Date: Tue, 26 Nov 1996 18:40:28 -0600 From: Danny Lloyd Subject: Re: INT: HWY 41 ----- Margaret was the first to notice the headlights behind, slowly nearing. She turned to see what was clearly a rented Toyota pulling toward them. It stopped and out came a tall man in a dark suit. 'FBI', thought Margaret, who had only recently entertained another, in identical clothing. Margaret already knew why he was there. He had come, like the other, to investigate the bizarre killings in the area. She smiled, knowing some idiot called 'The Squisher' had been blamed for them, blamed by everyone, that is, except the other man in the suit, the one she had - entertained on the desolate dunes not far away. "Excuse me, folks," Agent Cooper said, "Could I be of some assitance?" Cooper knew this motley crew might know something of the dead, pepper-sprayed man he had found a few miles back, but he would he say nothing of that for now. Not yet. After all, he thought, they didn't know he was FBI - so, he had the advantage. He did, however, notice one of the bunch smiled at him in a most peculiar way. Margaret looked at the man, thinking of the blood-orgy she would enjoy later - four fluid-filled mortals in one evening. Highway 41 was being exceptionally kind to her. "Oh Mister," Wanda shrieked in joyful relief, "oh thank you. Thank you very much for stopping. We're all stranded out here. Can you give us a ride back to town?" "Sure," Cooper said, knowing he would have plenty of time to get to know them as they drove back to the city. Plenty of time to get to the bottom of all this. The dark road ahead appeared deserted as the small Toyota sailed past exit 302 and on toward Phoenix. Wanda and Morgan, sitting in the back seat, glared relentlessly at Mark, who somehow found himself sitting between them. Margaret, in the front seat, turned to the driver and watched him as he guided the car along the quiet, late-night highway. She saw him open his mouth to speak. "Did any of you folks run across a strange fellow earlier, a tall, bald man in a t-shirt wearing snake-skin boots?" The agent waited for a reply as Margaret slowly moved in her seat, edging closer to him. ---------------------- --------------------------- Once upon a time there was a boy who met a girl and really liked her. He chased her to and fro and she ran like mad, but then she suddenly stopped and he caught her. They were happy for a long time. Then another boy chased her and she ran and the first boy stomped his foot and the second boy collided with the girl when she suddenly stopped. They were happy for a long time. The first boy cried. But finally she ran again, this time back to the first. She knew he was the one. She finally knew. He was hurt, but he took her back, because he knew too. They lived happily ever after.