Prologue
Acrid odor burning my nostrils, looking around the room seems pointless, I can’t breathe… gasping for breath, won’t be able to hold on for much longer… overwhelmed, as if the room were closing in, whole body weak, can’t move.
Disbelief this is happening to me. Grinding my teeth, muscles quivering, pulse speeding, heartbeat pounding, my body’s tense with heat flushing through my entire body. Need to control my emotions, especially my fear.
Someone might find me, need to stay alive… Praying…
I want to scream but I have no voice, can’t swallow, only thing working right now is my brain. So much blood, I’m getting lightheaded, soon won’t even be able to breathe.
Why me? TERROR, ANGER, DREAD…
People say you see your life flash before you before you die. I see only death, nothing but pain now. No one will find me for days, perhaps weeks…
All my life—only thirty-two years old now—why did I want to have a home in the mountains, far away from city life, noisy and nosy neighbors? I wish I had a neighbor now!
My only vision now is through my right eye, blood everywhere, my blood, it all happened so fast…
I had heard a truck coming and had looked out my picture window down the street. Saw coming towards me the big brown box truck. I was happy—my new club chair was arriving. I had made all the arrangements in my living room, positioned my new flat screen TV, got the satellite hooked up, only needed a comfy chair to sit in and watch my shows in my new home. Been here only one month, loving the woods surrounding the home, acres and acres of woods, no neighbor for at least thirty miles away….
I opened the front door. The woman driver was inside the rear of the truck, jostling a huge box onto her hydraulic lift. I felt like a kid again, so excited to get the chair into my new home and enjoy it immediately. I had spoken to my dad about two hours ago, he was tired from a full day of electrical work he’s been working in the city, wished he could take it easier—since my mother’s death he’s been working all the time. Can’t wait to call him tonight and tell him I’m in my chair watching Scandal. He’ll love the chair so much I’ll have to buy another one for his visits. Daughter and Dad watching TV what could be better…
Then it happened—the end of my life, gurgling blood, I never knew what hit me. I had the door opened, the box was being pushed forward, I offered the driver some lemonade, felt a sharp pain at my neck, thought I was losing my head right then and there. Short brown pants walked by me….
I know I’m dying, the blood is gushing out of me, the pain is excruciating…
I can’t hold on, can’t breathe!