Chapter Sixteen: If it was only a dream.

"Mom! What's he doing?" Ashley screams seconds before the semi truck impacts Clarice's side of the door.

Clarice tries to move the SUV out of the way of the speeding semi but there is no time. The truck impacts Clarice's side and slams the SUV against a cement barrier. Starling unbuckles her seatbelt and protectively puts her arms around her daughter. The semi truck continues to compact the SUV. Glass shatters around the Starlings.

"Mom I'm scared." Ashley cries blood dripping from her head and glass covering her hair and clothes.

"Shh. I know. Everything's going to be OK." Clarice says cradling her daughter. She knew better they probably wouldn't make it out alive. Her left arm was already broken her entire left side felt numb and she was covered in blood and glass.

The cement block suddenly gives way and is sent rolling down the hill. The Starling's SUV follows closely after. Rolling, rolling, rolling. The SUV lands upside down at the bottom of the hill. Ashley lay hanging upside down still suspended by the seatbelt.

"Mom. Mom? MOM!" Ashley calls, no answer

She releases the seatbelt and falls to the floor/ceiling. She's unable to control her right arm. Young Starling feels woozy, most likely from the blood loss but she's unsure. When she finds it impossible to open the car door she crawls through the driver's side window cutting herself more. She doesn't care, Starling wants to find her mom.

"MOM! MOM! Where– where are you?" Starling coughs.

She spots a figure laying on the hill about halfway up. Starling slowly crawls up to her mother. Clarice is laying on her back Ashley takes hold of her hand. Ashley kneels next to her mother.

"Mommy?" Ashley whimpers. "I love you mom."

"I love you too." The voice didn't sound like her mother. Raspy and weak. Deep down Ashley knew her mother was dying. "I'm so sorry baby. I'm so sorry I wasn't a better mother. I wasn't there for you. I realize now that I never told you much about me, I told you everything about Hannibal though. I want you to know even though I wasn't there for you I still love you. I love you so much Ashley. I'm sorry I never gave you a picture of your father, I'm sorry you never got to know him. I'm so sorry."

"It's OK Mom it's OK. You were a very good mother. You taught me a lot mom. You were a wonderful mother, don't you ever forget that. I love you so much mom."

"I love you too Ashley."

The grip Clarice had been holding her daughters hand with suddenly went limp.

"Mom? Mom! Mommy!"

Ashley puts her ear over Clarice's mouth, no sounds. She checks for a pulse, nothing. Clarice Starling is dead. Ashley begins to cry. Fright suddenly overcomes her. Ashley glances up the hill. Could their attacker still be waiting? Who gives a damn anyway. She tightens the grip on her mother's hand, tears pouring from her eyes.

The blaring of sirens suddenly fills the air. EMT personnel begin to make their way down the deathly steep hill. A male EMT reaches Ashley first.

"Are you OK?" He calmly asks Ashley, but she doesn't respond. The EMT checks Clarice's pulse, no signs. He calls the time of death to his partner who was standing next to him.

"Is there anyone else in the car?" A female EMT asks Ashley. She nods no.

"Can you walk?"

Ashley nods yes. The EMT takes her by the arm trying to lead her up the hill.

"Let go of me!"

"C'mon we have to get you to the hospital."

"No! Let go of me! I want to be with her! Let go of me!"

Ashley Starling sits straight up in bed.

"Dammit!" Starling curses under her breath. "Same dream again." She pauses "If it was only a dream."