Kayla (PART 2)

Chapter 12

"What's wrong, mom?" I was startled once again but this time, by Roxanne's voice behind me.

"Nothing. I just thought I saw something." I told her calmly, but I still was worried about what could be out there, or who could be out there.

I didn't want to worry her. I turned to face the stove, and pulled out the steaming hot chicken Parmesan and set it on the kitchen table.

"It smells great." Roxanne took a seat and I thanked her.

...

...

...

It was getting late. I was lounging on the couch, staring at the TV and dozing off. My eyes could barely stay open. Roxanne was in her room. It was 10:37 and usually, I stay up pretty late but I was more tired than usual.

The sudden sound of voices, a man saying something outside of my front door immediately jolted me wide awake. My chest was moving up and down, I couldn't control my breathing.

My body was trembling at the unknown. I had no clue what was going on, who that was and why they're outside of my house at this hour. The house was dark, all of the lights were off except the illumination of the TV screen playing. I slowly crept closer to the front door, and peeked through the curtain just the slightest bit as to not make myself noticed. The people, or the men, or whoever they are seemed to have disappeared or walked away.

It looked very eerie outside. I was surrounded by woods which looked like the furthest thing from calming when it's dark out. The trees and all the spaces in between were nothing but darkness and mystery.

I grabbed the TV remote and muted it. It was completely silent in the house, I could hear the wind outside whistling and swaying the trees. I could hear footsteps right outside of my house, as if someone was scoping out the area and walking all around the house.

"This is definitely it..." I heard another man's voice, but this time much deeper and clearer. I stayed paused in my tracks to listen to what these people were saying.

"She's been hidden all these years.. and yet the public thinks she's still in jail." Another said.

I was frozen.

"Kayla Parker." One last voice said.

I quietly hurried up the stairs, my body shaking as I tapped on Roxanne's door waiting for an answer. I didn't hear anything, so I let myself in. She was asleep in her bed, but I softly shook her awake.

"What is it?" She asked me, rubbing her eyes and giving me a confused look.

"We- We have to go." I told her and her eyes grew bigger instantly.

"What? What do you mean? What time is it?" Roxanne checked the alarm clock on her nightstand. "What's going on?"

"There's people outside of our house. I think they're trying to get in or something, I-I don't know. We have to leave." I spoke and she looked scared and even more worried, not understanding anything, and me neither.

"Why can't we just call the cops?" She sat up in her bed asking me.

Calling the cops crossed my mind, but I had to weigh all of my options here and try to make sense of it. These people knew exactly who I was, my story, everything. And they were taking pictures. I can't have Roxanne finding out why these men are actually here and I was running out of ideas of what to do. There was only one thing clear now: these people are out to expose me. Whether they were stalkers, or reporters, they knew a lot and they were here for one reason only, to get the word out that I'm not in prison anymore.