“Missing! Alyssa Brighton, age 17, light brown hair, and light green eyes. Last seen at Sunset Academy. She never returned home.”

Where am I? The thought was hazy as I came to. The last thing I remember was walking to my car. I had stayed late to work on an art project for school and when I left it was dark outside. It was weird, one minute I was fine and the next I was really dizzy and shaky. I don’t remember anything after that just blackness…

“This just in: Alyssa Brighton’s cell phone was found in the Sunset Academy student parking lot. However, police have not found any other evidence of her presence there.”

I’m in a basement or a shed. I’m not really sure. All I know is that it is dark, and very cold. I hear footsteps and muffled noises coming from somewhere outside this damp room. Other than that it is deadly silent. I don’t know how long I’ve been here. I’m beginning to starve. There is just a bucket of water for me to drink from. However, I think that is how I am being drugged. I feel so weak.

“A security tape has been recovered from the school where Alyssa went missing. It shows a tall, dark figure following Alyssa to her car. About halfway there Alyssa becomes unsteady and falls to the ground. Police believe she may have been drugged prior to her kidnapping. After she falls to the ground the person following her quickly picks her up and takes her to her car, then drives away. No other car can be seen on the tape. We are awaiting more information.”

The chain that holds me here is too tight. I can’t move from this spot, and it is cutting into my wrist. I keep trying to find something that I could use to break it or pry it off with. All my efforts are useless though. It is too dark for me to see anything and the area around me is clear. I want to fight. I feel helpless and it is driving me insane. I want to scream! Maybe if I do, someone will hear me. After all, the coward that took me hasn’t shown their face. What else can this person do to me?

“Alyssa Brighton’s car was recovered at the bottom of a lake this morning. As far as authorities can tell she was not in the car when it sank.”

I was sore all over. When he came in to shut me up, I had tried to fight but I was weak with hunger and over powered. He threatened to slit my throat if I didn’t keep quiet. Then he became overwhelmed with anger and started screaming as he paced back and forth. “You’re just like the others! Ungrateful! It’s like you can’t see the big picture! You are better off here! You’re safer! Don’t you get that?” Then he beat me until I blacked out.

“Kidnapper makes contact! Parents Julie and Kris Brighton received a note from their daughters kidnapper stapled to their mailbox when they got home yesterday. “She is better off with me.” it read, “I can protect her and take better care of her. She is finally safe, unlike how she was with you!” Police say the note leads them to believe that the kidnapper is linked to a few other kidnappings where a similar note was received. Unfortunately, prior victims did not survive, but police are optimistic that they can use information from the other cases to find Alyssa sooner.”

The chain is loose! I think I might be able to slip out of it! He must have knocked it loose when he was beating me. I’m trying to avoid drinking the water. As thirsty as I am, I want to be completely in control when I try to escape.

“Parents plead for their daughters return. A teary eyed Julie Brighton appeared before press today with her husband at her side. “We just want out daughter back. We would do anything to see our daughter again.” She soon became overwhelmed with emotion and Mr. Brighton had to take over. We all feel their pain and our hearts go out to them in this time of great sorrow.”

My hand slipped right out of the cuff, his fault for starving me. My legs were shaky as I got to my feet. I was weak, but the taste of freedom kept me going. It was dark but I could make out the outline of things. I saw a set of stairs leading up and tried to climb them as silently as the death that would befall me if I made a sound. My heart was pounding loud enough to be heard miles away. I didn’t know what was waiting for me at the top of the stairs, but I did know what was at the bottom. I reached a door and took a breath. For all I knew that psychopath was waiting for me right behind it. I made my decision. I was prepared for the worst, if it meant I had a chance of getting back home. No matter what, I am NOT going back down those stairs!

“The trail goes cold! Police have followed every lead they had, only to hit a dead end. Everyone is working hard to get Alyssa home, but her kidnapper is good at covering tracks. The police are not giving up, but for now it seems Alyssa is on her own.”

The door slides open without a sound and I am standing in an ordinary house. Everything is quiet but I’m scared to move. Seconds pass. I hadn’t planned as much as I should have. What do I do next? I can see a door leading outside not far from me. I can make a run for it. Only I don’t know where I am so where would I go. It didn’t seem like anyone was home, so I decided to look around long enough to get my bearings. There was a stack of mail lying on the table in front of me. I checked the address to make sure I was still in Chicago. I was just way on the outskirts; it would take me awhile to reach town, especially in my condition. I would have to run.



“…”



I headed out the front door. There were no cars around. The house was surrounded by woods and there was a gravel road straight ahead. I took off along the edge of the woods. The sun was bright and I was so tired. I hadn’t been running long when I felt myself become very drained. Then I stumbled and fell.



“…”



I woke up in the back of a truck with a blanket over me. I sat up slowly and soon realized I was in trouble. It was him; he had picked me up off the side of the road after I passed out. I was heading back to that basement…or worse. I refuse to go back. I saw a metal wrench lying on the floor next to me. I’m going to fight. As long as I am alive, I will not go back down those stairs!



“…”




I hit him on the head and he started yelling. He reached around the seat and grabbed my arm and started twisting. I cried out in pain, then he slammed my wrist into the console and I dropped the wrench. I’m pretty sure something broke. That wasn’t stopping me though. I kept fighting. Just then he pulled into the drive at the house. He turned around and grabbed my waist. He pulled me out. I kept kicking and screaming. My wrist was hurting really bad. I fought as hard as I could. I hope everyone knows that, but he was so much stronger than me. He dragged me back in the house and reached for a knife. I managed to slip away, but in vain. He stepped on my ankle, sending me to the ground with another broken bone. He got down on his knees and started stabbing. I screamed and started crying. In moments I felt myself slip away from this life and into the next.



“It has been a year since Alyssa Brighton was taken in the Sunset Academy student parking lot. After the trail went cold, only two months after her kidnapping, hopes of finding her alive began to fade. Now the police are calling off the search. “We have tried in vain to find Alyssa Brighton for a year now and with each passing day the pain has grown. Now it is time to allow her family to come to terms with their loss. Alyssa will not be forgotten. However, after so much mourning, it is finally time for some peace of mind’”.



R.I.P
Alyssa Brighton
Always Loved
Never Found