"Hello?"

"Hi, I'm sorry to bother you. May I speak with P please?" I asked, my heart smashing in my chest.

"Let me check if he's home yet. One minute dear."

"Thank God," I thought. "It's the right number." I went weak in the knees.

"He's coming dear, one moment." I heard a woman's laughter. The low voice of man and others chatting amiably in the background.

"Hello?" A guys voice answered.

"P?" I asked.

"That's the rumor," he answered.

"Hey P, it's-"

"I know who it is,' he interrupted. "Whazz up girl?"

"Uhm well, I'm sorry, I had no one else to call..."

"What's goin' on?" P asked.

"I...I have no where to go. Something bad happened and I have no where to go," I answered.

I could no longer stop the deluge of tears and I started to cry.  Control was no longer mine. I couldn't reign it in any longer, so I just let it flow.

"Hang on one sec," he said.

"Ok," I sniffed trying to stem the tears. I heard talking in the background, muffled unintelligible voices.

"Where are you at?" P asked.

"Near my old place," I answered.

"Ok, I'm not far from you. Just over the bridge. Dad has the van or I would come get you. Can you get here? It's like two miles from you.  Mom says its cool. You can come."  "Really?  Thank you so much!  I'll get there. Just give me the address. I'm walking so I won't get there right away."

"Ok," he said and gave me the address with easy directions.

I knew where I was going and knew I could get there. Thankfully, the rain had tapered off to a drizzle. Hopefully it would stop altogether. I began the walk, the walk that I would take me up the main road, toward the bridge, over the bridge to the first exit. Follow the exit up the hill until I go past two graveyards on the left and one on the right. First street on the right, first house on the right.  That's my target.

I was tired, but my feet were in decent shape. So I kept putting one foot in front of the other with a single goal in mind. Warmth, dryness and perhaps some food. When I finally hit the bridge the wind began to pick up along with the rain. Tiny darts of wetness slicing me from the side. Oh how mother nature can use her arsenal in very effective ways.

I leaned sideways into the wind and pushed myself forward. It seemed like centuries passed before I finally saw the other side of the bridge. Soaked and numb from my head to my toes, I could feel nothing anymore except the wind trying to push me over. I exited the bridge and began to walk up the hill toward the graveyards. My feet were packing it in. I knew they were even though I couldn't feel the pain. Approaching the graveyards, I felt my skin crawl. I didn't know if it was from the cold or from the graveyard or perhaps a combination of the two. I could see people toward the back of the graveyard flitting back and forth like flies. This did nothing to alleviate the creepiness of walking by this deceased occupied place. My journey past it made my feet move faster.

To the left and to the right was nothing but grave stones and old sleeping trees.  The dark people still running back and forth. Finally, the street lamp on the corner lit up my destination like home plate in a baseball field. Passing the graveyards, I felt a little bit lighter and slowed my pace just a tad to match my aching feet. The house looked cheery and welcoming. I could see people moving about within what looked like a kitchen. Attached to that kitchen was a large deck. I wondered if I should go there, or right around the front. I opted for the front door. Climbing the few steps, I opened the screen door and knocked politely on the wooden door. Sounds of movement and people chatting I could hear through the door. Finally the door opened and a very large woman answered with a questioning.

"Hello young lady.  Can I help you?"