It was a normal day in the neighborhood. Debbie was at home today, because it was a Saturday. She turned on her cassette tape player with her favorite music artist: Cher Bono, as she was getting dressed in her bell bottoms from the Sagan’s, the clothing store. She was getting ready to go shopping at Ames in Ticonderoga, NY.

Debbie lived in a rural-style neighborhood. There were trees everywhere! She had neighbors on both sides of her parent’s ranch style house. Most of the houses could not bee seen from hers but were all in the distance. There were not a lot of kids on her street, but she would hang out with the neighbors. They were helpful and kind, and for the most part, everyone knew everyone.

Debbie was a skinny looking, 18-year-old girl. From a poor family, she had a brother, mom, dad, and two friends: Mitzi and Tommy, who were also skinny, just like her. Her grandpa died when she was around ten, while he was hunting. He loved to hunt. At one time he had the biggest deer in the area, and people would come to see it. At least he died while doing what he loved most. He was also a good agitator, but in the end, she took comfort knowing that it was out of good fun

Debbie's parents were skinny as well. She thought they were nice. Her grandparents were also nice in her book. One time, her grandparents, her grandfather in particular, bought her and her brother bikes. How did they know? Well they saw him driving home with them in his trunk. Once they got to his house, they came running to their grandfather saying, “GRANDPY, GRANDPY! You got us bikes”, but he simply replied, “Oh, no, some kids who went to go fishing, so they took ‘em.” He had them fed up for a little while but then finally told them that they were theirs! Oh what a laugh they had. She missed those times.

Debbie had one major dream though, yes she did. Debbie dreamed of the day of getting a new car on her birthday. She had hoped and dreamed, although it never happened. She kept on dreaming, though, that one day, that one lucky day would come.

Debbie was going to Ames because she was going to do her mom a favor. She didn't want to at first because of the mass murderer on the loose in Port Henry. This idea in her mind freaked her out. Just to be sure, she checked the trunk before she went. No one was there. Putting this aside, she got in her mom’s car and headed out to Ames. The constant thought of this mass murderer stayed in the back of her mind while she approached Port Henry.

The trip takes about thirty minutes to go from Moriah Center to Port Henry. As she went, she put her cassette tape full of Cher Bono’s music in the cassette player in the car. Another thought crossed her mind, and it was a dark, horrifying thought: What if this “Mass Murderer” came to our neighborhood, killed my family…

Many other people besides Debbie thought this thought. Many people in her neighborhood thought this as well. They thought: What if he is in my garbage can, what if he is in my closet, what if he is under my bed!

The mass murderer brought the neighborhood together because everyone wanted to make sure that no one was hurt or killed by him. It affected Debbie especially, because she was on her way to Ticonderoga, and the only way to get there was through Port Henry.

People in her neighborhood looked out for each other even before the mass murderer got loose. For example if you were doing something bad, chances are you wouldn’t get off the hook so easily. Since everyone knew everyone, your parents would probably be told, but not because they wanted to be a tattletale, but because they were looking out for you.

Debbie ejected her cassette tape, and tuned into the radio. When she did, the news of the mass murderer was on. One of the radio show hosts started off with:
“Did you hear the news about the mass murderer on the loose, Jeremy?”
“Yes, I have. He is on the loose in Port Hennery, is that right, Scott?”
“Yes, indeed. I can only think of what he is doing now. He is probably trying to find a way out of Port Henery, I would assume…” Started Jeremy. He was interrupted by Scott saying
“He is probably having a mighty difficult time trying to get out. You see, there are police officers inspecting cars as you go by…”
Wait a second. They have police officers checking people now! They must really want justice served because she had not heard of police officers surrounding an area. She cleared her mind and payed attention to what the both of them said next.

***

She could not listen to the radio any longer. She put her cassette back in and kept on driving to Port Henry. The suspense, Debbie thought. She is almost at Port Henry. As she got closer, the more more startled she became. She knew that the murderer was not in the trunk, or was he? She couldn’t remember. This is not good, because now there is a chance that he is in the trunk... Right…Now!

Almost there! The police cars came within sight. Her mind raced as she soon inched to a stop, ready to be checked out by the police. She was confident that nothing bad was going to happen until she heard the police officer say

“Ma’am, please step out of the vehicle.”

“Of course,” she replied.

She looked up at the police officer. He was a tall man with a grey uniform on. She saw his shiny, metallic looking badge. Now, she was frightened.

As she stepped out of the vehicle, the cool autumn breeze whooshed into her face. The police officer then explained what he was going to do.

“As you know, there is a wild murderer on the loose, so we are checking cars as they come in and out for the suspect. Now if we can have a look…”

She knew it was time. She unlocked the trunk latch with her sweating, shacking fingers. Now is the time. This is the moment of truth. It is time to see if the mass murderer is trying to hitch a ride in her parent’s car.

There was nothing there. Thank the lord o’ mighty! Nothing there! I guess you can say she got out lucky and faced her fear, which not so much the murderer being in her trunk, although that would be quite scary, but she was not given anything bad by the police officer. That was what she was mostly worried about.
She then closed the trunk, and went back into her parents’ car, and the officer approached her car. She cranked down her manual window.

“Thank you for your cooperation, you may now continue to where you are heading to.”
“You are welcome… And you do as well.”  she replied.

Now the long journey to Ticonderoga awaited. She cranked up her window and was off as quickly as a horse being kicked in the stomach being told to go. Now what would happen when she came back through to come back home? Well, that story is for another day. But for now… just be aware that there is no mass murderer in your trunk!