There's no way that Parcher would follow him here. No way. Australia was as far away from New Jersey as you could get and this backwater town wasn't even on the map.

Professor John Nash needed the change. With Alicia and his son gone he had nothing to stay in Princeton for right now. This place called the Glen would have a library soon and he could maybe teach some classes. It didn't matter. He had tenure and he could afford to be gone for awhile.

The cab that brought him from Coffs dropped him off on the main street and he checked in to the only boarding house in town. Millie's, what a strange name but it was relatively quiet and the Glen was secluded enough.

It was late afternoon before he decided to explore a little. He made his way through town and found it comforting that the faces of the strangers didn't make him feel out of place. They seemed tangible and friendly which reminded him of the good parts of Princeton. The bad parts didn't follow him here, he was sure of it.

The woman at the inn told him about a serene place, a lake near town and he was headed that way. It was getting toward evening and he wanted to find it before it got too dark for him to find his way home. He was after all , a stranger in these parts.

He knew he was getting close because the air had that smell about it. The floor of the woods had a kind of damp scent that was not unpleasant at all. Add the fresh breeze from the lake and it seemed to sweep the cobwebs from the professors mind. It took years for them to get there and with one gust of wind they vanished. His demons which came with his affliction of schizophrenia and paranoia were at rest for the first time in what seemed like years. He was going to like it here.

There was an odd smile on his face when he left the paved walk to enter the cover of the trees but it was short lived. There was a change in the air and it sent a shiver down his spine. Damn it, he thought. Not here, please not here.

He saw a shadow off to his right and he stumbled back. As he did another shadow broke off to the left. John felt panic and fear as he tried to get his footing. He turned to head out of the woods but he tripped and fell, landing on something, someone. Scrambling back, he said "I'm sorry, Miss, sorry," his voice wavered as he added one more word "...dead"

It was hard for him to tell what happened next. Things were surreal, blurry. He got up and ran. Was she chasing him? Yes she had to be. He violated her grave and she'd be angry with him. He was fleeing now, running as fast as he could.

Barely dodging a car he let out a scream as the horn blared at him. He fell back again but before the driver could come to his aid he was up and running. He didn't stop until he burst into the boarding house. His words were barely legible as the woman who checked him in came to him. She signaled for another man to get a drink for John as she tried to calm him down.

"Professor. Please, tell me what happened," Millie tired to keep the panic from her voice but his was contagious.

He replied to her in broken sentences. "Woman, woods, dead...chasing me. Help me."

Millie took the glass of water that Steve brought and she helped the professor drink some. "Mister Nash, please, try to calm down and tell me what has you so riled up."

He swallowed hard then panted "Dead woman in the woods."

"Where?"

"Woods, by the lake. Off the path," he replied

It was enough information for Millie to call the sheriffs department. She talked to Siobhan on her cell. When the call was done she asked Steve to help her get Mister Nash to his room.

"Call the doc, Andy, please," she asked the man at the bar as they helped the professor to his feet. She didn't want to tell him that the Sheriff's department would be by to talk to him later. Not yet anyway.