Prologue
A WALK IN THE PARK
Jo Ann moved deeper into the darkness of the park, searching for a place to sit and rest and reorganize her jumbled thoughts. She was aware that she was staggering and she was suddenly glad it was night. It would have been embarrassing if the park was filled with people, people who would have stared at her with disapproval ... very embarrassing.
A bench appeared and she stumbled toward it gratefully, collapsing on the wooden slats with a prolonged sigh. I'll just rest for a minute, she told herself sleepily. Just for a minute...
"Well, now," a voice chortled, "Look what I found."
"Hey, we got ourselves a regular Sleeping Beauty."
"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. You got company."
Jo Ann opened her eyes dully and squinted up at the group of teenage boys that surrounded the bench. "Go away..." she mumbled thickly, feeling sick and weak and in need of more sleep.
They laughed and the mocking sound penetrated the fog that enveloped her. A hand slid up the length of her leg and all at once she was sober and frightened. She could feel herself beginning to shake and there was a terrible pounding in her head as she tried to push herself up from the bench. A rough hand shoved her back to it and when she opened her mouth to scream, another hand came around from behind her to muffle the sound.
"Relax, honey," one of them laughed. "You might just as well relax and enjoy it."
Then the hands were lifting her and carrying her away from the bench and through the thick foliage further into the blackness...