Shivering as cold wind brushed across her bare skin, "Close the sleeping bag," she mumbled.
Her fingers felt the texture of dirt instead of a sleeping bag causing her eyes to open.
Turning and staring at her surroundings, where were the woods? Where was Rath? Looking down at her body, where were her clothes?
"A cornfield," she thought, "Why am I lost in a cornfield in my underwear?"
"HA, HA, lovely joke!" she yelled, "Where's in the hell are you, bastard!"
"Humph," she snorted.
She felt the dirt between her toes. Turning around again, she still saw corn stalks. Rows of them.
"I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear
The son…of God…disclo-o-ses
And he walks with me and he talks with me
Tells me I am his own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other…has ever…known."
That song, that voice filled the air. Kate followed it, parting the corn as she went.
A shack in a clearing increased her pace. Getting better look, she was surprised it stand up at all. A strong wind could collapse it. A tire swing hung from an apple tree seemed to complete this scene.
On the porch a white haired black woman sat strumming a guitar. Her humming filled Kate's ears. Kate walked out of the corn field. The humming and strumming stopped. The old lady looked up.
Staring at Kate, "Child, you'll get the death of cold if you don't get some clothes on."
Puzzled, Kate couldn't say a thing.
"Girl, did the rats get your tongue?"
"Rats? Shouldn't it be cats," stumbled from Kate's mouth.
"Now since you can speak, where's your clothes?"
Looking down, "Oh my clothes," blushing, "Lost them along with my traveling companion. Where am I?"
"Hemingford Home, Nebraska," answered the lady.
"Nebraska? Not even in the same state. I'm just lost."
"We're all lost, my child. God usually lights the way."
"You and Rath need to trade philosophy," remarked Kate.
"Rath?"
"My traveling companion."
"You two need to see me," stated the lady.
"Need to see who?"
"Mother Abagail."
"Stupid question, why?"
"The dark man."
Rustling came from the cornfield.
"Rats in the cornfield," came before Kate could ask, "They belong to the dark man."
"Dark man?"
"Him," pointing.
Kate stared towards the pointed direction. Standing behind corn stalks were two red eyes belonging to a dark human shaped mass.
Turning her head back towards Mother Abagail, her eyes widen to the sight of the shack being gone. In fact, the clearing was replaced by rows of corn.
"Mother Abagail?"
No reply.
"Mother Abagail!"
Laughter answered instead. Fear grew. It was the same from her sewer dream. The need to run came after the crutching of corn. Stalks slapped her bare skin. Her feet hurt from the lack of shoes.
Stopping to catch her breath, "Rath!"
The back of a person could be clearly seen through the stalks. Slowly she walked towards the back.
Reaching out her hand, "Rath?"
It turned.
"NO!" as hands grabbed her arms.
"Hello, Kate," came from those menacing lips.
"You're not Rath," struggling to break his grip.
"No, I'm the wicked man of the west," he remarked, "Come to Vegas."
"No, can't leave Rath."
Shaking her violently, "Yes, you will."
A howl stopped him. Something was heading towards them. Feeling the grip loosen, Kate slipped out of his grip.
"Can't escape," she head as she saw no gaps between the stalks.
Something crawled over her feet. Looking down, she screamed and tried stomping on the rats. Hearing laughter, she looked up at the dark man.
A snarl interrupted the laughter. A cougar stepped from the stalks. Again something brushed her ankles.
"Again rats," she thought looking down.
Instead, it was a snake eating the rats. After eating, the snake circled her.
"They can't protect you," said the dark man walking towards her.
A growl stopped his advancement. It was a wolf standing beside her.
"You win for now, but she will be mine," he said fading away.
Opening her eyes, they moved allowing her to see that her head was laying on a bare chest. Lifting her head up saw Rath's face.
"Thank you," she said closing her eyes.