Turning the radio on, she scanned the channels, looking for a station with music she knew. When she didn’t find one, she settled on one that played Irish folk songs. Once on the highway, she glanced in her rearview mirror. A car she hadn’t noticed before was coming up behind her, fast. Unsure if she should speed up or pull over, she continued at the same speed. If she wasn’t driving fast enough, the other driver would go around her.

When the car hit her bumper, she screamed, not just from fear but also from surprise. Pushing down on the accelerator, she sped up to try to get away from the crazy driver. It didn’t work. The next time the driver hit her was even more forcible and she lost control of the car. When the car spun to the right, Maggie overcompensated by turning the steering wheel too far to the left. She screamed as the car tipped onto two wheels, threatening to roll. Instead, the car continued to spin out of control until it crashed into a solid oak.

When the car came to a stop, she tried to get out, but the door was jammed. Crawling over the seat, she opened the other, gasping for breath. As she climbed out, someone grabbed her hair on both sides and yanked her, the rest of the way. Crying out in pain, she reached up and tried to untangle the hands from her hair. The size of the hands and body of her attacker told her he was a big man. Her stomach lurched as she looked down and saw a pair of familiar boots.