The Incorrigible Night Owl

August 14, 2004

Psych-O-Roni, Chapter Three

This is part three of the story. If you haven't read the first two chapters make sure you check them out before you read this last one!

Chapter One

Chapter Two

We reached the Texas panhandle and stopped in Amarillo to get gas and ice. We were still inside Amarillo's city limits, traveling in the middle of three lanes of traffic and keeping up with the cars around us, which were going about 65. Then, all of a sudden, we were rapidly catching up to a car 10 to 20 car lengths in front of us. Robin slammed on her brakes with an exclamation of, "It's him!" I thought she was crazy -- remember that I had thought the car was silver, and this car was light blue. "Are you sure?" I asked doubtfully

"Yes, I'm sure! I memorized the license plate!" was her response. Sure enough, the plate on the car was from California. And, taking into account how little attention I'd paid to the guy during our rest stop encounter and how dark and rainy it had been on the highway, I realized that I'd been mistaken about the color of the car and that Robin was right. The blue car had been keeping up with the rest of traffic until we'd come behind him, when his speed suddenly dropped to somewhere around 55, maybe less. "Go around him, fast! Try to lose him!" I suggested.

Robin whipped out around him and took off, doing upwards of 80. Once again, we were praying for the appearance of a highway patrol, but none materialized. With police intervention not an option we collectively decided that we should get off the freeway and wait until we were sure the car had gone by. Then we would re-enter the freeway and do exactly the speed limit. If the man didn't see us getting off he would think that we had sped on ahead and possibly try to catch up, when really we would be behind him. We exited and waited in a parking lot for who knows how long -- it seemed like forever.

When we were sure the blue car must have passed our location we got back on the freeway and drove along at exactly 55, looking nervously at each car that shared the road with us. About a mile later the road curved and as we came around the turn what should be sitting by the side of the road, parked in the grass, but the blue car! And the driver, our very own home-grown psycho, was standing outside of his car, watching the passing traffic. At that point, somewhere in the back of my stunned mind, I remembered reading that if you think you are being followed you should confront the person who is following you and look them directly in the eye to let them know you're on to them. So as we passed I turned and locked eyes with the guys and stared him down as we drove by.

We never saw him again and continued safely to our destination.

A footnote: We went back to California a totally different route and so we didn't stay in Tucumcari again on our homeward trip. After we got home, though, Robin called the hotel in Tucumcari and spoke to the manager's wife, who had been so kind and worried about us. The lady was very happy to hear from us and had said she'd been wondering ever since what happened to "those two nice girls" and if we'd made it okay. Another thing that came from this story is that for a year afterward, everytime we saw a blue Honda Civic we examined the driver very closely!!

Legal mumbo-jumbo: This story was written and is copyrighted by Mary B. If I ever find this reprinted without proper credit or plagiarized anywhere else I will kick your ass. And my husband's an attorney so don't think I won't sue you into oblivion. Have a nice day.



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