ɪ ғɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴀᴋɪ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴇᴍɪ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪɴɪɴɢ ʀᴏᴏᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴇᴘ ᴄᴏɴᴠᴇʀsᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇᴍ sᴏ ɪ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ ʙʏ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ. ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟɪɴɢ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴏssɪʙʟᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ʀᴀᴘɪsᴛ, ᴋɪʟʟᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴏʙʙᴇʀs ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇsɴ'ᴛ ʜᴜʀᴛ ʀɪɢʜᴛ? ɪ ᴡᴇɴᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇғᴛ ᴀ ɴᴏᴛᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғʀᴏɴᴛ ᴅᴏᴏʀ. ɪ ᴡᴇɴᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴀɴᴅ sᴀᴡ ᴛʜᴇ sʜɪɴɪɴɢ sᴜɴ.  sᴏ ғʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ʙʀɪɢʜᴛ. ᴜɴʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍʏ ғᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ. ɪ sɪɢʜᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ sᴜɴɢʟᴀssᴇs.  ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴀᴅ.  ɪ ᴡᴇɴᴛ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀɴʏ sʜᴏᴘs ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʀᴛ sᴜᴘᴘʟɪᴇs.  ɪ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴅʀᴀᴡ ᴀ sᴛɪᴄᴋ ғɪɢᴜʀᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴜsᴇ ɪᴛ ᴀʟʟ ғᴏʀ ᴍʏ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ.  ɪ ʙᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴀ ᴛᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴍᴏᴄʜɪ ɪᴄᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴍ ғᴏʀ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ.  ᴇᴠᴇɴ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ sᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴀ ʙᴀsᴛᴀʀᴅ,  ғᴜᴍɪᴏ.  ʜɪs ᴡᴏʀᴅs sᴛɪʟʟ ʀɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀᴅ. "ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀɴ ᴏᴜᴛsɪᴅᴇʀ.  ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇʟᴏɴɢ ʜᴇʀᴇ. " ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴅ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴄᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ's ᴛʀᴜᴇ.  ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇʟᴏɴɢ ʜᴇʀᴇ.  ɪɴ ᴊᴀᴘᴀɴ.  ɪɴ ᴀ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ.  ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇʟᴏɴɢ ᴀɴʏᴡʜᴇʀᴇ. ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴀ ᴍɪsᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʙʏ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ. ᴀɴ ᴜɴʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜʏ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ. ɪᴛ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴍʏ 8 ғʟɪᴘᴘɪɴɢ ʏᴇᴀʀs ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀʟɪᴢᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀs ᴡᴇʟʟ. ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄʀʏ ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴡᴀs sᴛɪʟʟ ʙᴜʏɪɴɢ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴇxᴛʀᴀ ᴍᴏᴄʜɪ ᴊᴜsᴛ ɪɴ ᴄᴀsᴇ ɪ'ᴍ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɢʀᴇᴇᴅʏ. ɪ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴀ sʜᴏʀᴛ ᴄᴜᴛ. ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴀᴅ ᴡᴀs sᴛᴇᴇᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ᴋɪɴᴅᴀ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴀʟᴋ ᴜᴘ. ɪ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇᴅ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ ʀɪᴅɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ʙɪᴋᴇ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴛʜɪs ʜɪʟʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʀᴏᴀᴅ.  ɪᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ sᴏ sᴀᴛɪsғʏɪɴɢ. ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴘ,  ɪ sᴀᴡ ᴀ ʟᴀʀɢᴇ ʜᴏᴜsᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴀʙᴀɴᴅᴏɴᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴀᴍᴀɢᴇᴅ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀ ᴡᴀs ʜᴀᴍᴍᴇʀᴇᴅ sʜᴜᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴡᴏᴏᴅ.  ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡs ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴏᴏ,  ᴀʟʟ ᴇxᴄᴇᴘᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴏɴᴇ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴇʀғᴇᴄᴛʟʏ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ sᴀᴡ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ. "ᴀ ʙᴏʏ?" ɪ ᴀsᴋᴇᴅ ᴀʟᴏᴜᴅ.  ʜᴇ sᴇᴇᴍᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ sᴛᴀʀɪɴɢ ʀɪɢʜᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴍᴇ. ʜᴇ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀᴠᴇ ᴏʀ sᴍɪʟᴇ.  ʜᴇ ᴊᴜsᴛ sᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ. ʜᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ʙᴏʀᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴘʀᴇssᴇᴅ.  ɪ ᴡᴀᴠᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ. "ʜᴇʏ!" ɪ ʏᴇʟʟᴇᴅ. ʜᴇ ᴏᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡ ʙᴜᴛ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴀɴsᴡᴇʀ.  "ᴡʜʏ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴀɴ ᴀʙᴀɴᴅᴏɴᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴜsᴇ?" ɪ ᴀsᴋᴇᴅ.  ɴᴏ ʀᴇᴘʟʏ. "ɴᴏᴛ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴏғ ᴀ ᴛᴀʟᴋᴇʀ? ɪ ɢᴇᴛ ɪᴛ,  ɪ ɢᴇᴛ ɪᴛ. " ɪ sᴀɪᴅ,  ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴄᴛ ᴄᴏᴏʟ.  "ᴄᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀᴛ ʟᴇᴀsᴛ ᴛᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɴᴀᴍᴇ?" ɴᴏ ᴀɴsᴡᴇʀ.  "ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪᴛ's ʀᴜᴅᴇ ᴛᴏ ɪɢɴᴏʀᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ. " ɪ sᴄᴏʟᴅᴇᴅ. "ᴀʟʀɪɢʜᴛ.  ᴛʜᴇɴ ɪ'ᴍ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴛᴀʟᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ." ʜᴇ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴄʟᴏsᴇᴅ ʜɪs ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀʟᴋᴇᴅ ᴀᴡᴀʏ.  ɪ ғᴇʟᴛ ᴇᴍʙᴀʀʀᴀssᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ғᴏʀ sᴏᴍᴇ ʀᴇᴀsᴏɴ ʀᴇᴊᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ. ᴀs ɪ ᴡᴀʟᴋᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴍᴇ,  ɪ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴇ ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴏғ.  ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀ,  ɪ ғɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ғᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴏ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs.  "ʜᴇ ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅs ᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴍʏsᴇʟғ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀsᴛ. "