On the fifth day, the rain stops. Alya sits in the back of her car, staring at the stitching that snakes around the leather seats. Tom had bought her a small blue sedan- a sharp contrast from the shiny limo she'd been in only a few days before. Her driver is the same, the professional limo driver who'd driven her to the parking garage during the shoot. His name was Edward. Edward, with the pretty eyes.
Usually, Alya would have Mariel drive her around- Tom hated when Alya drove alone- but today Mariel wouldn't answer her phone so Alya was forced to take other measures and call Edward to drive her. Not that she is complaining; Alya quite likes having time to think without Mariel talking her ear off.
"We're here," Edward says, breaking the silence. Alya looks out the window. The car is pulled up right next to eh supermarket. Edward looks over his shoulder at Alya. "How long will you be? I can wait out here or I can pick you up when you're ready."
His eyes really are beautiful, Alya thinks to herself. She pushes the thought out of her head. "Um..." She pulls a list out of her purse. "I'll just be a few minutes. I've only got to pick up a few items."
"I'll park over by the cart return. Take your time."
Alya nods wordlessly and steps out of the car. She closes the door and Edward slowly drives away. Alya takes a deep breath and adjusts her hat so it covers her glossy black hair and deep brown eyes. Even if she's not famous yet, Tom always insisted that she be careful not to get swarmed by fans. As if, Alya thinks as she walks into the supermarket. There's no one here to disturb me.
Alya looks around the supermarket. Only the soft instrumental music accompanies her. No one here. She shivers a little as a chill hits her. Alya doesn't go out much, but she's sure this strange silence isn't normal. The headlines of a magazine rack catch her eye. "Identity of Serial Killer Remains a Mystery," reads one of them. "'Unnamed Killer Strikes Again," reads another. You've heard about the murders then? Mariel's voice rings in her head. Alya tears her eyes away from the display.
She picks up a shopping basket and moves quickly through the aisles. The echo of her shoes on the linoleum sends shivers up her spine.
She pauses at the checkout line. A display of chocolate bars leans against the divider. She bites her lip. Tom usually doesn't let her eat chocolate- bad for the complexion, he would tell her. But Tom isn't here... Alya reaches out and grabs a chocolate bar. One wouldn't hurt, right?
Alya sets her basket down on the conveyor belt. She waits a moment, then takes her chocolate out of the basket. She doesn't want Edward to notice and report to Tom.
"Do you mind if I eat this now?" she asks the cashier. "I'll pay for it; I'm just... hungry."
The cashier, a pretty woman with curly brown hair, doesn't even look up. "Yeah, that's all right."
Alya smiles to herself and unwraps the chocolate bar. She takes a bite. Sweet and soft, just like she remembers. The last time she had chocolate was during one of her and Tom's date nights at the restaurant overlooking the lake. Later, they would rent a canoe and float down the river. And every night as the sun went down, he would kiss her and tell her what a wonderful night he'd had. He would tell her he loved her. Her smile fades. She can't remember the last time Tom had taken her on a date, let alone the last time he said he loved her.
"Your total is thirty dollars and seventy five cents," the cashier says suddenly.
"Oh, ok," Alya says. She pulls a wad of dollar bills out of her pocket and hands it to the cashier. "Here, keep the extra. I don't like to carry extra change around."
The cashier meets her eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," Alya says. "I've been robbed a few times and-"
"Wait," the cashier says, squinting at Alya. "Are you Alya Ledford?"
Alya laughs nervously. "Yeah, that's me."
"Really? You're Alya Ledford? The actress?"
"Yep," Alya says. "That's me."
"I loved A Crystal Heart. Tom Ledford is your husband, right?"
Alya's face darkens. "Yeah."
"That must be such a dream! I can't imagine what it must be like to be married to such an amazing director!"
"I can make a name for myself too," Alya snaps. "My husband doesn't define me."
"Oh, I'm sorry," the cashier says, averting her eyes.
"No, it's not your fault," Alya says. She grabs the grocery bag and heads toward the exit. Already, tears are rapidly filling her eyes. She wipes her eyes with her sleeve. What was wrong with her? Why was she acting this way? Sure, she was mad and Tom but that didn't mean she had to lash out at that poor woman.
Alya turns around. The woman is slumped over, her face pressed against the screen of the computer. Alya's stomach twists.
"Hey," she says. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."
The woman doesn't move.
Alya sighs. "I've just been having some marriage problems, but I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you. I'm sorry."
The woman is still.
Alya's gut twists further, but this time not from guilt. "Hey, are you all right?" She inches closer to the woman.
And that's when Alya sees the knife sticking out of the woman's chest, smashed between her ribs. Alya screams and drops her groceries. The chocolate bar falls to the floor. Her hands fly up to her mouth. For a minute, she can only stare at the body. The woman is pale, so very pale. A little trickle of blood runs down her side, soaking her shirt with the red liquid. Alya squeezes her eyes shut and tries not to throw up.
Suddenly, Alya feels hands grabbing her upper arms. She breaks out of her frozen state and screams as loud as she can.
"Help!" she yells. "Someone, help!"
"Calm down," say the person holding her. A man.
She screams louder. "Help! Help me!"
"Alya," the voice says sternly. "Alya, it's me. It's Edward."
Alya's mind slowly starts to clear. She stops struggling. "Edward? Did you- did you kill her?"
"Of course not," Edward says. "I heard you scream so I ran in. Is everything all right?"
"No, everything is not all right! A woman is dead!" Alya clutches her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. "I have to call the police. They'll figure it out-"
"We can't do that," Edward says.
"And why not?"
"Think about it. You're the only one in the store. You're the only suspect, and they have enough evidence to convict you." He motions at the fallen chocolate bar.
Alya gasps. "I'm a fugitive? Are they going to come after me?"
Edward holds tight around Alya's waist. "Alya, calm down. We're going to leave. The police will show up and take care of everything."
"But they'll get my spit and my fingerprints from the chocolate and-"
"No, they won't," Edward says, shaking his head. "You're not thinking rationally. Let's get you home."
Numbly, Alya nods. She lets Edward lead her outside in the parking lot.
"Everything's going to be fine, Alya," he says, shutting her into the back of the sedan.
She doesn't believe him.
YOU ARE READING
Psycho #OpenNovellaContest
Fiksi Umum"I want to help you," the man next to her says. She shivers as the hand rests on her thigh again. But this time, she doesn't push him away. He lowers his voice to a whisper, so quiet that not even the microphones can pick it up. "People do strange t...
