The Alleyway

WHAT DID I JUST SEE?!

My mind is racing and alongside it is my heart, racing with it as well, but there's no finish line.

My eyes are glued to the dark alley way that's about 60 to 100 yards away from my bedroom window.

But to be more specific, my eyes are glued to the what appears to be the lifeless body laying on the concrete ground, face down. The darkness from the alleyway has swallowed the top half of the individual while the orange streetlight sheds light on their lower body.

WHAT DO I DO?!

It's like I've just lost all control over my body, because I can't remove my eyes from that alleyway and I can't move my hands to scramble to reach for my phone.

KAYLA DO SOMETHING!!!!

My eyes begin to tear up. I don't know if I'm crying because I just witnessed a murder, or because I've had my eyes open without blinking.

A dark silhouette emerges from the darkness and towers over the body and in their hands is an object. I can't make out exactly what it is, but it doesn't take a genius to assume it's the murder weapon.

They hover over the body for a few minutes and then suddenly, they turn around, as if facing me, looking directly at my window and instantly my heart drops to my toes.

I rapidly duck down, crashing onto the cream coloured carpet, burning my knees in the process.

Don't be stupid Kayla. There's no way they can see you from there. It's so far away. And you don't have any lights turned on, just your desk lamp and that's not that bright.

But what if he did?

Crazy for you to assume it was a man.

But does that even matter?

I just saw something extremely traumatic and I'm now a key witness in a crime. And I could've been potentially caught by the murderer themselves!

I try and breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth, just as my therapist taught me.

"They help when you feel like you're enclosed." She would tell me during our sessions.

But right now I feel more than enclosed. I feel caught, like I have a huge target on my back, and that's one thing I hate the most in this world; having a target and being the centre of attention.

I brace myself and lift my head slightly over the edge of my window.

The silhouette of the person is still there but I don't know if they're looking towards my direction or at the lifeless body that's still on the ground.

My breathing continues in its fast pace, but I'm not bothered to try and stop it.

I'm trying my best to keep my head low as possible.

The person is facing the dead body, because they use their foot to lightly kick the body, as if to see if they're still alive.

I take a deep breathe and bring myself up a little bit.

You're safe Kayla. You're in your room.

The perpetrator kneels down and starts searching the body, checking their pockets.

It looks like they found something as they stick it in their own pocket behind them.

They search some more.

I'm scared that if I take my eyes off, then I'd miss something, but at the same time, I don't know why I don't want to miss this. I don't even want to remember anything, but as I said, my eyes are glued to this scenery.