Disclaimer: Nope....I don't own The Ring, Ringu, or any of those movies/books. I am just borrowing the characters without permission so that I can write a story. So, PLEASE don't sue me! I also don't own Taco Bell.

Chapter 10-"Is this really happening?"

Rachel shook her head, snapping herself out of a doze. She looked down at her son, who had fallen asleep in her lap. 'What's going on in your head?' she thought, brushing Aiden's hair out of his face. 'What is Samara doing to you?'

"Rachel, I'm going to need to stop for food," said Eric. "What would you like?"

Rachel looked at him, an uneasy feeling growing in her stomach. Something was going to happen when they stopped, she could tell. "Umm, Eric? Are you sure that we should stop? I don't feel good about this. Something's telling me that Samara's going to be there...."

"Rach, if I don't eat soon, I'll pass out, and then Samara will DEFINETLY get us. I'm sorry, but I have to stop."

Rachel exhaled, nodding slowly. Eric smiled at her, and looked out of the window at the passing signs. "Should I stop at Taco Bell?" he asked, glancing over at Rachel. "Is that okay with you?"

"Sure."

Eric pulled over at the exit, driving towards the restaurant. He parked in the truck parking lot, and opened his door. "Rachel, I want you to stay here, okay? So, if Samara comes, you'll be able to get away."

"Eric, I'd never leave you...."

"You might have to....just promise me you'll leave if you see her," Eric demanded, staring Rachel directly in the eyes.

Rachel was amazed by the seriousness in his voice and eyes. He did care about her and Aiden. Smiling, she agreed.

Eric smiled back at her, before jumping out of his truck, and walking, very quickly, over to Taco Bell.

Rachel watched as he entered the building, the door closing behind him. Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. Rachel glanced nervously around, looking at all of the rear-view mirrors. Gently moving Aiden off of her lap, she turned around and glanced into the back of the truck.

Suddenly, she heard someone breathing in her ear. Eyes flaring wide, she jerked her head around, her eyes connecting with her son's.

Aiden was standing on the seat, next to Rachel, looking at her oddly. "Mom, what's wrong? Why did we stop?" he asked.

Rachel let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, honey....Eric's just getting some food for us. We're going to leave as quickly as possible."

Aiden stared at her, unmoving. "Okay," he replied, finally.

Aiden sat down next to his mother, looking out of the window every few seconds.

The silence was broken when Eric opened the door to the truck, carrying four bags of food. "Hey Rach. I didn't know what you liked, so I got you and Aiden some nachos," he said, handing them two bags. "And I got you each a soda," he added, holding out some cups.

"Oh, thanks, Eric," sighed Rachel. "I'll be sure to pay you back as soon as this nightmare is over...."

Eric held up his hands. "Not necessary. You two have been through a lot. This lunch is nothing."

Eric started the truck and pulled out of the parking lot. Rachel felt a great weight lift off of her shoulders. 'I was SO sure that something bad was going to happen....maybe it's over...." She reached into her bag, pulled out a nacho, and put it into her mouth. She began to chew, before she heard an unnatural CRUNCH, followed by a horrible taste. Gagging, she spat the nacho into a napkin. "Oh, my God!" she choked out, wiping her tongue with the napkin. "What the hell was that?" She opened the napkin and gasped, dropping the napkin onto the floor.

Inside the napkin was a centipede, twitching slightly. Rachel looked down at it, shuddering. "Shit," she whispered, coughing.

"Was that in your food?" asked Eric, looking down at the floor. "That place wasn't very clean. Sorry about that."

Rachel continued to stare at the now-dead centipede. A scene from the video flashed through her mind: A centipede crawling out from under a table....

Grimacing, she shook off the thought. "That's alright, Eric. I don't think it was the restaurant's fault."

"You mean....?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Rachel nodded. "Aiden? Samara doesn't want me to eat, either, does she?"

Aiden looked at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and sadness. "No."

Rachel groaned; she was so hungry that her stomach was beginning to hurt. "Great," she muttered, scrunching up the food bag and tossing it to the floor.

"Hey! Don't toss that on the floor! If there are any more centipedes in there, I don't want them on the floor of my truck," said Eric, playfully.

Rachel gave him a sad smile; she wasn't in the mood for humor. She was tired and hungry, and if she slept or ate, Samara would terrorize her. "I think she's offering a trade," she said, to no one in particular. "If I give up Aiden, I can eat and sleep again..but if I don't, I'll probably starve to death. Wonderful. Well, Samara," she said, her voice growing louder. "You can forget about it! I'll choose starving over you taking my son ANY DAY!" Rachel was practically shouting now. "CAN YOU HEAR ME?! I'D RATHER STARVE!"

Rachel stopped shouting, her head beginning to throb. "Eric, I need to eat. If I don't eat, I'll pass out, and I can't let that happen."

"Here, try this," Eric said, handing her a soda. "Maybe it'll help."

"Maybe.." Rachel took a sip, wincing as the soda turned to well water as soon as it touched her tongue." She swallowed the water, coughing.

"What's wrong?" Eric asked, looking concerned.

"The soda..turned to..well water as soon as it..entered my mouth," Rachel said, in-between coughs.

Eric gave her a look of sympathy. "Man," he whispered. "I don't know what we're going to do now.."

"It's okay," said Rachel. "I can live off of well water for a few months..and I can take Samara's horrible dreams if it means my son is safe."

Eric nodded, and then turned his attention to the road. Rachel closed her eyes, immediately falling asleep. It didn't take long before she began to twitch. Eric looked at her, knowing that she wanted him to let her sleep..

-Rachel's Dream-

"Help!" Rachel screamed, pounding on the padded walls. "Let me out! Samara, stop doing this!"

"I can't, Rachel," came a voice. "Not until you give me what I want."

"I'll never give you my son!"

Samara began to laugh. "Rachel, you really don't get it. You're going to die. You can't eat, and sleeping will make you go insane. What are you going to do?"

Rachel backed away from the walls, and sat in a chair in the middle of the room, crying silently. "Don't cry, Rachel. I didn't cry when I was here."

"What?" Rachel snapped her head up, looking at a doctor, who was holding up pictures of Aiden, a well, and a centipede. She gaped at him.

"Rachel," began the doctor, "let's talk about these pictures. How do you make them?"

"W-what? I didn't make those! Samara-she's trying to kill me! Let me go!"

"We can't let you go, Rachel. Not until we find out what's wrong with you."

"No! There's nothing wrong with me!!! This is a DREAM! Eric, WAKE ME UP! ERIC! AIDEN!"

-Reality-

Aiden was staring at his asleep mother, who was beginning to twitch more violently. His eyes widening, he took a hold of her arm and began to shake it. "Mom! Mom, wake up!"

"Aiden, don't-" began Eric. "Don't wake her up."

"I have to! She wants me to!"

"Who? Samara?"

"No!" snapped Aiden. "Rachel!"

Eric, looking bewildered, turned his eyes back to the road.

Aiden continued to shake his mother.

-Rachel's Dream-

"Now, Rachel, you're going to have to start telling us the truth," said the doctor, his empty eyes staring into Rachel's.

Rachel looked at the doctor, whose face was becoming less and less visible. 'Yes!' she thought. 'They're trying to wake me up!'

The whole room began to disappear, being replaced with darkness..

-Reality-

Rachel snapped her eyes open, Aiden's hands still clutching her arm. "Aiden, honey..you could hear me..in your head?"

Aiden nodded, and then released his mother's arm. "Mom, if you sleep, you'll go insane.."

"I know, honey, I know," sighed Rachel, rubbing her forehead. 'What are we going to do?!' she thought. 'I can't sleep, or I'll go insane, I can't eat, or the food will turn into bugs, and I can't drink, or it'll turn into well water. Oh, my God..is this really happening?'

To Be Continued..

A/N-Yea! A pretty long chapter! Are you proud of me? Okay, you know the drill: Review, no flames, just comments/suggestions. Thanks, guys!