[MacGirl]

When Erin finally left the houseboat, it was after eleven. Mac offered her a ride home, but she told him, “It’s OK, Mac. Thanks anyway. Nikki’s place isn’t that far, and I know the way. Besides, I have this.” She held up a container of pepper spray.
“Smart. Well, all right. Just be careful,” Mac answered. “Don’t be afraid to yell if you get into trouble.”
“I won’t.” She turned to Stacey and hugged her. “Thanks… for, well, you know.”
“Anytime, Erin. You know that. I love you, you know.”
“I love you too, Stacey. You’re the best friend I’ve had yet.”
“Want to do something tomorrow?”
“Mmm, I’d love to, but I already have plans. I’d come out to an old friend of mine from high school a couple days ago, and he said some really nasty things. He called again last night, and apologized. He wants to take me to dinner, to make it up to me, he said.”
“Well, that’s nice. Hope he’s rethought what he said to you.”
“I hope so, too. If he hasn’t, well, I’ll just walk away and never talk to him again.”
“Good idea,” put in MacGyver. “Don’t waste your time with people who won’t accept you for who and what you are.”
Erin smiled. She got a kick out of Mac. He was not only sweet and funny, he was also wiser than practically anyone she knew. Stacey said that her dad had seen a lot in his day, had lost a lot of family and friends, and had learned a lot of things the hard way.
“Duly noted, Mac,” she told him, with a mock salute. “Life’s too short to put up with that kind of crap.”
Erin hugged Stacey and Mac once more, and then headed out the door.


“Well, do you want to do something tomorrow, sweetie?” asked Mac. “I think there’s a new exhibit down at the science museum.”
“Oh, yeah, I was seeing something about that in the paper. Sounds very cool,” his daughter answered. “It’s some kind of geology thing, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I think it’s something about gems and minerals. How about we head over there in the evening? It’s likely to be less crowded.”
“Sounds great, Dad. Maybe we could have an early dinner at that new seafood restaurant, too. It’s right on the way.”
“It’s a plan. Your turn to do laundry tomorrow, I think.”
“Yep, it is. I’ll get it started soon after I get up, so get whatever you need washed downstairs tonight or early tomorrow morning.”


Erin walked along the road, heading back towards Nikki’s. It was later than she’d thought, and getting awfully dark. It was also farther than she’d thought. Now she wished she’d taken MacGyver up on his offer of a ride. Well, she could stop somewhere and call a cab, if necessary.
She stopped for a moment, looking around. Where am I? For a moment, she was worried. Had she taken a wrong turn somewhere?
Then she saw a familiar street sign: Forster Avenue. She knew Forster Lane branched off this street. Suddenly she realized what she had done: she had come the long, back way. That was why it seemed she had been walking forever. Erin was tired, and decided to sit down and rest before going on.

Down the street, a car full of men waited. They had seen Erin go past, and Chris, Nikki’s old acquaintance, had recognized her. He had been watching Nikki’s house for several days, and had seen Erin come and go. He couldn’t get her out of his mind. She was pretty, though her hair was too short, he thought. He knew from talking to others that she was very smart and a nice girl. Just the kind of girl I’d like for myself. But she had to go and screw it up, being a lezzie, he thought. So he had gotten a group together, explaining what he had in mind.
“We’ll see if we can get her to go with us and screw with at least one of us. That’ll straighten her out, once she finds out what she’s missing.”
“What if she won’t?” asked Tom, who sat directly behind him.
“Then we do it to her anyway.”
“Whoa, Chris, that’s rape, man,” said Jim. “She’d report us, and we’d end up in deep trouble.”
“I don’t care,” answered Chris. “I’m going to get her however I can. If the rest of you don’t have the balls for it, then you can walk home.”

Erin stood up, ready to try to find her way back. Just then, a car pulled alongside her.
“Hey, honey, need a ride?” the driver asked.
Erin couldn’t see him, and knew better than to get in the car. “No, thanks,” she answered, standing back. “But do you know how I get to Forster Lane from here?”
Suddenly, someone grabbed Erin from behind, and she screamed. It happened so fast she didn’t have a chance to use her pepper spray. She was thrown in the car, and it screeched away.

Stacey woke up suddenly, hearing the phone ringing. She’d had a dream that Erin was in trouble. Pulling on her jeans and a sweatshirt, she headed down the stairs to answer it.
But Mac was already awake, and on the phone.
“No, Nikki, she left here around eleven. I tried to get her to accept a ride back to your place, but you know how stubborn she is. Yeah, that’s a good idea. OK, keep us posted.” He turned around, and saw his daughter standing there.
“It’s Erin, isn’t it?” she asked. “She’s in trouble.”
“How…?” He looked baffled.
“I had a dream that she was in trouble,” answered Stacey. “Oh, Daddy, if she’s hurt…” Fear washed over her.
“We don’t know that, Stacey, not yet. Don’t let your imagination get ahead of you,” he told her. But she saw the concern in his eyes, and knew he was frightened for Erin. “Nikki called the police when she wasn’t home by eleven-forty-five.” It was now almost one in the morning. “They’re out looking. They’ll find her, honey.”

Erin couldn’t scream, and could barely breathe. She was pinned down under a huge man, who was assaulting her. There were others around, though how many, she couldn’t see. She had been blindfolded as soon as she was dragged into the car. She could hear their voices though, egging him on. Her clothes were torn, and she knew she was bleeding. The pain was worse than anything she could imagine.
She tried to focus on her surroundings, on remembering the sounds around her. Wherever she was, it was echoey, like a warehouse or something. And she had counted at least four voices, maybe more.
Oh, God, please just let me survive this, she prayed.

Back at MacGyver’s houseboat, Stacey couldn’t sleep. She was pacing the living room. Finally, she stopped and looked at her father, who was pretending to be interested in a magazine.
“Dad, I have to go out there,” she told him, heading for the closet. “I can’t just sit here and wait. Erin could be hurt, or even…” She couldn’t say it. She swallowed, as Mac came over to her. “I have to at least try.”
Mac looked at his daughter, and knew she was determined. “Then I’m going with you,” he answered. “If someone has hurt Erin, they might still be around, and dangerous.” He grabbed both their jackets. “We’ll start by tracing her route to Nikki’s. Maybe something along the way will tell us where she’s gone.”
They went out and got in the jeep. “I just hope we’re not too late,” said Stacey.

Erin lay alone in the old warehouse. The men who had raped and beaten her had apparently become frightened when she lost consciousness, and they had all run. She was fading in and out of awareness, and knew she was dying, but also knew she had to find a way to alert someone to where she was. She had deliberately dropped her jacket at the corner where she was grabbed, and just hoped someone would find it. But the warehouse where she was now was way out in the old industrial part of town, where one building looked just like the next.
She also wanted to leave a note for Stacey. Stacey was the dearest friend she’d ever had, like a sister.
Erin pulled herself up, and crawled to where her bag lay. She pulled out the small flashlight she always carried, and began looking around.

Mac and Stacey drove along the quiet back streets that led to Nikki’s. No sign of Erin yet.
“You know, Dad, I’m wondering if she might have gone the long way instead. Erin doesn’t know this neighborhood that well, and in the dark, she might have taken a wrong turn.”
“Good thinking, honey. It’s worth a shot to cover both routes to Nikki’s.”
A police car passed them as Mac turned the jeep around. “Well, it looks like the police are out looking,” commented Mac. “That’s always good.”
Stacey said nothing. Mac looked over at his daughter, and saw the fear and worry on her face. “Hey,” he said.
She looked at him. “We’ll find her, honey. Don’t give up yet.”
Nikki wandered around her living room, fidgeting with things. She had taken a genuine liking to Erin in the short time she had known the girl. She was angry with herself for being so helpless. She was waiting for Mac and Stacey to arrive, so the three of them could start their own search.
A knock on the door signaled the arrival of her friends. She opened it to find the two of them, looking tired but alert. “Hey Mac, Stacey,” she said. “Come on in.”
“Any word from Erin?” asked Mac.
“Nothing,” answered Nikki. “And it’s almost two. She certainly would have called by now.”
“All right, let’s start thinking. Stacey,” he said, “is there any other place she might have gone? Any place she might have taken a rest?”
“I can’t think of anything. Maybe the best thing to do is to walk the long route, with flashlights. We might find something we would miss while in the car.”
“Not a bad idea. Let’s do it,” put in Nikki. “I have flashlights, and with all three of us together, we should be fine.”
“No, not all three of us,” answered Mac. “You and me, Nikki. Stacey, you stay here in case the police call.”
“Sorry, Dad, but no way,” she answered. “Erin’s my friend. I’m going to look for her.”
“Honey, what if we find her hurt, or worse? I don’t want you to have to see that.”
“Dad, quit protecting me!” she snapped. “I’ve seen some awful stuff in my lifetime… I was there when my dad died,” she said quietly. “It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t an easy death for him. And I saw the militia kill a man.”
“Oh, God, you never told me about that,” he answered, stunned.
“I testified to it in court. I guess you and Pete had stepped out for a minute.” She was quiet a moment. “I’ve promised Erin that I’ll be there for her, whatever happens. If she’s dying, I don’t want her to be alone.”
Mac could see that his daughter’s mind was made up. This is one of those times when it’s pointless to argue with her, he thought. “Well, all right, then. Nikki, are you OK with staying?”
“Sure. You know this area better than I do anyway, Mac. You have my number, right?”
“Of course. You have Stacey’s cell number?”
Nikki picked up her address book. “Right here.”
“We’ll be in touch if we find anything. Return the favor, will you?”
“You bet. Good luck, you two.”

They left Nikki’s apartment building, and headed along the road, calling Erin’s name as they went. They hadn’t gotten far when Stacey’s flashlight picked up something on the ground at the corner of Forster Lane and King’s Road.
“Take a look, Dad. What’s that?”
They ran to the corner and Mac picked it up. It was a red jacket, and looking closer, they saw the initials E.C. printed on the lining near the collar.
“E.C. Erin Cahill,” said Mac. “This is definitely hers.”
“So she came this way,” said Stacey. “Maybe she’s still in the area.”
“Not likely,” her father answered. “If she is still around, why hasn’t she arrived back at Nikki’s yet? She’s been missing now for almost four hours. It’s nearly three A.M. Erin doesn’t strike me as the type to wander randomly for that long. Even if she took a wrong turn, she should be around here somewhere.”
“Dad, look,” said Stacey, shining her light on the ground. In the grass, the beam of light caught something shiny. She picked it up. It was a watch, the band on one side of the face torn away. “This is Erin’s, too.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. She wears it every day. And look at this.” On the back of the watch, Erin’s initials were etched into the metal.
“Looks like it was ripped off her arm.”
Father and daughter looked at each other. “You thinking what I’m thinking?” asked Stacey.
“I sure am,” answered Mac. “Let’s go.”

What had occurred to both Stacey and Mac was the possibility that Erin had been grabbed off the street, driven somewhere else, and quite possibly assaulted. They were headed for the old warehouse district, not far away, knowing how many rapes and other crimes took place there.
Stacey pulled out her phone and called Nikki. “Nikki, Dad and I think we might have a lead. Can you call the police and ask them to meet us down in the warehouse district?”
“Yeah, sure. What have you got?”
“It’s Erin’s watch, and it looks like it was ripped off her arm in a struggle. We’re both thinking someone may have grabbed her off the street and taken her down there to… well, do I really have to tell you?” Her voice started to shake.
“No,” answered Nikki. “I can put two and two together. I’ll call the police right now.”
They hung up, then Nikki picked up the phone again and dialed 911. “Yes, I think I have a lead for the officers out looking for Erin Cahill. Erin’s friend and her dad are out looking, and here’s what they found…”

Erin had finished her letter to Stacey. It had taken longer than she had anticipated, both because she had a lot to say to her friend, and because she was getting weaker almost by the moment, losing a lot of blood as a result of the rape. Four men had taken turns attacking her, calling her ugly names as they did so. She could still hear the echoes of their words. Erin shook her head to clear her thinking. She didn’t want her last thoughts to be about that. She wanted her last thoughts to be of Stacey, and Mac, and Nikki, the three people who had stood by her when her family had turned her away.
She found a dry spot to rest, and even managed to gather some soft packing material to use as a mattress. But not yet, she thought. I still have to find a way to signal help. Erin didn’t have much hope that she’d be found alive, but she had to try. And she wasn’t quite as creative as Mac or Stacey, but she did have a good imagination.
Erin shone her flashlight around the warehouse. It stopped on a box marked FIREWORKS. Perfect, she thought. Now if I can just find a way to set one of these off outside. She didn’t carry matches, like Mac and Stacey did. She’d have to find another way.
Suddenly, she collapsed on the floor. She could barely move. She was so tired… all she wanted to do was close her eyes and rest. But if she did, she knew she might never open them again.

MacGyver’s jeep pulled into the lot of the warehouse furthest to the east. The police hadn’t arrived yet.
“We have no way of knowing which one she might be in, or near, so let’s start with this one first,” he suggested, as his daughter climbed out of the car.
“Yeah, we might as well,” she agreed. They both fell silent as they started around the big building.
They had no luck. Erin was nowhere to be found. Just then, the police pulled up. Mac talked to the lead detective, a blond woman named Stephanie Olson, and she said she’d gotten the keys to the warehouses from the owner.
“I talked to him earlier, and he was more than willing to help out, especially after I told him we’d break the locks if necessary,” she told Mac.
They headed for the second warehouse. It was completely empty as well.
Suddenly, a tremendous racket split the night air. In a warehouse in the next row, they saw lights bursting inside.
“That’s got to be Erin!” exclaimed Stacey. “Talk about a way to get attention.” She broke into a run, with her father and Stephanie following her.

Inside, Erin was nearly at the end of her strength. It had taken everything she had to open the box of fireworks, select a few, and scrape her small knife’s blade on the concrete floor to get sparks. Fortunately, a few sparks had landed on the fuses of the fireworks. The racket was deafening, and the light blinding, but if help was anywhere nearby, this should get some attention.
She looked at the folded piece of paper nearby. It was her final letter to Stacey. Though she had thought of writing to her parents, she decided against it. She was still hurt by their rejection, and wasn’t sure they would read her letter. She didn’t have the strength to write another letter anyway.
Erin lay back again, praying that she would be able to see her friend one more time before she died, and that she would be able to talk to Mac or the police about who had done this to her.

[ghostdoll]

Pretty sad

No excuses, of course, but you gotta be insane to walk ANYWHERE when it's getting dark. Heck, I only do it IN PLAIN DAYLIGHT!!!!

Thanks for sharing your story.