Into The Minds Of Criminals: A Father's Love
-Kayla Burk-
The frantic sound of a child running filled the quiet June 18th morning air as five year old, Kayla Burk, bolted down the dusty, dirt road, her long, dark brown, mangled hair blowing out wildly in all directions behind her as she fled.
Scared and dehydrated and with no idea where she was, Kayla knew that she needed help but she was too afraid to call out, afraid that the 'Bad People' might get her. The 'Bad People' he'd warned her about.
He needed to keep her safe, needed to keep her hidden from them, all of them….but now she was out…now she was on her own.
Tears filled her big brown eyes before spilling down her pale, dirt covered cheeks as she ran, obscuring her vision enough that she didn't see the huge Semi Truck until it was almost too late.
Quickly, Kayla lunged to the right, as to avoid the impending collision, only to lose her balance and fall to the pavement, skinning her knee in the process, which caused her to sit on the ground before bursting into tears, cradling her abused flesh as she did.
A faint squeaking sound met her ears, as the truck pulled over to the side of the road, just a short distance from Kayla.
"Hello?
Little girl, a-are you alright?"
With grubby fingers, Kayla rubbed her eyes before looking towards the source of the voice to see an older man wearing a plaid shirt and overalls.
"She needs help. I left her, s-she needs help!" Kayla replied as she gestured feverishly in the direction of the woods.
"Who? Who needs help?" The trucker questioned while coming closer. Upon closer inspection, the man drew back a little bit in shock.
"Kayla? Kayla Burk?"
Kayla looked at him in confusion before backing away slightly.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you little one" Soothed the man, now pulling out his cell phone.
"I'm just really glad I've found you. You've been missing for a long time" He reassured, patting her foot lightly before backing away somewhat.
"Now you just stay put for a second while I make a phone call, alright?"
Kayla only met his kind, smiling face with an empty, deadpanned stair.
'A phone call' she thought, now slowly rising to her feet.
'A call to who? The Bad People? I can't let the Bad People find me! He'll be upset if they take me!
I can't let them take me!' Kayla hurriedly got to her feet before limping as fast as she could back into the woods.
"911, what's your emergency?" The operator questioned.
"This is Frank Mills calling from mile marker 4038. I've found Kayla Burk"
A slight pause greeted him as he waited for the operator's response.
"Did you say that you found Kayla Burk, sir?"
"Yes! I know it's her! I saw her as she jumped out of the way of my truck while running down the side of the road! Please hurry, you need to come, it looks like she's been hurt and-"
Frank stopped mid sentence for he had glanced in Kayla's direction, only to be met with the open road.
"Sir?...sir, are you still with me?" The operator inquired.
"I-I…she was just here! Please help me find her, she must be so scared!" Frank pleaded, speaking with a father's heart as he thought of his children and how terrified they would be if they were in Kayla's position.
"Kayla!" He shouted, looking around in near panic.
"Kayla!" But silence was all he was greeted with.
Kayla Burk…was nowhere to be found.