HAUNT DAWGZ STORIES

THE QUEST TO BE A KING

"That psycho called here again?" Dave asked his producer at the news station. "Yeah Dave, we're trying to trace the calls, but she hangs up too quickly." Dave shook his head in disgust. "Thanks Jim. The sooner she's out of my hair, the better!"

He didn't ask for this. Just because he has a type of celebrity status, doesn't mean stalkers can do whatever they want, disrupting his life both professionally and personally. He's Dave King, an entertainment reporter for a television news station in the Houston, Texas area. Dave's office displays many awards for journalism excellence, and for his community involvement. Five days per week, he has thousands of viewers watch him, and become comfortable with him coming into their living rooms via TV. His only issue is someone took notice. Her name is Sheila Ryan. She's a gal in and out of jail, in and out of jobs, but never in and out of love. There has never been true love, until one year ago when she moved to government backed housing about fifteen miles outside of Houston. She obtained an old used TV, and saw Dave.

"Wow! Look at this guy," she said softly to herself upon first looking at his dark, well groomed hair. " He's a sharp dresser too!" When he's looking at the camera, talking about celebrity break ups, celebrity arrests, or just new movies, Sheila believes he is only talking to her.She started by e-mailing the TV station, then escalated by going down in person, having been turned away at the gates by security several times. Through the internet and ten dollars, she was able to get his home phone number, harassing him routinely until he had to change his number. She would start the phone call by saying, "Hello love bug, it's Sheila, the one you talk to five days per week." He would end the call abruptly, never saying a word, hanging up on her as fast as he could.

One day Dave pulled out of his garage intending to go to the gym. As he slowly backed down his driveway, he noticed a woman standing on the far edge of his lawn, almost at his neighbors house about forty feet away. She was in her early thirties, wearing blue jeans with a hole in the left knee, an old faded light blue sweat shirt, and old tennis shoes. Her light brown hair was long, past her shoulders. She was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, so it was hard to recognize any particular face behind the glasses. Dave stopped and rolled down his window and in a curious tone asked, "Hi, can I help you?" The woman smiled and said, "Of course you can! You can help me start planning our wedding!" Dave furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as the woman remarked, "I'm Sheila, the one you speak to through the television!" Dave's stomach instantly pained as a feeling of worry came over him. He pointed his finger at Sheila. " You are not welcome here. Get off my lawn and don't come back. I'm serious! I'm getting a restraining order!" Dave finished backing into the street and drove away. As he drove he checked his side view mirror and saw Sheila now on the sidewalk, waving goodbye to him.

Dave used his cell phone and called the police."Yes, officer. I'm Dave King from the news. Please hurry! She has been stalking me for months!" The police drove past his house but did not see Sheila as she apparently left the neighborhood. The police explained that a restraining order would only be valid if Sheila signed a copy, proving she had been served with the conditions of the order. Dave arrived at the gym and jumped on the stationary bicycle. About twenty-five minutes into his forty-five minute

session, a personal trainer approached Dave. " Hey, Dave, there is a phone call for you at the front counter." Dave took the towel from around his neck, wiped the sweat from his face. "Okay, thanks." As Dave and the trainer walked to the front desk, the trainer asked, "So, that new sci-fi movie isn't that great, huh?" Dave smiled at her and replied, "Nope. Better movies have been made." Once at the front desk the trainer handed Dave the phone. He wiped sweat from his face one more time and said, "Hello, this is Dave King." The female voice on the other end said, "Why hello, love bug. I know you're Dave King, silly." Dave hung up the phone immediately and got terrifying chills throughout his body. "How could she know where I would be, and at what time I would be there?" Dave silently asked himself. Dave did not finish his work-out, and drove straight to the police station. He filled out a restraining order, which he knew was not valid until Sheila had been served with a copy.