"I hear there's a new guy comin' in today," someone mumbled to Nick from the cell next to his. "Supposedly he's a small little guy. Most of us are hopin' to get a piece of him. What about you?"
Nick shuddered just at the thought of it. Most of the guys there had forgotten about ever being with a woman again ... they'd resorted to males. Nick wasn't one of them. "No thanks, man. I don't get down like that." His mind quickly flashed back to California -- not the state, but his ex-girlfriend -- as it often did. There was nothing much else to think of in a place like this. He'd long since forgiven her for what she'd done to him.
~ * ~ 7 years before ~ * ~
"Nick, I know what happened ..." California stared at him, her lip quivering. She didn't know how it was possible, but she knew that what she had heard Nick admit in his sleep was true. Why else would he be haunted so much? "Nicky ... Nicky, how could you do this?" she began to cry out of fright and confusion. What was she supposed to do now?
Moments later Nick finally responded, though he sounded completely dazed, as if his mind was back in the past again ... reliving all that had happened, "I was 16, Cali. I was 16. I panicked."
Without a word, California picked up the telephone and called the police, "I'm sorry, Nick. But this has to be done."
~ * ~ 5 years before ~ * ~
The shrill screams filled the gas station bathroom. It was so piercing and so unwanted ... and so vulnerable. Amity was quick to hand the baby to her panicking boyfriend. She was so exhausted, so sore, so scared. Surely her boyfriend would know what to do. Right? But the look in her eyes told her he didn't and all she wanted at the moment was for the crying to stop. For the baby to shut up ... and quickly.
"Nick. Nick, make it stop!" Amity began to scream as tears gushed from her eyes. She was so frightened. Why was it crying so much? "Make it stop!!" She'd backed herself into a corner and pulled her bare legs against her chest. Why wasn't it stopping? She plugged her ears and watched wordlessly as her boyfriend began to shake the baby. It seemed to all be in slow motion, but soon the crying had stopped ... completely.
