Aurora, Illinois

This Chapter NOT Brought To You By Honda

It was 9:15 on a starless night. Missy Reavers was driving home from a football game where she had played her flute for approximately 47 seconds. She had a love-hate relationship with Marching Band. It had no practical purpose in her life but she could trace most of her friends back to when she started her middle school band.

It was so dark. Maybe it gets darker in the Midwest because of all the farmland. Missy had terrible night vision too. It was a crime that the state let her drive like this but the government only goes so far to protect you.

She could see a white Honda sedan in her rear view mirror. She still saw it there ten minutes later. Was she sure it was the same one? White Hondas here were like Starbucks cups - an unavoidable part of the landscape. She didn't have a clear view of the driver.

Okay, she knew there was a cul-de-sac up ahead. She could turn into it and come out. If he wasn't following her, he should drive right past on the main road.

The bastard tailed her all the way through the cul-de-sac. She was panicking and tried calling her dad from her car's console. Then she remembered he was at the gym tonight and he usually put his phone in his locker. She called her older brother at Benedictine University. It was a Catholic school in their same county.

"What's wrong? You never call me," Ryan said. It was true, but he didn't have to say it like that.

She explained the situation. She asked if she should call the police.

He said, "But then you'd have to wait for the police to show up. Wait, why not drive to the police station? Y'know, the one on 67th street?"

"I don't get it. Why is that better than calling the police from my car?" she asked.

"Imagine you're him. Once he sees you're heading for the police station, he's going to give up and back away. And if he's stupid enough, he might walk right into the hands of the police," Ryan said. She could tell he was feeling pleased with his plan.

Missy ended the call by hitting the red button. She breathed in hard and summoned all her courage. 59th street, getting closer, then 61st street. THRUNK! What was that? The Honda was batting against her rear bumper. Passing 63rd street, God, why did it have to be so dark, 65th street. Quiet. She stared at her mirror while steering the car. The Honda was gone.