Steve’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He reached for it and noticed a text from an unknown number. Steve read it to himself as the room went silent around him:
“I’m always watching you,” the message read.
Steve knew it was Tara or John trying to get in his head. It wasn’t the first message he had received since escaping his hell a month ago, but he didn’t want to involve Jane.
Jane and Steve spent about an hour in the café before the conversation went quiet. The TV in the café had a breaking news report saying Senator Alan was ahead in the polls to be the next United States President.
“I think we should go. I need to finally grade some papers.”
“Good idea. I have physical therapy today and it’s a long drive back,” Jane said as she grabbed her purse.
The two walked outside as Steve held the door open for Jane.
“Where did you park? I’ll walk you to the car,” Steve said as he grabbed her hand.
“It’s OK, don’t worry about it. I’m just right there.” Jane pointed to her car and let the doors unlock with her key fob.
Steve watched Jane walk to her car and get inside.
Again, another text message buzzed Steve’s phone in his pocket.
“You’re next, bitch. I’m in control now.”
BOOM!
Steve fell as Jane’s car blew when she tried to start her ignition. The ground shook, blowing out the windows of the café they just left. Screams were heard throughout the air. Smoke and fire filled the space where Jane once sat.
“Jane! Jane!” Steve yelled as he frantically ran to her car.
The flames were too hot for Steve to try to save her.
No sign of Jane’s existence.
Steve fell to his knees in defeat. All he could do was stare. Stare at the flames that once were a car. The only person that knew what he went through was gone at the hands of John Dexter.
It was at that moment Steve knew it was time to be the hunter and not the prey. It was time to take the fight and the hunt back to his uncle. John Dexter himself. Finish Jane’s mission for justice for his father.
It was time for the hunt behind the woods.
21
Epilogue: Tara
It had been a year since Tara’s release from a mental institution for her bipolar depression. The illness was diagnosed by her mother for blaming the abuse marks on Tara’s face. Even the community of White Pine thought it was Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Tara was forced to have therapy sessions with a psychiatrist. She was wrongfully placed at Pine County Rehab by her psychiatrist, who tried to force himself on her during one of their sessions. When Tara defended herself, he injected her with Propofol to put her to sleep and placed her on a psychiatric hold to cover his wrongdoings.
Samantha tried to get her out, but Tara refused to take her medication in an act of rebellion. Months went by that caused terror for Tara. Not only was she abused at home, but she was bullied in the facility as well for being a gorgeous-looking girl in an out-of-place situation. The woman personally withheld her belongings and refused to give her basic hygiene items so she could watch Tara cry and suffer. The male personnel always tried to make sexual advancements towards Tara, knowing that no one would believe the bipolar girl. This crushed Tara but also made her stronger.
Tara had to continue to fight the other patients after taking too much bullying and name-calling for her pretty looks. Oftentimes, it was she that got the punishment even though it didn’t start with her. After each fight, she had to sit with a counselor to discuss her problems. It was during a counseling session that the counselor suggested that she should use her looks for good. Tara realized she could be a model and an activist for others that suffered from bullying.
She started to comply with the rules of the facility and appear to take her medication, but to only trade it for food on days the mental health aides didn’t feed her. Joint counseling with her mother, Samantha, helped her get released back to her mother’s care. That was a year ago.
Tara opened her eyes from the nightmare that sent her back to her abusive mother. The abuse continued but the help for Tara stopped. She lay there, motionless, as those events at Pine County Rehab gave her the strength to move one.
“If they only knew,” Tara said to herself. “If they only knew.”
It is early morning breakfast at the Murphy home. Samantha is cooking Tara’s favorite sausage omelette, excited to fill out college applications. Samantha is so excited to see her only daughter get a head start in life. For Samantha, college is the only way.
“Tara, come eat your breakfast. We have a busy day looking at colleges for you. I think we should look at one of the Florida colleges since you like the beach climate so much.”
Tara slowly walks in with her phone in her hand as it never leaves her eyes.
“Can we do it tomorrow? It’s the weekend. I don’t have any options for college right now,” Tara responds while keeping her eyes on her phone.
“Tara, you need to get a head start and that starts
today. It’s already June. Before you know it, the Fall semester will start,” Samantha tells Tara as she prepares her plate.
“For the millionth time, Mom. I am not going to college. I have bigger things planned for my future. I can get into acting or something that college won’t teach. Then I’m going to help others.”
Samantha slams the breakfast plate in front of Tara. “I told you those are not real goals. You need an education to get ahead in life or you will end up like me, or worse. College is the only option for success.”
“What, some whore that had a deadbeat cheating husband and got left for another woman? No thanks. I’ll
