A Twist of Fate

It is a Wednesday afternoon during the school year. That means sixth-grader Sallee Jacobs will be walking home today. Sallee's mother works in the emergency room on Wednesdays, Otherwise she picks Sallee up at the school that is one mile from their home. On this particular Wednesday, it is pouring down rain. As Sallee reaches the half-way point,  an empty stretch of road between two housing developments, a red sedan pulls up next to her and the driver rolls down his window. "Hi," shouts the man over the sound of the pouring rain beating down on the roof of his car, "your mother asked me to pick you up - come get in out of the rain." Sallee simply stares at this stranger and quietly says, "No thank you", even though she is miserably soaking wet, cold and angry at her mother for working Wednesdays. "It's okay," reassures the fully-bearded man, "my name is Mr. Thomas, and I am a friend of your mother." Sallee studies his face, thinking, you don't look like any of my mom's friends.  "No thank you," she repeats as she starts backing away from the car. Then, out of nowhere, another man appears at Sallee's side.  He is wearing a rain coat and flashes a reassuring smile.  He looks at Sallee and asks, "Is everything all right here?" Sallee, simply looks at the man in the car. "Everything is fine," says the man in the car, "Her mother asked me to pick her up out of the rain." "Do you know this man?", the rain coat asks Sallee. "No." "Do you want to get into his car?" "No." "How far away do you live from here?" "Just up the hill and across Madison." "Are you okay walking there by yourself?" "Yes." There are now four cars lined up behind the red sedan.  They start honking their horns at the car in their way. "I don't know, Mister," says the rain coated man, "I think you just best move along before I call the police." The bearded man asks Sallee one more time, "Are you sure you don't want a ride?" With water dripping down her face, Sallee shakes her head, yes. The red sedan moves on. ***** It is 10:00 Wednesday night.  The red sedan is parked in front of Sallee's house.  Mr. Thomas holds Sallee's mother's hand while trying to describe to the police what the man in the raincoat looked like.  Sallee is never seen again.