LOUISVILLE
403 Brownlee Street
“Wimp …!” Elle Steward growled to herself as she rested her forehead on her Organic Chemistry textbook.
She was too exhausted to study more.
Eight straight hours of analyzing acid-based formulations had turned her brain to liquid silicone, a.k.a. silly putty. The problem was she had to study more. Tomorrow’s exam determined whether she got into the University of Louisville Medical School.
She lifted her bedroom window and the cool breeze swept in, refreshing her a bit. She lay back on her bed to rest her eyes, but her eyelids soon grew heavy and she sensed them falling. Maybe a quick nap. She started counting sheep, but soon was counting ex-boyfriends. Within seconds, she drifted off.
Noise!
Elle bolted awake in her pitch-dark room. She definitely heard a noise.
She listened.
Silence.
Something moved. Her roommate? No, Jenny was in Lexington.
Elle sat up, looked around, saw no one.
The window curtain fluttered. Did the breeze knock over the family picture on the dresser?
She turned toward the noise – as hands gripped her neck from behind, cutting off her scream. She tried to pull his hands away, but couldn’t.
Elle knew she was blacking out … knew her brain was shutting down … knew the last thing she might see in life was the gold metal band around her attacker’s ponytail.