Two years later.

Marianne kicked her scooter. Perhaps it didn't deserve her frustration, but it had learned to live with the lumps life had dealt it. Just like she had. She tried to take a deep breath, tried to calm the fuck down...but it was no good. She screamed at the device but that didn't help either. It was dead and nothing she could do would fix that.

Waiting for someone to pick her up was a no go since she was supposed to be the one coming to the rescue. She huddled deeper into her oversized coat and started walking, grumbling the entire way. Lights broke over the nearest hill followed by a beat up old wood paneled station wagon. Her heart raced as it pulled over and a towering figure stepped out of the cab.

"Come any closer and I'll put your head on a pike bucko." The menacing shadow paused in the headlights and seemed to consider her upraised fists for a moment.

"For the love of Mike." He sounded exasperated. "Do you need help not?" She glanced behind her, at the soft glow coming over the tops of trees, and then back at the man and his car. It would take her at least hour to walk. Not lowering her fists she asked, "Are you an axe murderer?" He groaned out something that sounded suspiciously like 'why me?'

"Oh no," He said, voice laced with sarcasm. "I've upgraded to a wood chipper. Makes the whole process go faster." Marianne snorted, despite knowing that he could still be a creep. She decided she'd risk it for her sister. Lowering her arms she pointed at the glow. "I know it's back the way you came, but can you get me to the lodge over there? It's important." He grunted which she took for a yes and yanked open the passenger door. She slid into the seat and he slammed the door hard, but not hard enough as it bounced back open. He got it on the second try and they were off, looking for a safe place to turn around. She chaffed at the delay, but it still was going to be faster than walking. She just hoped it'd be fast enough.

At an unmarked road they slowed to a stop instead of turning around. Aw fuck. Came the panicked thought. I should have known better. The man sounded furious as he growled out, "Where did you get that coat?" She shrugged out of it and threw it at him. "You want it? It's yours! Now either let me out or keep driving!" His eyes went huge in shock before his eyebrows drew back down in anger.

"It is mine! Where did you get it?" She looked at him and then back at the coat. "I don't know. I was out of it at the time." She didn't have time to deal with this crazy crap. Dawn didn't have time. "Someone slipped me something and as far as I was concerned I got it from a giant bug." She turned to the door and started yanking on the handle. "Now let me go, I've got to save my sister!"

A hand gripped her shoulder and she whipped around. The punch was caught by a strong and callused hand. "Whoa tough girl. I'm…sorry. I'll take you." He let her go and pulled the car around. She let out the breath she had been holding as they started in the right direction. Now that she was fairly certain he wasn't planning to recreate a horror movie she replayed what he said over in her head trying to figure out why he went all spooky on her.

Hesitantly she asked, "Why do you want my coat?" He pushed the offending garment back at her. "I don't, but it – and you for that matter – disappeared a while back and it's been driving me crazy trying to figure out if it really happened."

"You were the giant bug with the pretty blue eyes?" She twisted around to get a better look. "Huh. They are the same. Well thanks for stopping that night; you saved me from someone pretty awful. I just hope we get to my sister in time to do the same."