Chapter IV

haron woke with a start.  She had no idea how long she'd been here, but it was much too long.  It wasn't like her to nap in the afternoon like this.  And where was Will?  How had she gotten here?  And another thing:  She didn't ever lie down in her clothes!

She could not remember lunch, their conversation, or doing any of the things they'd planned . . .  she wasn't undressed, she didn't remember setting her purse there, didn't remember turning the TV on, and she didn't care for game shows.

She turned to look at the clock and realized it certainly wasn't in the afternoon!  It wasn't quite eight o'clock.  Where had the day gone?

She sat up much too suddenly and the headache roared through her head like a freight train, and fell back down onto the pillow.  She fumbled for the remote and turned the volume on the TV down, then finally, completely off.  After a few minutes the pounding in her head made her feel nauseous.  She slowly got up and made her way to the restroom to toss last weeks groceries.

After a few minutes she felt a little better, washed her face in cold water.  She trudged into the little kitchen area and saw a little note.  It was a short note in Wills handwriting that simply said, needed to go out, be back soon.

"Strange," thought Sharon.  "Will doesn't go out alone, what was he thinking?"

She called and spoke with her mom on the phone a minute even though it was quite late, then called Wills parents.  After inquiring as to their well being, she asked if they'd spoken to him lately.

"No, we haven't talked to him in over a week." There was a question mark in the reply.

Sharon didn't respond to the anticipation in Mr. & Mrs. Travis' reply, but quickly said her goodbyes, and hung up the phone.

Her head was still pounding, and she felt nauseous again.  The asprin she'd found in their first aid kit had not taken ahold.  She had no idea as to the origin of the headache pounding like thunder through her head.  No idea as to how she'd gotten to her room, why she was lying down fully dressed, why Will was gone . . .

She felt so all alone and vulnerable.  What was happening to her world?  She lay back down on the bed and slept.  Sometime later, she heard a noise at the door, and was immediately afraid.  She was alone in a room, had no means of self protection.

And it was late!  She looked at the clock.  Three o'clock in the morning and Will was still gone.  She fought down the panic as the handle turned on the door.  She'd pushed the little latch over to secure it, but it didn't look too hefty.

Now she cowered in the bed with covers drawn up to her chin.  After speaking with Wills parents she had showered and prepared for bed and laid down alone.  She wished for a means of contacting Will.  His cell phone had either been turned off or was dead for lack of battery power.

She was worried sick and had promised herself she'd call her Uncle Lane as soon she thought he'd be up.

But now, the door was being eased in, and finally hit the end of the security latch.  She heard a whisper, then heard her name called.  "Sharon, open up, it's me.  William."

Now another question formed in her mind.  Why had he called himself William?  It was always 'Will'.  Never William.

"Will, is that you?" she asked pensively.

"Yes," came the reply.  "I'm in a hurry.  Please let me in!" He spoke crossly.

"William, what's the matter with you?  Why are you talking like that?" Sharon was on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry babe.  I've had a rough night.  I want to shower and leave this place as soon as you can get up and get packed!" William explained.

"Why?  What's the matter?" Sharon asked in disbelief.

"Honey, please!  Open the door and let me in.  You'll never believe what has happened tonight!"  William was getting desperate.

Sharon got up and peeked around the wall by the bed at the door.  It was William all right.  She ran to the door, pushed it too, released the latch, and swung the door wide open.  She rushed into Wills open arms and said "I was so afraid.  Where have you been?"

"I've quite a tale to tell you.  Are you OK?" Will asked worriedly.  "How did you get to the motel?  What happened to you?  Are you OK?"

"Yes I'm fine.  Slow down William and tell me where you've been!" Sharon rushed.  She then noticed the rope burn on his neck, looked at his hands and saw the cuts where the straps had bit into the flesh.

She looked up in horror at him and shrieked "William, you tell me this instant what you've been doing so secretly that you couldn't just tell me outright instead of leaving me a note!  I don't appreciate that at all!"

"What?  I didn't write you a note!  I don't even know how I came to be tied up, and I don't know what happened to you!  But, hurry, get dressed.  We can talk in the car!" William finished and decided to forego the shower.  He started rushing around pushing things into the luggage.

When Sharon saw the ferocity with which he was working she took the hint, threw her clothes on and started throwing things into the luggage as fast as William.  Something in the fervor with which he worked scared her, and she could tell he was very shook up as well.

Within 5 minutes they were packed and ready to go.  William went to the curtain and looked out.  What he saw scared him deeply, and he quickly backed away, sat down in the big chair over by the bed, and just sat there, ashen faced.  

Sharon was horrified.  "William, what's wrong?"

William looked up and said, "see for yourself."

Sharon peeked out the window and her breath caught.  She could not believe what she was seeing.  There, not fifty feet away from the door of the motel, leaning on an official looking car smoking a cigarrette, was the detective, Sgt. Chris James.

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