The fear in me

Nay

Late in the afternoon we at last see the place name sign I've been waiting for the whole time. I'm dog tired even though Tim and I have stopped several times to fill the tank or go to the loo; my legs feel as though I'm suffering thrombosis. My eyes look dull, my hair is all messed up and looks absolutely terrible. I smell myself and that is similarly unpleasant. I definitely don't want to appear before Jason looking like this. At this moment it's a firm belief of mine that today is not the day when we'll save Jason.

"I can't sleep in the car again," I whine more to myself, "and I need a shower!"

Tim grins and shoves a mini-salami into his mouth. "We could hire a hotel room, maybe there's one here where we can pay with cash! Loom over there, a little B and B ..."

With the remains of the salami, he points to a small blue building ... and in fact, there's a sign: Bed and breakfast – room vacant. Yippee! I'm a darling of fortune! The elderly woman looks at us somewhat surprised and I'm sure she definitely won't give us the room, but then she says without asking for our ID: "How long do you want to stay here?"

"Two nights?" I look at Tim quizzically.

He nods. "Yes, by then we should've got our act together."

So we check in and twenty minutes later we're standing in a small, very flowery double bed room. The walls, the bedspread, and even the curtains are decorated with large poppies. The small white bedside lamps are also decorated at the front with a poppy. Apart from that the furniture is white and actually quite nice. Tim drops his bag on the bed and says, "I'll take a shower." But when he sees my glance he asks sheepishly, "Of course you can go first ...?"

Nodding with satisfaction I take my shower stuff and change of clothes out of my bag and set off for the bathroom. Despite what has happened it'd be nice if could go home with a less selfish Tim; life would then certainly be simpler for him.

When I've finished I do still feel tired, but cleaner. Meanwhile Tim has switched on the TV and seems to be flicking at random through the channels. His eyes light up when I enter the room. "Finished?"

"Sure looks like it," I laugh.

"Then I'll quickly hop under the shower and after that we can go and eat something. I'm as hungry as a wolf."

When Tim goes in the direction of the bathroom I let myself fall on the bed and think about the last twenty-four hours. I still don't know what to make of it all. To look on Sam as evil goes beyond my capacity to understand. He's always been, so to say, a part of my life, so why should he suddenly want to hurt me? And what has all of this to do with Jason? He was interested in him, but why? And what or who is Sam really? Somehow it seems a paranormal world has opened up around me: healers, life takers, and those who can beam away ... remarkable!

Sam was definitely surprised that Jason and I are in a relationship. Is it that he didn't want Jason to have a girlfriend? Is it so incomprehensible because I can touch him? Or has Jason some higher purpose to fulfil? Has Sam perhaps been observing him? I have no idea.

Half an hour later we look for a restaurant. In this small town there is an Italian restaurant that immediately reminds me of Jason. Tim has actually agreed that we go there to eat, and so a little later we're sitting in the place, with pizza and spaghetti by candlelight.

"So tell me that we'll be doing tomorrow," Tim asks while laboriously winding his spaghetti on his fork.

"You should make use of the spoon," I groan. "You're raping the spaghetti with your fork ... the spoon helps you ... believe me!"

And – oh, miraculously – he does it!

"Better?" he asks, showing his perfectly rolled up spaghetti. "Better!" I say with a grin.

"Good! Now maybe you can give me an answer at last."

"I haven't yet done much thinking about it," I admit.

"But Jason said that Lange is evil, didn't he? I mean, he did after all kill Sharon. So isn't it dangerous if we simply go strolling on his property?"

"Maybe we should watch the house and choose the most favourable moment to liberate Jason."

"That's a good idea!" he agrees with me.

We take another look at the map and the address. Our destination is only ten minutes away and is a little outside the town. We decide to go on foot to a certain distance away so as not to be conspicuous. After that Tim zealously works out a plan on how we can hide the car, and later when we're on the way back to the B and B I'm full of energy. Tomorrow I'll get Jason out of there. Yes!

We're just strolling comfortably around the street corner when suddenly a gathering of men comes toward us. They stop and look at us. Tim grabs my hand and wants to pull me past the group. A heavy, tall muscular type blocks our path and Tim says only: "Hey, we don't want any trouble!"

"Nasya Norton?" a stocky pit bull in the group then asks. Tim looks at me in panic and yells: "Run!" turning me around his own centreline away from the group.

Without hesitation my legs start to run. I sprint off, having no idea where I should go. I know it's best to go where there are many people. So I look for people.

I don't trust myself to look around to see what the men are doing. But why is so little happening here? And how come the man knows my name at all? I'm totally flummoxed. I still can't see a single person on the street though I've been running for some time. Then my thoughts go to the Italian restaurant. I have to get back into that place full of people, I think. But before I reach it a hand is laid on my shoulder ... in the middle of my running ... how is that possible?

I turn around in confusion and see the tall muscular man that I just saw in the group of men. He says quite relaxed: "You can stop running on the spot, Nasya! Calm down!" No, I think, and run even faster. "Calm down ... you're just running on the spot," he repeats.

What? I look at my legs, and in fact, although my brain tells me that I'm running a long way, I'm really still on the very same spot. How is that possible? I'm so gobsmacked that I don't know what to say. "Now we'll go on a little trip ..." grins the man, and before I can think about what he means by that, the world around me disappears and draws me into dark nothingness!