Bad Moon Rises - 3

Bad Moon Rises - 3

At State Police Headquarters

Dave was left alone for a short while

he waited impatiently and was feeling poorly.

The officer returned and apologized for taking so long

Dave said, “I’m not sure if I’m O.K. I’ve had a very strenuous night.”

‘Well, if you can come back tomorrow? All I need to see is some I.D

and you can leave. We’ll take you home.”

“Yeah, all right. What time tomorrow?”

“Whenever you can get here.”

Dave showed his driver’s license 

picked up his keys and was released.

An officer drove him home.

Dave walked up the path to his front door.

He noticed a light on the inside.

“Must have left that on all damn day,” he cursed to himself.

Once inside, Dave felt things were not as he left them.

Then, she walked into his view.

“Hey, you! What the hell are you doing here?”

It was the girl from the beach.

“Oh, you’re home." She said casually.

“You stole and wrecked my car!

 And now you’re stealing from my house?”

She was wearing clothes from his dead wife’s closet.

“No, no. That wasn’t me. I didn’t take your car, she did.”

“What? Who? What are you saying?”

Dave was becoming agitated.

“I didn’t steal your car. I’m sorry, man. It wasn’t me.”

“Then who the hell are you? And why

 did you break into my home?”

“I didn’t break in. The door was unlocked 

and the lights were on. I came to ask you for clothes, man.

I live on the streets and everything I had is gone.”

“Look, you're the girl from the beach.

So you’re the one who stole my car.”

“No, it wasn’t me. It was that other girl

 the one that stole my stuff.”

“Are you saying there was another girl on the beach?

Witnesses say it was you that crashed my car. 

They recognized your blonde hair.”

“She had blonde hair too. Dave, let’s

start from the beginning, shall we.”

Dave sat down on his sofa. He looked at the girl

And began to feel sympathetic towards her.

“So tell me your story about tonight.”

She started, “I went to the beach for a swim.

Left my sack with my stuff on the beach.

As I was swimming, I saw her take my stuff. 

I ran out of the water to chase her

But that’s when I had my seizure.”

“Seizure?” asked Dave.

“Yeah, Epilepsy, like you. You don’t have any AED’s do you?”

“I don’t have epilepsy.”

“Yes, you do. That’s why you couldn’t find me.”

“What?” Dave was bewildered.

When I woke from my seizure, I saw you running towards me.

So, I was scared, and ran into the water and swam

underwater for a while. You had taken your clothes off 

but you froze up, had a seizure, and that’s when she stole your keys.”

“I don’t remember having any seizure,” Dave interjected.

‘Well, it happens. I chased her to the parking lot. 

She was getting into your car. I got in at the other side”

“Why didn’t you stop her?’ Dave asked.

“She had a knife. I had to ride with her. I found your registration. 

It’s on the kitchen table. When she turned the wrong way 

onto the highway. I knew she was suicidal. I begged her to let me out.”

“She did,” Dave added.

“Yeah and I made my way back here.”

“That's quite a story,” Dave said as though not believing it.

“Just one flaw though. I don’t have Epilepsy.”

“I think you do. You should get checked out.”

The phone rang. It was the police. They had caught the girl 

who stole his car. The dogs tracked her down, about a mile away

hiding in a dumpster. Could he come in tomorrow to see if he recognizes her?

“I’ll be happy to and I’ll bring a witness that can positively identify her.”