Lethal Nightmare Fuel

For Sandra Hawthorne, she was supposed to be just mere days away from what would be the happiest day in her life. For three years, Sandra had been dating the love of her life, Anthony Farley, and it was after all that time that Anthony popped the question. The proverbial knot was set to be tied after a year of planning, but instead of enjoying wedded bliss, Sandra had spent the last three days in the hospital.

Sandra's hospitalization was due to the fact that she was attacked on the day before her planned wedding to Anthony, and it was a brutal beating that left her deeply incapacitated. For three days, Sandra was unresponsive, being haunted by a recurring nightmare of the brutal beating she received, though with each day, the picture would become more clear, but not enough to identify her attacker. Sandra was able to somehow hear Anthony's voice, for all three days, but once she finally woke up, she saw a different face looking at her.

"Sandra Hawthorne?"

"Yes?" a groggy Sandra responded.

"Detective Dayna LeClair," the woman said as she presented her badge to Sandra. "Your fiance called me regarding your attack. I wanted to wait until you were fully responsive to get any information."

"I've relived it constantly in my nightmares," said Sandra. "It's still quite foggy, though. All I remember was the attacker was masked and there was something on the left arm, almost like a tattoo, but I can't recall what it is. I'm sorry I couldn't give more information."

"Don't apologize," said Dayna. "Just be glad that you're OK and awake."

"Where's Anthony?" asked Sandra.

"Your fiance informed me that he had to take care of postponing the wedding," answered Dayna, "but he left me in charge of your safety. I'll make sure that you are walking down the aisle as soon as humanly possible."

Sandra was put at ease by Dayna's words of encouragement, but that night would be another ordeal. Once again, Sandra had to relive the brutal attack, but the picture was the clearest it had been in days. The attack took place in the parking garage, and while the culprit's face remained hidden in the mask, Sandra was able to see a clear picture of what was on the attacker's arm: a red rose tattoo.

When Sandra woke up, there was a small amount of relief in her expression, because she remembered that red rose, which could served as a vital piece in the investigation. The following morning saw Sandra discharged from the hospital after four days, and to her slight surprise, the first person she saw waiting for her was none other Dayna.

"Good to see you up, Miss Hawthorne," greeted Dayna.

"Detective," said Sandra, "where's my fiance?"

"He sent me to drive you to safety while my department is investigating your attack," answered Dayna, after which Sandra entered Dayna's vehicle. The drive saw Sandra in the process of collecting her thoughts, but it was interrupted by Dayna.

"So, have you remembered any more details?" asked Dayna.

"I know what the tattoo was," said Sandra. "It was a red rose."

"Sounds like your attacker's a woman," said Dayna. "Any of your bridesmaids have a reason to want you out of the picture? Other than wanting your man?"

"It's definitely not any of my bridesmaids," chuckled Sandra. "I recall Anthony told me about an ex-girlfriend he had a few years back."

"Do you have a name for this ex?" asked Dayna.

"Sabrina," replied Sandra. "That's all I got. Anthony didn't tell me too much more about her, only that the break-up was bad due to Sabrina being too clingy."

"Is that right?" Dayna asked in a somewhat stern tone; all the while, Sandra realized that Dayna was driving in an unexpected direction. She was expected to be taken to Anthony, only to notice that she was actually further away from her fiance's location.

"Where are we going?" asked Sandra.

"I told you, we're driving away to safety," said Dayna. "Don't worry. You'll be back with Tony very soon." A bewildered look appeared on Sandra's face, as more and more questions began to develop in her mind. Upon seeing a nearby convenience store, Sandra decided to make her move.

"Could we stop here, please?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Dayna.

"Detective...Dayna," said Sandra, "I'm not only hungry right now, I could use a bathroom break. I won't be long." Dayna quietly acquiesced, and Sandra went inside the story and made a beeline for the lavatory, but after exiting, she snuck out via a backdoor and took out her cellphone to make an important phone call, which was answered quickly.

"Hello?"

"Anthony!" exclaimed Sandra, in a moderately soft voice.

"Where have you been?!" asked Anthony. "I've been worried sick about you!"

"You don't know?" asked Sandra. "I'm with that detective you sent to protect me, and she's been driving in weird directions for God knows how long."

"Wait, what?" a confused Anthony asked. "What detective?"

"You sent one for me yesterday," replied Sandra. "She told me you called her after I was attacked. Detective Dayna LeClair."

"Dayna LeClair?!" exclaimed Anthony.

"You know her, right?" asked Sandra.

"Yes, but...," began Anthony. "Look, hon, Dayna LeClair's not a detective. I mean, she wanted to become one, but she was too...mentally unstable."

"How do you know all of this?" asked Sandra, who was suddenly attacked and jabbed with a syringe. Despite slowly losing consciousness, Sandra saw two things: a rose tattoo and the face of her attacker--Dayna, who later picked up Sandra's cellphone and gave the following statement:

"I'll answer that for you, Tony. It's because I'm the girl you're supposed to marry!"

Sandra woke up and found herself tied to a chair in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. As she looked around her surroundings, the images of the attack were playing in her mind once again, but this time with the added bonus of the attacker being unmasked, and Dayna's face appearing in clear sight.

"Wow, you're awake already!" Dayna exclaimed as she walked slowly towards Sandra, all while carrying a gun. "Nothing can keep you down, not even being beaten up and pistol-whipped. I knew I should have just shot you when I had the chance."

"Dayna...," said Sandra.

"Do not call me that!" shouted Dayna. "I prefer my middle name: Sabrina. It fits me more."

"Why?" asked Sandra. "Because you're such a witch?" Dayna slapped Sandra as hard as she possibly could, and it was followed Dayna laughing in sadistic pleasure.

"You have no idea how great it felt to slap you just now!" said Dayna. "Almost as good as it felt to beat you up in that parking garage!"

"You're insane!" said Sandra. "No wonder you're not a detective."

"I am sick of being called crazy!" snarled Dayna. "I am not crazy! I'm just a woman in love! I love Tony. I just wanted him to pay attention to me, and not go off where other women can easily ogle him. And yet he had the nerve to dump me and accuse me of being clingy?!"

"I can see why..." commented Sandra.

"I proved him wrong, though," said Dayna. "I would make a great detective. I was able to track Tony down without him knowing it, and I saw him with you. Made my blood boil to see him move on so easily from me."

"You're not going to get away with this!" said Sandra.

"Oh, really?" Dayna said with a smirk, right before she pointed her gun at Sandra, while using her free hand to take out a folded piece of paper. "Suicide note all typed up. You were already frantic over the wedding, and this attack made things harder for you. You ended it all as a result, leaving Anthony so despondent. But don't worry, I'll be there to console him, and he'll see that I was the right woman for him all this time."

Dayna cocked her gun, but right afterwards, both women heard the sound police sirens getting louder and louder. Sandra was relieved, but one sound pleased her even more:

"Sandra?!"

Anthony had called the police right after his deranged ex left her verbal calling card on Sandra's phone, and he went with them to track down both Dayna and Sandra, finding Dayna's car at the warehouse. Sandra was later rescued, and at the same time, Dayna Sabrina LeClair was in handcuffs, being taken away by police, but definitely not quietly.

"You can't do this!" shouted Dayna. "Help! Tony, help me! I'm the love of your life! You should marry me! Don't let them break us up!"

"Good God, we've been broken up for four years, Dayna!" shouted Anthony.

"It's Sabrina!" snarled Dayna. "I'll get you for this! Both of you!"

As Dayna was being placed in back of the squad car, Anthony and Sandra hugged each other in a warm embrace. Anthony wondered how Sandra came to suspect Dayna, and Sandra stated that she couldn't help but notice that, other than her erratic driving, Dayna referred to Anthony as "Tony."

"You hate being called that," said Sandra. "I called you that once when we first met, and you kinda cringed."

"Honestly, I didn't use to hate it," said Anthony, "but being with Dayna ruined that for me."

Anthony and Sandra finally tied the knot two months later; both of them talked out and planned a proper rescheduled time for their wedding, later agreeing that while they did need some time to process their ordeal, they did not want to wait too long. The couple enjoyed their wedding in front of their family members and closest friends, and they really relished in saying "I do" to each other. Elsewhere, Dayna faced quite a speedy trial, and ended up placed in a psychiatric hospital as part of her sentence...and she is still expecting her "beloved Tony" to free her.