Epilogue

The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, turning the sky shades of pinks and purples above the ocean. Kate walked along the beach, with Freckles running ahead of her, chasing sea gulls. Kate smiled as she watched him play. It had been about eight months since she had left the hospital after her terrifying encounter in her old dorm room. Kate had missed to many class hours to return, and even if the school had let her, she would’ve been so far behind in the school work that there was no way she could’ve gotten caught up. But that was okay, Kate had a new dream now. She wanted to be a detective; to help victims like she had been. Kate supposed that besides her experience, Officer Adams had encouraged this in her. He had been so kind and helpful.

“It’s beautiful here, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Yes, it is,” Kate replied, turning her attention to Mark. He walked next to her, holding her hand. Smiling, they walked on in silence.

After Kate had left the hospital, she had found Mark coming around to “hang out,” as he put it more and more. One day he confessed to her that he loved her, and always had. He had never said anything for fear of rejection. Kate remembered the few awkward moments, and then she finally spoke her feelings aloud.

Her family, plus Megan and Mark, were on vacation in South Carolina for a few weeks. It was the beginning of summer, and the beginning of a new life. Kate absently raised her left arm and lightly touched her shirt where her long scar lay underneath, remembering.

The nightmare was over. All four people involved in perspective prisons, all sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

Letting her fingers linger for a moment over where her scar was, Kate sighed.

The pain had faded with time, but no matter how long Kate lived, she would never, ever, forget. Kate wasn’t sure of a lot in her life, but she was positive of that.

The End.

[A/N: Thank you to all who have read, commented, and voted on this story. Thank you for traveling the journey with me while I wrote it. I hope everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed dreaming and writing it. My next work will be ‘Soul Payment,’ and I hope it gets as much love as ‘The Facebook Stalker’ has received. God bless. ~Tierney]

[[A/N: 'Erin's Story' is now also on my page...check it out if ya like =) Thanks.]]