(Excerpt from) SHE TEXTED: I NEED YOUR HELP-coming October 15th

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Recently a kayaker was paddling a half mile off shore when a Great White attacked. His broken kayak washed ashore later that day. Days later a family of four was hiking in the forest. They never saw the Grizzly until it was too late. Two family members survived.
 
Who would expect four innocent words to be as lethal?
William Haler

CHAPTER 1

           I had one of those dreams last night. The type that seems so real. A dream that shocks you awake and leaves your heart pounding at a speed you think your chest will explode.
            I dreamed I was standing in a doorway of a room staring into a forest of black unable to see a foot in front of me. Beyond the darkness I heard a female’s voice humming and growing louder. Suddenly two bright, deep set eyes, full of milky white tears, floated above me. The eyes looked familiar. They drifted towards me and a voice whispered my name. I froze. The eyes grew larger; the stream of tears changed to a river of blood.
           
             I woke lying in a pool of sweat. As I opened my eyes and entered reality, the nightmare faded into my subconscious and disappeared. My mouth felt like a dry riverbed with a sticky metallic taste. It was blood from my gums due to clenching my teeth all night. Dentist said it was from stress and said I needed to wear one of those mouth guards.  
            Staring at the ceiling I tried to focus my eyes in the dim light, but it was nothing more than a gray canvas. If I didn’t know the location of the light fixture I’d have thought someone painted a charcoal smudge above me. I didn’t have to look at the time; it was around 6:00 a.m. My heart was still beating like an out-of-control punch press. Breathe William begged the voice in my brain. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Wow, what a dream.
             I rolled out of bed and stood. My muscles felt sore and stiff as if I’d been beat up. As I stretched a picture of those eyes flashed and evaporated like snapshot. I had to force my mind to focus on another ordinary day.
           After showering, I got dressed wearing the same clothes I wore yesterday, including my socks. They were on the third day of my four day rule, except my underwear, they were fresh. After my second cup of coffee I checked my cell phone, which I left back in my bedroom. This is the moment I’ll call the crossroads, when my life changed. There was a text message, “I need your help.” The message was from Natalie sent 4:00 in the morning. 


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