Chapter 1

I was driving back to Kentucky after living in Northern California for the last 3 years. I hated that place. A lot of the people were nice, which initially surprised me, but a good many were not. Especially those assholes that conned me into coming to work for them at a data hosting company. I had a good job at a gaming company, making close to 100K a year, and I really enjoyed the company, the job, and the people that I worked with. Along came a headhunter and offered me 250K a year to help start up this new data hosting company. I did what anybody else would have and went for the big money. California is an expensive place to live. 13 months later we had a meeting telling all of us how wonderfully the new company was doing, and that we had enough cash reserves that we could keep operating as we were, even with no new business, for the next 5 years. The next week, they laid off 9 of us that took that company from an idea and made it into a reality. I found out the following week that they hired 5 new people at 60K a year to take over our jobs. Before they walked us all out of the building, they had all of us sign paperwork saying that we would not sue them, and in return they gave all of us 4 months salary and agreed to support our claims for unemployment. I should have guessed something was up them. Oh, well. Live and learn. At least I had enough money to get the hell out of that place and go back home.

I had packed up all of my stuff and had movers pick it up to take back to Kentucky for me and drop it off at one of my brothers' house. I was going to stay with him for a while until I figured out what to do next. I needed the time to myself, so I planned on just driving back and taking my time as I did. The movers showed up late, so I got a late start on my trip. There was no real hurry for me to do anything, so I figured leaving at 11:00 at night was no real big deal. Besides, it was just me going, so I didn't have anyone else's feelings or opinions to consider.

It was after 2:00 in the morning when I got past Reno on I-80, and I was entering that long, mostly flat, desolate area with the signs telling you not to pick up hitchhikers, as they may be escaped inmates. I had driven this area several times before and knew there was no place to stop to get something to eat or drink. Oh, well. Light up another smoke and keep on going. I was keeping my eyes open for a place to stop, though. About an hour later I saw a sign telling me that there was a rest stop a couple of miles ahead. I hate rest stops. I prefer to stop at a truck stop or just a plain old gas station. You run into all kinds of strange people at rest stops. I was thirsty and I had to pee, so I decided to go ahead and stop. I'll just make it quick.

I pulled into the "rest stop" and it turned out to be nothing more than just a big parking lot. There was no building, so I figured no bathroom and no vending machines. I was getting annoyed. I still had to pee. I decided to stop, water a tree, then get my ass back on the highway. I really hate rest stops.

I pulled into a vacant spot next to some beat up old car, jumped out, and trotted over to the closest tree. Finally some relief!

I got myself back together and headed back towards my car. That was when I noticed 4 figures sitting at a picnic table very near to my car. I hate rest stops. You run into all kinds of strange, and sometimes dangerous, people there. My guard was up, but I needed to get back to my car, so I walked quickly in that direction.

As I passed the picnic table, I noticed that it was a woman and 3 girls. At least they weren't 4 big guys waiting to attack and rob me. I relaxed a little bit. As I was just about to my car, I noticed that the beat up old car was smoking or steaming pretty bad. That was when I heard the sob, and a small female voice saying, "It's ok, mama. Somebody will help us. Just have faith." Then more sobbing. Uncontrolable sobbing.