After many passes, the iron's heat faded and it was then only effective as a battering ram to Dale's head, although this act didn't satisfy Stan Hawks' need to teach his son a lesson. He didn't need an iron to hit his son - he could use his own hands for that. As the iron cooled, so too did Stan's rage. Throwing the iron to the floor, he stood and walked silently to the door. Turning to the bloodied, burnt and semi-conscious body on the bed, he gave what was left of his son a few words of fatherly advice.
"Boy . . . if you ever again treat me like you did tonight, so help me, I'll teach you a lesson that you'll never forget!"
As Stan exited the room, Dale's eyes began to burn in the same way the marks covering his body did. The pain was so great that Dale had to yell out, yet when he opened his mouth no sounds came out. Terrified he had lost his ability to speak forever, he called upon any unseen forces to find the time to help a battered little boy.
"Dale," a voice gently summoned, "you have suffered enough. It's time to go."
Fifteen years later, Dale still swore the conversation he had was with an understanding angel.
With the terms either to live or die, young Dale chose life, not fully understanding the ramifications his acceptance would have on the life path he was now destined to follow.
CHAPTER FIVE
The day was beginning to cool off and Susan felt almost at peace with the world. Earlier in the week she had told Jeremy she thought motorcycles were dangerous and he shouldn't buy one. This was a mistake. When Jeremy Atkins was told he shouldn't do something, it only gave him more incentive to go ahead with it.
Passing the convenience store's deserted parking lot, she thought about her relationship with Jeremy The Great, as he called himself in private. Or was that Jeremy The Wonderful? Regardless of how often she'd heard the stupid phrase, she could never remember which one was correct. No matter the moniker, Jeremy didn't quite live up to it sometimes.
Yes, she had asked her mother if Jeremy would ever propose, but even if he did, she didn't know what her response would be. In the heat of the moment, she would say, "Yes." Who wouldn't? He was good looking, rich and athletic. The list went on and on.
The most frightening aspect of marrying Jeremy Kenneth Charles Atkins was that until her last breath she'd be treated as a second class citizen. She was convinced she couldn't attain the greatness of the one whose last name she would share. He'd always remind her that it was he who had married her, not the other way around. He often professed his love, yet Susan wasn't convinced he could be faithful to his wedding vows. As with his "close" friends, Susan knew she was a dispensable commodity in Jeremy's life. On the other hand, she credited Jeremy for rarely straying during their three years together. As a boyfriend he'd been a good catch, but it was the question whether she really loved him that continued to plague her.
Susan felt she needed a change in her final year of high school and wanted to keep all of her options open. Without Jeremy by her side, she could go out with other guys, to experience whatever she thought she was missing. The idea of breaking up though was in direct conflict with the feelings she truly had for Jeremy. He treated her very well. In fact, most girls would love to be treated the way she had been. Still, a part of their relationship didn't feel right.
She reached the Community Centre where Jeremy had promised to meet her at 3:00. It was now 3:15. Sitting alone in the warm summer air, Susan continued to worry over whether leaving Jeremy was such a good idea. She wondered what nasty scene might be played out between them and shivered at the thought. In the end, she was sure all her friends would turn against her, which didn't really matter to her. If Jeremy was the most popular boy in school, then she was the most popular girl. That had to carry some weight.
Oh the problems of modern romance, she mused. Here she was in the same predicament she'd been in three years ago: attached to a great guy, but who left her wanting more. Maybe a new prospect would drop out of the sky into her life. She often fantasized about a tall dark stranger with a mysterious past; a "real" man who had seen the world and experienced life on the edge.
The trouble was, where would she find a man like that in Lasting?
"Hey, Susan!" Jeremy yelled, shutting off the bike.
So engrossed in thought she somehow hadn't heard Jeremy's loud approach, startled, Susan sprang to her feet. "Don't ever sneak up on me like that! You scared me half to death!"
Dismounting the bike, Jeremy said with a smile, "Next time I'll scare you twice as much, okay?" He turned to his passenger. "I want you to meet a hitchhiker I rescued outside of town."
The man stood beside the motorcycle, taking off his helmet.
"I thought it was Ed," Susan said to Jeremy.
"I left him a half hour ago. No, this is . . . I didn't catch your name," Jeremy said.
When the stranger ran his fingers through his hair, Susan stood spellbound. Here, not more than three feet away from her, was a man the likes of which she'd never seen before - at least not in person.
"It's Dale. Dale Hawks."
***
Dale Hawks. What a great name, Susan thought. What a great body! Who said wishes don't come true? They had obviously not wished hard enough. "Nice to meet you, Dale," Susan stammered. "Are you from around here?" She couldn't keep her eyes off of him. I'm embarrassing myself, she thought, but who cares?
Placing the helmet down on the seat, Dale turned his attention to Susan's fantastic eyes. He could tell what was going on within her mind and it pleased him immensely. "Here, there, everywhere," he replied. "I've been hitchhiking across the country for the past few months. Sort of got off the beaten path, when Jeremy picked me up."
Standing beside his bike, Jeremy stared at the newcomer in puzzlement. He didn't remember telling Dale his name. Had Susan mentioned it? He was convinced she hadn't.
"I'm glad he did," Susan said, regaining some of her lost composure. "So how long are you going to stay in town?" she ventured.
"I'm not sure," Dale responded. "It depends on what this town has to offer. From what I've seen so far," he said, returning his full attention back to Susan, "it has a lot to offer me." Noticing Susan's blush, he added, "I'm sure with the right kind of persuasion, I might decide to stick around."
Susan couldn't believe her ears. Here was the mystery man of her dreams and he was coming on to her! Keep your cool, act natural and don't do anything foolish to scare him off, she thought, prying her eyes away from Dale. "Ah . . . so Jeremy, how is the bike running?"
"Great. I had it clocked at 120 with Ed on the back. I figure it'll do about 140 solo," he said smugly, looking at Dale who smiled.
"Is this brand new?" Dale asked.
"Hot off the assembly line," Jeremy said proudly, wiping the gas tank with his shirt sleeve. "Fastest bike in the county."
"How big is Lasting?" Dale asked Susan.
"About 1300 people," she stuttered. Get with the program girl! He probably thinks you're an idiot! "Are you from a small town, Dale?" she asked more confidently.
"I'm from all over the place, with a few small towns in my background."
Jeremy looked at his watch and then to Susan and Dale, who were smiling awkwardly at each other. "I offered to take you for a ride, Susan, so how about it? Are you ready to test the limits of human endurance?"
While her head told her to say, "Yes," her heart was pleading for her to tell Jeremy where to stick his bike, so that she could get acquainted with Dale faster. "Ah . . . sure, that sounds like fun," Susan finally said. "What about Dale?"
"I can only fit one passenger on at a time."
"I meant did you tell him where