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me?” I asked.
    “I wanted to make sure you made it here
safely. We had to pass this way to get home. Please don’t be
upset,” his soft plea echoed down the hall. I smiled, my face
warming again. How could I possibly be upset? … He actually meant
it.
    “Well, thanks….” My smile grew, and he took
my hand and brought it up to his chest. I could feel my fingers
start to shake under his large palm. The hall was deserted, and I
tried to breathe as quietly as possible so Gavin wouldn’t see the
crazy effect he had on me.
    “I’ll see you soon,” he whispered. Giving my
hand one last squeeze, he let go and headed down the hall.
    We stayed up the rest of the night talking
about Holly’s alarming partying habits, and I finally confessed
that Gavin had come to see me at the hardware store. I didn’t tell
Kate I spilled my guts about my father. She had never heard that
story, and I didn’t want to discuss it again. I couldn’t believe it
when I glanced up; it was already past two. Kate finally turned out
the lights. Even though it had been a very long day, sleep did not
find me easily. It seemed I had drifted off for just a moment when
Kate’s alarm rang.
    “You sure you have to go?” Kate quietly
asked, as she got up and helped fold the blankets off the
floor.
    “I’m picking Edna up for Sunday school. Why
don’t you come with me? I can bring you back this afternoon.” She
shook her head.
    “Sorry, can’t. I have a ton of homework, and
I’m a little worried about Hol.”
    “Me too.” I looked at Holly’s voluptuous
frame, which hadn’t moved. “Take care, you.” I hugged Kate one more
time and headed out the door.
    It was still dark when I walked down the
stone steps of the dorm. Swinging my backpack over my shoulder, I
zipped up my blue jacket. The visitor’s parking lot was across the
student lawn, which appeared even larger without the usual heavy
traffic. September mornings brought a chill to the mountains, and
water vapor billowed around my face.
    Holly had crossed the line last night. She
had to learn soon. What if Gavin hadn’t been there? Worse, what if
Gavin had been that kind of guy? My feet slowed a bit as a new
awareness heightened my senses. The dark took on a new, menacing
dimension. I peeked behind me, fearing something unknown; the hair
on the back of my neck stood in defense. I never thought about how
creepy an empty campus could be, especially with the colors leeched
from the full moon’s light.
    Don’t be such a chicken , I chided as I
sped up through the frosty grass, heading straight for the
sanctuary of the Jeep. My nose crinkled; a hint of rancid dirt
drifted on the breeze, reminding me of a rotting compost pile.
Folding my arms across my chest, I stared at the ground,
concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. The
silence was deafening, and adrenaline kicked in. Anxiety made my
blood run cold. Shadows loomed in the distance. Three ominous
silhouettes appeared in the limited predawn light. They seemed to
be hovering over something. Anxiety swiftly became fear.
    The air grew colder, and I pulled my jacket
tight. Fear was growing with every quickening step, every
heartbeat, when out of the darkness something hit the pit of my
stomach. Cold air stabbed my nose and battered my lungs with the
effort it took to breathe. Grainy dots briefly hindered my sight at
the sucker punch, and my knees buckled from the weight of its pain.
I caught my balance and stumbled, but managed to stay upright. I
didn’t understand—there was nothing near me except the night.
    A second wave hit stronger than the first,
and the ache of it had my stomach violently protesting as the
bitter taste of bile appeared on my tongue. Pain radiated from my
center, and for a brief moment I wondered if my appendix hadn’t
ruptured. Shock spiked the adrenaline pumping ... this was not a
physical being—it was emotional, and it tortured me.
    Another wave hit, and my erratic pulse
sputtered. Panic set