This is the story of how Marion Bates, a middle-aged woman who suddenly hits a catastrophe in her life, meets Dee Parker, a young investigative reporter who talks her into doing things she had never even thought of before. Sooner or later, something unexpected happens to everybody. It isn't easy to accept help—especially from strangers. But sometimes just knowing you are not alone can make all the difference in the world. It was a time when all Marion could think about was how to keep on living. To tell the truth, she really didn't care about anything else. Which is the only logical explanation she could come up with--later--of why she jumped headlong into a life-or-death nightmare, just to help her new friend out of one of her own. Yes, this is how it all began...