Episode XLIV

The woman with the red hair sat down at the booth across from him. Dennis might have noticed she was pretty if he was paying attention to his surroundings.

"No, you don't know me," Abby said. "You just looked like you needed an encouraging word. What's wrong?"

"I'm having a finals week like you wouldn't believe."

"Let me guess, your professors are trying to kill you."

Dennis smiled. "Well, not exactly. It's a rather long, complicated story I'm sure you wouldn't care anything about."

"Try me," Abby said.

"No. I've already got one innocent person in danger. The last thing I want to do is have to worry about you as well." And with that, Dennis got up and walked out the door, leaving Abby to eat her meal in peace and wonder what that was all about.

All thoughts of the strange conversation vanished from her mind, however, when her cell phone rang almost as soon as she got back into her apartment. It was Maggie.

"You are all over the news," Maggie said as soon as Abby answered. "Remember that lottery ticket you bought last week? You won!"

"What?!" Abby looked for a place to sit down, but since everything was still in the trailer, she wound up sitting on the floor.

"You are filthy stinking rich!"

Abby laughed. "I hardly consider a million dollars filthy stinking rich," she said. "Especially after the government takes their share for taxes."

"Still, I just had to call and tell you!" And with that, Maggie hung up.

Laughing over her friend's weird phone habits, Abby found the number for the Daze Springs Lotto Office and called and confirmed the information. "The mayor would like to present you a check in front of the cameras day after tomorrow. Will that be a problem?"

"No, I'll be there." Abby may not be able to retire, but she wasn't going to pass up this money, that's for sure.

***

After spending a day unloading and trying to get situated, Abby drove back to Daze Springs. She received her check with much pomp and ceremony on live TV. It would, of course, be rebroadcast on the local news that night as well. It seemed like an awful lot of fuss, but they had just started the lottery, and she was the first big winner.

She was just getting back into the car when her phone rang again. "This is the lab. Dr. Jockner would like to see you before you leave town." Then the line was disconnected.

That was strange, Abby thought to herself. But she dutifully drove her car to the temporary trailers.

"I didn't call you," Dr. Jockner said when she arrived. "I'm sorry you detoured out here for nothing."

After stopping by to say "Hi" to Maggie, Abby headed out to her car again. She'd just reached into her purse to pull out her keys when two men grabbed her arms.

"You will come with us, now," one of them said in a monotone.

"Lord Acidity wishes to see you. He requires more capital," intoned the other.

They started to drag her toward the edge of the clearing. Abby could just make out a monster trying to hide in the shadows. It looked remarkably like the monster that had been rumored to be at the lab right before it burned down in the fire. If half of what she had heard was true, she knew this was bad news.

Never one to go along willingly, Abby struggled against her two captors. Naturally, she didn't get too far, but she was able to put her hand back into her purse. Feeling around, she found the pepper spray she had kept there for years and never needed. Flicking the cap off, she sprayed it at first one and then the other of her assailants. The stuff was still strong enough, and they released her and covered their eyes, screaming in pain.

Abby, turned and ran back to her car, hopped in, and drove out of town as quickly as she could, not even stopping at her bank to deposit the check. As Daze Springs faded behind her, she began to stop trembling. She wasn't exactly sure what had just happened. But she knew next time it happened, she would be ready.