He leaned forward and stepped over the guard.  He took two steps toward her.  She started backing away and shaking her head.  He stopped and growled, “Don’t you dare!  If you make me chase you anymore today, I swear I will cut your legs off!”

            A car was driving through the parking lot, and she jerked her head in its direction.  She heard him start running at her and she took off after the car.  He screamed, “Judy!”

            She ran in front of the car and started waving her hands.  The car stopped and the woman behind the wheel stared at her wide-eyed.  She ran to the passenger door and tried to get in.  The door was locked.

            She beat on the window and screamed, “Please!!”

            The woman saw the girl’s horrified face as he came barreling toward her.  She turned to the car window and cried, “Please… he’s going to kill me!”

            The woman pressed the button and unlocked the door.  She jumped in and slammed the door shut and yelled, “Lock it, lock it, lock it!”

            Just as the woman pressed the lock button, he jerked at the car door and punched the window.  Both women screamed, and the driver put her foot on the gas.  His hand had punched through the window and had her by the throat.  She was gagging and pulling at his bloody hand.  The women made a quick turn, and threw him across the lot.

            The car sped out of the lot and merged into the highway traffic.

            They drove in silence for 5 minutes.  Both women shaking and breathing hard; the driver slowly said, “Well… I guess I’ll have to reschedule my doctor’s appointment.”

            She slowly turned to the woman, and through cracked bloody lips she whispered, “Thank… you.”

            The woman pulled over and stopped the car.  She looked at the young girl and tears filled her eyes as she said, “Do you need to go to the hospital before we call the police?”

            The girl’s eyes became wide with fear, and she whispered, “No… no… he’ll find me.  I need to hide.  I can’t go to the hospital!  I can’t call the police!  He’ll find me!  He’ll find me!  Please… take me somewhere where he can’t find me!”

            The woman stared at the girl for a moment and shook her head.  She said, “Don’t worry, calm down – - he won’t hurt you anymore.  We’ll tell the police everything about him, and they’ll get him.”

            She calmed down, and realized she couldn’t hide from him… he always found her anyway – no matter where she hid.  She took a deep breath and said, “Ok… let’s go to the police… there are more guns at the police station than at the hospital.”

            The woman stared at the girl for a moment, and then slowly pulled back onto the interstate; headed towards the police station.