Everyone's A Suspect

Kayla Saint Francis

The breeze was cold, but not cold enough for Kayla Saint Francis to stay inside. She liked going for walks around her neighborhood and to the nearby hill top where she could see all of Anchorage. She lived near Flattop, and would walk through the parking lot to the viewing top before closing and watch the sunset. It was almost October, so it was getting colder. No one was here since it was getting late, so Kayla had the bench to herself. The breeze blew a little harder, so Kayla pulled her jacket up further and pulled her hat down. 

As she  climbed the stairs leading to the trail, she got the sense that someone was watching her. She turned around at the top of the staircase only to see the empty parking lot and huge mountain behind her. It had snow on top so Kayla knew it was only a matter of time before she had snow at her house too. She didn't plan to stay long, but she sat on the bench, looking at the city. She could see everything. Flattop has very limited lighting due to it being so high up off the ground, so Kayla knew she'd have to get back soon. 

She got up after about 20 minutes and started walking home. Just after she got to the bottom of the staircase, the wind picked up and blew her hat off. "Oh shoot." She says, jogging after it. It had landed just past the parking lot exit. Just as she was about to pick it up, she heard a noise. She froze, making sure it wasn't an animal. She didn't hear the noise again, so she picked up her hat and started to make her way back to her house. Aside from the wind, the only noise was the sound of her boots with each step. There was another sound nearby, as if someone were hiding behind a bush behind her. She stopped and turned around. "Hello?" She called out.

She heard a phone ring nearby. Kayla suddenly smiled. "Very funny Alyse. You know, I asked if you wanted to join me this evening and you never answered me." Kayla says, walking towards the bush. There was no verbal response. "Okay, I'm not playing this game Alyse! I'm going home." Kayla started to jog since she was skeptical, but she slipped on some black ice. The sound she heard was getting further away, so she just kept going once she got up. Kayla felt around in her pockets and couldn't find her albuterol inhaler. "Shit, I must have dropped it." She whispered under her breath.

Kayla started making her way back, looking carefully for her red inhaler. She had almost made it back to where her hat blew off when she got startled by the rustling sound in the bushes right in front of her. It was too dark to see what it was, but she squinted and leaned in slowly to see if she could see anything or anyone. She leaned in closer, setting her other hand on the ground for more support. Just then, someone grabbed her hand. She screamed, hoping that someone would hear her. Whoever it was pulled her away. It was too dark to be able to tell who it was. They wrestled a bit, but Kayla didn't get her freedom back. Instead, the person let go of her, but she stumbled down a steep rocky hill. 

To her death.