"He stole your car Mr. Kramer. He said that he had a date that he could not miss and took off out of town towards the highway," the one guard stated. "We are putting the word out. We will get him."

With that, the guard ran back towards the exit. It was then that everything started to click for Adam. "If you rat me out, I will teach your girlfriend the ways of a man. I have never had a paraplegic before." Those words echoed in Adam's mind and he could feel the blood drain from his body.

"Alyssa!" Adam said as he took off running towards his car. The boys chose to drive the car and leave the van at their house in Emerald Beach. He knew that Bill had a head start on him and that she lived at the old church camp, but maybe he could beat him to her. He had to try; he was not going to let Bill touch his girlfriend at any cost. With that Adam took off running down the hall at top speed, knocking down anyone in his way. Jason was startled at his brother's behavior at first, but then realized what he was doing. He had to catch up with Adam.

"Catch up with Adam, Jason. I will get James and notify the sheriff. Don't let him do anything stupid!" Mr. Kramer said as he went back towards the judge's chambers.

Jason made his way towards the car just in time. Adam was about to pull out of the parking space when Jason hopped in front of the car. Adam brought the car to a halt as Jason got in on the passenger side.

"Were you going to leave me? I thought we were in this together!" Jason yelled as he fastened his seatbelt.

"We are, now please tell me how to get out of this town, I can't remember the way," Adam fired back. He was very upset and Jason directed him to the highway. He knew that Adam was scared for the safety of Alyssa. Too bad they did not have the van, and then they could have used the cellphone.

It was a very fast trip down the highway on their way back home. Adam broke every speed limit, but fortunately no one was patrolling the road. They arrived at the church camp, but did not see their father's car anywhere. The only cars that were there were Alyssa's Cherokee and Chuck's old Omni. Adam was relieved that Bill had not found Alyssa. They could find him later. All that mattered was keeping Alyssa safe until he was found. Adam jumped out of the car and ran up the front steps. It was then he heard Alyssa scream. He barged his way into the house and found Alyssa on the floor crawling. She was out of her wheelchair and near by was Chuck. He was bound and gagged. Adam went over to check him and to undo his bonds. After he freed a very groggy Chuck, he focused his attention to Alyssa, who was very upset. Her face was red from crying and her shirt had been pulled out of shape.

"He came in. Chuck tried to hold him off, but he was just too strong. Then he grabbed me," Alyssa almost shrieked as she retold her story. "He pinned me down to the bed, Adam!"

Adam felt his whole gut give way on him. He held her close and he could feel the rage coming from deep within his soul. Bill was going to die for this!

"Did he..." Adam barely, said, but he could not get the rest of the words out of his mouth.

"No, that is when you pulled up and then he jumped out the window," Alyssa said in between sobs.

"Let me get Jason. Call the sheriff," Adam said as he handed the portable phone to her. Adam was so full of rage. He was going to hunt his uncle down and make him pay. No one was going to touch or even attempt to touch Alyssa that way. He turned and went outside. What was keeping Jason? Adam's question was answered soon enough. When he stepped through the door, he saw Jason and his stomach dropped again. Bill had Jason in a secure headlock with a gun to his brother's head.

"Let him go!" Adam said trying not to upset Bill. He was terrified for his brother's life. "It is me that you want anyway. Let him go."

"I want that notebook and you!" Bill said with a fierce voice. He kept the gun aimed straight at Jason's head. It was his father's gun and Adam knew that it was loaded.

"Notebook?" Adam said trying to play dumb. His uncle did not know that the notebook was with Alyssa. For all he knew, it could be at their house. No matter what though. He would give it up for his brother's life. He would give his own life for Jason's in a second.

"Don't play games with me stupid. I overheard you the other night. I came here for the notebook and to repay my thanks," Bill said in response to his nephew. "Now do we have a deal?"

"No Adam! He will kill you!" Jason yelled, but Adam knew what he had to do.

"Deal. I will go and get it now," Adam said as he went back into the house. He asked Alyssa for the notebook and was directed to the bedroom. He got the notebook from her nightstand and bent over and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you."

"Adam, he will kill you. He said has was going to kill you!" Alyssa said in a low voice.

"I can't let him hurt Jason. Did you call the sheriff?"

"They said they would be here as soon as they can. The deputies were on the other side of the county. They are also sending medical help for Chuck," Alyssa said, grasping Adam's hand. "Be careful."

Adam smiled at her and turned towards the door. "I love you too Adam." He felt a warm feeling hearing Alyssa, but he had to save his brother no matter what the cost.

He walked slowly to his uncle who directed Adam to take his father's handcuffs and handcuff himself to the Trans Am's passenger side mirror and to lay the notebook in the back of the car. Adam did just as he was told.

"I am sorry Jason. I truly do like you, but your brother has got to go. Any final words?" Bill said as he was getting ready to take Jason away.

"Just take the car and the notebook and leave Adam alone. Just leave and never come back," Jason said with a calm voice.

"Do you really think I can do that Jason. You will get over it," Bill replied and jerked Jason along with him into the house with Alyssa and Chuck.

Bill locked Jason into the closet in the living room and then tied Alyssa's hands behind her back. He walked towards Chuck, but seemed satisfied that he was not conscious. Turning to the door he said, "Let it be know that Bill Kramer will not go to jail alive!"

The next thing Jason heard was the sound of the Trans Am and the sound of gravel hitting the front of the house. Bill had his brother and he had to get him back! He started to beat at the closet door, hoping to gain his own freedom.

Meanwhile, Adam was still imprisoned in his own car. Bill was not sparing any time either as he barreled down the road.

"You had better take it easy," Adam said, knowing that the place where he had wrecked was coming up soon.

"Shut up! I told you not to rat me out. Well now we are both going to pay the price because I am not going to jail!" Bill screamed back and punching the accelerator to the floor. The car lifted to life as the car lurched forward. Adam was bracing himself for the end. He was lucky to survive one accident, but he didn't think he would be that lucky again. He thought about tampering with the car somehow, but Bill was going way to fast. Just then Adam heard a ping from the engine and the car abruptly slowed down.

"What is going on with this piece of trash?" Bill shrieked angrily. "I should have known this would happen since you are the one who put this piece of crap together."

Adam smelled antifreeze and realized that one of his hoses had completely came off. The same one that he had trouble with on the day that Jason fastened it for him. Now he had his break, but Bill was obviously enraged. He leveled his father's gun directly at him. "I guess you are going to go for a little trip."

With that, Bill got out of the car and pushed it forward a little. He was aiming the car towards the same ravine that the Cherokee went over when he was with Alyssa and Chuck. He knew that this was going to be the end this time. He struggled with the handcuffs and tried to get the mirror to break off, but nothing was going his way. He felt the car move forward again. Adam quickly used his other hand to put the car into park. He heard his uncle yell and come up to the side of the car. Bill reached in and banged Adam's head against the door. Adam felt very woozy and was trying to stay focused as he felt the car move again. He felt for the gearshift. His head felt like it was going to explode and he could not focus his eyesight. Just then he felt the gearshift and he moved it forward as far as it would go to get it into park. Again, bill became enraged and he came up beside the car, but this time he stopped. In the distance he could hear cars coming from both directions. Adam's eyesight was adjusting more and he saw the fuzzy outline of several cars, including a sheriff car coming towards them. Adam felt a sense of relief. He heard a car behind them as well and looked in the mirror. It was Alyssa's Cherokee. Help had finally arrived, now Bill would have to give up. But he was wrong. Bill got back into the car.

"Just give yourself up. It is all over now," Adam said to his uncle. He could feel the blood starting to run off of his forehead.

"You are right. It is over now, for the both of us," Bill said in a very creepy tone. This made Adam feel very uneasy. By now the officers, including Mr. Kramer had surrounded the car with their guns drawn. Jason stood behind the driver's door of the Cherokee with Chuck on the passenger side while Alyssa remained in the vehicle.

"Bill, give yourself up. We will work through this," Mr. Kramer shouted out towards his own brother.

"No, I am not going to jail!" Bill shouted back as he kept the gun leveled at Adam.

"Bill, don't do anything stupid. That is my son!"

"He is not a Kramer. I am sorry Carl, but we both have to say good-bye now," Bill yelled back. "Say your final words to your father you good for nothing piece of trash," Bill said to Adam as he cocked the small hand pistol. Adam could not believe that he was going to actually die in the same spot that he almost died in a few weeks ago. Adam though, remained quiet. He knew that his uncle was out of his mind at this point and thought his father could reason with him.

"Fine," Bill said as he stepped out of the car, he was still steadying the gun on Adam. Everyone thought that he was giving up, but Bill was just getting into position. He extended his arm and fired the gun that was aimed directly at Adam. A slight sound was heard from inside the car and then the figure in the car fell out of sight into the seat.

"NO! You killed my son," Mr. Kramer said as he took aim at the man that he used to call brother. He was not going to get away with killing his son no matter what. But before he could do anything. Bill turned the gun towards his head and pulled the trigger. The gun fired and Bill's body lay motionless in the road. For a minute no one moved, but then Jason started towards the car. He wanted to see his brother.

"No Jason! I don't want you to see him that way," the sheriff said. The boys knew Sheriff Williams from their prior investigations. Mr. Kramer was also being held back while they checked to make sure Bill was dead. After the officer declared that Bill was dead, Jason ran over to the passenger side of the car, despite the sheriff's objections. As he walked beside the car, he saw Adam's hand still handcuffed to the mirror and motionless. He was mentally preparing himself to see his brother with a bullet hole in his body, but he had to see Adam. He felt like his whole heart was being ripped from his chest. He remembered promising his brother that everything was going to fine, but it was now a broken promise. With tears in his eyes, he peered into the car. But instead of seeing his dead brother's body, he saw Adam still clinging to the side of the car in deep fear. He still had his eyes closed when Jason slightly opened the door.

Adam let out a slight scream and then looked up at his older brother.

"It's over little brother," Jason said softly. "It is all over." Jason then shouted out to his father that Adam was okay.

Then he turned and held his brother until his father got over to him. Mr. Kramer helped Jason get Adam out of the car. Adam was still shaking and was extremely white.

"I thought that you were a goner," Jason said as they laid him down on the road. Chuck, who had now came up beside the Kramers, took off his shirt and made it into a pillow for Adam.

"Alyssa is okay, I have her in the Cherokee because we didn't have time to get her wheelchair," Chuck reported to the group. Jason told his father about what had happened at Alyssa's house. Chuck had faked Bill out into believing that he was still unconscious. After Bill had left, Chuck freed Jason and Alyssa.

"Is he okay?" A female voice said behind him. It was Maria.

"He will be just fine. It looks like he cut his head though, but nothing serious," Mr. Kramer replied. "How are you?"

"Just fine," Maria answered. She really didn't care about her father and it did not matter that he laid dead just a few feet away from her. All that mattered was Adam. "Did you say that Alyssa was over there?"

"Yeah, but how do you know about Alyssa?" Chuck asked looking very surprised.

"She is the reason that I came today. After reading Adam's notebook, she contacted me and said that Adam needed me. So I came," Maria said, starting towards the Cherokee. "I owe her a lot."

"How did she know how to get a hold of you? I didn't even know your phone number or address?" Jason asked. Now he was also curious as well.

"Adam must have left my note in the notebook with my info on it," Maria said as she turned and walked over to Alyssa. Both girls greeted each other warmly.

It was then that Adam started to show some sign of life. Before he just laid there not saying a word, only gazing forward. But after hearing that Alyssa was the one that convinced Maria to come, he spoke up, "Let me see Alyssa."

"Just lay here and rest for awhile Adam," Mr. Kramer said, holding his son down. However Adam was determined to see Alyssa. Jason then assured him that he would get Alyssa to get his brother to remain still until the paramedics, who were still on their way, could check him out. Jason carried Alyssa to his brother's side.

"Thank you for getting Maria," Adam said with tears rolling down his face. Alyssa just hugged him and held him close.

"Yes, thank you Alyssa for helping me realize that I had to stop running from my past," Maria said, kneeling down beside the couple.

Alyssa just smiled with approval and held Adam's hand until the paramedics arrived.

Adam was cleared to go home after the paramedics bandaged his forehead up. Chuck was also given a good bill of health.

"You are going to have to stay away from this spot," Jason said to his brother as they made their way back to Alyssa's Cherokee. Maria was already standing by the vehicle with Alyssa. Chuck and Mr. Kramer were making arrangements to have Adam's car towed home. "Two close calls are enough. What happened to the Trans Am anyway? There is antifreeze all over the place."

"I guess that hose shot off thank goodness. That stupid part saved my life along with the fact that you are not a mechanic," Adam said weakly with a grin.

"What?"

"It was the hose that you tightened for me that day I was working on it before the Sea Festival."

"Oh yeah. Well at least it is over," Jason said, putting his arm around his brother's shoulders.

"Jason, it will never be over," Adam answered as he looked at Maria. Even though Bill was dead and would not be able to hurt anyone ever again, it did not erase that one fateful day when he was seven and she was twelve. Bill took something away from them that day and nothing was going to bring it back. Adam was not sure what exactly that was, but he did feel the void in his heart. By the looks of Maria, she felt the same way. The memories would always haunt him and the shame would be in the back of his mind. However, at least now he had faced the ghosts of the past and now he could maybe allow himself to finally feel peace at last.

Afterword:

As stated before, this was adapted from a true story. Of course, we had to change some things to fit with the Kramers, but the character of Bill existed as well as the roles of Adam, Jason, Carl, Alyssa and Maria. The real Bill was sentenced in a court of law to 6 years. He escaped two days later before being removed from the county jail to be transported to the prison for sex offenders. A massive search was underway for him and it lasted two very long days. At the end of the second day, Bill's body was found in the woods by a group of hunters. He was killed by a gunshot wound to the head. It was ruled a suicide by the county, but people at the scene swear that someone shot him. However, it really didn't matter. The most important thing was that he was dead and would no longer hurt any other child again.

His actions still haunt his victims, but only if they allow it to haunt them. No one should make themselves to be re-victimized by memories. If you are holding a secret, please accept our strength and support. If you are fortunate enough to not have had this experience, please do not judge the actions of people who do not tell. Each story is different and each person is different. They say you must walk in the shoes of another in order to judge their actions, well, we were lucky enough to have been carried by our community, friends, family and most of all --- God.