As Louise passed some bushes, she noticed a farmhouse about three hundred meters away.   She ran towards the gate.  She didn't try to open it.  She was still at full speed and landed her one hand on the gate pole, lifted her feet from the ground, and jumped over the gate. She never did that before.

She landed on all fours. The keys scattered over the ground. Three dogs came rushing towards her, and an old man came trailing after them.  He called the dogs to a halt and picked up her keys.

"What on earth happened to you?  Can I help you?" he asked, offering her a hand.

At first, Louise could not get a word out, her whole body was screaming: I'm free, I'm free, he can't follow me here!  The sun was rising, it was the end of the very dark night for Louise.

The man stood there with his dogs, amazed at this crazy looking woman, who does not speak. Tears were running down her cheeks, tears of thankfulness and relief.

A woman came running towards them from the house. "Bring the girl inside John, it's cold outside, " she said and smiled at Louise. "I' ll show you where the bathroom is, you can tidy yourself while I make you a nice cup of tea."

Louise sobbed shamelessly.  All the mingled feelings from relief to thankfulness to shame and utter exhaustion burst out of her eyes.

The woman introduced herself as Helen and her husband as John.  She took Louise by the arm and steered her towards the house.

While Louise sipped the nice hot tea, she told them about her terrible ordeal of the night before. She was slowly and surely unwinding, she could even enjoy the tea and toast they offered her.

John and Helen were so kind, friendly, and welcoming, so the opposite of the cruel monster she escaped from.  Helen phoned her brother and half an hour later, they were on their way to his home.

Lucy, her sister in law was utterly shocked. "It shows you how easily something that horrible can happen to a woman." She insisted that Louise take a nice hot bath before she phone, Gregg.