Alexis carefully slid the can into her leather purse, slung its strap over her shoulder, and casually walked around the corner and up to the desk. The fat albino behind the desk looked up from his monitor to stare at her, his right hand sliding slowly out of sight and down by his side, not unnoticed by her.

"Ah, Miss Stereo, back so soon?"

From behind her, a familiar voice shouted, "Alexis! Don't!"

She gritted her teeth and shook her head to cast out the voice she hated, but to no avail, as Paul interceded—again. Damn him!

"Don't leave, Alexis," Paul said as he ran up to her, a bit out of breath. "Stay here. We’re getting some real help this time!"

"No! I'm sick and tired of the food," she yelled back. "And I'm damned sick and tired of the drugs they keep pumping into my body. I don't get to come out as often.” She turned toward the albino, who had now turned into a normal looking guy dressed in an all white uniform.

"But Alexis," begged Paul, timid as usual when she asserted herself.

She pursed her lips and squinted her eyes into the strongest glare she could muster and snapped her head in his direction. She jerked her index finger directly into this face. "Look! I'm going out, whether you like it or not! So you get back inside where you belong."

With that she straightened up her shoulders, put on her best smile and turned back to the customs desk. By now there were two of them, dressed in their usual white uniforms with their little names sewn on their chests just below the emblem for Security.

Sensing her opportunity to leave was narrowing rapidly, she pulled out the can of disinfectant from her purse and sprayed both in the face before they had time to figure out what she was doing. They yelled at the new pain in their eyes and covered their faces.

It was now or never.

She ran toward the door and slammed into it before it had time to open automatically. She cursed herself as she backed away to give the glass doors more time. With the gush of fresh outside air coming in, the first she had smelled in months, she felt exhilarated.

A cacophony of shouting voices behind her told she had no time to waste smelling anything. She ran out of the cursed building, made a sharp right turn, and fled with all the energy she could muster toward the parking building. The bright light of a summer sun temporarily blinded her but once inside the shaded garage structure, she was able to see more clearly.

What luck! A young Asian couple was getting out of their convertible sports car. She ran up to them, ignored their startled looks, and shoved the guy into the SUV parked beside. With practiced speed, she pulled out the kitchen knife she had so carefully hidden and sharpened in the few stolen moments she had available over the past weeks.

When she thrust the knife up to the poor man's neck, the look of fear in his eyes helped clear all the remaining tranquilizers from her system. "Your keys! Gimme your keys!"

Shaking now with almost uncontrolled fear, the man frantically jerked his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small leather key case, which she grabbed instantly.

Once inside the car, she slammed the door shut and inserted the key that stuck out of the case into the ignition. The roar of power from the engine up front was a sweet sound indeed to ears accustomed to the chatter of nurse talk and overhead soft ding sounds of hospital signals.

She ignored the seat belt. Today she would not be restrained! In seconds pulled out of the parking slot and turned the car toward the exit gate. That nagging feeling returned, that pit in the stomach ache. She gritted her teeth and glanced to her right to see Paul in the passenger seat.

"You know you'll just get us into more trouble out here!" he said.

"Damn it! I told you to get back inside!" She slammed her right hand into the now empty chair as Paul vanished.

"Trouble? Is that all you think about!" She gripped the wheel as hard as she could and put on the most evil smile she could manage. "I'll give you something to think about!"

The poor old man making his way from the parking garage toward the main entrance to St. Peter's Mental Hospital was an easy target. She aimed the front of the car directly at him and pressed her foot as hard as she could on the pedal.

His image raced up to her and greeted her car with a thump, just before it passed overhead.

By now the adrenaline in her system was giving her another rush—no, the BEST rush she had ever experienced. All the other times, she had never actually done it, never actually killed anyone. Now she had stepped across that line into GREATNESS. For only the few make it this far. Only the GREAT.

The rush was wonderful!

Almost blinding, as a matter of fact. With every nerve in her body seemingly on full alert, she raced as fast as the little car would take her down the short street. The car clipped the sign with the right arrow as she turned to enter the midday traffic on the boulevard. In seconds she approached the red light.

The power in her body now gave her all the permission she needed to flout the stupid traffic laws. She pushed as hard as she could on the pedal and the car lurched into high gear, pressing her harder into the seat. Up ahead, two cars entered the intersection and it took no time at all to pass through the narrow space between them.

Yelling at the top of her lungs, "I am invincible! Nothing can stop me now!" she sped up the street and onto the overpass. Two large trucks, moving slowly as if pulling a heavy load, blocked the two left lanes, so she jerked the wheel to the right.

As her rapid speed, the car overshot the remaining lane. The curb on the sidewalk rushed up to her and gave her a hard bump. The nose of the sports car lifted and in seconds she was air born.

What a feeling! Flying through air over the cars on the road below. Yes! This is Greatness!

The nose of the car dipped down and she watched with fascination as the pavement rushed up toward her. Fully expecting to pass through it to whatever new world lay beyond it, for she was invincible now, she screamed, "Yahoo!"

Total absolute darkness and total absolute quiet came next.