Town Slayer

Facing the Truth

Summary
Janet finds her husband, Bill bleeding on their front room floor. With the evidence piling against her; she was holding a bloody bat and was covered in blood when the EMT's arrive, the cops accused her of murder. Frightened she runs. She gets a ride from a truck driver named Sam, claiming her name is Jackie.

Seeing the blood on her dress, Sam holds her at gunpoint, demanding an explanation. Believing her story, Sam takes her to a truck stop so she can get cleaned up. He sees a news bulletin on the TV about her being a murder suspect. Not wanting to help a fugitive escape, Sam leaves.

Jackie formerly known as Janet finds out she's been abandoned. She then sees the bulletin on the TV. She runs to the bathroom grabbing hair dye and scissors on the way through. The now red-headed Jackie asks another trucker for a ride. She soon learns he has shady intentions. His gun goes off accidentally. Terrified, Jackie runs for her life.

Henry, an old farmer picks Jackie up and takes her to his house. Hearing about the shooting on the news, Henry and his wife decide to call the cops. Jackie overhears them talking and runs out the back door. She hotwires an abandoned pickup and flees. She loses control, the vehicle veers off the road. Ben finds her and offers to help. He takes her back to his place where they have a romantic encounter.

The assassin tied up, tortured and killed Beth's abusive husband, Steve. Willy, the motel manager tried to force himself on her. She ties him to the bed, tortures and mutilates him. She kills another in an alley. The cops see her, she flees to an old underground hideout. She manages to escape or so she thought.
_____

Jackie is scrunched up into a ball sobbing against the truck door. She relentlessly begged Ben to turn around, but he silently stares at the road ahead. She even thought about bolting from the vehicle but talked herself out of it as quick as the thought came to mind. If I jump out at this high speed, I'll probably end up hurt, maybe dead. Where would I go if I did survive? Besides, I'll have to run from Ben and the law and I'm too worn out to run anymore. I'm tired and fed up with this whole damn mess. She wearily leans against the window. What made me think I could outsmart them anyhow? Me, with my below average IQ. She was told she had a learning disability at a very young age. A fact people taunted her with her entire life. Ben is right, the best thing for me to do is go to the police; face the inevitable once and for all. It's not like my life is worth fighting for anyway.

She recalls her horrible childhood and all the drunken beatings she and her mama had to endure. How her Daddy forced her to have sex with him, while her drugged up Mother watched from afar. She then remembers how the kids made fun of her and anyone she hung out with; causing her friends to be few and far between. A lonely, isolated life for Janet.

___

"What dumpster did you find those clothes in, the goodwill reject bin?" The children laugh.

"Leave me alone." She tries to move around them. Joel pushes her against the wall.

"I've seen homeless people wear better clothes than that," he says. The group laughs again.

"Please, just let me by," she tearfully begs.

"Your daddy should spend money on you instead of his booze and whores. Speaking of whores, how's your mom these days? Is she turning enough tricks to supply her habit?"

___

She then recalls the day her parents died. She hoped things would get better, but they only became worse. She was given to a couple that runs a child prostitution ring; sold to Bill when she hit puberty.