Julie steps off the bus Friday night before 10 pm. She has had a long week at the store and wants to get home to relax. Julie manages a franchise jewelry story and needs some down time in order to maintain her fragile sanity.
Friday is casual day at the mall, so Julie is relaxed in her designer blue jeans and black sweater jacket over her blouse. She is also wearing her signature black and gold baseball cap that she likes to wear when it’s cool outside.
Julie lives in a busy and congested neighborhood and isn’t crazy about the two block walk to her house from the bus stop. She doesn’t think its necessary to own a car as she likes the exercise of walking, and of being outdoors often. However, as the bus drives away an eerie feeling creeps into her mind.
Her eyes begin to dart from the shadows of the trees as they rake in the cool night. The tall timber sway back and forth in the breeze. A creaking sound crawls throughout her mind as the acute awareness of her surroundings increases. Julie stiffens as she continues her steady pace. Her shoulders raise from the tension, she shakes her head and attempts to steady her breathing into a calm pattern.
Stop! You're fine, just like every other night, she tells herself. This city isn't known for violent crime. Julie shakes her head as she tries to focus on just walking home without incident. Things seem to be getting quieter in the night. Perhaps too quiet? Until a rustle from behind her unearths her terror once again.
Julie turns around suddenly at the new sound. Her heart is beating so fast that she can now hear it. She stares at what is only apparently a bush in the dark, but she notices that the bush seems to be moving!
Her mouth gapes open in realization. Something, something is wrong. A dark figure seems to be within the bush. Paralyzed by her fear, she can't move and stands perfectly still. Only the light breeze lifts her hair as the only sign of life in her body.
Julie stares at the shadowy figure intently for several agonizing seconds before she begins to see what the figure actually is. A large branch with its leaves still on it has fallen onto the sidewalk from a large nearby white pine tree. Oh my God! What a relief! Julie gasps and puts both hands on her face as she starts to feel the sweat pour down her neck from the terror.
At that exact moment in time,
A man from directly behind her lumbers toward her. One quick step at a time. Julie freezes in terror as his shadow from the dim street light behind her reaches her feet. The man reaches her just as she is able to partially turn around at his sound.
Julie blacks out as her head is brutally forced into a collision with the concrete. Warm, red, blood paints the sidewalk as life leaves her permanently.
An hour later Detective Olson calmly tells his partner Detective Reynolds, “I can only surmise that this young lady fell to her death from a freak accident. There doesn’t appear to have been any struggle or foul play. I will try and get ahold of her mother in Binghamton, but this seriously looks to be an accidental death.”