As usual, her dreams were dark and troubled. This time, in her dreams, she was murdered at a family picnic, and forced to watch as they all enjoyed, unable to see or hear her when she returned as a ghost. The picnic went on without her, despite her desperate attempts to get their attention. When she finally woke, her face and pillow were wet with tears. She felt lonely, cold, and isolated.<br/><br/>As it was her day off, she had nowhere to be, and nothing to do. Unable to just sit still, she packed a light lunch and went for a drive. For a while, she just drove, without a specific goal in mind. This town was supposed to have been her new home. She'd left behind an abusive husband, and hateful parents, and gone into hiding. This was intended to be her fresh start... she was free at last, and able to live as she saw fit. So why did she constantly think about going back?<br/><br/>It was silly. And she knew it. When she saw that her aimless driving had taken her back to the same hiking trail as the previous night, she decided to pull in. This would make a perfect place for a mid-day picnic. She'd walked this path so many times, she grew tired of it. It was the same thing, every day. She picked a spot that looked promising, noticed she could hear gurgling water in the distance, and headed toward it. She didn't want to get lost, so she made note of landmarks that could not be missed as she walked, being very careful to go in only one direction.<br/><br/>Finally, when she'd walked off the trail a considerable distance, she found the river she'd heard. It was a gorgeous spot. Isolated and peaceful. she dropped the backpack next to a tree, and stretched out in the grass. The morning was still young, barely past 9am. She had a full day ahead of her. The thought made her smile.<br/><br/>Just as she was starting to doze off, watching the clouds overhead, she heard a strange noise. Sitting up, she became nervous, looking around, peering into the bushes. She noticed the animals had been singing and chirping, but at the noise she'd heard, the chittering decreased noticeably. Whatever had made that noise frightened the animals of the forest. She decided it would be wise to take their word for it. Bracing herself, she stood, and peered toward where she thought the sound had come from. There was a shape there... hidden under a particularly thick bush, concealed by shadow.<br/><br/>As she stepped closer, she could see a shoe. She gasped as she realized what that meant, and rushed forward. Someone was hurt! Pulling the bush aside, she peered down, then froze. It was the man from last night... and he was  utterly unconscious. What was more... as she pulled the bush aside, and the sunlight touched him, his skin began to smoke. He squirmed, moaned, and cried out in pain, but never woke. Reacting instinctively, she pulled the bush aside to cover him.<br/><br/>What to do now? This was impossible. Vampires only existed in fiction.... right?