A Walk in The Park Gone Bad

         John was awaken by the sound of his wife Ashley vacuuming the living room floor.  Ashley was a clean freak, John thought tot himself as he laid in he’s bed wanting to go back to sleep.  John new that would be next to impossible, since that once Ashley starts to clean she never stops until she was done.  “Good morning” Ashley said as John stumbled in to the living room and sat down in his chair turning on the T.V. when the local news came on.  It was a story about a person who was robbed at knife point and then was stabbed multiple times.  “See” John said “that is why I went and got my concealed hand gun license, you cant trust anyone anymore:  Ashley was always nervous around guns, and really dislike it now that John carries his with him every were he goes.

         After Ashley was finished cleaning she wanted to go the park for a mid morning walk.  Ashley always loved to go for walks in the park; she had grown up in the county and was use to being outside.  John on the other hand was from the city and hated the out doors, but Ashley got what she wanted.  They arrived at the park and it was a usual Tuesday no other cars there but them.  John got out and made sure that his gun was hidden from view.  Ashley rolled her eyes and asked “What don’t you just leave that in the car?  Were the only ones here:”  “Just because you don’t see anyone doesn’t mean that there is no one else in this park” John said back.  Ashley rolled her eyes once more and started walking toward the trail.

         John always got a little nervous as they entered the woods in the back part of the park.  He was always looking behind him and off to each side looking for anything that he thought didn’t fit in.  This time was different though, his gut was telling him something was wrong which had never happened before.  John about froze in his steps, he heard something  behind them and then off to the side.  “What’s wrong” Ashley said.  “I don’t think were alone, something is following us.” John replied  “Your way to paranoid honey” Ashley smirked as she kept walking.  They kept walking down the path, looking at the birds flying around and the wild flowers growing on each side of the path.  Ashley walked off the path down to a small creek were there was a small waterfall.  She took out her camera and started taking some pictures.  John stood behind her still feeling that something was wrong when al of a sudden everything went black.

         John started to come to and the first thing that he noticed was his head, it was pounding and he was having trouble focusing  Then came reality, He was on the ground with his hands taped behind is back and was also tied to a tree.  He looked over at Ashley who was next to him; she was crying and very upset.  Then he started looking around trying to find the person who had hit him and tied them to the tree.  He then looked at Ashley “Are you ok and what happened?” he asked.  “This guy came up and hit you with a log” Ashley said as tears rolled down her face, “Then he took out a knife and it already had blood on it and told me if I ran he would kill me.”  John looked around once again looking for the asshole who did this to them.  He was no were to be seen.  The guy must had been in a hurry since John still had his watch, wallet and gun.  Ashley was also still wearing her wedding ring and the necklace that he had just bought her.  John tried to get out of the tape but it was to strong.  His head was hurting really bad from the hit to the back of his head that he had taken, but the only thing he could think about was saving his and his wife’s life.

         John could hear someone coming down the trail.  He wasn’t for sure to scream for help or to keep quite in case if it happened to be his attacker.  He decided to keep quite as the foot steps got closer and closer in fear of someone might hurt his wife.  Then he appeared, the man who attacked him.  He stood right in front of them hair was cut nicely, eyes black as coal, a t-shirt with the American flag on it and a faded pair of blue jeans,; John would never forget what he was wearing or looked like for the rest of his life.  “What do you want?” Ashley screamed.  The man who attacked them just stood there, staring at them with out making a sound for what seemed like forever.  “Who are you?” John asked in a quite voice.  “Nick”  The attacker answered, his voice was cold and scratchy.  It sent chills up both John and Ashley’s spine.  “What do you want from us?” John asked a calmly as he was able to.  He wasn’t scared anymore, he was pissed.  “Yall were in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Nick said in a low and almost silent voice as he turned his back to them.  Anger was now flowing though Johns veins as he was trying to think what to say next.  Nick walked over to an old stump and sat down on it as if to taunt them with his presence. John stared into Nicks eyes as if he wanted to try to read his mind.  Then he looked at Ashley, sitting there with her head down, no longer crying, just sitting not moving, like she was hoping to disappear.

         All three of them sat there for over an hour, silent not moving, until John had enough.  “You stupid son of a bitch” John screamed at Nick, “Let us go or I’ll kick your as so bad you wish this would of never happened.”  Nick slowly looked up from the ground with an evil smile on his face; John knew that he had really pissed him off.  Nick slowly got up and started waking toward John until he stood right in front of him.  Then he turned toward Ashley as he took the blood stained knife out of his pocket.  He walked up to Ashley and pointed the knife at her, but he made a mistake.  When Nick had tied John and Ashley to the tree he did not tie their feet.  Ashley noticed this as Nick stood over her.  She kicked hard, harder than she has ever kicked anything before.  The top of her foot meet with Nick groin making all of the air in his lungs come out like some was deflating a tire.  The knife flew out of nicks hand as he fell to the ground.  Someone or something must have been watching over John and Ashley, Nicks knife landed right beside John, He was able to pick it up and hide it from Nick who was still on the ground.

         Nick was finally able to catch his breath and stood up he was angry, very angry.  John looked at Nick trying not to smile as Nick glared back “Were did my knife go.”  John just sat there and shrugged his shoulders.  Nick came up to John and asked him once more “Were is my damn knife at?”  John just sat there and locked eyes with him.  Nick punched John in is jaw making his mouth bleed.  Ashley was horrified by the sight of the blood.  The pain was bad but John didn’t care, he had the knife.  Nick started to search the ground looking for his knife; meanwhile John was attempting to cut though the tape and rope.  It seemed like it took forever to do but he was free.  John still sat there with his hands behind his back as he was before he cut himself loose.  He looked over at Ashley and smiled showing the knife and that his hands were loose.  Ashley shook her head no as she looked at John.  Nick was much taller and more muscular than what john was.  He just kept smiling as he kept his eyes on Nick.

Twenty minutes had passed since Nick had lost his knife and he was getting even angrier by the minute.  John was still wanting to start laughing at Nick for searching so long for the knife.  Nick must have gotten tired of looking; he had picked up a log and started toward Ashley.  John jumped up with the knife, Nicks eyes were locked on it.  John faced the creek and tossed as hard as he could.  As Nick ran for the knife John ran to Ashley and untied her.  John and Ashley got to their feet and took off towards the trail.  Nick had found the knife and was chasing after them with it screaming, “I will kill both of you when I catch you.”  That was all John need to hear.  He stopped and turn to face Nick as he was running up the small hill to were they were.  John drew his Kel-Tec from his holster and pointed it right at Nick.  John slowly pulled the trigger, the gun went off, the pulled it again, and then once more.  Three shots into Nick’s chest had stopped him in his tracks.  Nick looked down at his blood soaked shirt and looked at John once more.  Nick went to take another step forward when John fired one more shot.  This one hit Nick in the head, his body went limp as he fell to the ground.  John stood right there with his pistol pointed at Nick waiting for him to move again.  Ashley had made it to the road as was screaming as loud as she could for help.  An off duty Highway patrol officer was walking the trail when he heard the Ashley’s cries for help and then the gun shoots.  His family went back to call for help as he ran towards the screams.  Ashley told him that a man was chasing them and she thought that her husband shot the guy.  The officer made his way down to John, he had already put his gun back in the holster and was just standing there looking Nick.  The officer helped John back to the trail were Ashley was waiting on them.

         Ashley and John made it home after giving their report to the other officers who cleared John of any wrong doing and told him if he didn’t have his gun they would probably not have made it out alive.  Ashley was still shaken by the ordeal as she laid in bed with John who hadn’t said a word since they left the police station.  John knew what he had done; he saved his and his wife’s life by taking another.  John turned over and faced Ashley and smiled “I love you” he said. Ashley smiled back as they both drifted off to sleep both not knowing what tomorrow will bring.