Run

By Joanna Hope

Mariah was training for a marathon when she met him.He was sweet and attentive. She'd never given much thought to fate, but he made her a believer. They even frequented the same coffee shop and pizza parlor. Her friends hated him.They rode home together for Thanksgiving; her house was only six hours out of his way. Her siblings hated him, and her parents were wary.After they graduated, he still wanted to get married. Her family still opposed. She asked him to be patient.He called every night. He said he wanted hers to be the last voice he heard. He made the drive every other weekend to visit. Whenever he was around, none of her other friends were.Then one night Mariah didn't answer her phone. He jumped in his car and rushed to town, and found her in the hospital. At her bedside, he met the friend she'd carpooled with. He accused her of cheating and stormed out.He came back, after her bruises faded and the shallow cuts healed. He said he'd take her home and take care of her. He'd bring her back to visit. She'd see; he was everything she needed.After another explosive fight, she never saw him again.The trouble started as wordless, late-night phone calls. A bouquet of roses. Her car 'borrowed' and the gas tank filled. A tire slashed.She saw a silver car everywhere she went. The phone calls kept coming; to a series of disposable cells. His mom called, worried, because he'd walked away from his job and apartment.She and her brother moved, to a town several miles away. They switched jobs. He transferred to a different college. They didn't hear anything for months. When he found them, he slashed all her tires.He vandalized four of the family cars, and then moved on to the assisted living center where she worked. The police said there was nothing they could do, unless he was caught on tape or physically attacked her.After months of looking over her shoulder, ditching the silver car repeatedly, having every police station for twenty miles on speed dial, Mariah left for work one morning ... and never arrived.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1470144492
• ISBN13: 9781470144494
• Release Date: March 2012
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.7" x 5.0"