Running away is supposed to be easy. Yet, not too many people do it. They would rather stay in their private traps and suffer. Laurie Strode had enough of being ensnared. She had survived two encounters against a crazed maniac—her brother—and there was no more room for the pain.

"I'm getting back with my girlfriend, Laurie," said Buddy. He was too ashamed to look at her.

Laurie remained standing. The usual pain in her right leg seemed to not bother her so much. It was if Buddy's words were far more painful to her.

"So, that's it?" asked Laurie, "You're just going to leave then?"

"It's not like that…I…There's nothing left for me in Haddonfield," said Buddy.

There is me, thought Laurie, why would you leave me behind? But Laurie stayed silent. Instead, she grabbed her coat, and walked out of Buddy's front door.

"Laurie…please," said Buddy, following her to the door. "Wait."

He sounded heartfelt to Laurie. But he stayed at the door and didn't chase her. That's only in the movies, thought Laurie, as she climbed into her car. Haddonfield was not the land of dreams. It was a town once renowned for its crops. But the town birthed something all right. Something so evil…and it had to be family. That's what Laurie believed, as she traveled down Baker Road. As the rain started again, Laurie wondered why she herself did not break. The night that she spent with Buddy was just that…a night. It wasn't meant to be anything more. He was probably thinking about his girlfriend, as he undressed and climbed on top of Laurie. She shuddered that night, as it was the first real emotion that Laurie felt since the murders. It was all a lie. Laurie finally felt the tears streaming down her eyes, but they vanished into thin air.

Laurie had to get away from Haddonfield. She didn't know where she was going. She just kept driving as if the road was endless. When she regained her senses, Laurie looked in front of her, and saw a shadowy figure on the road. Laurie tensed instinctively, feeling her knuckles going white. But as her car lights shone on the figure, Laurie saw that it was a young girl hitchhiking. Laurie stopped beside her.

The girl looked to be college-aged, and her light-brown hair was blackened by the rain. "Can you give me a lift to a gas station?"

"Oh…" Laurie looked around, and saw the road sign.

"It looks like the nearest one is about twenty miles east," said Laurie. "I don't know this area."

The girl bit her bottom lip in fear and frustration.

"Climb in. I'll drive you over there." said Laurie.

"You'd do that for me?" asked the girl.

Laurie nodded her reply.

"Thanks so much," said the girl.

"You're welcome," said Laurie, "I know how scary these roads can be."

She made a left turn, and proceeded towards the gas station.

"You bet," said the girl, "I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't shown up."

"Yeah…it can be pretty dangerous," said Laurie. The images of Annie and Lynda flashed through her mind. Laurie had to recover herself.

"So…why were you in the middle of the road?" asked Laurie.

"Lester…my boyfriend…dropped me off," said the girl.

"Did Lester expect you to catch the bus?" asked Laurie.

"No…we had another one of our fights," said the girl. "I didn't want to deal with him anymore, so I told him to let me out. I'm going to call my roommate to pick me up."

"You sure you don't need me to drive you all the way…to wherever you're going?" asked Laurie.

"Oh no…my roommate will want to hit a bar," said the girl. "She'll have gotten out of work."

"Well, that's good," said Laurie. "I wish I was old enough to drink…legally."

"It is much better when you're still in high school," said the girl. "You get older and suddenly it's no longer such a bad thing."

Laurie laughed.

"You're giving me a ride, and I haven't even asked your name yet," said the girl.

"It's Laurie."

"Nice to meet you, Laurie. I'm Jamie."

There was a pause after the introductions.

"Laurie, do you mind if I smoke?" asked Jamie.

"No, not at all," said Laurie. "I'm going to go a little slower. The storm's picking up."

"It does look like—"

One moment, Laurie could see Jamie next to her smoking. And then, the tree branch fell on the windshield. And then Laurie plowed into a tree. It felt like a lifetime, but it was probably a mere few seconds.

It was just like the hospital. Her head was spinning just like when Michael was chasing her down the halls. Laurie felt like she was there again. She scrambled out of the car. It was lighting on fire from Jamie's cigarette.

Laurie crawled up the bank, the mud sticking to her body and clothes as she struggled to get up to the road. By the time she reached the road, the car exploded.

Is he behind me? She fell unconscious on the road. The car eventually burned out behind her. Laurie looked up and couldn't believe her eyes. A little girl in a clown costume was standing in front of her. Even though the girl couldn't have been older then seven, she had eyes that looked wise and ancient.

"Follow me," said the little girl, as she raised her small hand to Laurie.

Laurie balanced on her left leg until both legs were functional. She held the kid's hand, and walked down the road. They walked until they reached the gas station.

"You'll be safe here," said the little girl.

"Who…who are you?" asked Laurie.

"Jamie Lloyd," said the girl, in the tiniest of voices. "I have to go now."

Did the little girl say Jamie Lester? No, I think it was Jamie Lloyd.

Laurie turned when she heard a bell ringing. It was coming from the gas station store. The gas station attendant poked his head out at a customer. Laurie turned back to look at Jamie Lloyd, but the little girl was gone. Then, Laurie remembered the accident.

Oh my god, thought Laurie, Jamie's dead…in the car.

She tried to shake off the little girl's image when Laurie realized that her purse was left in the car.

"Hey Billy…come in for a moment…you've got to see this," said the gas station attendant to a guy pumping gas.

"Hold on, let me finish this up," said Billy. He hooked the pump back on, and went into the store.

Laurie noticed that the guy left the keys in his car. It began to dawn on her. They're going to think I'm dead in that car. The girl…the purse. Laurie looked at the ajar car door. It was beckoning for her. And then, she saw Jamie Lloyd in the passenger seat.

As Laurie drove down the highway in the stolen car, she thought of names that she could use. She was saying them out loud, and Jamie Lloyd would disparage them.

"What about…Keri Tate?" asked Laurie.

"It sounds pretty," said Jamie Lloyd. The little girl tried to look over the passenger window, but she was too short. "Where are going to next?"

Wherever Laurie went as Keri Tate, Jamie Lloyd would follow as well. After awhile, she seemed almost real to Laurie. She thought of the delusion as her daughter. In her mind, whenever Laurie feared that Michael was going to get her, she would send Jamie Lloyd instead. She felt that Jamie Lloyd would have a better chance at being unharmed. Who would want to harm such a pretty, innocent girl?

He did it to them, thought Laurie.

As Laurie grew accustomed to her new life as a wife, teacher and mother, Jamie Lloyd had also changed. In Laurie's imaginations, Jamie Lloyd reached adulthood and was finally murdered by Michael Myers. A final sacrifice to a terrible past, closure some would say.

And then…Michael Myers came back for Laurie. This time it was real. It wasn't a trial like Laurie's constant imaginations. He also came for Laurie's son, John. As she fought for her life, Laurie looked around for Jamie Lloyd. If you come back, he will go away. He won't want to harm you if you stay a little girl. When Laurie decapitated Michael Myers—or who she thought was her brother—she looked in the distance and saw Jamie Lloyd in her clown costume. That night, no matter how sadly things would eventually turn out, Laurie and her creation were free.