Candy didn't know how long she'd run. When she finally came to her senses she found herself some distance from her home. It took her several minutes to realize she'd run in the opposite direction from town.

"Oh my God!" the young woman sobbed in despair. She was farther from the Y than she'd been when she started, and it was nearly four-thirty! There were no buses running now, and taking a cab was almost out of the question. It would eat up what little money she had, and payday was nearly five days away! Of course she could ask Chuck for money. But somehow that idea repulsed her. It was almost like prostitution! Then her mother's accusations about her would be right! No, no, she couldn't face that responsibility!

Forcing herself on, Candy bit her lower lip, determined to walk the distance. She'd walked for nearly forty minutes when the teenager was aware of something or someone following her. Carefully Candy turned her head as she quickened her step, rolling her eyes to one side. She saw a large black van trailing her.

"Oh God!" she murmured, feeling fear race through her veins. There were no other cars on the street at the moment and all the shops and restaurants were closed. There was nowhere for her to run if they were to try something! How stupid it was for her to walk all this distance alone! That thought shot through her now.

"Hey, need a lift?"

That voice shot through the night air. Candy increased her speed, refusing to turn her head around. Oh God, wasn't there somewhere she could run to safety? Wasn't there an all-night diner in the area?

"Hey, honey, come on, it's not too safe to be alone in this area."