Belly Fires...Even Death Can't Kill the Flames of Passion

When Lieutenant Governor Charlene Ford loses everything in a deadly car crash, nothing feels the same. One minute, she is at the top of her game as the first African American lesbian lieutenant governor of New York State. The next minute, she is trying to keep a stiff upper lip as she watches the gravediggers bury the two walnut coffins containing her son JJ and her life partner, Regina. Her family is gone.
Her world is gone. All she wants is to go away and disappear for a while; to just get lost until the pain in her heart stops. She sneaks away from her security escorts and borrows her chief of staff's ancient jeep. She and Rusty, her loyal Akita, climb into the old jeep and head for parts unknown. Is it because she's too tired drive or is it the unfamiliar road's sharp curves that cause her accident? As she crashes through the guardrail, she struggles to put on the brakes.
They don't work and she stops fighting fate. "Reggie honey, I'll be with you soon, " are Charlene's last conscious thoughts as her car floats in mid-air for a long moment, then tumbles down the mountainside. The next time Charlene opens her eyes, the pain is tremendous. A woman is standing over her with a knife, then kneels next her. What does she want? Charlotte wonders if the woman is going to finish the job of ending her life.
Charlene looks into worried eyes and hears a surprisingly soothing voice say everything will be okay. The pain increases tenfold when she tried to stands as the woman suggests, then everything goes black.