Success Is Peace Of Mind
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When I was a boy, my father used to say that success is peace of mind. And he told me that there were three kinds of people in this world: those who achieve, those who watch others achieve, and those who wonder what happened to the first two.
I have never forgotten that.
—Norman Vincent Peale, author, and minister
***
“What do you think?”
The question came from the left.
Dagmar had just finished a five-mile run through the hills above Santa Barbara, where she’d grown up. She had always been thin but now looked like an emaciated version of herself. Her hair was short, her skin pale and waxy as if she’d been dipped in wax. It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to eat anything. She had, but her body simply didn’t seem to want it.
She knew why. She’d lost her appetite for food, and when she did manage to force something down, all that filled her stomach was a sickeningly sweet metallic taste. The thought of food made her nauseous.
She’d stopped trying to force herself to eat, and after a while, nausea passed. Now, with her appetite gone, she was forced to take liquid supplements and vitamins by IV drip.
It wasn’t just the hunger that bothered her. She was starting to feel weak. Her arms and legs felt heavy and her head ached.
“I don’t know,” Dagmar said. “It’s not just the hunger.”
“No? What else is bothering you?”
“Nothing. Just tired.”
“You need more rest.”
“I’m resting. I’ve been sleeping most of the day.”
“But you’re still feeling weak. You should be eating. We need to get your strength back. We need to get you strong again.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll be stronger tomorrow. Maybe I can go for a walk later.”
“Walk? It’s not even ten o’clock yet. Are you sure you’re feeling well enough for a walk?”
Dagmar knew that was what he wanted her to say. She could see it in his eyes. He’d never liked her to do anything without his permission.
And then she saw the flash of fear behind his eyes. She knew what was coming next.
“How long?” she asked.
“What?”
“How long do we have to live?”
His shoulders sagged and he glanced at the wall clock. “A week or two. I really don’t know.”
“Weeks? That’s it? That’s all you’re going to give us?”
“I’m sorry. It’s what I’ve been told.”
“Who told you?”
“The doctor who examined you. He’s the one who told me. The only thing that can save you now is a transplant.”
“A transplant? From whom?”
“From me.”
“Oh, God,” Dagmar said. “That’s so gross. I don’t want to hear this.”
“I’m sorry. But there isn’t much time. We need to hurry.”
Dagmar’s eyes narrowed. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because we have to go now. We need to get you into the car. I’ll drive and you’ll sit beside me.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll walk. I need to go home.”
“We’re not leaving until you’re in the car. And we’re not driving. You’re going to fly. We need to be out of here before the cops arrive.”
Dagmar had never seen him move so fast. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up off the couch. She gasped as her feet left the ground. Then he shoved her toward the front door.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “You don’t understand. You don’t know what’s happening. I can explain on the way.”
“You’re kidnapping me?”
“I’m taking you to safety.”
“What about my kids?”
“I’ll take care of them.”
“But…”
He slammed the door shut and locked it.
“I can’t believe you did this. How could you?”
“We’re wasting time. Get your jacket. We need to go.”
Dagmar reached for her purse but he was already running down the hall. “I’ll get the keys.”
She went to the kitchen, grabbed the keys, and tossed them to him. They landed in his palm.
“I’ll drive,” he said.
Dagmar snatched the keys back and hurried out of the house. She ran to the car, opened the passenger side door, and climbed inside.
“We’re going to the airport,” she said.
“It’s too late. We need to go now.”
“How far is the airport?”
“Ten minutes.”
“Then let’s go.”
***
Dagmar had flown a lot as a child. Her father had been in the military. It wasn’t uncommon for him to take her along on his trips overseas.
She’d always hated it. Flying made her nervous. She was scared of heights. She’d never liked being above anything, including the ground.
When Dagmar saw the plane from the ground, she knew there was no way she could climb into its belly.
“Come on,” she said. “I’ll drive.”
“No. You’re not driving. You’re going to sit beside me.”
“Where’s my purse?”
“You need to hurry. We’re almost out of time.”
Dagmar threw her purse into the backseat. She turned and looked at him. He was standing by the open door. He was holding his jacket in one hand and his cell phone in the other.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“I’m ready,” she said. “Let’s go.”
Dagmar climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled out of the driveway. The engine roared to life and the tires squealed as they hit the road.
“You can’t drive,” she said.
“Yes, I can. You’re going to sit beside me. And don’t worry about the speed limit. We’ve got plenty of time.”
Dagmar felt the blood drain from her face. “We have plenty of time? What do you mean we have plenty of time?”
“I just told you. There isn’t much time left. Now get over here. I need your help.”
“Help with what?”
“This.”
He put his arms around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. She gasped. He smelled like cigarettes and coffee. His head was buried in her hair, and she could feel the stubble on his chin scratching her cheek.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Holding you. We need to hold each other.”
“But…”
“Hurry up. You need to hurry. We’ve got to go.”
“I don’t want to leave my kids.”
“We won’t be gone long. You’ll see them again soon.”
Dagmar wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to push him away. “You’re so gross. I don’t know why I ever thought you were attractive.”
“It’s too late for that. Now you need to hurry. We can’t afford to waste any time.”
“What is this place?” Dagmar asked.
“A safe house.”
“The cops will find us.”
“Not if we can help it. I’ve been waiting for you. I knew you’d come.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Alan.”
“Alan? Are you some kind of serial killer?”
“No. Not anymore. I’m not the same person I was before.”
“You’re not making any sense. Why am I supposed to believe you?”
“Because I can prove it.”
“Prove what?”
“I’ll show you.”
He pulled her from the car and they ran into the woods. Dagmar could hear the sirens approaching but there was no way she could outrun them. They’d be on the road in seconds.
She stopped running and turned to Alan. “Are you crazy? I don’t even know who you are. How do I know you aren’t trying to kidnap me?”
“You don’t have to worry about that. The police can’t follow us now.”
“How?”
“I’m not telling you anything else until we’re alone.”
“What about my kids? What will happen to them?”
“They’ll be fine. You’ll see. Now get over here.”
Dagmar started walking back toward the car. She kept glancing behind her. The sirens were getting closer.
“Stop,” Alan said. “Don’t move.”
Dagmar stopped and turned to look at him. He was standing near the trunk of the car. There was a knife in his hand.
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Come here.”
“No.”
“If you don’t, I’ll cut your throat.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because you need to hurry. And I need you to understand. We’re all going to die. If you don’t want to be the first one, then you need to come over here now.”
“You’re insane.”
“No. I’m not. It’s time for us to be done. Don’t make me hurt you. Come over here. I won’t kill you if you hurry.”
Dagmar glanced around. The sirens were right on top of them. “Where are we going?”
“Just trust me. I know what I’m doing.”
“This isn’t some kind of game, Alan. You can’t just—”
“Do you hear them?”
“Yes.”
“You’re safe now. Hurry up.”
Dagmar walked slowly toward him. “Why do you want to hurt me? Why should I believe you?”
“Because I’m not trying to hurt you. But I am trying to save us. Now come over here.”
Dagmar turned to run and he grabbed her arm. “You can’t outrun them. They’ll catch you in seconds.”
“What about the kids?”
“The kids will be fine. They’ll be back before you know it. I promise.”
“What about my kids?”
“Come over here.”
“Alan, please…”
He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. Dagmar gasped as she felt his lips pressing against hers. His tongue was rough and tasted like coffee. She tried to push him away but he held her tight. He kissed her harder.
Dagmar put her hands on his shoulders and pushed. He pulled her even closer.
She could feel his hard cock pressing against her hip. She pushed again and managed to slip free. She started running. The sirens were getting louder.
Dagmar ran through the woods and finally stopped. “Stop following me,” she yelled at Alan.
“I’m not leaving you.”
“You don’t understand. I need to get away from you. This is crazy. You’re trying to kill me.”
“Then let me.”
“No. I can’t let you do this. What about my kids?”
“They’ll be fine.”
“How do you know?”
“Trust me.”
Dagmar turned and ran. She heard Alan calling after her but she didn’t look back. She kept running until she was lost in the trees.
The End