Dale kept a fairly good pace heading towards the lights. He hated running in his brown suit but he hated uncertainty even more. He remembered to keep his stride consistent focusing on his breathing and his heart rate. "How did I get there?", he kept wondering. Did it have something to do with that beautiful woman he kept seeing In his mind? As he got closer to the lights he could tell that he was coming upon a small town. Hopefully he could get some answers there. Wanting to keep his composure around anyone he might meet he slowed his pace to a steady walk. With each passing step his breathing and heart slowed. Luckily the night was a little cold so he didn't have to worry about becoming soaked in sweat. As his mind began to wander another bright flash entered his mind. Again he could see the same woman in front of him. He felt somewhat embarrassed. A warm sensation came over his body as the view in his mind panned back he could tell that the woman was barely dressed at all. He wanted to change his focus but he also really wanted to know who this woman was, and she was very beautiful. His vision was like a dream but somehow he knew it to be real. With the grace of an innocent school girl she spun back and forth again and a gain her voice sounded as if it were some dreamy echo in his mind giggling. As she spun her black lacy night gown began to rise a little and even though this was just a memory Dale began to blush.
"I really should be going. It's not right for me to be here", said Dale in his memory. "This type of thing really isn't proper".
The woman continued to spin back and forth as if to just ignore what he was saying. She looked as if she was in her mid-twenties. Not too young for Dale, but young enough that he would probably get some odd looks if they were out together in public. She was about 5'5" and looked rather athletic. Her hair was blonde and curly, shoulder length. She had curves in all the wrong places if you were trying to stay out of trouble. She began to cross the room that they were in and with her left hand began to take down the strap of her night gown on her right shoulder.
BRRRRRAAAANNNNGGGGGG!!!!!!!
Dale was nearly sideswiped by a semi truck rolling down the country road. As his eyes focused back into reality he looked at the cab of the truck just in time to see the driver shaking his fist out the window. Dale was now just about 25 feet from town and he could tell that the settlement wasn't much to talk about. There was a cluster of houses for about two or three blocks on either side of the main road that went through town. There were a few businesses most were now closed permanently. Unfortunately As he proceeded through downtown all the remaining establishments were closed. A hardware store, bank, post office and a gas station. He did see a couple of bars that looked open down a side street. Dale thought about going in one but then he thought better. He really didn't want to go down that road again. He was beginning to think that he was just going to be walking aimlessly all night long.Reaching the other side of town he came upon a diner. It looked like one of those that you would see in a bad detective movie but his legs were sore, his mouth was parched, and most importantly he wanted to find out where he was. He was a bit surprised to see that it was this busy this late at night. However when he looked off in the distance about a mile he saw an interstate that had a fairly decent traffic on it. Seeing the interchange signage he was beginning to get his bearings, but why was he out here? He didn't recall having any business to tend to out here, and the area was far too rural to be in his normal travels. As he drew closer he began to try and tidy himself u a bit. He tried running his fingers through his hair to straighten it up a bit. He didn't want to look like that poor fellow he met earlier and he knew that if he was going to get help to get out of there he was going to do better looking respectable. Examining his suit as he walked he swatted his sleeves and slacks in an effort to dust himself off.
"Hey hot stuff you look lost can I help ya find something?", Dale was caught off guard but there appeared to be a woman leaning against the side of the diner that faced the alley. Dale tuned and squinted trying to she if perhaps she was the woman from his mind. He couldn't really tell she was cloaked in the shadows created by the awning of the diner and the light above. Dale took a couple of steps toward her. His curiosity was getting the better of his judgement. "I knew you would come you always do", she slyly commented.
"Do I know you ma'am?", Dale asked.
She just giggled in response, but something wasn't quite right that laugh wasn't in the tone that he was familiar with. As she came into focus with each step Dale mind began to race. Who was she? Was he supposed to know her? Was this the girl from his mind? When he was about five feet from her he could tell that she was not the woman from his mind. She looked like a working girl. Considering the time of night and the weather she was wearing clothing not appropriate to stay warm. Dale knew to stay away from her. He began to sidestep and head towards the entrance of the diner.
“Where you going honey?”, she asked.
“I got to get inside and find a way back home. You have a nice..” Dale began to say.
“Oh I can help you find home honey. I got all the loving you need.”, she interrupted.
Holding up his hand a bit Dale continued, “No thats quite alright ma’am I need to find out where I am and get home.”
“Gotta get back to the pretty girl huh? I can give you some sugar she knows nothing about.” the woman replied.
“What Girl?”, asked Dale.
“That pretty little girl I saw you riding though town with earlier”, she jabbed with a sigh, “What did she do, leave you behind all alone? A good looking man such as yourself should never be without a woman ready to please you.”
“Do you know who she is?”, asked Dale.
“No, don't you know who she is?”, asked the woman.
Dale’s face gave himself away and she just shook her head in disapproval. “Come on honey lets go back to my place I’ll fix you up just fine.”, she said persuasively.
“Well I do need a ride home”, said Dale.
“Oh honey well how bout I just ride you?”, She continued to stare at him right in the eye as if she was trying to hypnotize him. She began to come toward him trying to close the final feet between them. She got a about two feet away from Dale and he quickly moved backward.
“I aint got time for all this chit chat! Girls gotta make a living you know!”, immediately her attuned turned from sweet to bitter and immediately she turned and walked away. “Go find your little tramp, but don't be surprised if you wake up dead!”
“Wait what?”, Dale began to ask, but she was gone almost as if she had never been there. It was if she vanished. Dale thought for a moment that the whole exchange had been a figment of his imagination. After a short pause he began up the steps to walk into the diner.
