Reintroducing Myself

Hey!

My name is April Thompson and I am a PROUD Introvert!!!

I was born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico, home of the 1947 U.F.O. crash site. When I was a kid my struggle with severe Depression, Anxiety and Attention Deficit Hyper Activity Disorder was REAL, like REALLY REAL. I tried everything to break free from all three, and in doing so, I discovered that listening to music, writing and playing the piano helped ease the symptoms most. I have even played several piano recitals, won numerous competitions and I became a local and state member of the National Piano Playing Auditions for the American College Of Musicians. Though I did really good in piano, my introvert personality mixed with my ailments, beat the shit out of me and my grade school experience. It got so bad that I was eventually expelled my senior year of high school.

Even so, I still went on to earn my high school diploma and I also graduated from college with a degree in Computer Information Systems. At the same time, without realizing it, I dove completely in to writing and reading. I would do it all; short stories, full length books, fan fiction, and I even started freelancing for Yahoo, AOL and their sister sites. Whether I was getting paid or not, writing was my way of coping. It's not easy juggling depression, anxiety and ADHD with being an introvert, especially in a very judgmental world. If people, weren't thinking something was medically wrong with me, than they just assumed that I was being a bitch, far too important to communicate with them. This was and still is completely opposite of who I actually am!

As I tried to deal with and accept being disliked, I again focused everything I had on writing. I ended up writing and self publishing my first eBook, a Gothic, crime drama, The Cutting Club, which was actually a best seller for a long time. Then came Gamers Vs The Dead, Roswell, and The Cutting Club: Reunion. I even designed the covers for each book with the help of my photography skills and royalty free images!

On top of these books, I'm also working on finishing up some anthology collections and other short stories that I may be posting here on the blog. Some of them are funny, while others are scary or make you truly look at the person you are or want to be. Whichever genre or purpose of my books, blogs or short stories, my mission is to distract you all from the stress, fear, anxiety, sadness, and/or irritation you may feel, introvert or not.

That's why I created this blog. I want a space where you and I can vent and enjoy fiction and nonfiction stories of introverts making their way through this mad world. Even if you're not an introvert, you can still find something interesting here that will either entertain or help you to better understand us. Paying homage to my ADHD, sometimes my posts will be long, and other times my post will be short, sweet and to the point. Because I'll be doing Free Writing at times, the grammar and punctuation may not always be perfect, and that's okay. It's my blog and I can do whatever I want with it! Whether I've written about powerful introverts or extroverts in the world, a fictional story about an introvert in some kind of horror, fantasy, romance or crime setting, or if I'm just telling you about my experiences and adventures, you're welcome to comment and share your opinion on everything I post.

So then, now that you know who I am and why I'm here, lets jump into this WHOLE introvert thing! 

Enjoy your fall into the deepest parts of my mind!

Peace

Motivation While Working From Home

Although a lot of the country has opened up again, thrusting crowds of people who are sick of their kids, spouses and pets back into the world, some people, like myself have decided that the world is still just a little too germy for us to risk re-entering society. We have decided to keep on being annoyed, at home, for the sake of ourselves, our families, and everyone we share this earth with. In our house, apartment or parent's basement, we can find comfort, however, it's honestly the most bored we have ever been. So, for those of us who have decide to work from just a little bit longer or even permanently, how exactly do we stay motivated to get work done?

First, let's go over some of the jobs you may be working in or considering working in:

• Freelancing

• Writing

• Virtual Assisting

• Customer Support

• Web Development

• Transcription

• Photography

• Web Testing

• Gaming

• Blogging (Oh yeah...)

These roles, especially if you are able to do them in your own time, are super hard to focus on. I work as a writer on Fiverr, and I also work as an Author. I even have 4 published fiction books on Amazon Kindle! (Please, for the love of all that is good in this world, buy them!!!!) Even though this has been my job for about 5+ years, I still get super distracted, especially with a comfy bed constantly calling my name and my two dogs chasing my cat or barking non stop at every freaking thing that moves outside. “How do I stay motivated with so much distraction?” you ask.

Well, first of all, I make Daily Goals. Daily goals, which can be written on sticky notes or dry erase boards in my office, allow me to prioritize what I'm doing that day. It usually looks like this:

Tuesday Goals!

• Finish Writing Short Story

• Take A Break Time/Play With Pets

• Do Yoga/Meditation/Prayer

• Read Bible or Listen to Devotional

• Work On New Book

• Work On Fiverr Work Orders

This is the glory of being your own boss! You can plan to do stuff like this and it will be when you want to do it. However, some of you are not your own boss and you have to work for other people or companies. In this case, your goals may be drastically different and follow a required time or work hours that you must work during. If this is you, you can still set goals around your breaks and off time. Here are a few of the things you can do with limited time:

• Meditate

• Getting some fresh air

• Taking a short walk

• Run an errand

(For you clean freaks, like myself)

• Do laundry

• Organize your work space

• Clean your pets water and food bowls

• Wash your car

If your too tired to do any of the above:

• Simply sit with your eyes close and relax

The second thing I do is Make a Schedule. Scheduling your task and work time is extremely important. It helps you to not only avoid burnout, but most importantly, it makes it possible for you to not miss certain deadlines. Set aside specific times for you to work on your work, whatever that may be. You can adjust this time to suit either the ease or difficulty of each job or task. For example, in one of my Fiverr Gigs, I offer Company Biography Writing Services. In other words, I write company About Us sections. These type of biographies are usually only about a paragraph long and I require my client to fill out a questionnaire so that I have all of their info. Since I have all of their info and it's only a paragraph long, these types of biographies only take me about an hour. Accommodating my severe ADHD and life's unpredictability, I schedule to work on the biography for 2 hours. The time slot you chose, be it in the morning afternoon or night, is totally up to you. You may have family or other life situations that are more important, so pick a time slot that is perfect for you, and those most important, who need you as well.

My third bit of advice is to Remind Yourself Of Why You Work From Home. My original reason for working from home was because I couldn't find the type of work I always wanted to do, so I made my own opportunities, via Amazon Kindle and Fiverr. There was also the fact that I feel my ADHD, which inspires many of my books, is a true blessing from God and I don't want to waste the talent He has given me. Even when I face those super mean and disrespectful people during my jobs, I always try to remind myself that I have this ability for a reason and I'm not gonna let angry people mess up my destiny. Your reason for working from home may be the same, or maybe it's safer than going out, your doing it to be closer to your family, you could be dealing with a sickness that prevents you from working outside of the home, or you just simply like working in your own space. Use this reason, whatever it may be, as fuel to keep going. It's a tough world out there, regardless of whether you work in or outside of the home. Trust me you will face trials, but when you know your reason for doing what you do, none of the bad, annoying stuff matters. You are providing services that the person coming to you can't do themselves. Take pride in your talent, don't abuse it, and remember to be grateful. There are people all over the world that would love to be in your position.

Peace!

If you would like to check out my books, website or Fiverr Gigs, please follow the links below:

My Books

https://www.amazon.com/April-Thompson/e/B00BD6EGNM/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

My Website

www.5ef960bd203 e8.site123.me

Do You Want Your Own Awesome Website?👇

https://www.site123.com/?aff=5145909

Biography Writing

https://www.fiverr.com/aprilthompson/write-a-professional-biography-for-you

Content Writing

https://www.fiverr.com/aprilthompson/write-professional-and-informative-content-for-you

eBook Editing and Blog Writing

https://www.fiverr.com/aprilthompson/provide-ebook-editing-blog-and-ghost-writing-services

Backlog...

I hate writing things like this. It's just such a sad story in so many ways, but it does need to be spread. Recently, a beautiful little girl named Hania Aguilar was kidnapped and murdered. The man who kidnapped her was also responsible for a rape and burglary back in 2016. The morning of Hania's funeral, this monster was thankfully arrested.

Here are a few facts from Hania's case:

• Hania was kidnapped on November 5^th, while warming up her aunt's SUV in preparation of going to school. During this time she was forced into the SUV and taken away.
• On the 8^th of November, the stolen SUV was found and processed for evidence. During this time a suspect was identified, however, investigators decided not to bother this suspect until they had a body, and referred to Hania as the, “hole,” in the case. Remember, this was just three days after she was taken.
• On November 27^th , her body was found and taken by coroners for an autopsy.
• Hania's funeral took place on the 8^th of December. That same morning detectives arrested a man who had been in custody already since November 10^th.

Firstly, I just want to point out my confusion as to why the investigators waited until they were sure an innocent, 13 year old girl was dead before they decided to make an arrest or release the suspect name. If the SUV was found just three days later, and even if they weren't sure he kidnapped Hania, shouldn't he have at least been arrested for stealing the SUV? The Robeson County District Attorney Luther Johnson Britt said, "When the car was found and the car was processed, Mr. McLellan became a suspect." However, he also said in defense of the investigators, "We believed that the best course of action to follow was to say nothing about him until we had enough evidence not only to arrest him, but hopefully to convict him." According to the American Chemical Society, it takes around “24-72 hours,” to process crime scene DNA evidence. Although the autopsy isn't complete yet, I still wonder if Hania was alive during the time the investigators were waiting for a body. Why did they give up just one week into the investigation? I know they say after 48 hours, you're looking for a body, but Elizabeth Smart is the perfect example as to why that is not always true.

The second part of this, which is equally disturbing, is that the man, if we can call him that, responsible for Hania's death, is also responsible for a rape and burglary that occurred in 2016. Investigators only found this out after the DNA they found during Hania's kidnapping was matched to this crime. Speaking of which, have any of you ever seen those EndBacklog.Org commercials? In the commercial, a forklift carries a woman through a warehouse full of women and men sitting on shelves as she describes her rapist and asked if they have enough evidence, which includes DNA, to catch him. With no answer, she is taken to her spot in this warehouse, next to another sympathetic woman who is also a victim. Chances are high that this woman who was raped by Hania's killer, is also a victim of backlog. Some women, men and children wait years before their rape kits are processed. The most horrible thing about this is that often times, their rapist is discovered after they rape or even kill someone else. In this case, Hania was that someone else. If the 2016's rape victim's kit had been processed and we actually had laws that keep rapist in prison where they belong, Hania would still be alive. So many other victims would also still be here too.

You would think that with movements such as #MeToo, horrible incidents like these wouldn't happen as often. Unfortunately, they still do, and it seems as time goes on, rape isn't taken as seriously as other crimes. It's like it isn't that bad, so why dedicate time solving these kinds of crimes? Don't get me wrong, I know that being an investigator is tough work. Not only do you have to go through real crimes, but there are also the fake crimes that they have to shift through too. People make up lies for attention, money, and even revenge, which takes time, attention and resources away from actual victims. Not to mention, there's only a few detectives for cities of hundreds of thousands of people. Still, I wonder what we can do to stop deaths like Hania's from happening again.

I, for one, am sick of signing petitions and sending letters to presidents and state leaders. I'm just not seeing the governments do anything with those thousands of signatures. Something needs to be done, not promised. There are too many children, women and men who are victims, when they don't have to be. My hope is that one day communities will be able to form their own peaceful investigative units, outside of police departments, that will put an end to, not only backlogs, but also the countless rapes and murders that occur because of it. In the mean time, we can use technology and our neighbors to our advantage. Videos of Hania's killer were nearly impossible to see clearly. To avoid delays in catching or even just identifying potential suspects, camera companies can donate cameras and equipment to neighborhood watch groups. Cameras might save lives, especially in high crime areas. You can even use old cell phones with high definition cameras which can be positioned in a way that protects privacy, but still catches the images of those committing crimes. You and your neighbors can communicate through text, and alert each other or the cops when you notice strange activity. I know this is probably info that is already known, but it's rare if people actually do this stuff. Still, I feel like it's important. If it protects you and your loved ones, it's definitely worth a try.

*I want to send my love and condolences to Hania'a family and friends. Please know that you are in my prayers and that I hope you can one day find peace and comfort. God bless.* -April Thompson 

References

Baez, G. & Glusco, L, J. (2018)Authorities: DNA linked defendant to disappearance, death of Hania Aguilar. Capitol Broad Casting Company.

Retrieved from, https://www.wral.com/authorities-dna-linked-defendant-to-disappearance-death-of-hania-aguilar/18054759/

Bernstein, M. & Woods, M. (2010) Fast forensic test can match suspects DNA with crime samples in four hours. American Chemical Society.

Retrieved from, https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/presspacs/2010/acs-presspac-august-4-2010/fast-forensic-test-can-match-suspects-dna-with-crime-samples-in-four-hours.html

9-11

Every year, during this time, I always hear people talk about where they were when America was changed forever. Some people were at work, on the bus or overseas when the first plane hit the first tower. For me, I was in high school at the time, but that day I had skipped. Even though I was all the way over in Roswell, New Mexico, I remember thinking how eerily silent and weird how there were hardly any cops that my friend and I had to hide from. Once we made it to my house, my friend immediately got onto my computer to search for music and complain about the sounds my classic dial up connection made. I laughed and told her to just turn the volume down, as I put my dog outside. Once I returned, just a few minutes later, she was pale and trembling. I asked her what was wrong and all she said was, “Do you think world war 3 is happening?” I giggled and asked her why she would ask something like that. “Are you already high?” I joked. She didn't laugh back. She just pointed at the computer screen. When I looked to see what she was seeing, all I saw was a flaming tower and the words, “Planes crash into World Trade Center.” I left my friends side and turned on my TV, and just as I did, a replay of the planes hitting each tower was shown. I don't know if it was out of fear or desperation to find the truth, but I began frantically switching through the television stations. Literally every channel except, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Disney was covering what was believed to be a terrorist attack. At 14 years old I had never even heard that term before. My friend apparently had. “Do we go back to the school? What should we do?” she asked panicked. Just then, we heard the distant sounds of sirens. “Is it happening here?” she asked me. All I could say was, “I don't know.” After a few minutes of watching TV, our fears were only made worse but we did realize that whatever was happening it was very far away from us. She eventually decided to go home and I made her promise me that she'd call as soon as she got there, and thankfully she did. I had always loved to skip school, even though my mom hated it. That day, however, I was terrified and I didn't mind if my mom knew where I was. I called her around 11 am from home and she wasn't even mad. She just said that everything would be okay, “stay home” and that she would be there soon.

I hated that day so much. I hated it even more when I found out how many lives had been lost. I kept thinking about how the people in the towers and planes must have felt, the fear they had. The thought was unbearable. It still is today. My mom always says, “just pray.” So that's what I did and eventually my fear went away, but I still felt sadness and even anger for those who had lost their lives. Why them? What did they do to deserve that? It was so senseless and cowardly. I always see where one country was fighting with another. Or a person mad at an organization, belief, life choice, religion, or race. There are mass killings happening all over the world, Yemen, Africa, the middle east, Asia, and America just to name a few. A common thing in these killings is that innocent people always lose their lives. It's not fair. How is it just or right to involve people that have nothing to do with the fight? Most school and other mass shooting or bombing victims don't know the perpetrators. These perpetrators usually see themselves as victims, so it never made sense to me why they would want to create even more victims. It's just sad and pointless. If I learned anything from 9-11, it was to use my voice and to always recognize who the real enemy is. There are a lot of organizations that I have a problem with, but instead of using violence to be heard, I use my words to expose the wrongs that have been done to me. If those wrongs are corrected, than great! If they are not, than I'm okay with that too. Regardless of who you are or where you came from, we all have to meet our maker one day. I find peace in knowing this because one day my enemies and the enemies of Muslims, Gays, Christians, Blacks, Immigrants, etc, will have to explain their actions to the Most High. Trust me, there's never a good reason or excuse to hurt or kill innocent people.

Releasing My Demons

I have had severe depression since I was about 10 years old. Since then it has been like a roller coaster ride. It's just up and down, twisting and turning, making me feel like I might fly over the railings. It is truly scary. I have moments where I'm 100% and I'm super happy and calm, but then, for whatever reason, I just click off like a light. All I want to do is be left alone. I don't want anyone around, I have this constant anxiety that sits in my chest, and I'm constantly on the verge of crying. Sometimes I honestly feel like I'm losing my mind and that terrifies me. I don't want to lose my ability to write or recall songs that were made 40 years before I was even born. I don't want to lose my family or friends, and I definitely don't want to break the promises I have made to myself. 

One of those promises was to never ever give up. I don't know what everyone does and does not believe in. I believe, however, that negativity just sits and waits for you to feel just a little bit sad. That's when it strikes. Negativity feeds off of you like a leach. It forces you to stay sad and angry. It forces you to avoid other people, things you used to love doing, and happiness. I hate negativity, especially when it hooks its claws into your depression and anxiety.  I'm no expert, not by any means. However, I have learned during my 30 years of life that letting go and saying, "FUCK YOU!!!!," to everything and everyone who has hurt you, is the best way to kill negativity. I get that some things are hard to get over. There are horrible, nightmare inducing things in my life that I've never even told anyone about and I'll probably never get over those things. However, I'm not willing to let that shit ruin the things I love. I love music, writing, being outdoors, meeting new interesting people, my faith in GOD, my family, and friends. So, if I can offer any advice to whoever reads this and is suffering from depression and/or anxiety, it is to LET GO of the negativity. Just let go of everything that bothers you or keeps you up at night. It's not worth it! Our happiness is what matters most. Focus on what you love, what's beautiful to you, and remember; Life is IMPORTANT. It may not seem like it right now, but I promise one day it will. I'm still trying, so I hope you can too. If I can keep fighting as screwed up as I am, then so can you! 😆

Peace. 

Copper

Copper

I'm going to call this next story, Copper. By the end, you'll understand why. Everything I'm about to tell you is true. It didn't happen to me, thank God. It did, however, happen to a good friend of mines. For his privacy, I'm only going to be referring to him as DM. Enjoy and remember; always trust your instincts!

Years ago, when DM was only 15 years old, he was sent to visit his grandparents at their big country home. The two story farmhouse had been built in the mid 1800's and many families had called the property home before DM's family did. For some years, people in the small town where the farmhouse sat thought that it was cursed. Since it was built, SEVERAL people had died horrific deaths. In the late 1800's, two sisters hung themselves in the home's foyer, for no apparent reason. Years later, a shoot out erupted between the family that owned the farm and its neighbors. Four people were killed on the property that day. In the 1950's, the newest owner of the farm, a man in his 30's, hung himself in the barn. In 1976, the barn caught fire and killed 3 people on the property. After this, in 1978, DM's family bought what was left of the farm. They rebuilt it from literally the ground up. Since they have owned the property, aside from a few freaky accidents, thankfully no one has been seriously injured or killed.

          However, that streak of good luck ran out when DM came for his visit. He had always heard stories of the house being haunted. He had even seen ghostly figures. Once he saw a woman, that he believes was one of the sisters that had hung herself. DM said he woke up to the woman leaning over him, watching him sleep. Sometimes he would even be woken up to the sounds of gun fire or a thick smell of smoke. He would see men running through the fields and the house and disappearing right before his eyes. The worst, however, were the voices. It was common for he and his family to hear disembodied voices at all times of the day and night. They would hear laughing, crying, screaming, and even conversations.

          These ghostly conversations eventually almost led to DM being killed. While visiting his grandparents, DM was left alone one night when they went out to a Mission meeting. After coming back from church earlier that day, the voices had been non-stop. They seemed especially agitated that day for some reason. All day, DM heard people saying, “No.” or “Leave.” Doors were opening and closing by themselves and the house creaked and moaned like never before. Even with all of this happening, DM decided to ignore them and stay at the farm by himself. The ghost never bothered him or his family, they just needed attention sometimes.

          As the night drew on and it got darker, so did the voices. Suddenly, they weren't just saying one or two words. They were forming full sentences. “We'll kill him.” a deep voiced man said. His voice echoed through the house. “I want out!” a woman screamed. “Shh!” another man urged. For a while, DM stood in the foyer and listened, almost fascinated by the paranormal occurrence. However, a fear and worry was finally starting to creep up in him. Although he had heard these ghostly voices his entire life, his instincts were screaming at him that something was wrong. For the first time ever, he didn't feel safe. Something just wasn't right. Following his instincts, DM left the house running and went to the neighbor a few miles up the road.

          They called his grandparents and told them what had happened. They returned soon after and went back to their farm house with DM. When they arrived home, they received the shock of their lives. Although DM had closed and locked the front door when he left, it was now wide open. The biggest shock, however, was the condition of the inside of the house. It was in shambles. Pictures had been broken, dressers and cabinets had been emptied and the strangest thing was that nearly all of the wires in the house had been cut. The TVs, the clocks, phones, radios, and the appliances all had the wires cut. There were even giant holes in the walls and some of the plumbing pipes had been ripped out. There wasn't a room left untouched.

          This couldn't be a mischievous spirit! Where had everything gone? DM's grandfather called the sheriff, who rushed over with several deputies. After going through the scene, he and the other officers went out looking for burglars. Days later, three people, a woman and two men were arrested in the next town. They were trying to sell the items they had stolen from DM's family home. The situation became even more disturbing after one of the thieves confessed their plans. He said they had broken in after the family left for church. They had started casing the things they were going to steal when DM came home. They had planned to kill DM, however, while they were hiding in the attic they began to hear voices. The voices freaked out his girlfriend and the other man so bad that they thought they had to yell in order to be heard.

          The three were arrested and when their records came out, it made DM grateful that he had listened to his instincts. All three were violent, drug addicts and were wanted for armed robbery, assault with deadly weapons, kidnapping, and murder, among a long list of other crimes. They had targeted DM's family farmhouse because of it age. Old homes always had the best Copper and Copper sold for the highest. To Law Enforcement, these people are called Copper Thieves.

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Copyright © 2016 by April Thompson

All rights reserved. This story or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a review.

Headlights

         It was midnight. Desirae hated traveling at night, but school didn't let out until after the sun went down, so she had no choice. To make matters worse, it was Mischief Night. When she was in high school, Desirae participated in the dangerous, yet, fun night before Halloween. Every year mischievous teens and children would play pranks on the unsuspected. She and her friends would never hurt anyone. Mostly they'd jump out and scare people and egg or TeePee houses. Of course she stopped the tradition when she went to college and matured. Still, every year before Halloween, she would get paranoid. After all the pranks she had pulled, pay back was definitely in store for her.

          A Horse with No Name by America blasted through her speakers as she drove down the lonely, dark  highway. She was enjoying the night ride. It was relaxing to be out there all by herself. There was no annoying congestion of people or cars. It was just her music and her own thoughts. 

          Just as she was basking in her relaxing ride, headlights shown through her rear view window and nearly blinded her. She quickly tilted her rear view mirror down. Whoever was behind her, followed closely. For awhile she ignored them, listened to her music and paid attention to her own driving.

          She had dealt with ass hole drivers before and she knew the best way to handle them was to either let them go around or ignore them. However, this time ignoring them wasn't working. The driver in the truck behind her kept up. Figuring they wanted to go faster, Desirae pulled over to try and let them go around. To the side of the road was a Rest Stop. She pulled in, thinking the other driver would keep straight. However, they followed her into the rest stop. “What the hell...” Desirae said quietly to herself. Fear was beginning to creep up her spine as her car slowed to a stop.

           Maybe the other driver was lost or maybe something was wrong with her own car and they were trying to warn her? Suddenly, the rusty door of the old beat up Ford truck swung open. Desirae watched through her side view mirror as two big, heavy looking boots stepped out of the truck. A man twice her size stood tall and where the light would illuminate his frighteningly tall figure. Desirae was shocked. What could he want? Before she could receive an answer, her shock turned to absolute fear.

          The man, who's face wasn't visible, let a long and sharp crow bar slide down his hand and into view as he moved closer to her car. Panicked and realizing she might be in danger, Desirae pressed her foot on the gas and sped away. Her car kicked up rocks and dirt into the man's face as she left the rest stop. The man angrily ran back to his truck and chased after her. She fumbled through her purse trying to pull out her cell phone. Keeping an eye on the road and gripping her wheel so tight it made her hands hurt, Desirae pulled her phone free. She held it out in front of her and quickly dialed 911, only to hear a loud beeping in her ear. There was no service. Although she could see the city lights, she was still too far away to get a signal.

          The sound of a loud horn made her nearly lose control of her car. The man had caught up to her and was now more persistent than ever. He blew his horn over and over again. The city lights were getting closer and closer. If Desirae could just make it home, she'd be safe. Why was this man doing this to her? Desirae tried to think back through her day and try to remember if there was anything she had done wrong. Could she have cut him off or something?

          Suddenly, the man switched lanes. Thinking back to an old Urban Legend about gang members driving on side of unsuspecting people and shooting at them as an initiation, Desirae swerved in front of him. He slammed on his brakes, but continued his pursuit. Once again, Desirae grabbed her phone, in hopes of getting a signal. Still nothing. She was on her own for now. If she could just make it to the city, maybe he'll leave her alone?

          Finally her Exit came up. Just a few more miles and she'd be in city limits. Knowing this, the crazed man following her became more frantic. He blasted his horn, almost to the point where Desirae thought his horn might die out. He was trying to stop her before she got into town. He was trying to isolate her. Determined to not let that happen, Desirae pushed her car to its limits. Breaking every speed limit law, she sped into the city. Businesses, and thankfully, other drivers were now all around. Thinking this would make the crazed man back off, Desirae began to calm down. However, the man behind her continued to chase her and blow his horn.

         Slowing down slightly, Desirae drove along side another motorist. She blew her horn and got the attention of a car full of teens. They looked at her as if she were out of her mind, as she waved her hands and pointed to the truck behind her. “Call 911!” she yelled. Thinking it was a joke, the teens laughed and drove off.

          “No!” Desirae screamed now in tears. She had never been so scared. The man behind her was relentless. Why wasn't anyone helping her? She drove past too many cars to count and not one of them tried to intervene. Suddenly, it dawned on her what night it was, Mischief Night. They all probably thought it was a prank. The police were probably the same. They had most likely been receiving calls all night from pranksters. They probably wouldn't even believe her if she called them. She was going to die because of that stupid holiday!

          The police station was 10 miles away. Her family home, however, was only 4 miles away. The other drivers didn't believe her, the police might not believe her, but her family would definite try to save her. There's no way they'd just ignore her.

          Desperate to get home and to lose the man following her, Desirae ran a Red Light and made a quick left turn. Just a few more blocks and she'd be home. Still so close that he could be in her back seat, the man continued to follow. His lights, however, were changing. Before they were just a normal, annoying bright. Now they were so bright her eyes were burning. Adjusting her side view mirrors wasn't helping at all. The lights weren't just blinding, they were painful.

          After making another turn, Desirae's house came into view. The old Victorian house sat at the end of a cul de sac. Through the blinding lights, it looked like heaven. Just then, Desirae's phone began to ring. It was her mother. She quickly answered it.

          “Mom! Someone...” Desirae started.

          “Desirae, don't go home!” her mother shouted through the phone.

          “What...Why?” she asked.

          At that moment, the blinding lights eased up. Then, within a matter of seconds, the lights and the truck they were attached to, disappeared. Desirae slammed on the brakes. Her car lurched to a stop. She spun around and stared out her back window. The old beat up truck was gone and so was its driver. He didn't u-turn and drive away or turn onto another block. They were on a cul de sac! He just disappeared into thin air. Just then, Desirae caught a glimpse of the neighbor. He stood in the window frantically waving his hands and pointing at her house.

          “Desirae, are you there?!” her mother shouted in a panic.

          “Yes.” she answered in shock.

          “Stay away from the house! The neighbor called and said that a man had broken in and he might still be in there.” her mother told her. “The cops are on the way.”

          Desirae stared up at her dark house, unsure how any of the nights events were possible. She thought back to all of the people she had passed. None of them saw what she did. Was she the only one that could the truck and its crazed driver? Just then, her eyes caught something nearly hidden behind her house. The street lamp lit up a frightening and familiar sight. Parked behind the house, sat an old beat up Ford truck...

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Copyright © 2016 by April Thompson

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