer who had helped her to his car " Sir, can you tell me what's going on? I need to get to my daughter" he looked at her with confusion and replied "Ma'am, the body of the man you shot is gone, we have man hunt started and I need you to tell me from the beginning what happend today" With his response her world began to spin and once again terror and panic took over as she told the officer " He knows where I live!"71

To Be Continued...72